Form 6 - Start In September?

I have heard this rumour which mentions that form 6 will begin in September. I do not buy it.

There are reasons I don't buy it, and so I'll list it here. But bear in mind I do not represent the Ministry of Education and therefore what I said could be wrong and Form 6 might actually start in September - although I highly doubt it will.

Why Form 6 wouldn't start on September:

1) Semester-based system simply means the one and a half year system will be split into three semesters: June-Nov, Jan-May, June-Nov. There's no way they will push the date later and follow the university way. They'll most probably follow A-Level system more than university. If it's beginning in September, then tell me, how long will the Form 6 duration be? When does it end? If I begin Form 6 in 2012, will I finish it in March 2014, or the Ministry of Education shortens the duration by 3 months?

2) Teachers who teach Form 6 need to teach other forms, there's no way the authority in question will let them laze around for 9 months and then begin teaching form 6 students in September. This is simply preposterous.

3) If the system is similar to university and students who have to attend classes in December, then who's going to run the school in school holidays? How many teachers would have no holidays for the entire year since, as I mentioned above, they have to teach other forms as well?

4) I have found no relevant articles or announcement pertaining to "Form 6 commences in September". A simple Google could rebut this rumour relatively easily.

5) There'll be no other forms of students in schools December, but yet form 6 students have to attend classes. If so, would co-curricular activities be permitted to be carried out, since camping and the like would severely interrupt their learning sessions?

6) I highly doubt canteen operators would favour this, and I doubt they'll operate in school holidays since they'll be only a few form 6 students in school. So, form 6 students would have to starve?

7) What do the Ministry of Education and the relevant authority expect students to do in the 9 months after SPM?

8) This rumour has been circulating for a while since a few years ago, but is recently brought back due to the announcement of implementation of new system.



For the 8 main reasons I have stated above, I highly doubt Form 6 will begin in September.