First batch of Primary 6 pupils sorted into secondary schools in three posting groups
With the removal of academic streaming from 2024, pupils from this year’s Primary 6 cohort were the first batch to be posted to secondary schools through three posting groups.
Posting groups 1, 2 and 3 are mapped from the existing Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) score ranges for Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express standards respectively.
For instance, pupils assigned to posting group 3 would have a PSLE score of between four and 20 and qualify at Secondary 1 to take most subjects at the G3 level – the equivalent of the current Express course.
This is ahead of the roll-out of full subject-based banding for most secondary schools in 2024, where students can take subjects at varying levels depending on their aptitude and interests.
Schools will arrange students in mixed form classes, which means there will be students from different posting groups in each class.
In response to queries, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said the proportion of pupils posted to the three posting groups is comparable with that of the 2022 cohort who were posted to the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express courses respectively.
In 2022, 68.4 per cent of the Primary 6 cohort qualified for the Express course, 18.7 per cent were eligible for the Normal (Academic) course and 11.3 per cent for Normal (Technical).
MOE said more than 80 per cent of pupils were posted to a school within their top three choices, while more than 90 per cent of pupils were posted to a school within their top six options.
In cases where a tie-breaker was required, citizenship and choice order of schools were determining factors in placing pupils in secondary schools.
The proportion of pupils who went through computerised balloting was around one in 10. MOE said that these observations are comparable with previous years.
An MOE spokeswoman said: “This suggests that students and their parents, like in previous years, have generally made informed school choices by selecting a range of schools with different cut-off points, including those that the student was able to meet.”
Primary 6 pupils received their Secondary 1 school posting results on Dec 20.
Madam Fadzilah Matin, 47, a special needs officer in a secondary school, said her son was placed in a secondary school that was his first choice.
The mother of four is happy he will be placed in a mixed form class so that he can socialise with different types of students.
“We chose a school that is closest to our home, despite him qualifying for a better school that is farther away. Besides, my elder daughter has already gone through full subject-based banding, and I can see it is better for her academically as she can take subjects at different levels according to her ability,” she said.
For the 2023 Primary 6 cohort, about 64 per cent who qualified for posting groups 1 and 2 are assessed to be suitable to take at least one subject at a more demanding level. This is comparable with the 2022 batch.
Eligible students can study English, mother tongue languages, mathematics and science at a more demanding level if they have done well in any of those subjects at the PSLE.
After Secondary 1, students may have the chance to take these subjects at a higher level, based on their academic performance.
MOE had previously said the posting groups are used to facilitate school admission and guide students’ subject levels at the start of the year, but will not affect the student’s school life after that.
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