PLACEMENT IN JUNIOR COLLEGES (Deferment until release of 'O' level results)

Dr Toh Keng Kiat asked the Minister for Education, in order to reduce unnecessary workload in relocation, whether placement in junior colleges will be deferred until the release of `O' level results.

The Senior Minister of State for Education (Dr Tay Eng Soon)(for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, each year, there are two admission exercises to junior college: the provisional admission exercise in January and the Joint Admissions Exercise in March after the release of the 'O' level examination results. The provisional admission is based on the students' school preliminary examination results. The admission under the Joint Admissions Exercise is based on their 'O' level examination results.

Admitting students provisionally into the junior colleges in January benefits them in two ways:

First, it provides the students with more time over the two years to cover the 'A' level syllabus. Otherwise, the three months from January to March will be lost.

Secondly, students entering junior college in January can experience the 'A' level course and assess their own interest and aptitude for it. When the 'O' level results are released, they are in a better position to decide whether to continue in the 'A' level course or change to a technically-biased course at the polytechnics.

The advantages of having the January and March intakes outweigh the extra work in schools. My Ministry will therefore continue to conduct the two exercises for admission to junior college.