From 2024, full subject-based banding will be implemented in 120 schools in Singapore. This subject-based banding (SBB) system will replace the existing Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams. Instead, the bands replacing the former system will be labelled G3, G2, and G1 respectively. If students have done well in these subjects at the PSLE, they will be able to take English, Math, Science, and their Mother Tongue at a higher level in Secondary 1.
How Does the SBB System Work?
After students take PSLE, their results will reflect whether they will be in groups G3, G2, or G1. These “posting groups” will be used to facilitate school admission and guide the subject levels students offer at the start of the year, but after that, they will not affect the student’s schooling. The student’s PSLE score will determine which posting group and the subject level for most subjects they will be taking in secondary school. When students apply for entry into secondary school, they need to consider their posting group and PSLE score to make an informed decision.
For example, if a student has been put in posting group 3, they can consider schools which accept students from posting group 3. Students should also consider their PSLE score and how it squares up to the cutoff points in a particular school when listing their choice of schools. The posting group which students enter the school under will determine the level of most of the subjects they take. Depending on their PSLE results for the various subjects, they may also be offered a chance to take major subjects like English, Math, Science, or Mother Tongue at G3.
What if the Student is Not Coping Well in the SBB System?
If students are not coping well with their subjects, they can choose to take them at a less demanding level, such as G2 or G1. Students can further adjust the subject levels as they progress through secondary school. From 2026 onwards, some subjects can be offered as electives at more demanding or less demanding levels, such as computing.
Mixed Form Classes
When schools take in students from multiple posting groups, form classes will be mixed. Each form class will have students from different posting groups who take subjects at different levels. In lower secondary, students will take 6 common subjects in their mixed form classes – art, design and technology, food and consumer education, music, physical education, and character and citizenship education. However, for their core subjects, students will take them in classes based on their subject levels. Students from different classes can learn together for their core subjects. Under the full subject-based banding system, students will have opportunities to interact with peers of different learning profiles when taking their common subjects.
After Secondary School
In 2027, students will not sit for the O Level or N Level exams anymore – they will have a common Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC), regardless of initial posting group. Students can sit for the SEC at the end of 4 or 5 years in secondary school. The current admission criteria for Junior Colleges will remain, but the admission criteria for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme will change. Students can apply to the programme regardless of their posting group, but their subject combinations must meet the criteria.
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Although this may be a lot of information to take in, parents need to remember that the education system is changing to reflect who a student needs to become in order to productively contribute to society. It seems that the Singaporean education system still wants to maintain its academic rigour while giving students from different learning profiles the opportunity to succeed. Students should make the best of these changes by playing to their strengths – they can take subjects more suited to their learning profiles instead of forcing themselves to take subjects which are too difficult or too easy for them. By choosing the level they take their core subjects in, students will be able to experience less stress and burnout in secondary school and have more opportunities to develop their strengths and work on their weaknesses at their own pace.
Parents and students should sit down together and explore their options when it comes to choosing a secondary school. They need to take into account their PSLE score and posting group to make this very important decision, as the secondary school experience will have an important impact on a student’s schooling life. Having a good schooling experience in secondary school will help students gain the necessary confidence they need to do well in their O Levels, which is an important milestone in a student’s academic future, when they go to A Levels and university.
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 WRITERS@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!
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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. How 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. Who 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 instil 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.
