Mr Toh said in his respond that "Students who choose the polytechnic route fall into three categories:
- Their O-level scores did not quality them for junior college;
- They qualified but were not offered the JC they wanted; or
- They qualified but opted for polytechnic because they were unsure they would do well enough in the A-level examinations to enter university."
It is true that some students pick the poly route because their grades do not qualify them for a spot in the colleges or they were not offered the JC they wanted. But the last category is what I find unacceptable.
I personally had a O-level score which could qualify me a spot in Meridian/Tampines JC but I didn't choose the JC route because I know my interest lies in the hospitality and tourism sector. I know I was not suitable for a JC life because I needed more hands-on experience, which polytechnics offers, to enjoy learning. In my admission year, a girl who scored 6 points for O-levels went to Republic Polytechnic to study optometry because she had an interest in that area. Who is to say she was 'unsure (if she could) do well enough in the A-level examinations to enter university' since her grades clearly qualifies her spot in any one of the top JCs in Singapore? Many poly students with grades equivalent to Raffles JC students or Hwa Chong students chose the poly route because they knew what they wanted to do in the future and knew where their interest lies in. Hence, they chose the poly route because the polytechnics offered courses which appealed to them.
Reading further, Mr Toh said that "admission to a local university after that must be seen as a bonus" for poly graduates. This is a very unacceptable and biased remark. Is he implying that if a poly graduate who worked so hard, put in so much effort, managed to score a GPA of 3.9 and qualified for admission into a local university, should see it as a 'bonus' rather than the fruits of his labour and hard work? Is it to say that if a JC graduate who did just well enough to get into a local university deserves it more than the poly graduate, since it's not a 'bonus' that the former merely scraped through the admission?
I personally find it a very derogatory remark. It is absurd and quite an outright biased statement against poly students.
He further adds on that "a poly education should not be deemed a stepping stone to a local university, unlike JC education which is rigorous but even then does not guarantee a place in a local university, or the course of choice." I agree with his statement that JC education is rigorous. But his remark on poly education should not be deemed a stepping stone to a local university is flawed. I personally don't see poly education as a stepping stone to university and I am imploring Mr Toh to provide evidence to show that a majority of poly students deem poly education a stepping stone to a local university.
Ok, enough of ranting. This article just boiled my blood. Another thing; leh-long, leh-long! Selling pimples for free! Buy 4 get 1 free!
Grrrrrr....
