I sense discrimination

As much as I want to elaborate on the details of the previous days, I'll just give a short summary.

Friday was... lunch with my classmates; Edwin (President of Micromouse of SJI), Big Tim (Member of Bookshop club in ACSI), Glenn (Choir Boy), Louis (Vietnamese Dancer) and Phuong (Vietnamese Srsly Awesome) at KAP. Went over to Delise's place for awhile to help her with some work, and then I went over to Central at Clark Quay for dinner and Bridge with ex-QTSS people.

Today was...Drama (Lots of drama) in the morning, debate after that, and then I went over to Delise's place to take care of her. To Tiong with her for stationary shopping, to GWC for Ice-cream, and then home sweet home.

But there's a very real issue I'd like to address. Discrimination against those who don't take Higher Mother Tongue (HMT). Let's take the two top JCs in Singapore: HCJC and RJC, and let's take a look at their cut-off for JAE.

Last year, their cut-off for both courses were 4 points. The best possible score one can get in the O-levels is 6 points. An outsider trying to get into these top schools LAST YEAR must attain at least 6 points, without HMT, and up to 8 points, with HMT. It sounds like an almost impossible task, but still, it is, though a feat, doable.

But the cut-off has lowered yet again!

Rumour has it that the cut-off for these two schools is partial 3! PARTIAL 3! Let's do the maths for a 6 pointer, going in through JAE, without HMT, without affliation (only a precious few has this, so I won't bother) and with the A1/A2 for CCA.

6.

Subtract 2 for CCA.

4.

4.

4.

4.

But the cut-off is 3! Partial 3! What's going to happen to these bunch of unlucky few? They scored the same marks as those who have HMT, yet are deprived because...they're less able in their Mother Tongue. The rational of introducing the "B"-syllabus is to give those who are crap in their Mother Tongue, like yours truly, a fighting chance; less of a burden in their O-levels. But now, they give this sort of discrimination: there's clearly something wrong. I know people who take HMT, and they only have to get C6 to qualify for 2 bonus points. I don't take HMT myself, but how difficult can it be to...merely pass!

Anyways, that's beside the point. The fact of the matter is that these top schools are not giving people who are less profecient in their Mother Tongues a chance, and that, by god's name, is unfair. This not only applies to the top-schools though, but to all schools. I say abolish deducting 2 points for HMT; they already don't have to take MT during JC level; I think that's enough of a benefit.

Said my piece. What's yours?