2007
5 'NAYS'
2009
8 As
Returning S'pore student told by five junior colleges that he's not good enough to get in
He enters sixth JC and gets distinctions for seven A-level subjects and one H3 subject
March 11, 2009
GOOD STUDENT: Temasek Junior College student Timothy Toh. PICTURE: TIMOTHY TOH
HE was rejected by five junior colleges.
You're not good enough, they told him.
He had taken the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (Spers) and was found to be unfit for entry into any junior college.
But he did not give up.
He applied to a sixth - Temasek JC - which eventually accepted him.
On Friday, Timothy Toh Yuan Feng more than repaid the JC's faith in him - he scored As in seven subjects for his A levels.
The 19-year-old took French, maths, literature, history, economics, project work, and Knowledge and Inquiry (KI).
He also scored a distinction in his H3subject, Geopolitics: War and Peace, and is the top Arts faculty student in the JC this year.
The H3 subject is the equivalent of what used to be the S-paper.
All this after Timothy had found it so difficult to convince the JCs that he was worthy.
His family left for the Middle East when he was just a year old because his father, who works for a Singapore-based multi-national company, had been posted there.
He declined to give more details or say which Middle Eastern country they lived in.
After about three years, the family moved to the Philippines.
Three international schools
He spent seven years studying in two American international schools in Manila and then moved to a British international school.
'I was doing pretty well in the American schools,' said Timothy, 'but my mum wanted to acclimatise me to the education system in Singapore as she anticipated we would be returning soon.'
He was ranked third in his cohort in the British School.
His family returned to Singapore in 2007 and he launched his search to be accepted into the Singapore education system.
Timothy felt the Singapore education system helped him achieve his sterling performance.
'The KI syllabus makes us go in depth in accessing claims to truth.
'Singaporeans are often criticised for not thinking critically and not being innovative. I think this is not the case with KI at the A levels.'
He was also grateful for his teachers' support. And they, in turn, were full of praise for him.
How did his college help him adjust to the local education system?
'The school welcomed my differences and my teachers were very engaging. My humanities teachers were also very genuine,' said Timothy.
Impressed teachers
Mrs Carol Lofthouse, his civics tutor, described him as a sharp and perceptive student who effectively used his experiences abroad.
'Timothy is the sort of young man one would choose to have if stranded on a desert island,' added Mrs Lofthouse.
His economics tutor, MrsAng Siew Kwai, added: 'He is the most mature student I've met in my 20 years of teaching. I would really love to have him as my son.'
Timothy's willingness to learn reaped dividends in other areas: He landed the Singapore Police Force Junior College Book prize and was the top KIstudent throughout his years at Temasek JC.
Mr Rajesh Krishnamuti, who teaches literature, said: 'He keeps me on my toes. There's never a dull moment with him in class.
'He invites you to re-consider the way you teach and present your answers.'
Timothy, for his part, has mostly praise for the Singapore education system.
And his advice to parents keen on sending their children abroad: Don't, because the Singapore system pushes students to achieve more.
A perception among some Singaporeans is that western education systems allow for more creativity.
But Timothy, who spent seven years under the American education system, and four years in a British school before returning to Singapore, said: 'Here, not only in academics but even in CCA (co-curricular activities), the students aim for gold medals and awards. This is not the case in the west.
'I could have taken up 5 CCAs in my international schools and I would have managed.
'But here, I can join only one because of the commitment expected of me.'
Timothy is a competitive swimmer who won several competitions while he was in school in the Philippines.
But he was not able to repeat that success in Singapore.
'We are expected to reach deeper into subjects and sports we engage in rather than wider,' added Timothy.
More formal
Another key difference between the Western systems and the Singapore one is the way students relate to teachers, he said.
Timothy said: 'The student-teacher relationship here is much more formal.
'I was really shocked when my class stood up and greeted the teacher on the first day of school. I have never done that before in my life.'
At his previous international schools, students would occasionally greet teachers on their way to class - and would sometimes not.
Also, he said, the American and British education systems did not have a widely recognised grading system, such as PSLE and the O- and A-level examinations.
'There is nothing to give a nationwide gauge there, other than the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), which is only just before university.
'Before that, scoring an A in one school cannot be said to be scoring an A in another school.'
The SAT is a standardised test for college entrance in the US.
He said: 'The system here forces commitment and this was something the other education systems did not require of its students.'
Pearly Tan, newsroom intern
5 'NAYS'
2009
8 As
Returning S'pore student told by five junior colleges that he's not good enough to get in
He enters sixth JC and gets distinctions for seven A-level subjects and one H3 subject
March 11, 2009
GOOD STUDENT: Temasek Junior College student Timothy Toh. PICTURE: TIMOTHY TOH
HE was rejected by five junior colleges.
You're not good enough, they told him.
He had taken the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (Spers) and was found to be unfit for entry into any junior college.
But he did not give up.
He applied to a sixth - Temasek JC - which eventually accepted him.
On Friday, Timothy Toh Yuan Feng more than repaid the JC's faith in him - he scored As in seven subjects for his A levels.
The 19-year-old took French, maths, literature, history, economics, project work, and Knowledge and Inquiry (KI).
He also scored a distinction in his H3subject, Geopolitics: War and Peace, and is the top Arts faculty student in the JC this year.
The H3 subject is the equivalent of what used to be the S-paper.
All this after Timothy had found it so difficult to convince the JCs that he was worthy.
His family left for the Middle East when he was just a year old because his father, who works for a Singapore-based multi-national company, had been posted there.
He declined to give more details or say which Middle Eastern country they lived in.
After about three years, the family moved to the Philippines.
Three international schools
He spent seven years studying in two American international schools in Manila and then moved to a British international school.
'I was doing pretty well in the American schools,' said Timothy, 'but my mum wanted to acclimatise me to the education system in Singapore as she anticipated we would be returning soon.'
He was ranked third in his cohort in the British School.
His family returned to Singapore in 2007 and he launched his search to be accepted into the Singapore education system.
Timothy felt the Singapore education system helped him achieve his sterling performance.
'The KI syllabus makes us go in depth in accessing claims to truth.
'Singaporeans are often criticised for not thinking critically and not being innovative. I think this is not the case with KI at the A levels.'
He was also grateful for his teachers' support. And they, in turn, were full of praise for him.
How did his college help him adjust to the local education system?
'The school welcomed my differences and my teachers were very engaging. My humanities teachers were also very genuine,' said Timothy.
Impressed teachers
Mrs Carol Lofthouse, his civics tutor, described him as a sharp and perceptive student who effectively used his experiences abroad.
'Timothy is the sort of young man one would choose to have if stranded on a desert island,' added Mrs Lofthouse.
His economics tutor, MrsAng Siew Kwai, added: 'He is the most mature student I've met in my 20 years of teaching. I would really love to have him as my son.'
Timothy's willingness to learn reaped dividends in other areas: He landed the Singapore Police Force Junior College Book prize and was the top KIstudent throughout his years at Temasek JC.
Mr Rajesh Krishnamuti, who teaches literature, said: 'He keeps me on my toes. There's never a dull moment with him in class.
'He invites you to re-consider the way you teach and present your answers.'
Timothy, for his part, has mostly praise for the Singapore education system.
And his advice to parents keen on sending their children abroad: Don't, because the Singapore system pushes students to achieve more.
A perception among some Singaporeans is that western education systems allow for more creativity.
But Timothy, who spent seven years under the American education system, and four years in a British school before returning to Singapore, said: 'Here, not only in academics but even in CCA (co-curricular activities), the students aim for gold medals and awards. This is not the case in the west.
'I could have taken up 5 CCAs in my international schools and I would have managed.
'But here, I can join only one because of the commitment expected of me.'
Timothy is a competitive swimmer who won several competitions while he was in school in the Philippines.
But he was not able to repeat that success in Singapore.
'We are expected to reach deeper into subjects and sports we engage in rather than wider,' added Timothy.
More formal
Another key difference between the Western systems and the Singapore one is the way students relate to teachers, he said.
Timothy said: 'The student-teacher relationship here is much more formal.
'I was really shocked when my class stood up and greeted the teacher on the first day of school. I have never done that before in my life.'
At his previous international schools, students would occasionally greet teachers on their way to class - and would sometimes not.
Also, he said, the American and British education systems did not have a widely recognised grading system, such as PSLE and the O- and A-level examinations.
'There is nothing to give a nationwide gauge there, other than the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test), which is only just before university.
'Before that, scoring an A in one school cannot be said to be scoring an A in another school.'
The SAT is a standardised test for college entrance in the US.
He said: 'The system here forces commitment and this was something the other education systems did not require of its students.'
Pearly Tan, newsroom intern
