Reactions After Release Of 2007 O Level Results
As per every year, the newspapers today have been splashed with reactions of students, schools and parents after the release of the 2007 O Level results. The general reaction has been a positive one (again, as usual) and the highlights are also on the students who scored the top results throughout the cohort across the almost 200 Secondary schools in Singapore, and the ‘miracle’ cases - students who struggled previously in school but made good. Personally, while the students and schools are congratulated for a job well done, it is not that difficult to do decently well. You just need to make sure you lock yourself up for a period of time before the exams and practice.
The more interesting bit of news was that out of the top 10 students in Singapore, only 2 of them were Singaporeans. It would probably surprise some and the Ministry of Education might do a little study about it, as they are generally known to over react. Certainly I would think it is no surprise that foreign students are scoring better. Most of them have flown specially to Singapore to get their educational needs. They are paying top dollar for it. If I were a parent of a foreign student, I would drill it into my child to study hard and do their best.
Most of these foreign students (especially those from Asian countries) are immensely hardworking, but this is from my own experience many years ago and there were not many then. But I believe it all stems from cultural and general attitudes, so it should have remained unchanged. And at an age when the child is still young, their thoughts would first and foremost be on studying and doing well. Unlike teens who then fly overseas for a University education - they would want to experience life from that level. The end result is that only the most focused would go on to do well in higher education.
The 2007 O Level results are impressive, but at the end of the day, not too important. It can be used to get into the college of your choice, but if you end up chasing skirts or boys at that age, it would mean nothing being in a school like Raffles Junior College.
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