Uni + Free Scholarship for FTrash; Sporns?

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

UNI ADMISSIONS
Poly grads deserve an equal shot

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I AM a lecturer at Republic Polytechnic and I cannot disagree more with Mr Lee Beng Tat's letter last Thursday, 'JC students deserve priority'.
How can we say polytechnic students are less deserving if they have achieved the academic results necessary for entry to local universities?
If Mr Lee's concern is about the limited number of places in local universities, then this should be addressed by the Ministry of Education.
There should not be an 'us and them' mentality when it comes to learning.
All students should be accorded equal opportunities.
Lydia Wong (Miss)

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

No, take it as a bonus

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MR LEE Beng Tat is right ('JC students deserve priority'; last Thursday). Students who choose the polytechnic route fall into three categories:

Their O-level scores did not qualify them for junior college;

They qualified but were not offered the JC they wanted; or

They qualified but opted for polytechnic because they were unsure they would do well enough in the A-level examinations to enter university.
The poly route at least ensures them a diploma, and if they finish in the top 10 per cent of their cohort, they stand a chance of a place in a local university.
Whichever route they choose, they do so with their eyes open; so when they choose a polytechnic education, they know it leads to a diploma, period.
Admission to a local university after that must be seen as a bonus. A poly education should not be deemed a stepping stone to a local university, unlike JC education which is rigorous but even then does not guarantee a place in a local university, or the course of choice.
Lawrence Loh


=> if vacancies are so tight, why are more than half of vacancies reserved for FTrash? And you've Sillyporns and Ghost Writers purposely barking up the wrong tree!

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

Why unis prefer A-level grads

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I REFER to the special report, 'From poly to...' (April 10), and letters about polytechnic graduates finding it difficult to enter local universities.
Many people are mistaken to think that a polytechnic education teaches them marketable skills which makes them as qualified as A-level holders to take a university degree.
The objective of polytechnics is to teach students important skills so they can work in their industry of choice with minimal training. This is why poly graduates are sought after by companies. However, skills needed in the workplace may not equip a poly graduate well for academic studies in a university.
The objective of junior colleges is to teach students basic knowledge required for university studies, which is why universities give preference to A-level graduates over diploma graduates.
Furthermore, places in local universities are limited so they give priority to those with better grades. Applicants compete not only with their school mates but also the entire cohort in Singapore. The situation is worse with popular courses where the brightest graduates from polytechnics, JCs and Integrated Programme (IP) schools compete. One's grades must be outstanding to have a chance.
There are more places in overseas universities as they have more land than Singapore and foreign students are a source of revenue because they pay the full fee.
I advise students to choose polytechnics if they are sure about their career. If they want a degree first, with time to think about a career, it is better to study in JC or an IP school. Graduating from a polytechnic gives you a head start in your career, and a degree is a bonus.
Yim Yew Fei

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

End point for poly students shouldn't be diploma

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I REFER to last Thursday's letter by Mr Lee Beng Tat, 'JC students deserve priority'.
I do not agree. Junior college students already have priority to enter university. Everyone knows polytechnic students have a tough time entering a local university because a higher percentage of enrolment opportunity is given to JC students.
It is not fair to say that the end point of polytechnic students is the diploma. Everyone should have equal opportunity to enter a local university. Polytechnic students know it is tough to enter university here and still do their best to qualify for a place.
If JC students feel threatened or feel any unfairness, this is the way to ignite the spirit of challenging other students to get into university.
Klara Chua (Ms)

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

Spare a thought for A-level students

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I REFER to the ongoing debate in Forum on complaints by polytechnic graduates that local universities prefer to admit A-level graduates over polytechnic graduates.
I empathise with polytechnic graduates on their frustration and disappointment. Perhaps diploma holders and those who intend to follow the polytechnic route should note the following:
- A polytechnic diploma is considered a tertiary qualification, while A levels is only pre-university. There is no way to compare an A-level holder and a polytechnic diploma holder. A polytechnic graduate will have much more technical and expert knowledge than an average A-level graduate.
- The polytechnic diploma was introduced to cater to a percentage of the population who wanted to pursue an intermediate qualification in technical skills which enabled them to enter the workforce early and command a good income, compared to workers with O or A levels. It achieved its goal for many years.
- The difference today is that many students, especially the so-called 'top scorers', choose this same path as a short cut to university.
- At the other end of the spectrum are students who believe in competing for a place in local universities based on A-level assessment. If many of these A-level graduates are deprived of a university place, the consequence would be unacceptable as they have no specific skill to offer.
I urge polytechnic graduates to spare a thought for their A-level counterparts.
Clara Ng (Ms)

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

It should be a level playing field

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I REFER to Mr Lee Beng Tat's letter last Thursday, 'JC students deserve priority'. It reveals a myopic view of polytechnic education.
It starts with flawed assumptions about 16-year-olds who chose a polytechnic over a junior college. For many, it is not about how 'sexy-sounding' the polytechnic courses are; it is an earlier realisation of what one is truly interested in, albeit turning one's back on the conventional road for straight-A students.
The writer's justification for JC students to be given priority in local universities (premised on the amount of money spent by the Government on polytechnic students) is misconceived. If he believes 'a place in a good local university is a limited resource and should go to the most deserving', there is no logic in giving priority to JC students. It should be a level playing field for all.
The selection criteria for entry to local universities should be based purely on merit. What the Government needs is a system which allows fair comparison between A-level grades and polytechnic grades.
A system where a student who scores three Cs in his A levels is given a place in a local university over a polytechnic student in the top 10 percentile is unworkable and should not be advocated. Why discriminate against a bright student, simply because he decided what he wants in life earlier?
Aw Wen Ni (Ms)

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

It's about survival of the fittest

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I AM writing in response to last Thursday's letter by Mr Lee Beng Tat, 'JC students deserve priority'.
I would like to clear a few misconceptions. First, readers must understand the underlying rationale of students who choose the polytechnic route over the conventional junior college route. Most students use polytechnic as a platform for entry to university. If they already know where their interest lies, why should they spend another two years studying subjects which may not be relevant to what they want to do in future?
Polytechnic graduates face a tougher regime of assessment for university admission because the grading systems in polytechnics and JCs are different.
JC students are assessed entirely on their performance in the A-level examinations; their previous grades are not taken into account.
Polytechnic students must consistently perform well in all modules throughout their three years as the grades eventually contribute to the cumulative grade point average, a grading system used by the universities to assess the polytechnic graduates.
Furthermore, most polytechnic students qualify for a JC education and there is a substantial number of top O-level students who choose the polytechnic route.
These polytechnic graduates are as deserving as JC students of a place in local universities and their choice of polytechnic over JC should not be used as a reason to deny them admission because that would be pointless and illogical. How then can one deem polytechnic students academically inferior and undeserving of a university education?
Students who are admitted to university are those who have met the minimum requirements and won their place fair and square. It is a fair game and at the end of the day, it is all about survival of the fittest.
Muhammad Kairos Kosnan

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

Don't limit aspirations of poly students

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I REFER to last Thursday's letter by Mr Lee Beng Tat, 'JC students deserve priority'. While polytechnics may sometimes do a better job than junior colleges at marketing their courses, it does not mean they are of less substance than JCs.
While a polytechnic student must be within the top 10 per cent of his cohort, and go through an interview process, a JC student can get into a local university on Bs and Cs.
Some who are unsure of their career path in life choose JC as a 'safer' option. This does not make them more 'deserving' of a quality university education.
I am a degree holder with a polytechnic background. I did a 'sexy-sounding' communications course in polytechnic, and I definitely do not think it was all 'spiel'. The skills I picked up, even though they were mostly non-technical, propelled me to a career with an airline as a cadet pilot.
Unlike Mr Lee, I do not think people should resign themselves to their fate based on where they school. You deserve to go as far as you want to in life, and no one should have a right to tell you otherwise.
Tnee Dian Chong

 

[makapaaa]

Apr 19, 2010

Don't make it unfair to A-level students

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I REFER to last Thursday's letter by Mr Lee Beng Tat, 'JC students deserve priority', and fully support his points.
It is clear from the special report ('From poly to...'; April 10) that the students who decided to take a detour from their A-level path fully enjoyed their three years in a polytechnic. I congratulate them.
However, they forgot that their friends who stayed on had a harder life, but endured it, with the aim of going to university. Also, their JC friends' risk would have been greater if they did not get into university as their job prospects would have been worse compared to diploma holders. Still they did not take the easy way out.
Hence, is it not unfair to them if their chances of getting into university are further reduced?
Parents who support their children to take the polytechnic path should explain to their children the consequences of their decision. If 'interest' at that juncture is more important than enduring dull and difficult A-level subjects, be prepared to face this situation three years later. They should not cry foul later as an after-thought, when they see their children getting good diploma results.
The current university admission system is fair to students from both paths and should not be changed.
Lee Kay Hwee (Ms)

 

[ps07857]

what is the education minister's take on this?

 

[vamjok]

all of the blur fuck got their arrow shooting in the wrong direction. they should be shooting the FT for taking up the places, not poly students. dumb fuck