Each year, students in Singapore are posted to secondary schools based on their PSLE results. This exercise, known as the Secondary One Posting Exercise, is carried out centrally by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Since 2004, students can opt to seek admission into schools of their choice based on a combination of their individual talents, in addition to their academic performance. This is done via a priority admission exercise known as the Direct School Admission Exercise for Secondary Schools (DSAE-Sec)

Students who wish to participate in the DSAE-Sec will do so in the final year of primary school. Each school sets their own schedule, following a main schedule set by the MOE. The DSAE-Sec process consists of 3 stages, and the entire process takes around 5 months, starting in June, and completing by late November, together with the release of PSLE results.

Students do not wish to participate in the DSAE-Sec will participate in the centralized posting exercise that takes place immediately after the PSLE results are released. Students whose applications under the DSAE-Sec were unsuccessful are included in the centralized Secondary One Posting Exercise, and they can choose to apply to the same school they had opted for in the DSAE-Sec. According to MOE, up to 95% of schools that participated in the DSAE-Sec still have available places for students under the centralized posting exercise.

As more and more schools participate in the DSAE-Sec, this could potentially ease the current weight placed on academic results by placing some importance to a student’s non-academic achievements.

In 2009, just under half of all secondary schools in Singapore would participate in the exercise (74 in total), expanding the choices of schools for students. Different schools offer different niche programmes, depending on the school’s strengths and resources, and this can range from wushu to robotics. (See summary box).

 On the surface, it may appear that the DSAE-Sec has added an additional level of “competition” for spaces in the already limited elite or prestigious schools. The DSAE-Sec, however, is not a backdoor entrance into any school, and neither is it an “easy” way to gain admission into a school.

DSAE-Sec application cannot be done overnight. The selection criteria used by many participating schools are based on a combination of both academic and non-academic achievements that could take years to build up. Schools are permitted to draw up their own selection criteria, and would conduct series of interviews, trials and assessments on students to assess the real abilities of the student, without parent/adult supervision.

For example, at the School Of The Arts (SOTA), the primary criterion for admission is artistic talent. To assess this, students go through rounds of interviews, portfolio reviews and live auditions, held during the March and June holidays. Parents and students would want to take note of the fairly taxing nature of the DSAE-Sec process, when contemplating to apply for admission into more than one school.

Where appropriate, parents can help their children by keeping proper records of their awards and certifications obtained, for example, in music, certifications from the Associated Board Of The Royal Schools of Music (ABSRM), or awards won at sports competitions, either as an individual or as a team.

The best way for parents to “prepare” your children:

• Start young.
• Get to know your children: their unique interests and strengths.
• Expose your children to all-rounded activities and programmes in various fields, from sports to the arts.
• Be observant about how your children take to the activities, and nurture your children’s talents accordingly.
• Keep an open mind as to what interests your children develop.
• Focus on all-rounded development of your children.

From a parent’s point of view, the DSAE-Sec can be used to your child’s benefit. When the time comes for your child to opt for the DSAE-Sec, channel your resources towards finding a school that would be a good match to help develop your children’s potential.

This being said, bear in mind that at the end of the day, the DSAE-Sec may not be suitable for all students. If the hat fits, wear it. If not, parents can rest assured that there is still the centralized secondary school posting option for their children.

Su-Ann Phillips