Reported by:
Wong Bry Yan Jr3Z(4)
Lim Shu Mih Jr3S(4)
Photography by:
Wong Bry Yan Jr3Z(4)
On the 20th of August, Kuen Cheng High School held a Talk on stream selection for current Junior Middle Three students. The goal of this Talk was to educate students to choose the most suited stream for themselves. There are three streams to select from, which are Science, Commerce and the Arts (the Arts and Commerce).
At 10 am, the teacher in charge of this Talk welcomed the students in zoom meetings. There were four zoom meetings in total due to a large number of students. The students are sorted by class and every meeting had an average of 250 students. Monitors of each class were tasked with making sure everyone in their class attended the meeting.
Firstly, the teacher from the Academic Department informed us about the School’s strict grading system and the passing grade for junior graduation. Furthermore, he implied that in order for students to enter the Science stream, they must have an average of at least 60 while having an average of 65 for Science and Math. He also encouraged students to work harder to get into their field of choice. After some light introduction to each stream and a short video, he proceeded to allow the heads of different subjects to introduce their respective subjects.
The teacher invited Ms Law Seok Mooi, the Head of Biology Department to tell us about the Science stream. She stated that the science stream emphasised a lot of logical thinking and cognitive functions as the stream was pure science. Since this stream was English based, she told us anyone that wanted to enter had to be at least proficient in the language. Finally, she warned everyone not to enter this field without any preparation or passion.
Next, the Head of Chemistry Department, Madam Tee Geok Bee, prepared a video to introduce her subject of expertise. He reminds everyone to be patient while studying chemistry as it is a very complex subject. She also hopes everyone will not be disappointed by their decision on streams. The Head of Physics Department, Mr Tan Lak Tong gave a simple yet memorable sharing of why we should study physics. After his sharing, many students were less confused and more motivated to choose the Science Stream. Finally, the most anticipated yet hated subject is Mathematics. The Head of the Mathematics Department, Ms Ong Chor Hoon recorded a video explaining the syllabus and what students have to look out for.
The Head of the Chemistry Department giving a simple explanation in a pre-recorded video
Afterwards, the Heads of History Department, Ms Chng Lee Mei and Geography Department, Ms Gue Soi Ling introduced all the courses in detail. The Head of History showed us three textbooks that we will use in senior history class. Besides that, she told us in senior history class we will have a debate conference, street interview, field trip, current affairs analysis and group discussion. Both the Heads of History and Geography stated that history and geography require good memory and understanding, keen analytical skills, and good Chinese reading and expression skills.
The Head of the History Department introducing the syllabus
The Head of Business & Accounting Department, Mr Chan Chee Yong introduced the difference between business and liberal arts. He introduced the courses and showed some examples. Besides, he told us in business the medium of instruction is mostly in Malay. After his sharing, he also stated that if students want to study business, they must be careful and precise.
Lastly, the Academic Department teacher gave a conclusion. The Talk ends with a Q & A session.