I’m so happy that Sheng Ze, one of my tutees in 2013, obtained a C6 in his A. Math in the recent ‘O’ Level exams, after getting F9s almost all the time from Sec 3 to Sec 4. He was even asked many times, directly and indirectly, to drop this subject but each time I advised his mum and him to continue doing the subject because he himself felt he was improving and did not want to drop it.
I’ve said it elsewhere and I will say it again: Schools generally do not care about their students or their students’ future; they are only interested in their own academic reputation such as percentage passes.
Schools can improve their percentage passes in certain subjects by simply disallowing their weaker students to study or take the exam for these tough subjects, such as A. Math and the Pure Sciences. But by doing this, they are adversely affecting the future of their students who will be denied many future courses and future jobs.
A. Math is an important subject for both Science and Business courses at higher levels. DO NOT DROP A. MATH SO LONG AS YOU ARE STILL INTERESTED TO DO WELL IN IT. Schools have no power to force you to drop any subject. The teachers will try their best to coax you to drop it, but ignore them please.
One of my existing tutees, Syakir, was also “offered” to drop A. Math at the end of last year due to his poor performance throughout Sec 3. But I offered to tutor him intensively instead in Nov and Dec and now he is in the top one-third of his class based on his latest post-holiday test.
Where there is a will there is a way. You can do well in any subject, in fact in anything, if you keep your focus on it and persevere. Do not feel disheartened or lose hope just because someone says you are not good enough. Prove them wrong instead.
Rgds,
Ilyasa