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 home  our parents frequently asked questions |
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Frequently Asked Questions (Academic Matters)
- Does my child need to be in school every day?
- What are the typical school hours for each day?
- I heard that there aren’t any lectures or tutorials; is this true?
- How come there isn’t any text book?
- How come there isn’t any homework?
- Without a final examination, how is my child graded for the modules taken?
- Why my child is not doing modules directly related to the diploma during his first year?
- As a parent, how do I check my child academic performance in school?
- Will the school be sending the semester results to the parent?
- I heard that RP has no Industrial Attachment programme; won’t my child miss out some learning?
- Are RP diplomas recognised by local and overseas Universities?
- Can RP students find jobs after they graduate?
1. Does my child need to be in school every day?
First-year students have classes five days a week in the first two semesters. Second- and third-year students have four days each week but will have to attend Creative Engagement, Professional Profiling, or Project activities on Wednesdays.
All students are required to attend classes as stated in the Learning Environment Online (LEO) system. There are no classes on Saturdays and Sundays.
2. What are the typical school hours for each day?
Classes start at 8.30am on weekdays for first-year students. This is followed by 9.15am for second-year, and 10.00am* for third-year students. Classes end at 3.30pm, 4.00pm, and 4.15pm respectively for each cohort. When there are Understanding Tests (UTs) scheduled, classes will end at 4.45pm for all cohorts.
For more information on academic timetable, please visit www.rp.sg/timetable.
*The starting time for third-year students will be updated soon.
3. I heard that there aren’t any lectures or tutorials; is this true?
The educational system practiced at RP does not contain lectures or tutorials, but has intensive classroom engagements throughout the working day. This pedagogy promotes self learning and discovery leading to development of skills of understanding, analyzing and solving open-ended real-world problems. Students work in small groups, facilitated by an academic staff. Each student is required to submit a reflection journal at the end of each day with reference to the learning engagements.
4. How come there isn’t any text book?
Students are required to seek information from diverse sources, including books, Internet, and other resource materials. This is to help develop a broader and more reasonable outlook towards knowledge, and prepare them for a future wherein they can play an effective and contributory role in the community. Being influenced by a pre-specified finite set of books is not appropriate for academic development of any person.
5. How come there isn’t any homework?
Balanced mind-body development of an individual needs serious engagements with academic work as well as periodic detachment enabling other forms of beneficial engagements. As such, students are left free after a day of work at the polytechnic, except for the requirement of submitting a reflection journal.
6. Without a final examination, how is my child graded for the modules taken?
The process skills displayed by each student are graded by the class facilitator on each day. In addition, four Understanding Tests are conducted for each module to periodically evaluate the subject understanding. The best fourteen (14) out of the total sixteen (16) daily grades and best three (3) out of the four (4) Understanding Tests contribute to the final grade awarded for a module.
7. Why my child is not doing modules directly related to the diploma during his first year?
No assignment in the industry or anywhere else would be entirely within a specialised scope of a diploma. The society and the industry expect any educated person to be reasonably competent, well informed and knowledgeable in diverse areas. The 10 compulsory first year modules cater for these essentials valuable for a lifetime. Undue early specialisation can be detrimental to the long term broad development of any person.
8. As a parent, how do I check my child academic performance in school?
You may check your child’s academic performance via this link.
9. Will the school be sending the semester results to the parent?
RP will notify the students via their RP email the released academic results. Students may show their results to parents online through the Student Administration Support System (SASS). Alternatively, parents may check their child’s results via this link. No result slip will be sent to parents or students.
10. I heard that RP has no Industrial Attachment programme; won’t my child miss out some learning?
Any industrial attachment as a graduation requirement would be meaningful only if that attachment is integrated into the academic programme at the polytechnic. Unfortunately such integration even to the minimal required level is not viable in a large scale operation involving numerous organisations. RP therefore has implemented two requirements, namely Professional Profiling (PP) and Creative Engagement (CE), which collectively would serve the educational purpose of industrial attachment. PP involves profiling a subject/topic, addressing functional aspects of a company, business, technology, industry sector, strategic issue/problem, case study, or an area of a fundamental, industrial or an applied nature. CE specifies a level of involvement possible by taking part in diverse approved activities over a period of time. The combination of PP and CE is aimed at developing students with appropriate level of engagement with industry and professionals.
11. Are RP diplomas recognised by local and overseas Universities?
Yes. Students who have performed well at RP have been accepted into NUS, NTU and SMU, as well as many overseas universities. For example, some students who enrolled in 2003 at RP and completed their diplomas, had since graduated with bachelor’s degrees from overseas universities of good international standing by the end of 2006, having benefited from generous advanced standing they had received.
12. Can RP students find jobs after they graduate?
RP is a public academic institution fully funded and supervised by MOE. RP diplomas carry the same standing as those offered by the other polytechnics. RP graduates enjoy similar remuneration packages in the industry as diploma holders from other polytechnics.
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