This year’s PSLE results have been released. For primary school homeschoolers they will have to decide if they will send their child into the school system or not. Many are curious what homeschooling the secondary school years and beyond looks like.
Let me share with you our journey thus far. Do remember that we are no means near the end of this homeschooling journey so we are also learning and navigating unchartered waters! But definitely, homeschooling beyond PSLE is possible. Just keep close to God and He will continue to direct you.
So, back in early January 2016, I posted a Homeschool Update #1 on clearing one more PSLE (Child #4) and clearing the Primary 4 MOE exam (new Compulsory Education Act requirement). In many ways this is a follow up post on that. It’s been a long time in coming. Sorry. But I am glad I waited because I have a lot more news to share now than then.
High School completion : Round 1 of 7!
2015 marked a significant milestone in our homeschooling journey in that we officially graduated our oldest from High School. This would be round #1 out of 7! Yes, I have a long way to go before I can retire!
After some detours (Why we chose Abeka and not another curriculum), David finished Grade 12 with Abeka last year and received his High School Diploma from them. I am just grateful that despite starting Grade 9 with Abeka late, he could finish early. This was mostly because my son was highly determined to finish up as quickly as possible to get it out of the way! 😀
SAT and SAT Subject Tests
As planned, he took both the SAT* and SAT Subject Tests* in 2015 to prepare to apply for university. BUT … before we got there, I had a few heart-stopping moments along the way. All because I had totally forgot to sign him up for the tests until the very last minute. This happened even though we had planned all along for him to take both the SAT and SAT Subject Tests really early on. I was not mindful of the deadlines! And I totally blamed PSLE 2014 (Child #3)! For more information on SAT check out the College Board Website. Do note that there is a new SAT format now which I have yet to go research on.
Decisions, decisions, decisions!
Also, we were not sure if he wanted to go the polytechnic (poly) or the university way. And, if he wanted to defer his National Service (NS) if he chose to go the poly* way.
So many decisions!!!
If he wanted to go the poly route AND defer his NS, I was cutting it too fine where the deadline of submission of applications was concerned. Thankfully he said that he did not want to defer NS, preferring to get it out of the way, regardless of whether he chooses to go polytechnic or university. Whew! That certainly bought me some time!
Check submission deadlines!
This is super important and you will hear me say this over and over again. Different institutions have different application windows for different categories of students. This isn’t carved in stone. So if you are homeschooling and plan to apply to these institutions, please do check out the deadlines and criteria of each individual institution before making any assumptions. Do not go by hearsay!
Get the information directly from the institution itself if it isn’t listed clearly on their website. Even staff from the institution may not get their information right if they are not from the Admissions Department.
Citizens with International Qualifications
For us, because we used Abeka, we are lumped with the other students applying under the Citizens/Permanent Residents with international qualifications category, not under O or A levels. So it is a different ball game from the public-schooled kids. Also, institutions change their criteria, not often but they do.
Please note : There is NO such thing as a Homeschooling category. Yes, someone actually asked that. This is Singapore, not the US or Australia. Homeschooling is largely frowned upon (you will know this when you hit obstacle after obstacle when trying to apply for certain concessions as a homeschooler!) The category you apply under depends on your citizenship and the academic qualifications you have.
Check admission criteria!
So again, I stress, please check out each institution’s criteria before making any assumptions. Check it yearly if possible. I did not and so only discovered last year that NTU (Nanyang Technological University) now requires citizens/permanent residents applying under international qualifications to have at least a Higher Chinese qualification for application! Previously, citizens and PRs applying in this category did not need any Chinese qualifications.
*EDITED TO UPDATE (4th December 2016) :
NUS now also requires citizens/permanent residents applying under international qualifications to have at least a D7 in the Higher Mother Tongue exam!
Please see http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/apply-to-nus/SC-SPR-admissions-req-to-NUS.html
Since I was not aware of the change, I had only made David take the standard O level Chinese* papers. Which is another story in itself, again due to my oversight 🙁 ! Well, neither he nor I were willing to go through the rigmarole of going through tuition and all just to qualify to apply for NTU. Sigh. Truly, first born always the guinea pig!
The waiting game
Anyhow, we managed to get our applications in – yes, even to NTU as there is a clause which states that applications without the minimum Chinese qualifications will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We took our chances with that!
And then we waited and waited. Their websites said that results would be announced only in April. And so we waited and waited and waited some more.
NUS and NTU come a-calling – only God!
Then, in the 1st and 2nd week of May, David received letters of offer from both the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), respectively.
Only God.
Seriously.
Just do your best
Our thinking/philosophy for post Grade 12 is the same as with PSLE – do the best with what you have. Academics isn’t the most important thing but it IS important to our family. And everyone is required to do their best, imbibing a spirit of excellence.
After the applications were sent (after much nagging, mind you!) we just waited for doors to either open or close. If he had not received an offer, we would have just gotten back to the drawing board, pray and ask the Lord if we should re-apply or not. And if we should consider the many other options available.
Trust God
As always, I have to remind myself that it is God who has led us this far. We have done all that we could with all that we had. He will direct our paths, as always.
For this child, God has chosen to open this door and we are grateful. Very grateful. What happens after he completes his NS stint and takes this on, we don’t know. We are however, always waiting on the Lord. We dare not assume anything but only trust in His leading.
Earning his keep and keeping occupied
Meanwhile, during all this time of hanging around and waiting for both the results of his application to the local institutions and notification of NS Enlistment, he has gotten himself a few part-time jobs.
He interned with a friend’s training company, worked at Mos Burger Junction 8, did some transcription work, and even got a job as an assistant coach with his ex-roller-blading coach! With that job, he helped to teach school children during the June holidays. He also worked for another friend’s company and did a stock-taking job at AiG. He has also been busy writing songs and recording them.
Helping out at home as well
In between all that, he has been a great help in helping me with food preparation and other household chores plus being a great big brother in entertaining the younger ones.
It has been interesting for him, and for me – as an observer. Having your own money is a source of empowerment, me thinks! But he has been rather generous, buying different board and card games to play with his siblings. He said that the one thing he learnt from working is that he misses his siblings! That’s a good thing, isn’t it?
And flushed with money, he actually treated me to my very first Mother’s Day dinner! Oh, he also learnt that he hates a desk bound job 🙂
Enlisted
Since 3rd October 2016, he has been enlisted and is serving out his Basic Military Training in Pulau Tekong. Read When NS Comes A-Calling : Our Family’s Experience.
Looking ahead
Learning from this near heart-stopping, stressful experience of nearly missing the deadlines and all, I decided that I needed to be a lot more proactive where his younger brother is concerned. Not just to prevent having another series of stressful scenarios but mostly because Aaron is a January baby! What has this got to do with anything you ask?
The option of choosing to go poly and deferring NS
Male Singaporean citizens and permanent residents are allowed to defer enlisting in NS if they have an official letter of acceptance from the local polytechnics. Otherwise, they will need to enlist first then proceed with their studies.
This means he needs to finish up his Grade 12, SAT and SAT Subject Tests, apply for and get the letter of offer earlier than someone who is born in December of the same year!
Talk about a big rush!
Apply earlier
Do note that citizens applying for polytechnics under international qualifications usually have to apply earlier in the year, and not with the O level graduates, as they have to make time for interviews and entry tests/exams which public-schooled kids do not have to go through. NS Enlistment letters often come within 6 months of the boy turning 18.
The option of not deferring NS
He may ultimately choose to not defer NS and that would be fine with me. But still, I need to prepare for all possible scenarios. I’d be older by then. I don’t think I can take another series of heart-stopping stressful moments! Lol!
Challenges of homeschooling a boy in Singapore
Homeschooled boys always have to bear in mind the need to enlist for NS at the age of 18. As homeschool mothers, we will always need to bear this NS deadline when doing up the Study Plan. The child needs to finish up Grade 12 and get his High School Diploma or GCE O Levels/iGCSE certificate, before enlistment. Otherwise, the child will end up in what is called the MONO intake – where boys without official academic qualifications are lumped under. And moms, you get an added dose of stress if your boy is born in the early part of the year!
What about our girls?
What will we be doing for our girls? I have no idea! The only thing I know is that we will continue using Abeka for homeschooling the secondary school years and beyond. For other developments, you will have to stick around to find out, I guess? 😛 All this to say that homeschooling beyond the secondary school years is a viable option. Just remember to plan ahead if your child needs to enlist 🙂
Here are some notes you ought to bear in mind if homeschooling the secondary school years and beyond are in your plans post-PSLE.
NOTES about High School Diplomas :
- Please note that only accredited High School Diplomas are accepted by our local institutions. No mom-issued High School Diplomas here! This is very unlike the United States where they are accepted. On top of that it needs to be accompanied by SAT and in some cases SAT Subject Tests results as well.
NOTES about taking SAT and SAT Subject Tests :
- The last I checked, NUS, NTU, SMU and all the polytechnics require SAT results on top of an accredited* High School Diploma. For NUS, THREE SAT Subject Tests are required on top of the SAT itself. And the THREE subjects need to be taken in TWO seatings within ONE year. Math 1 is not accepted at all unless you are applying for Law. Neither SMU nor NTU outlined such specific details. But please check it out yourself. Criteria change all the time.
*EDITED to update (29th November 2016) :
See NUS Admissions Link : no mention of High School Diploma needing to be accredited. Another example of changes that happen year by year!
NOTES about taking O level Chinese as a private candidates :
- Please note that as private candidates, one can only take standard O level Chinese (not sure about the other subjects) when your child is already 15 years old on 1st January the year he/she wishes to take this exam. EXAMPLE : Child born on 1st January 2000. Can take standard O level Chinese in 2015 (ie 15 years old) But if child is born on 5th January 2000, he/she can only take standard O level Chinese as a private candidate in 2016 (ie 16 years old). But if child is in public school, child can take standard O level Chinese at 15 (Secondary 3). Yes, it is not fair.
- You cannot choose to take standard O level Chinese in May and Higher Chinese in November in the same year. You can only choose to do either Higher Chinese OR standard Chinese in ONE year. For standard O level Chinese, you can choose to do it in May and then retake the same level paper in November (different questions!) if you feel that better results can be obtained the second time. You only have one chance with Higher Chinese.
NOTES on Higher Chinese and NTU :
- The letter of offer from NTU had a clause stating that he would need to complete Higher Chinese by the time he graduated from NTU. Unless MOE grants an exemption. It did not say what would happen if one couldn’t clear the exam 🙂 This applies to the updated NUS requirement (mentioned above in the post) as well.