Provisional Admission Exercise
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The Provisional Admission Exercise (PAE), colloquially known as the first three months among Singapore students, refers to the interim exercise/period whereby graduating secondary four students in Singapore can choose to join a junior college for Term 1 in the following academic year, before the official release of the GCE 'O' level results. Students use the score of their respective secondary schools' internal preliminary examinations to apply under the programme.
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[edit] Culture
Most school orientation is longer during the PAE, compared to the start of the actual JC school term. These students usually make use of this period of time to socialise and enjoy themselves during this period; Their load of school work greatly reduced, and cases of skipping classes are pretty common. This is in stark contrast to the pressure-cooker stress that students usually undergo during a normal school term. Junior colleges in Singapore also make use of this period to organise many activities, with fun as an emphasis, in order to entice students to stay in their respective institutions after the PAE. This is particularly true if the junior college is not prominent for its academic-orientated performance.
During this period in JCs, these students are allowed to wear their respective secondary schools uniforms. It is for this reason that a culture of gate-crashing, or colloquially called crashing has grown, where trips to junior colleges other than the one students are assigned to are organised. Their reasons fall over a large range, such as the prestige of crashing a "good" junior college or to join their ex classmates of their secondary school posted there during PAE. Technically speaking, this is considered to be an act of trespassing and illegal, although many teachers have closed one eye on these students. Some teachers even welcome them, with the intention of allowing students to have a 'feel' of the visiting college and consider it as a choice after the release of the 'O' level results. It is also common to see students from different secondary schools, in particular girls, exchanging their school uniforms with those from schools considered more recognised, mostly for the fun of it or in some cases, to escape the "neighbourhood school" stigma presented by their uniforms.
[edit] Shortcomings and Criticisms
The programme has come under constant criticism by schools and parents for its shortcomings. Critics claim that some secondary schools give an unfair advantage over their students, by either inflating grades for the internal preliminary examinations or making them easier. Students who choose to remain in the JCs after the PAE are awarded bonus 'loyalty' scores, which cuts off 2 points in their GCE 'O' Level grade, giving them a greater chance of remaining in the college if their score did not meet the college's requirements. School administrations struggle to cope with the admission procedures of two student batches in an academic year. It is also argued that in many cases, lessons have to be retaught as many students do not remain in the same college after the PAE because some left for other JCs or polytechnics.
[edit] Demise
The Ministry of Education has originally announced the consolidation of a single admission batch for junior colleges by 2006, but due to administrative problems this has been extended to 2009. This means that the last year of the PAE will run on year 2008. The decision was made possible after negotiations with the examination authorities, UCLES, to cut short the marking period of papers. This decision by the Singapore Ministry Of Education was met with much opposition by many students who have been through the PAE who believe that the experience of the first three months should be passed on to their juniors.
