Application for direct school admission to secondary schools, JCs open from May 7
Application for direct school admission to secondary schools, JCs open from May 7
SINGAPORE - Students who wish to apply for direct admission to secondary schools and junior colleges (JCs) may do so from May 7.
Those who wish to apply for early admission to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) can start doing so from May 20. Applications for early admission to polytechnics start on June 2.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on May 6 that the Direct School Admission (DSA) allows students to enter secondary schools and JCs based on their interests and aptitudes, beyond their performance at the national examinations.
Students will be considered by the respective schools they have applied for. Schools can admit up to 20 per cent of their students through the DSA, said MOE.
According to checks by The Straits Times, 142 secondary schools and 20 JCs will be participating in the DSA exercise.
Students applying for DSA must still sit the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) or O-level examinations.
If a DSA offer is made to them by the selected school, students have until the indicated deadline to accept the offer, which will be before the release of the national examination results.
For students moving on to secondary school, they will be guaranteed a place in their selected school, provided they accept the offer and their PSLE result meets the minimum requirement for a posting group that the school admits students from.
MOE posts students to secondary school through three posting groups: G1, G2 or G3 . G1 will roughly correspond to today's Normal (Technical) standard, G2 to Normal (Academic) standard, and G3 to Express standard.
Similarly, those who applied to JCs will be guaranteed a spot provided that their O-level results meet the minimum requirements for admission.
Once students accept a DSA offer, they will not be eligible to participate in the S1 posting exercise or Joint Admissions Exercise . They will also not be allowed to transfer to another school after obtaining their examination results.
Primary school pupils and their parents may submit DSA applications via www.moe.gov.sg/dsa-sec from 11am on May 7 to 3pm on June 3 .
Applicants need to fill in only one online form , and can select up to three choices of school and talent area offered by the school. Applicants can indicate the same school up to two times in their application.
Students applying for DSA to JCs can go to www.moe.gov.sg/dsa-jc for more information, or visit the JCs' websites for the application period, procedures and selection criteria, as these vary between schools.
Early admissions into ITE and polytechnics
The Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) is applicable for those wanting to further their education in an ITE or polytechnic.
Under the EAE, applicants are considered based on their aptitude and interest in a specific course, as well as relevant work experience for working adult applicants. Applicants may need to submit portfolios or undergo interviews and take aptitude tests as part of the selection process.
Graduating secondary school students who would like to enter ITE can go to https://www.ite.edu.sg/apply-eae for more information on the application procedure and entry requirements for the courses they are interested in.
Applications will open from May 20 to 26.
Meanwhile, graduating O-Level students who would like to enter polytechnic can submit their EAE application from June 26 to July 2 , while final-year ITE students can submit their EAE application from June 12 to 18.
Applicants can find more information on the application procedure and entry requirements at https://eae.polytechnic.edu.sg/.
Those successful will be given an offer by the chosen ITE or polytechnic before receiving their final examination results. They must meet the Minimum Entry Requirements for the selected course in order for the offer to be confirmed.
Those who accept a place via the EAE cannot participate in other ITE or polytechnic admission exercises.
Working adults can also apply for EAE to enter ITE or a polytechnic. They must be Singapore citizens or permanent residents , and have at least two years of relevant work experience.
EAE applications for working adults into ITE and polytechnic will open from May 20 to 26 and June 2 to 29 respectively.
Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Commentary: Will cutting administrative work help schools recruit more teachers?
SINGAPORE: The need to recruit and retain good teachers is a constant in Singapore. The Ministry of Education (MOE) said it plans to hire more than 1,000 teachers annually, up from 700, to strengthen the teaching workforce in anticipation of more retirements. In a similar vein, the National Institute of Education (NIE) will shorten its postgraduate programme for teachers-in-training from 16 months to 12 months. It will give them more flexibility to take elective courses based on their interests, and upon graduation, more support for professional learning in classrooms. This is part of an ongoing review to meet the needs of a diverse teaching force and attract individuals with the right values and motivations to become teachers. But how successful will such efforts be when overwork is a chronic issue in the profession? TEACHERS DO MORE THAN TEACH Minister for Education Desmond Lee recently highlighted efforts made to reduce teachers' administrative workload, such as simplifying procurement processes and no longer requiring teachers to collate absentee records. This is so that teachers can 'focus on what matters most – helping our students to learn and grow well'. However, teachers do far more than just delivering content to students. They must assume various roles and responsibilities, which have morphed with MOE reforms. For instance, teachers must now meet individual learners' needs through differentiated instruction and inquiry-based learning. Artificial intelligence has made the tasks of planning and delivering lessons, as well as marking students' work, more complex than it was a decade ago. The avenues for students to learn have also expanded to include overseas immersion trips, cohort learning journeys and outdoor adventure learning camps, all of which require teachers to spend time on the planning and carrying out of these activities. THE CHALLENGING TASK OF CARING FOR STUDENTS Another major MOE focus is students' social and emotional well-being. All teachers have a shared responsibility to foster a 'caring and enabling school environment', which includes building positive teacher-student relationships and peer relationships among students. This task cannot be accomplished overnight, nor is it easily quantified. The idea of 'care' is a powerful and at times challenging one for teachers. For instance, teachers play a crucial role in detecting signs of student self-harm or domestic child abuse. Some teachers take on the task of patrolling the neighbourhood around the school after the school day has ended in a bid to ensure students' safety and well-being. In 2022, then Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing rejected the idea of imposing an upper limit on teachers' work hours as 'unrealistic' because teachers would still work 'way beyond' what is expected of them. Partnerships with parents are also an important aspect of teachers' work. Some teachers text parents with instructions regarding students' homework. Others conduct workshops for parents on topics such as supporting children in learning mathematics and enhancing children's English language skills. Here, as in the case of teacher-student relationships, the boundaries between work and personal time may get blurred at times. The MOE has issued two sets of guidelines, first in 2019 and then in 2024, in a bid to for non-urgent matters. Besides their work with students and parents, teachers must also dedicate time to their professional development through activities like mentoring colleagues and participating in workshops. NOT SO SIMPLE TO CUT A TEACHER'S WORKLOAD Calls to let teachers focus on teaching neglect the reality that working with students involves much more than lesson preparation and marking. Teachers, as frontline individuals who interact with students daily, will inevitably be roped into administrative work, and serve as the main point of contact for parents. Artificial intelligence is often held up as a promising tool for teachers in the tasks of teaching and assessment. However, teachers must still spend time interpreting and reviewing the output of AI assistants before providing feedback to students. Hence, current MOE initiatives to ease teacher workload, such as streamlining of administrative processes, the use of technology and allowing schools greater flexibility in implementing certain policy initiatives, can only go so far. Aspiring teachers must be aware that the moral purpose of 'care' underlies a teacher's work. As former Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman pointed out in 2024, 'a teacher is one who is there to guide the student, go through the education journey holistically so that students also understand the teacher is available at any point in time'. They therefore need to ask themselves whether their personalities and values are well-suited for the demands of teaching. Founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said in1966, 'If I have to choose one profession in which you give the most for the least, it is probably teaching – if you take it seriously'. These are sobering words to bear in mind as teachers' workload continues to grow more complex in response to changes in the wider education landscape.
CNA
6 days ago
- CNA
41 schools oversubscribed in Phase 2A of P1 registration exercise
SINGAPORE: A total of 41 schools were oversubscribed in Phase 2A of the Primary 1 registration exercise this year, an increase from last year, according to the latest data released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Wednesday (Jul 16). The most oversubscribed school in Phase 2A was Gongshang Primary School in Tampines, with 203 applicants for 67 spaces. Applications under Phase 2A started at 9am on Jul 10 and concluded at 4.30pm the next day. The next two most oversubscribed schools were South View Primary School in Chua Chu Kang with 191 applicants for 66 spots, and Princess Elizabeth Primary School in Bukit Batok, with 145 applicants for 52 spots. They were followed by Temasek Primary School in Bedok South and Yangzheng Primary School in Serangoon. Princess Elizabeth Primary, Gongshang Primary and Temasek Primary were also among the top four most oversubscribed schools last year. Phase 2A is for children whose parent or sibling is a former student of the school, including those who joined as alumni. It is also for children whose parent is a staff member at the school, or a member of the school advisory or management committee. Children who went to a MOE kindergarten under the purview of and located within the primary school can also apply under Phase 2A. BALLOTING Of the 41 schools that were oversubscribed, 38 will undergo balloting. Balloting is conducted when the number of applicants exceeds the number of vacancies. This takes place in any phase from Phase 2A to Phase 2C supplementary. Priority admission into the school is given in this order: Singaporeans living within 1km of the school, Singaporeans living between 1km and 2km of the school, then Singaporeans living further than 2km from the school. They are followed by permanent residents in the same distance groups. Which schools are going to ballot? Balloting for Singaporean children living within 1km of the school: Angsana Primary School Frontier Primary School Gongshang Primary School Huamin Primary School Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School Princess Elizabeth Primary School Punggol Green Primary School Sengkang Green Primary School Shuqun Primary School South View Primary School Temasek Primary School Waterway Primary School Yangzheng Primary School Balloting for Singaporean children living between 1km and 2km of the school: Catholic High School (Primary) Nan Hua Primary School Rosyth School Rulang Primary School Wellington Primary School Westwood Primary School Balloting for Singaporean children living further than 2km from the school: Ai Tong School CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School (Primary) Chongfu School Fairfield Methodist School (Primary) Jurong West Primary School Nanyang Primary School Naval Base Primary School Northland Primary School Pei Chun Public School Red Swastika School Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School Tanjong Katong Primary School Tao Nan School Yu Neng Primary School Balloting for PR children living within 1km of the school: Horizon Primary School Jing Shan Primary School Punggol Primary School Valour Primary School Zhenghua Primary School Oversubscribed but no ballot: North View Primary School Pasir Ris Primary School Riverside Primary School Collapse Twenty spaces are reserved for students applying under Phase 2B, while 40 vacancies are reserved for those applying under Phase 2C. Vacancies for Phase 2B will be updated on Jul 18, before applications open at 9am on Jul 21. Phase 2B is for parents who have joined the primary school as a volunteer no later than Jul 1 of the year before Primary 1 registration. They must have given at least 40 hours of voluntary service to the school by Jun 30 that year. Parents who are endorsed by the church or clan directly connected with the primary school can also apply in this phase, as can parents who are endorsed as active community leaders.
CNA
15-07-2025
- CNA
MOE not investigating SJI International for student's death during Maldives school trip
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Tuesday (Jul 15) it will not be investigating the management of St Joseph's Institution International (SJII) for the death of a student during a school trip to the Maldives in November 2024. The student, 15-year-old Singaporean Jenna Chan, died during a National Youth Achievement Award overseas expedition in the Maldives, Dr Michael Johnston, the school's CEO, previously told CNA. In response to CNA queries, MOE said it has been "closely engaging" the school's board of governors, which oversees its operations and policies, and that it understands the school has safety processes in place for overseas trips. These safety processes were adhered to for the Maldives trip, said MOE, and as such, the ministry will not be investigating the school's management. "We also understand that the Board has convened a board-led review into the incident, which includes a review of SJII's safety processes. We have encouraged the parents and SJII to work together to find out the cause of the incident." MOE added that privately funded schools (PFSs) - schools catering to international students and local students who prefer an alternative schooling option - such as SJII are "outside the mainstream school system and have autonomy over their operations, policies and governance". As such, the school's activities are mostly not under MOE's purview. "To support the safety and well-being of Singaporean students in PFSs, MOE conducts regular exchanges with PFSs to share best practices, including on overseas trips planning considerations and safety measures which they can incorporate into their policies and processes, taking into consideration their specific circumstances and activities," said MOE. "We will continue to work with SJII to support the family during this difficult period." MOE also said that the Singapore government has been in contact with the student's family since the incident and is "providing support where possible, within the ambit of our laws and regulations". It added that while Singapore authorities do not have legal jurisdiction to investigate incidents that happen outside the country, the Singapore Police Force has been assisting the Maldivian authorities, who have primary responsibility and jurisdiction over the case.
