Choosing subjects after PSLE? Influencer dad advises 'always choose G3' to avoid stress
With PSLE results on Nov 25, parents are weighing whether their child should take subjects at G2 or G3 under Subject-Based Banding (SBB).
The debate has heated up after family influencer Alex Logan Lee advised in a viral TikTok clip to "always choose G3" whenever possible, citing the benefits of taking subjects at a higher level.
In his two-minute clip, Lee, father of 12-year-old Daken Lee, revealed that he had initially considered letting his son choose G2, thinking it would motivate him to study hard and earn promotion.
However, after attending the 'P6 to S1 Seminar' by Raymond's Math & Science Studio (RMSS) founder and principal Raymond Loh, he realised that "promotion to G3 is not as easy as we thought".
RMSS, a local enrichment centre with six branches catering to students from pre-school to Junior College, hosted the seminar on Nov 15.
Captioned "PSLE result is coming out soon. Are you making the right decision for your kid?" the clip posted on Nov 22 by @familee.sg had racked up over 218,500 views, 10,400 reactions, and 121 comments at press time.
What is Subject-Based Banding all about?
According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), under SBB, Primary 6 students are placed into Posting Groups 1, 2, and 3 for secondary school, mapped from the previous Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic), and Express streams respectively.
These Posting Groups determine which school a student can enter and the initial level of subjects they can take in Secondary 1.
Students can take subjects at three levels—G1, G2, or G3—allowing them to be grouped according to ability in each subject rather than overall academic performance.
Over time, they can adjust their subject levels based on their strengths, interests, and learning needs.
'If you have a choice between G3 and G2, always choose G3'
Comparing the current SBB to past streaming, Lee said that G3 was equivalent to Express, G2 to Normal (Academic), and G1 to Normal (Technical).
For a student to be promoted, Lee claimed that they have to "consistently be scoring 75% and above" and have "a teacher's recommendation" to even be considered for band promotion.
Lee said that "we thought that the G2 students were just tested at an easier level", while adding that he was shocked to find that "a significant amount of topics were removed from their syllabus".
"So imagine this: your child works very hard and gets promoted to G3 in Secondary 2, they now need to work much harder compared to their classmates because they are missing a chunk of their knowledge taught in Secondary 1."
Lee said that putting a child who could have been in G3 in G2 might in fact "affect their confidence and self-esteem", while also citing reasons like peer influence and demotivation although some might "thrive under this kind of underdog situation".
'Isn't it the same during the Normal vs Express era?'
The post has since divided netizens over the choice, with many debating whether to go to G2 to enter a "better school" or G3 for a "better stream".
"I totally disagree with what RMSS says" one netizen said, while others argued that parents "should take into consideration your child's CCA preference too".
"Depends if your kid matures in Secondary 1," one netizen said, while another added, "It's really easy to promote if you work hard."
One shared their personal experience, saying, "As a student who moved from G2 to G3, I also struggled a lot, but in the end I could handle it. But actually, it is best if he goes G3 when he has a choice."
