DSA- SHOULD I? Part 1

Will our nation ever do away with PSLE? Dreaded by most, welcomed by others...especially  by those who have already been offered a place in the school of their choice.

For many, PSLE conjures up images of late nights, frantic texting to tutors or friends for that magical solution to that 'unsolvable' question just minutes ago, dreary faces, tired eyes and endless cups of coffee... and nope, I wasn't referring to the kid....but the mum, especially if your sick leave or planned leave wasn't approved. Perhaps, one day, I might be in that position described above too!


Of course, I speak, not as a parent in that situation now but rather one who has been directly involved for more than 12 years with the kids of those parents and even longer with the tender teenage hearts as they move up to secondary level.

PSLE isn't my subject of interest now and the ministry has indicated that aggregate scores would be scraped. There is plenty of information about T Scores and PSLE grades on the internet too.

What is DSA?

It stands for DIRECT SCHOOL ADMISSION, and for some, it is a great tool for a kid to experience a holistic education that caters to his talents.

In simple terms, it means schools get to select their students before the PSLE is taken or results known. I term it "THE TISSUE PAPER' idea. It's like reserved seating. A student has a few secondary schools in mind and the school has certain requirements which the student must meet before he is given a place.

From what has been shared with me, the student  may try to enrol in the school via DSA through a
- sports programme
- academic programme
- or others

If entering via a sports programme, this student is usually already actively involved in some sport or plays competitively and will usually want to sustain his interest by competing in that sport after he is successful selected by the school.

Many schools also conduct their own selection tests which can be in the form of a Reasoning test and/or a written test and/or an Interview.

If the child is selected, it usually means that a lower aggregate is required than what it would have been at the national secondary school posting exercise.

Eg, School A has a typical cut off at 260

Through DSA, the child's cut off could be lowered to 245. It does reduce the stress level for many kids in such a situation.

After all, there are kids who are brilliant but just can't perform under pressure.

More information can be obtained on MOE website here.

What to expect from the DSA exercise? Read Part 2 here.

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

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