JC Or Poly

When the polytechnic was conceived, it was for less academically inclined students to get a good hands-on practical education. Today, walk into a competitive polytechnic course and you will find students who could have gone to any good junior college. 
Benazir Parween finds out what the draw is and how this affects the mid-range students.

Chandini Devi’s choice of entering the polytechnic route when she could have just as easily gotten into a junior college doesn’t raise eyebrows or cause consternation in her family. Instead, this 10-pointer is not only thriving, but thrilled that she is now doing an optometry course at the Singapore Polytechnic.


“There weren’t any objections from my loved ones. They were encouraging me to choose what I wanted to do. I would have gone to JC, only because I was unsure at first about the course I wanted to pursue in poly. But now, I couldn’t have been happier with my choice,’’ says the 17 year old.


Her aim: to get to university and to become an optometrist one day. She reasons that if she had picked the JC route, she would have had to go for the “traditional’ academic courses – arts, sciences or business-related courses. And the heavy emphasis on concepts and theories, as opposed to “hands-on learning” would not have suited her. She knows that moving from poly to university takes a lot of hard work but she is willing to give that a go.


Skipping JC For Polytechnic


Indeed, when we asked 10 students what was the draw for bright students to head to poly, a majority said they saw better job prospects with a specialised diploma. Coming a close second was the worry that should they not do well at their A levels, they may not be able to get a place at university – and as practical as they are – many feel that they could earn more with a diploma than an A level certificate.


“For many of us, the fear of not being able to get into university after our A  levels is very real. After all, that’s the  whole point of going to JC right – so that you can go to university. And if you don’t, it is as if, you have to start all over. Which is such a waste of time,’’ reasons Susan Chia, a first-year business student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.


So if more JC-capable students are making a beeline for poly courses, where does that leave the so-called mid-range students for whom a polytechnic education was catered for?


Mid-Range Kids Who Can’t Get A Spot


 Nur Hidayu, 19, applied for the Business Management courses in Temasek and Nanyang Polytechnic but she was not successful. With her grades (15-pointer) and the with the keen competition Nur feels this “healthy competition from bright students puts kids like her at a disadvantage.


“We do work hard too but it is very tough when we compete with very smart kids. Perhaps, there should be a mix of students – say 20 per cent is reserved for students who have the passion and are hardworking and not everything is based on grades,’’ she offers as a suggestion.grades,’’ she offers as a suggestion.

Unsure as to where to go or even what to do, Nur has decided that she would work first, earn some money and then pursue her studies privately. Others who are in the same situation as her opt for the same course of action – some repeat their O levels in the hope of bettering their grades, others do private courses and yet others simply head out to work. 


This is why teachers suggest to their O level students to give 


ITE more than a cursory glance. An ITE lecturer who declined to be named says that the kind of courses offered and the dedication of the staff are often completely missed by both parents and students who simply dismiss ITE as a 
“dumping ground.’’ But for those who do well, the sky is really the limit.


“I have polytechnic lecturer friends who tell me that their ITE  students are their best students –  extremely hardworking and they end up being the first ones hired during their attachment 
programmes,’’ he  added.
       
More  Than Just  Grades


 While it may be true that more students with better grades are applying to polytechnics, choosing between the two routes can’t be determined by any set of fixed criteria. Some do best in a junior college, while others thrive in a poly environment.

Why Junior  College?


 You can 

  • take your time to decide what to specialise in. 
  • have greater chance of a place in the local universities
  • get academic rigour to prepare for university life 
  • be an all-rounders with no specific specialisation 
  • get more guidance from teachers  
  • mix with people of same age group
  • enjoy cosier study environment because of smaller class sizes
  • still go to the polytechnic after A levels
  • pay less

Why  Poly? 

You can 

  • get better job prospect
  • obtain a diploma even if you don’t enter university
  • a more specialised qualification
  • be more independent
  • can still go to university after getting a diploma (top 20 per cent)
  • have an hands-on approach to learning
  • have less academic based work
  • gain direct entry to some universities overseas
  • obtain advance placements in selected university courses 
  • study in a course that is more relevant to the job market
  • get attachments opportunities during your study

    For most, a trip to the school career counsellor can help lay out the options and 
    decide what is best. For others, read the table of some of the reasons cited by students who 
    recommend a polytechnic route and a junior college route.