ADMISSION CRITERIA FOR JUNIOR COLLEGES

Dr Ong Chit Chung asked the Minister for Education whether the admission criteria for junior colleges have been set too high; and whether many good students have been kept out of junior colleges.

Dr Tay Eng Soon (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the revised admission criteria for junior colleges were worked out after discussions with principals of secondary schools and junior colleges. In arriving at the criteria, my Ministry took into consideration that the junior college course is essentially an academic course, preparing students for university education. And only academically-inclined students with a broad-based education at 'O' level will derive the most benefit from the course.

Based on the revised admission criteria, nearly 14,000 students who sat the GCE 'O' level examination in 1988 qualify for admission to the junior colleges. I would like to assure the Member for Bukit Batok that students who can best benefit from a junior college education will not be kept out of the colleges because of the revised admission criteria.

Dr Ong Chit Chung: Sir, we heard from one of our Members today that one group, particularly the Malays, have been disadvantaged by this new criteria. Could the Minister clarify on this? Also, whether sufficient time was given in the last few years for students to know the new criteria to make the necessary adjustment to meet with this new criteria.

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Mr Speaker, Sir, the students were given sufficient time, two years' notice, ie, when they got into Secondary 3, of these changes in the admission criteria so that they could prepare themselves in Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 to do their 'O' levels and make their subject choices to meet the new criteria.

As to the question of whether any particular group is disadvantaged, I do not think it is accurate to say that any particular group has become disadvantaged. The criteria are explicit and applicable to all groups. The objective is the important thing. The objective is to make sure that the students who come into junior college to prepare for the 'A' levels and to prepare for the possible admission to the university should be academically inclined. And one way in which this can be assured is that they should have a broad enough base of 'O' level subjects for admission to junior colleges.

Mr Loh Meng See (Kampong Glam): Sir, does it mean that the Minister is desirous of getting more students to get into our polytechnics? Will the polytechnics' admission criteria take into account the students with 'O' level qualifications as against some with 'A' level qualifications who are also getting into the polytechnics.

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Sir, we have said on many occasions that students who are at the fringe of the criteria for admission to junior college, ie, those who can just make it into the junior college, should ask themselves whether they should pursue a junior college course which, having got 'A' levels in two years, may or may not be adequate for admission to university. Or instead should they not take an alternative route, ie, go to the polytechnics, do a professional course in three years and come out with a professional diploma which is well accepted by employers. I think under the old criteria, this was true. Under the new criteria, the same consideration applies and students still have to ask themselves the question whether they should go into the junior college or into the polytechnics.