For students who are taking their PSLE and moving up to Secondary 1, one of their top goals is to be able to enter the secondary school of their choice. This will enable them to get into the degrees they want to strive for in the future. However, there will be students who will be unable to get into their chosen secondary schools for various reasons.
In Singapore, every year around 100 secondary school postings appeals are made by students who didn’t make the cut-off points through their PSLE results.
Do note that these appeals are a risk to those who have gotten in through the Express stream because they may lose their slots. Schools will also be left with far fewer classes than they should because of transfers.
Besides these information, here is an informative guide on how you can appeal for your secondary school posting:
Application Eligibility
Primary 6 students who took their PSLE this year and picked a school that has limited vacancy or strict admissions criteria can make the appeal if they were unable to pass with their PSLE scores. Students with serious medical conditions or disabilities like ADHD (because their education needs may be different) may also file for an appeal and will be required to present the right documents to prove their condition and schooling requirements.
Meanwhile, those who were posted to a certain secondary school through the DSA-Sec Exercise will not be allowed to request for an appeal. These students are required to complete their commitment with their DSA school until their programme is complete. Here are more details on the DSA program.
Some schools may allow appeals from students and require them to take the Post-PSLE Supplementary Intake Exercise for Secondary 1 if they were unable to get into the school with their scores.
It is important to remember that the number of students these schools will accept after the Post-PSLE Supplementary Intake Exercise is limited. Students will be informed if they are successful through a phone call.
Others will require students to submit an appeal form to their preferred school directly to give the school a notice of their interest to transfer. However, students must check with the school if they have the vacancy available and if they are accepting transfers.
Appeal Interview
Aside from the student’s academic record and their results from their Post-PSLE Supplementary Intake Exercise, the school may also request for the student to attend an interview. During this interview, the school will assess if the student should be permitted and be able to keep up with the school’s curriculum.
For schools with strong CCA involvement, students will be asked during the interview if they will be able to commit to joining the CCA groups in the school. Students must make it a point to research about the school’s records before their interview so they can plan their answers accordingly.
For example, Raffles Girls School is well known for their gymnastics and table tennis, if you child has shown a strong interest in these areas, appealing to this school will make more sense than appealing to Singapore Chinese Girls who won distinctions in Performing Arts.
Appeal Approval
The school’s Principal and Vice-Principal will review the appeal filed by students and it is they who can decide if the student can be accepted. Other members of the school or any prominent figure in the school board will not be involved in the process.
Personal referrals is a good way to obtain an interview with the school’s Principal and Vice-Principal. However, there are cases that these referrals are rejected by the Principal or Vice-Principal as well. So while it is great if you can appeal to your next door neighbour who is sitting on the school board, however it doesn’t guarantee direct entry to the school.
Some students may also have to contend with the MOE’s directives when it comes to the approval of appeals from students who wish to get into their chosen secondary school but didn’t pass through their PSLE scores.
The MOE said that students are posted in the schools based on their academic merit and appeals should also consider these guidelines so that all students are given the chance to get into the schools they want.
Appeal Waiting Period
The results for Secondary School Posting varies depending on the school your child wishes to join in.
Some schools will look into their vacancies to decide if they can allow a student to transfer to their school. Others will take a long time to do it because the students in question will have to do an interview before a decision can be made. The results may even be released just a few days before school opening.
If students aim to appeal for their post, they must check with their preferred school with regards to their appeals process. Ideally, parents can ask the school politely for the results to be released by December 29th. However, if there is still no response around that time, parents should contact the school daily.
Students are also required to report and continue their classes with their posted school while waiting for their appeals to be decided.
Conclusion
For parents and students who wish to make an appeal for the child’s secondary school posting, it is crucial that you check all the guidelines regarding the appeal process before considering it. Check popular forums and other education websites like ours where parents discuss how the appeals process should go and how it is done in various schools.
In the event that your application is unsuccessful, don’t be too disappointed. As Singapore government reiterate, every school in Singapore is a good school. A home tutor can also help your child succeed anywhere they go.
For more secondary school posting exercise related articles, check out these:
Deciding To Opt For Direct School Admission?
Singapore Direct School Admission Exercise to Continue Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
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