Application for entry to secondary schools and junior colleges next year through the Direct School Admission (DSA) exercise will open from today, with the selection process moving online in the light of the Covid-19 situation.
A total of 146 secondary schools and 20 junior colleges (JCs) are participating this year in the DSA, which gives students the opportunity to get into a secondary school or JC based on their achievements and talent, in addition to academic performance.
To ensure the safety of students and school personnel in view of Covid-19, DSA schools will not hold any physical trials or face-to-face interviews as part of their selection process, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday.
Instead, the interviews and selection process for shortlisted DSA candidates will be conducted via electronic modes (e-modes) at the applicants' primary school for secondary school DSA applications, and at the applicants' secondary school for JC applications. This ensures that there is no inter-mingling of students across schools, and that safe distancing measures are followed.
Students will be provided with access to video-conferencing capability, as well as standardised and suitable venues and equipment to ensure fairness in the process.
In addition, schools will be using e-modes, which students are already familiar with, to conduct interviews and carry out performance tasks, where students may be asked to perform tasks to demonstrate their attributes and potential in a specific talent area.
The format and task will depend on the student's area of talent and the school's selection criteria.
Ms Lo Yen Nie, principal of Haig Girls' School, said the primary school will ensure that there are school personnel to provide pupils with technical assistance if required, in addition to providing them with rooms for their application process. Other forms of support include the loan of musical instruments for auditions, if needed.
Mock interviews to support the students and boost their confidence when speaking during interviews will also be conducted virtually.
MOE recognises that there may be limitations in assessing students via e-modes for talent areas such as team sports, but it reassures students that schools will adopt a holistic approach towards selection.
Other factors will also be considered, such as the student's co-curricular activity records and past achievements. DSA schools may also seek additional inputs from the student's current school.
Raffles Institution (RI) principal Frederick Yeo said 15 out of 21 of its selected talent areas are sports such as hockey, judo and track and field. Students whose talent lies in sports would have to demonstrate their skill set through the video interview, in lieu of physical trials.
RI will be liaising closely with primary schools to schedule interview slots for the shortlisted applicants.
The selection period is from July 1 to Sept 14 for the DSA secondary schools, and from June 29 to Sept 4 for DSA junior colleges.
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said last week that the DSA scheme will try to take in as many students as it did last year, when 3,500 students successfully applied to secondary schools through DSA.
Housewife Diane Wee, 45, whose 12-year-old daughter is studying at St Hilda's Primary School, said her girl will be applying for DSA to Tanjong Katong Girls' School through sailing.
She is not worried about this year's selection process going online as her two older children had gone through the DSA route. "I will remind my daughter to relax and be herself when the time comes to prepare for the interview, which is a few months down the road."
Cedar Girls' Secondary School student Althea Lim, 16, will use her strong academic results in subjects such as literature and history to apply to Hwa Chong Institution's Humanities Programme.
"I'm glad that the applications have shifted online in view of the Covid-19 situation, as this ensures that people's health, safety and convenience are prioritised," she said.
