Integrated Programme
Encyclopedia
The Integrated Programme (Abbreviation
: IP), also known as through-train programme (直通车), is a scheme which allows the brightest pupils at secondary schools in Singapore
to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels
, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of secondary education.
, Raffles Girls School (Secondary), Hwa Chong Institution
(then The Chinese High School) and Nanyang Girls' High School
in 2004, the Integrated Programme allows students to skip the "O" levels at secondary 4 and go straight into the Junior College (JC). Also, top Junior Colleges such as National Junior College
, Victoria Junior College
and Temasek Junior College
offer it independently. However, VJC will stop offering its IP programme when its affliate Victoria School
begins its own IP programme in 2012.
In the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme, Hwa Chong Institution (college) also grants entry to students from other schools apart from Nanyang Girls' High School and Hwa Chong Institution (High School) based on their O Level results. Hwa Chong Institution (College) section also offers the Direct School Admission (DSA) in which Secondary Four students can apply for a place in Year 5 of the College section.
For the 4 years Integrated Programme, Secondary Two students from various schools are allowed to apply for this programme. These students have their Secondary Three and Four education in the JC itself, followed by the JC course.Victoria Junior College
(VJC) and Temasek Junior College
(TJC) have this programme offered. Those who are currently in an IP school, could also apply for this programme in (TJC) and (VJC).
Since 2009, NJC has also accepted students have just graduated from PSLE, making it a 6 year program.
Dunman High School
applied for the Integrated Programme system in mid-2004 standalone, and MOE approved the first batch to be enrolled in 2005, with Year 1 and Year 3 students, each having a cap of about 135 out of 380 students. Full IP was granted in late 2005, and the school went full IP with the beginning of the academic year of 2006.
River Valley High School joined the Integrated Programme system in late 2005 by operating a six year course standalone. It is the last to join the ranks of the schools offering Integrated Programme before the Ministry of Education had closed the gates to the special system. This ensures that students who are under the Integrated Programme are able to cope with their A levels after bypassing their O levels. All the schools allowed in the scheme accepts the top 10% of the national cohort.
In 2012, Victoria School
and Cedar Girls' Secondary School
will offer IP with Victoria Junior College
and build upon the Integrated Programme VJC already have.
, Hwa Chong International
, ACS (International) and School of the Arts, Singapore have allowed some students to abandon the British system and "go Swiss" by dropping the GCE exams all together and adopting the International Baccalaureate (IB), having been fully authorized as an IB World Schools. The IB is perceived by some as a more holistic program than the Cambridge examinations, making students take both arts and science subjects as well as philosophy courses and extensive research papers.
. Students in this school graduate with the NUS High School diploma, which has been accredited by NUS, NTU, and SMU, and is still in the process of gaining more recognition from overseas well-known Universities and colleges. For placement into overseas universities, they also take the SATs and APs.
The success of an IP student is based on one assumption, that the students are extremely self-disciplined. So they will make sure that they manage their time so well, and be so diligent in their studies, that they will remember all the core contents taught to them and yet find enough time to engage actively in independent learning.
However, this may be considered a utopian ideal. Without an important watershed intervening national examination to help them focus, students may simply let their guard down.
This programme is allegedly for clearly university-bound students. Thus it can be inferred that if an IP student does not perform to expectations in his/her A Levels, which is rare because the number of IP retainees is small, he/she will face drastic consequences. For non-IP students that do perform poorly in their A Levels, they will still have an O Level certificate to fall back on, which can at least get them a job of some sort. However, without this safety net, once IP students have failed their A Levels, they will be left with no qualifications except their PSLE certificate, which in Singapore is not useful at all.
Abbreviation
An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase. Usually, but not always, it consists of a letter or group of letters taken from the word or phrase...
: IP), also known as through-train programme (直通车), is a scheme which allows the brightest pupils at secondary schools in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of secondary education.
Overview
The programme allows for more time allocated to enrichment activities. That is, without the "O" level examinations, the students has more time and flexibility to immerse themselves in a more broad base education which will eventually lead to the "A" levels examination. In addition, the students enjoy more freedom in the combination of subjects. Generally, only the top performers are eligible to be part of the IP programme, due to the limited amount of schools which have the funds to implement it, as it is currently regarded as experimental. Thus most of the main body of the students pursue their secondary education at the current pace by first completing a 4-year O Level before going on to a 2-year "A" level education (vs. a 2-year "O" level and 4-year "A" level education).A-level Programmes
Pioneered by top schools such as Raffles InstitutionRaffles Institution
Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
, Raffles Girls School (Secondary), Hwa Chong Institution
Hwa Chong Institution
Hwa Chong Institution is an independent school in Singapore for students aged 12 to 18 covering both secondary and pre-university levels. A Ministry of Education-designated FutureSchool, it operates under the Special Assistance Plan for bilingualism, and offers the Integrated Programme and also...
(then The Chinese High School) and Nanyang Girls' High School
Nanyang Girls' High School
Nanyang Girls' High School is an all-girls secondary school in Singapore. It participates in the Integrated Programme with Hwa Chong Institution under the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme...
in 2004, the Integrated Programme allows students to skip the "O" levels at secondary 4 and go straight into the Junior College (JC). Also, top Junior Colleges such as National Junior College
National Junior College
National Junior College is the first junior college established by the Ministry Of Education, located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels...
, Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College is a Pre-University co-educational institution in Singapore. It was established to replace the Pre-University classes of Victoria School in 1984. It stands on Marine Vista, about 5-minute walk to the East Coast Park. It in the East Region of Singapore...
and Temasek Junior College
Temasek Junior College
Temasek Junior College is a prestigious junior college located in the Eastern region of Singapore and is considered as one of the top five colleges in Singapore....
offer it independently. However, VJC will stop offering its IP programme when its affliate Victoria School
Victoria School
Victoria School in Singapore is a government secondary school for boys, founded in 1876, at Siglap Link, about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College....
begins its own IP programme in 2012.
In the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme, Hwa Chong Institution (college) also grants entry to students from other schools apart from Nanyang Girls' High School and Hwa Chong Institution (High School) based on their O Level results. Hwa Chong Institution (College) section also offers the Direct School Admission (DSA) in which Secondary Four students can apply for a place in Year 5 of the College section.
For the 4 years Integrated Programme, Secondary Two students from various schools are allowed to apply for this programme. These students have their Secondary Three and Four education in the JC itself, followed by the JC course.Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College is a Pre-University co-educational institution in Singapore. It was established to replace the Pre-University classes of Victoria School in 1984. It stands on Marine Vista, about 5-minute walk to the East Coast Park. It in the East Region of Singapore...
(VJC) and Temasek Junior College
Temasek Junior College
Temasek Junior College is a prestigious junior college located in the Eastern region of Singapore and is considered as one of the top five colleges in Singapore....
(TJC) have this programme offered. Those who are currently in an IP school, could also apply for this programme in (TJC) and (VJC).
Since 2009, NJC has also accepted students have just graduated from PSLE, making it a 6 year program.
Dunman High School
Dunman High School
On 2 January 2009 the school opened to a new year with an opening ceremony named "Homecoming" （回家） to welcome students and staff to the upgraded campus.-Principals:Since its establishment in 1956, Dunman High School has had eight principals:-School song:...
applied for the Integrated Programme system in mid-2004 standalone, and MOE approved the first batch to be enrolled in 2005, with Year 1 and Year 3 students, each having a cap of about 135 out of 380 students. Full IP was granted in late 2005, and the school went full IP with the beginning of the academic year of 2006.
River Valley High School joined the Integrated Programme system in late 2005 by operating a six year course standalone. It is the last to join the ranks of the schools offering Integrated Programme before the Ministry of Education had closed the gates to the special system. This ensures that students who are under the Integrated Programme are able to cope with their A levels after bypassing their O levels. All the schools allowed in the scheme accepts the top 10% of the national cohort.
In 2012, Victoria School
Victoria School
Victoria School in Singapore is a government secondary school for boys, founded in 1876, at Siglap Link, about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College....
and Cedar Girls' Secondary School
Cedar Girls' Secondary School
Cedar Girls' Secondary School is an all-girls educational institution/high school established in 1957 in Singapore with an enrolment of 507 girls, 13 classes and a staff of 18. The school went single session in 1992 and gained autonomous status in 1996. All classes are in the Express or Special...
will offer IP with Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College
Victoria Junior College is a Pre-University co-educational institution in Singapore. It was established to replace the Pre-University classes of Victoria School in 1984. It stands on Marine Vista, about 5-minute walk to the East Coast Park. It in the East Region of Singapore...
and build upon the Integrated Programme VJC already have.
International Baccalaureate Program
4 secondary schools in Singapore: Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
The Anglo-Chinese School is a Methodist secondary school in Singapore. It is a descendant of a school established in 1886 by Rev William Fitzjames Oldham at 70 Amoy Street, Singapore, and one of a group of educational institutions collectively known as the Anglo-Chinese School...
, Hwa Chong International
Hwa Chong International
Hwa Chong International School , a co-educational secondary international school in Singapore, is an affiliated school of Hwa Chong Institution catering to both local and foreign students.-Overview:...
, ACS (International) and School of the Arts, Singapore have allowed some students to abandon the British system and "go Swiss" by dropping the GCE exams all together and adopting the International Baccalaureate (IB), having been fully authorized as an IB World Schools. The IB is perceived by some as a more holistic program than the Cambridge examinations, making students take both arts and science subjects as well as philosophy courses and extensive research papers.
NUS High School Diploma
NUS High School offers a different Integrated Programme. NUS High School of Mathematics and Science is a school which specializes in math and science, but also aims to develop all-rounded students through its Diploma curriculum, which allows rigour and depth, or flexibility and breadth. NUS High School is also affiliated and very closely linked to NUSNational University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
. Students in this school graduate with the NUS High School diploma, which has been accredited by NUS, NTU, and SMU, and is still in the process of gaining more recognition from overseas well-known Universities and colleges. For placement into overseas universities, they also take the SATs and APs.
List of schools offering Integrated Programme
- Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)The Anglo-Chinese School is a Methodist secondary school in Singapore. It is a descendant of a school established in 1886 by Rev William Fitzjames Oldham at 70 Amoy Street, Singapore, and one of a group of educational institutions collectively known as the Anglo-Chinese School...
- Cedar Girls' Secondary SchoolCedar Girls' Secondary SchoolCedar Girls' Secondary School is an all-girls educational institution/high school established in 1957 in Singapore with an enrolment of 507 girls, 13 classes and a staff of 18. The school went single session in 1992 and gained autonomous status in 1996. All classes are in the Express or Special...
/Victoria Junior CollegeVictoria Junior CollegeVictoria Junior College is a Pre-University co-educational institution in Singapore. It was established to replace the Pre-University classes of Victoria School in 1984. It stands on Marine Vista, about 5-minute walk to the East Coast Park. It in the East Region of Singapore... - Dunman High SchoolDunman High SchoolOn 2 January 2009 the school opened to a new year with an opening ceremony named "Homecoming" （回家） to welcome students and staff to the upgraded campus.-Principals:Since its establishment in 1956, Dunman High School has had eight principals:-School song:...
- Hwa Chong InstitutionHwa Chong InstitutionHwa Chong Institution is an independent school in Singapore for students aged 12 to 18 covering both secondary and pre-university levels. A Ministry of Education-designated FutureSchool, it operates under the Special Assistance Plan for bilingualism, and offers the Integrated Programme and also...
- Nanyang Girls' High SchoolNanyang Girls' High SchoolNanyang Girls' High School is an all-girls secondary school in Singapore. It participates in the Integrated Programme with Hwa Chong Institution under the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme...
- National Junior CollegeNational Junior CollegeNational Junior College is the first junior college established by the Ministry Of Education, located in Bukit Timah, Singapore. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels...
- NUS High School of Mathematics and Science
- Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)Raffles Girls' School is an independent girls' secondary school in Singapore. RGS was recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2006 by being awarded the School Excellence Award , among other awards...
- Raffles InstitutionRaffles InstitutionRaffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
- River Valley High School
- Temasek Junior CollegeTemasek Junior CollegeTemasek Junior College is a prestigious junior college located in the Eastern region of Singapore and is considered as one of the top five colleges in Singapore....
- Victoria SchoolVictoria SchoolVictoria School in Singapore is a government secondary school for boys, founded in 1876, at Siglap Link, about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College....
/Victoria Junior CollegeVictoria Junior CollegeVictoria Junior College is a Pre-University co-educational institution in Singapore. It was established to replace the Pre-University classes of Victoria School in 1984. It stands on Marine Vista, about 5-minute walk to the East Coast Park. It in the East Region of Singapore...
Criticism for the programme
Some have also raised the point in the Straits Times that since the A levels follow a structured format, some IP students may well be at a disadvantage compared to their mainstream counterparts though they have a high intellectual capacity.The success of an IP student is based on one assumption, that the students are extremely self-disciplined. So they will make sure that they manage their time so well, and be so diligent in their studies, that they will remember all the core contents taught to them and yet find enough time to engage actively in independent learning.
However, this may be considered a utopian ideal. Without an important watershed intervening national examination to help them focus, students may simply let their guard down.
This programme is allegedly for clearly university-bound students. Thus it can be inferred that if an IP student does not perform to expectations in his/her A Levels, which is rare because the number of IP retainees is small, he/she will face drastic consequences. For non-IP students that do perform poorly in their A Levels, they will still have an O Level certificate to fall back on, which can at least get them a job of some sort. However, without this safety net, once IP students have failed their A Levels, they will be left with no qualifications except their PSLE certificate, which in Singapore is not useful at all.