DSA - The road to Preparation.

•THE WRONG INFO?

•Many I have spoken to, thought that the DSA exercise is only for top premium schools. While there is an added advantage for students who are enrolled in such schools, since many skip the O LEVEL examination as they embark on a 6-year course which leads to an A'level certificate or The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, there are many schools who participate in the DSA exercise.

•  •Information can be found on the MOE website here.

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As an example , I did a screenshot of some schools from the list.

 

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•Thus, if your child has a keen interest in preserving the environment or wants to hone her combat skills, the two schools seen above would likely have a program suitable for her. Should she be selected through the DSA exercise, she might not need to wait for the SECONDARY SCHOOL posting exercise to get confirmation of her placement once PSLE results are out. Moreover , the idea of having a place in a school which can nurture that interest for the next few years is an ideal already.

•  •Preparation for DSA

•1. Research widely for information on the school you or your child is keen on.

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•2. Look at the school's websites for past achievements, track record and most importantly, the vision of the school and how different it compares to another school.

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•Most of the information can be obtained on the school's website if you plough through it carefully.

Consider the child's interest and see if the school has a diverse programme for it.
Not all schools have a strong humanities program or business program and it is important for your child to he happy in the school he has chosen for the next 4 to 6 years. You may love the arts but he may excel in figures. Is he a young entrepreneur at heart? Then, a school which offers such opportunities for growth would be best.

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•3. Choose a school based on his interests and perhaps sustained passion in the years to come. The school may offer a program or subject which may interest him in the long run.

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• SELECTION PROCESS - INTERVIEWS

•  •The interview is like the oral examination on a much larger scale with a panel of staff, rather than just 2 teachers. 

•  •Range of Questions. as related to me by friends and other sources.

 

• A. Personal Response.

•eg. How do you spend your free time?

•     What is your greatest setback in life?

•      What is a strength in you which could also be a weakness?

•       What differentiates you from other applicants?

•      What are your goals and dreams ?

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•  •B. School

•Why do you want to join _____?

•How will you be able to contribute to the school?

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•*** Similar to a job interview, you need to show that you have knowledge about the company and its progress or direction. You wouldn't go into interview with the HP company, citing that they sold dog food. (Unless that's a new market venture of some sort.)

•Similarly, do not go to School A's interview, citing a program which only School B has.

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• •C. Science and the Global World

 

•Questions on current affair issues may pop up.

•  •What are your views on the invention of the mobile phone?

•Describe your ideal country.

•What are a few transportation problems that need urgent attention in our country?

•What are the qualities most needed in a student leader?

•If you could choose to be someone, who would it be?

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•Apart from  Section B, the type of questions which may be asked in Section A and B may also apply at PSLE orals, albeit in a simpler version.

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•Should you or should you not?

•Again, there is no magic answer to that. There are some students who are brilliant and you know they will probably breeze through the selection process but they choose not to enrol through DSA for known reasons only to themselves.

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•Perhaps, for some students, the DSA exercise is seen as a pre PSLE component and might stress them even more if they DON'T make the cut. Are they able to, as the kids say, "CHILL" and let it slide if they are not selected and instead, invest greater energy into the upcoming PSLE examinations or will they plummet into a sea of depression?
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•Keep an open mind and a relaxed temperament if your child is trying out the DSA exercise. It would be great to see it as an experience for the child rather than one with a definite successful outcome.

•On a last note, perhaps we can see the PSLE as a step towards a whole lifetime of learning, See it as a MILESTONE as it should be seen and not a TOMBSTONE with a label stuck to you for life.

You may read PART 1 HERE.

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•  *All opinions are my own and are not meant to represent anyone or institution.

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