15 July 2006

Direct School Admission recognises students’ diverse talents

1. Mr Wong Wen Pu ("Reserve Direct School Admission for good CCA", ST Forum, 11/7) questioned the inclusion of sustained academic excellence as a criterion by some junior colleges (JCs) for Direct School Admission (DSA).
2. The Ministry of Education has in recent years expanded the autonomy that schools have to select students who demonstrate talents and interests in diverse areas. This widening of admission criteria supports a more holistic view of our students, encourages those with a special talent or passion, and helps broaden the measure of success in our schools. The move towards broader admission criteria has been widely supported by parents, teachers and students.
3. We would like to clarify that the rationale for the DSA scheme is not, as Mr Wong stated "to minister to students with mediocre results but who have performed well in CCAs". The DSA is meant to recognise students who show achievements or talents in academic and/or non-academic domains, beyond their 'O' level results. Each DSA school admits students according to its own merit-based admission criteria , which may look at the students’ personal qualities (e.g., evidence of leadership) and whether the applicants have the talent or achievement in the areas of the school’s focus (such as science, music or sports). Therefore, the criteria could include both academic and non-academic criteria.

Lim Huay Chih (Ms)
Director, School Planning and Placement