Ten Year Series copyright issues prevent publishing
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THING OF THE PAST?: The ten-year series, used by former students like Hwa Chong's Damien Poon, has run into copyright issues here. ST FILE PICTURE
http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,196082,00.html?
The series, popularly known as TYS among students, has run into copyright problems.
The Ministry of Education said: 'The Cambridge International Examinations and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (Seab) are in discussion to resolve some copyright issues of third-party materials used in the examination papers.
'As such, publishing firms have been told to hold off the publishing of past-year examination papers in the interim.'
The annual publication, which compiles all of the past 10 years' GCE O and A level examination questions, has been used in schools for more than four decades.
Published in individual subjects, the series, for both classroom practice and individual revision, was readily available in book stores in the past.
The Additional Maths 30-year series cost $7.50 last year.
Mr Kelvin Yoo, 36, CEO of Singapore Asian Publications, said: 'This problem is only happening this year. We're just waiting for...the tender date to be out.
'For the last two years, about six publishers were given the publishing rights. We would usually know the tender date by November and the results by December. But this time, we haven't heard anything from MOE yet.'
Daryl Chee, a second-year Catholic Junior College student, said the series is an important aid. 'It is a good form of practice. For the O levels, some subjects only have five-year papers in books, and I even got my teachers to help me get copies of exam papers before that.'
Students claim that in some cases, the series shows a pattern in the type of questions asked over the years.
'There is often replication of questions, and teachers also help us to sort out the questions. This helps us to focus our preparation,' said 15-year-old Felicia Chee, who is studying in Fuhua Secondary School.
She added: ' I have a cousin who did not work very hard all along but spotted the right questions for the O levels and ended up doing well.'
But some students feel that not having access to the series will not affect them much.
More critical thinking
Gwen Quek, 18, said: 'Exams nowadays involve more critical and creative thinking. Moreover, the way they set papers now is different from what is mostly reflected in the ten-year series.
'Nowadays, the information is given to us and we have to think critically and work out solutions. We can also exchange (exam papers) inter-school, as schools are already doing.
'Working on papers from other schools is often more challenging, and benefits us more than TYS anyway.'
Gwen is in her second year at Catholic Junior College.
Some parents said that without the series, their children will have less practice before their exams.
Madam Goh Lee Kim, 48, said: 'I'm not happy that this is happening. Students in secondary schools and JCs need to look at past years' papers to have an idea of what to expect when they sit for their O or A levels.
'It will be a big disadvantage, though they may get papers from other schools. The Ten-Year Series set the standard for what students can expect in their forthcoming papers.'
Madam Goh's son is studying in Yuhua Secondary School.
However, Mrs Amy Tan, 51, who has two sons, one in Sec 2 at Anglican High School and the other in the first year at St Andrew's Junior College, felt it is not a big issue.
'If it's across the board, then the playing field is level as everyone is facing the same situation,' said Mrs Tan.
Mr Hsi Han Yin, 36, a mathematics teacher in Temasek Junior College, said the books may not be relevant to the recently-changed syllabus anyway.
He said: 'Not having the ten-year series will make the students more resourceful when looking for questions to do.
'Also, as the syllabus changes, the older questions may not be as relevant.'
The MOE said students would not be handicapped.
It said: 'Seab would like to assure students that they still have access to past-year papers for reference.
'School candidates can approach their schools while private candidates can approach MOE's customer service centre for assistance.'http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,196082,00.html?
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sometimes old old TYS more useful
Example would be for E maths. I still keep my E maths TYS from 1988 to 1998
So I still have lots of sets and venn diagrams questions from Cambridge to train my students last year when sets and venn diagram reappear after many years.
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still got old ten years series ma....
can go around borrow.
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Hi,
Students may find some H2 mathematics questions for practice on my website:
http://www.freewebs.com/weews/practicecorner.htm
Another site with loads of practice worksheets include:
http://staff.tpjcian.net/tay_boey_yiong/Maths/Mathematics%20h2.htm
Thanks!
Cheers,
Wen Shih -
sometimes i wondering, wanbao love to find news on other forums and bo liao stuff, why not promote homework forum and hardwork of my fellow moderators instead to reach out to those who need help or those who want to help???
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haha my tys goes to the 80s one.. =x
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Too many students score As by doing TYS and spotting questions and topics using the TYS lor.
So, by doing away with TYS, will fewer students get As ?
But by doing way with TYS, past year examination questions will still exist !
Teachers will still get the examination papers every year and compile them.
Teachers will give these papers to their students to practise and once the students
get these papers, the illegal printers will get hold of these papers and sold them in
stalls outside supermarkets too.
PS : One resourceful illegal printer has even printed Add Maths Nov 1959 to 1970
questions and solutions, probably for the new topic circle equation was set from
1968 to 1973.
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now got the latest tys on math ma?
went popular see, say they have released yet le
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i have from 1970s hahaa.. got them from my uncle! super tough questions lo.. especially the physics. Really thankful that i took those cambridge papers in 21st century.
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O's TYS oso kanna stucked ?!
my cher say dis yr's TYS out in May... .or is it still stucked?!
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Our education needs complete overhauling.. It is becoming more and more ridiculous and redundant..
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Hi,
My view is that both students and school teachers need to progress beyond drilling and preparation for examinations. It will be most desirable that educators engage their students and in the course of doing so with passion and enthusiasm, help students to develop a keen interest in the subject they are learning. Thanks!
Cheers,
Wen Shih -
Originally posted by wee_ws:
Hi,
My view is that both students and school teachers need to progress beyond drilling and preparation for examinations. It will be most desirable that educators engage their students and in the course of doing so with passion and enthusiasm, help students to develop a keen interest in the subject they are learning. Thanks!
Cheers,
Wen Shihhmm i agree with you.. ppl shd not study for the sake of doing well in exams.. But i afraid this is the trend in singapore
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Originally posted by wee_ws:
Hi,
My view is that both students and school teachers need to progress beyond drilling and preparation for examinations. It will be most desirable that educators engage their students and in the course of doing so with passion and enthusiasm, help students to develop a keen interest in the subject they are learning. Thanks!
Cheers,
Wen Shih
but rite now, we're only studying for exam, and not the other way round, for one simple reason... ... They are rarely applicable in Life.... -
Originally posted by Lee012lee:
Too many students score As by doing TYS and spotting questions and topics using the TYS lor.
So, by doing away with TYS, will fewer students get As ?
But by doing way with TYS, past year examination questions will still exist !
Teachers will still get the examination papers every year and compile them.
Teachers will give these papers to their students to practise and once the students
get these papers, the illegal printers will get hold of these papers and sold them in
stalls outside supermarkets too.
PS : One resourceful illegal printer has even printed Add Maths Nov 1959 to 1970
questions and solutions, probably for the new topic circle equation was set from
1968 to 1973.
I don't think it is students who sold the papers to the printers. Students normally get hard copies of the papers and the illegal printers have soft copies. It is unlikely that the soft copies were converted from hard copies as the process is tedious.
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Soft copies of the illegal printers are likely to be scanned copies saved as pdf files.
Illegal printers are unlikely to re-type the questions and answers into document
files and sell them as soft copies.
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Originally posted by Lee012lee:
Too many students score As by doing TYS and spotting questions and topics using the TYS lor.
So, by doing away with TYS, will fewer students get As ?
But by doing way with TYS, past year examination questions will still exist !
Teachers will still get the examination papers every year and compile them.
Teachers will give these papers to their students to practise and once the students
get these papers, the illegal printers will get hold of these papers and sold them in
stalls outside supermarkets too.
PS : One resourceful illegal printer has even printed Add Maths Nov 1959 to 1970
questions and solutions, probably for the new topic circle equation was set from
1968 to 1973.
One resourceful illegal printer has even printed Add Maths Nov 1959 to 1970
questions and solutions, probably for the new topic circle equation was set from
1968 to 1973.
Wah
where did you see this?
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Originally posted by eagle:
Wah
where did you see this?
Level 3 Knowledge Bookshop at Bras Basah Complex.
The cover page of the package is blue and there are the words " Additional Mathematics 1959 - 1970 Fully worked out solution" on it.
It is mixed in all the stacks of the school and JC prelim exam papers for the various subjects sold by Knowledge Bookshop.