03 February 2021
More GCE O-level school leavers are taking the polytechnic route. According to the Ministry of Education, of the 20,300 candidates posted to a post-secondary educational institution last year via the Joint Admissions Exercise, 52 per cent were posted to the five polytechnics.
38 per cent of last year’s cohort were allocated places in the junior colleges as well as Millennia Institute, and another 10 per cent were posted to the Institute of Technical Education.
Polytechnics require grades for English and four other subjects to not exceed 26 points.
Schools have stepped up education and career counselling so that those going for further education will be able to make more informed decisions. When interviewed, both students and parents said the poly route has also become more appealing, with the Government making more places available to those who want to upgrade their diploma to a degree.