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SINGAPORE: Educators say having specialised schools for students in the Normal Technical stream will allow for more innovative teaching.
The two new schools will be modelled after Northlight and Assumption Pathway Schools, which take in those who failed their Primary School Leaving Examinations.
At Northlight School, hands-on learning is taken literally.
In Maths class for example, students work on interactive 'smart boards', which allows them to visualise the problem. They also use a 'smart table', where they have to solve simple sums by placing their fingers on the touchscreen.
This approach has helped students like Lee Chuan Jie who used to dread Maths.
Chuan Jie dropped out of school after failing his PSLE once, but since attending Northlight, he's grown more confident, and says he now has more faith in his abilities.
"For primary school, we focused mainly on theories, and the teacher is like, tell you the question and then start the exercise. But in this school we do a lot of hands-on and practicals. The lesson is much more interesting [and] easier to learn."
Northlight's principal Chua Yen Ching says the 'smart table' also teaches the students to work together as a team.
A lot of thought has been given to create an encouraging learning environment in Northlight. For example, students don't have to feel shy about raising their hands in class. Instead, they are given a card to indicate if they understand or don't understand a lesson. Even school rules are phrased positively.
Students are also given space to express themselves, and music and art are key elements in the curriculum.
And it's through this that Mohammad Abdillah discovered his talent in drawing, dance and drama.
The Secondary 4 student says, "That's the good thing about Northlight. They teach us what it means to be concerned for other people, what is means to be a bully, and how to help classmates if they don't understand their homework."
Abdillah now hopes to go on to ITE or take a course at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts.
Northlight was started in 2007, and about one-third of students have gone on to the Institute of Technical Education.
"When students come to join us, they actually have very low self-esteem because of the repeated failures. But we're very heartened that the teachers are able to help them with the different teaching strategies to be engaged in learning, so they enjoy coming to school," said principal Chua.
She added, "In fact, they're able to help them experience different types of successes. Now they're more confident, so they're doing well in ITE as well as in the workplace.
"The two new specialised schools for the N(T) students, they are the ones who will pass the PSLE, and I can imagine how much more we can do with them."
Normal Technical students are known to be kinesthetic learners where they learn better by doing and mainstream schools are widening their scope, by partnering the ITE to offer more industry-related training.
Mainstream schools like Si Ling Secondary are also widening their scope and partnering the ITE to offer more industry-related training.
At Si Ling Secondary, students may choose between "Elements of Business Skills" or "Computer and Networking", both N-level subjects that they take in Secondary 3.
Justin Seah was diagnosed with mild autism in Primary school used to be extremely shy but he has since found his voice by working with his hands.
Justin regularly tops his class and hopes to further his studies.
"I also like to learn more new things about computers too, so that I'll be able to do better in the future," he said.
60 percent of the Computer and Networking course is based on practical knowledge.
Mustafah Sakaran, an ITE lecturer seconded to Si Ling Secondary says lessons are broken up into smaller tasks, with each level increasing in difficulty, so that it's less daunting for the students.
"When they are able to do the practical, in the end, we will encourage them to get better results by improving in their theory. So it ends up as a complete learning process," he said.
- CNA/fa
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