A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Subject-Based Banding – Having White Spaces in My Child’s Time-Table

By WR!TERS@WORK

The idea of “white spaces” is like having a free period during the school day. When a school adopts “white spaces” in the timetable, some students may not have lessons during certain periods. Each school has the autonomy to decide what these students do during white spaces. Having white spaces in the timetable is already being practised in polytechnics and universities, and for top schools like Raffles Institution, the school started to incorporate white spaces all the way back in 2013. Jason Tan Chong Lee, Dean of Academics at Raffles Institution says that his mission is to get students to “exercise their character,” rather than simply prepare for exams. “White Space ” is the term educa­tors at Raffles use to describe the time put aside for extracurricular enrichment activities. Students may visit a senior citizen center to interact with their community or meet with a museum practitioner to learn about the methods of documenting history, field trips that Lee explained that his goal was to ensure that RI students would not be confined to a syllabus that is solely exam-ori­ented.

Due to the shift to the Full Subject-Based Banding system (FSBB or SBB for short) where students in one class will attempt subjects like English, Math, and Science at 3 different levels (G1, G2, and G3), schools will deploy enough teachers and classrooms to facilitate these lessons. This means that during certain times of the day, students may not have lessons and will have a “white space” in their timetable instead. The corollary of this is that the school day may lengthen for some days of the week, but students will be free during those white spaces to do other things.

The concept of “white spaces” may be an alien thing to parents who are used to their child’s timetable being packed with things to do on a daily basis. However, having white spaces in the middle of the school day could be a good thing for students, who will have time to be explorative in their learning. It could also be a valuable time for students to pursue their unstructured reading and exploration of the subjects and activities they are interested in.

As students go through their schooling life, they move from a structured programme (such as primary school) to a timetable where things are less structured, such as during university. The aim of MOE in putting White Spaces in their timetable is to ensure that there are enough human resources to support the subject-based banding system. In return, students will get more unstructured time, which is good for their development as they get to exercise choices to take charge of their learning. Students will be able to experience planning their time, and students who feel overwhelmed and stressed will be able to take a short break.

Parents who are concerned about the way students spend their time during these White Spaces should communicate with their children about what they like to do during this time. By maintaining a non-hostile and open environment where parents can talk to their children frankly, they will be able to open up about how they feel. Parents and teachers are the best guides who can give students a sense of direction as to how they can learn to plan their own time and be responsible for their learning outcomes.

The shift to having White Spaces is a different concept from what parents and students are previously used to. However, the aim of having White Spaces in the school timetable is a positive one – after all, the school needs to sort out its operations and logistics necessary to transition to a full subject-based banding system.

“Teaching and testing more do not equate to learning more. We will need to re-examine the way we teach and test. What ultimately matters is not how much our students know, but how fast they learn, and how able they are to adapt to an ever-changing environment. Therefore, schools also need to develop a culture that encourages students to discover and develop their strengths beyond what is tested in school,” said our current Education Minister, Mr Chan Chun Sing.

As such, parents and students should be understanding of these changes and strive to make the best out of this White Space time.

Attain Stellar Results with W@W!

English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.

At WR!TERS@WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. W@W reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how W@W makes a difference, feel free to explore our website and watch our YouTube videos!

If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WR!TERS@WORK has expanded to 8 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WR!TERS@WORK!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. Which Tuition Centre is Good for English?

W@W is an excellent option to help your child prepare for their English Language classes at school at any level. W@W teaches students how to write compositions which are the basic building blocks for all communication, whether it be in school or outside in the workplace.

2. Why is It Important to Attend English Enrichment Classes?

Students will be able to develop important skills such as critical thinking which will serve them well in all areas of life. Students will learn how to incorporate critical thinking and analysis skills when they read comprehension passages and plan their ideas and arguments out for essays.

3. Is It Worth Getting an English Tutor?

If your child needs help in school, it could be worth considering getting an English tutor as English is a compulsory subject at school. English is used in all areas of life and learning how to read critically and write essays are highly important skills which should be learned early.

4. Why Do Students Have Poor Writing Skills?

Students often have poor writing skills as they do not have the knowledge of good exam habits to practice. For example, many students often do not plan their essays, which lead to a poor writing habit of rambling, going off on irrelevant tangents, and forgetting to list all good arguments.

5. Is Creative Writing a Skill or a Talent?

Writing is a skill which can be trained. Anyone, regardless of whether they have a strong language ability or not, can be trained to write well given that they have a structure and are made aware of their writing habits which need to be changed. At W@W, we believe that every child can write – it is up to us to instill good writing habits to improve children’s skills for the better.

6. Why Do People Study Creative Writing?

Writing is an essential skill which is useful even when a child grows up to become a working adult. Communication is the basic foundation of any society, and people study how to write to better communicate their ideas to people. At school, academic performance is measured by how well students can communicate what they know in the context of an examination.