OFS Article

Overseas Family School going online, changing school lines Halfway through the academic year, Overseas Family School, one of the largest MYP schools which have been in Singapore has been making plans to changing its face to face curriculum online curriculum. Overseas Family School plans this, intending to become the first IB world school to have its entire curriculum online.

On January 5 2014 at evening, the staff of the Overseas Family School along with the parents of students has had a large meeting in the Overseas Family School auditorium regarding whether they should deliver its entire curriculum online. With this in mind, many teachers were shocked about such an idea being brought to Overseas family School after more than 20 years of face to face classroom teaching.

A number of parents have been informed that their children are no longer having classes in the Overseas Family School building, instead thought by going through online classes at home. “I am a bit concerned about the way my students will perceive the information I hand to them” says maths teacher Roland Jonns, a high school maths teacher who has been used to face to face teaching with his students for more than 5 years. The owners Overseas Family School has decided to plan this curriculum change after a large number of students decided to join Overseas Family School.

Overseas Family School has maintained a trustworthy image for 20 years, but this image has been changing with a sudden curriculum change. “Over 7 years of investments on O.F.S classroom teaching for my child`s education followed by a sudden change for an online curriculum has me wondering if I can trust this new curriculum” says Barbara Johansome, a local mother used to her sons face to face education. “The idea of an online curriculum seems to have become an excuse for teachers and students alike to waste their lives on the screens” says Henry Wenden a P.E teacher who has no experience with online curriculum.

“The fact the schools is planning this might just mean the teachers aren`t bothered to spend time to help students” says Isabel Landon a student who has recently had trouble with her academics with the sudden change in mind.

Despite the complaints, the school hops the change in the curriculum can be an effective way for students to have classes in times when it is effective for them.