SINGAPORE — Parents and educators welcomed the changes to the Direct School Admissions (DSA) scheme, in particular the decision to do away with general academic ability tests as part of their selection process.

Education Minister (Schools) Ng Chee Meng announced on Tuesday (March 7) during his ministry’s Committee of Supply debate that all secondary schools will be allowed to admit up to 20 per cent of their Secondary One intake under the scheme from next year.

Part-time tutor Joyce Ong, 42, said she is glad that the academic ability tests will be removed because they defeat the DSA’s purpose.

Those who are academically bright, she added, do not need to apply through the scheme, as their PSLE scores would secure them a place in the schools of their choice. Parents would see a lesser need to send their children to prep courses to ace such tests since the focus now will be more on talent, she said.

“If you don’t have talent, you just don’t have talent, no matter how much time and how many thousands of dollars you spend,” said Mrs Ong.

Greendale Secondary School principal Ms Amy Ng told TODAY that, with more places set aside for the DSA scheme, parents should also be encouraged to look at more options beyond one or two schools to match their children’s passion and talent.

But some were not convinced that the revamp would stop parents from trying to give their children an edge in other areas in a bid to secure a place in a top school.

Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC Denise Phua — who had previously said it was an “open secret” that the DSA benefitted children from wealthier households — said yesterday that she was “heartened that MOE has heard the ground” and was taking steps to address concerns over the scheme.

The scheme would end up “being fairer” if the entry criteria were to favour more natural abilities in areas such as sports and the arts, but she was “still a tad concerned that the popular schools will end up assembling both the top brains and top ‘brawns’,” she told TODAY.

Queensway Secondary School principal Lui Seng Cheong said parents should be reminded that the DSA is not a test, and there is no need for them to push their children to go for “tuition in a particular talent where they have no interest in”.

Some parents felt that the revamped DSA scheme would still cause stress in children, while benefitting  households with more financial resources.

A mother of a Primary Two daughter, who wanted to be known only as Ms Sharon, said she is concerned that parents will now pressure children to take up sports and the arts just to get into the schools of their choice via the DSA.

Civil servant Leonard Lim, whose daughter is in Primary Five at Pei Chun Public School, noted that, while the DSA changes are aimed at levelling the playing field, students from lower-income households might still find it hard to compete.

It really depends on how genuine the school is “with regard to its selection process, to really assess and sieve out those with natural abilities”, he said.

Meanwhile, some parents also expressed concerns over another change, where affiliated secondary schools will have to reserve 20 per cent of their Secondary One places for students without any affiliation.

A 41-year-old housewife, who wanted to be known only as Ms Yeow, said the change would cause parents and children who have ties to these schools more stress since they might have to “fight for a place” in these schools.

“There are more than enough secondary schools ... There is no reason why they need to do that,” said Ms Yeow, whose son is a Primary Six student at St Andrew’s Junior School.

Ms Doreen Tan, whose daughter is in Primary One at CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, said although it is fair to open the doors of affiliated schools to students without affiliation, this means that both affiliated students and their parents “would just have to work even harder to secure a place”.