Wednesday, March 21, 2012

it's that $%#@&!! time of the year again.....

you know the one i mean?

yeah, the day when the results of the public exams are announced.

which is today.

headlining the news would be the top scorers with a whole bunch of A+s to their names. good for them because, i assume, they worked hard for it.

but what about those that worked as hard but just fell short of perfection? my colleague's daughter really took it hard. she didn't get THE CALL yesterday. apparently, the state education department calls up the straight A+ (not just A, mind you!) students a day before the results are announced to invite them for a special ceremony to commemorate their success.

so, she didn't get the call. she was upset & so was her mother. her father, my colleague, took the news better, probably because, like me, we went through the old system & were satisfied with the ...er...above-average results we got. those days were different, i guess. our MCE (& HSC for 6th form)) certificates were well respected & were easily accepted as entry qualifications into overseas colleges/universities.

as it turned out, she got 10 (yes, TEN) A+s & an A. a near-perfect score which, apparently, is not good enough these days.

in our time, we'd have partied thru the nite!! golly, don't we love those good old days!!

ps. as an after-thought, i wonder how many, if they have a choice, would stay back for the revamped STPM. the education ministry announced recently (& suddenly) that there will be assessment-based gradings instead of just one main exam, from this year onwards in a lab rat pioneering effort to enhance interest in the exam.

9 comments:

Small Kucing said...

I dont get it. 10A+ and an A should have been very happy already. Could be she is putting too much pressure on herself.

Anyway, in real life it's not how many A ones got in exam. It's how ones relate to the people around them.

Each time there is movement of key figures or GE there sure to be announcement wanna revamp exam and etc.

Medie007 said...

Honestly. When you start working no body gave a damn how many As or A1s you scored. Especially in spm.

doc said...

Small Kucing,

for SPM, it's all about getting scholarships or into matriculation, although from this year onwards, i think scholarships will not be awarded for SPM students.

usually when there is a revamp, you'd expect improvements to the system. for the STPM, i think we've regressed instead of progress. i don't know if the overseas varsities would accept the "revamped" STPM as entry qualification. we'll find out in 2 years & that might be too late.

Robinn T said...

Pfft. Screw SPMs. It's so weird that STPM has claimed to be the 3rd hardest exam in the world, but we don't get JPA interviews. While SPM which is nothing but peanuts get direct scholarships all the way to degree gradution.

Revamp STPM? No no no, I don't think I'll ask my brother to take that route. Matriculation if public uni, or A levels other wise.

Gosh, the BEST Pre-U in our country has also been screwed up by our country. Why so? I really take pride for our previous STPM curriculum

Yan said...

My colleague's son gets 9A+ and a A for Moral and the family is upset. They are appealing for a review.

I am definitely not a tiger mum.

doc said...

Medie,

how very true!!

in fact, once you join private practice, no one cares whether you have FRCS/MRCP or the local Masters. the hospital is interested whether you can make money for them & the patients are interested whether you can make them better.

doc said...

Tempus,

with the revamped STPM, our education system is truly & totally screwed up now - everything is locally marked & no one knows what kind of standard it will be except that it will most certainly be lower.

unfortunately, many have no choice but to continue with STPM. majority of those students would have gone thru matriculation & entered varsity by the back door.

doc said...

Yan,

i like the healing story in Luke 17:11-19 & told that to my daughter after she got her results.

out of 10 subjects, she was blessed with 9As, which was beyond all our expectation. the 1 subject she didn't get an A is a timely reminder of her & our imperfection in God's eyes & why despite the circumstances, she must give thanks for spiritual healing & redemption, & to continue to lean on His strength & wisdom.

needless to say, there's nothing for us to appeal as well.

Unicorn Girl said...

I wonder what happens to those who don't get straight A's or those below average achievers ( I belong to this category ) and I'm somehow doing ok in life ........ wonder what will happen to this generation ......hhhhmmmm