MOE scraps banding in secondary schools
The Ministry of Education (MOE) said Wednesday it is abolishing the banding of secondary schools by academic results with immediate effect to enable "every school to be a good school".
On scrapping the banding system, MOE said in a statement that it recognises that a school’s effectiveness in academic education is better measured by its academic value-added than by its absolute academic band, as the student intake profile varies across different schools.
However, the ministry said it will continue to monitor and recognise schools’ ability to value-add to their students academically.
Introduced in 2004, school banding places secondary schools into nine bands each year based on the performance of their students at the GCE O Level in the previous year.
For example, schools in Band 1 would have students who have obtained an average L1B5 of less than 11 points. This information can be used by parents when deciding where to enrol their children after the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
School awards removed too
MOE will also be removing the Masterplan of Awards (MOA) from 2014 and replacing it with a simplified recognition system.
Under new changes, the School Excellence Award, Sustained Achievement Award, Gold, Silver, and Bronze Achievement Awards for Academic Value-Added will be removed.
Instead, schools with academic value added will be recognised through five other awards namely: Best Practice in Teaching and Learning, Best Practice in Student All-Round Development, Best Practice in Staff Development and Well Being, Best Practice in Character and Citizenship Education and Best Practice in Partnership.
