Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Dec 21, 2004O-level scholarship for top Normal (Tech) student
By Ho Ai Li
DAVID Hoe, one of the two top Normal (Technical) students in this year's N-level examinations, has one more reason to smile.
ALL SMILES: David is one of the few N-level students to proceed to O levels.
The 16-year-old from Beatty Secondary has been offered a scholarship from St Francis Methodist to do his O levels next year at the private school.
It is uncommon for Normal (Technical) students to go on to do their O levels, as about 83 per cent of the 7,000-odd graduating students enrol at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) each year.
It is even more uncommon for them to take the O levels at a government school as they have to score Grade 1s for English, maths and one other subject.
In fact, no Normal (Technical) student has ever done well enough to qualify.
David missed creating history by a whisker as he got a Grade 2 for English. He had Grade 1s for science, maths, computer applications and technical studies and a Grade 4 for Chinese.
The second of two sons and active youth leader at the Hope of God church is determined to be a teacher. A former pupil of First Toa Payoh Primary, he did not do well in his studies as he had to help his late mother, who was blind, sell tissue and sweets on the streets.
His father could not work owing to a disability.
He scored 110 for the Primary School Leaving Examination and missed the Normal (Academic) stream by a few points.
After three years doing Normal (Technical) at Beatty, he moved to the Secondary 3 express stream at YMCA last year with financial help from friends and relatives.
However, he could not afford the school fees of more than $3,000, and after a year, returned to Beatty to do his N levels.
St Francis Methodist, which accepts an average of 10 Normal (Technical) students each year, is waiving the $8,800 annual fees for David.
But David, who can join a Sec 4 express class at St Francis, will see if he can get into a government school to do his O levels, before deciding whether to accept the scholarship.
Normal (Technical) students studying at private schools usually go to Sec 3 express, spending two years to prepare for the O levels.
David has appealed to Beatty and Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) to consider his application for Sec 4 express or Sec 5 Normal (Academic) although his grades do not meet the minimum requirements.
'I believe if a person is determined to get something done, he can do it. How we respond to failure actually shapes us,' he said.
why i bold them?
simple. cause it's the church and i have not decided to accept it or not as i wanna go to a gov school therefore i can do more in the high school side. and the last quote is my favourite quote.
till the end;11:58 AM
