Saturday, August 22, 2015

Open Comment on Education

Open Comment ♥ Education 教育

TOC 21 Apr 2017: MOE to merge schools due to fall in live births
Right, Teacher:Student ratio should be a top priority for MOE. In fact, next year is the best timing for MOE to start and move towards this correct path (with declining population as government claims).
Otherwise, we will have to watch out how the freed spaces would be utilized eventually (real motive behind the educational mergers/ closures).

Mr Brown 15 Aug 2016: The Best is Yet to Be: Our very first Olympic Gold from Joseph Isaac Schooling!
Schooling represented Singapore (this time) to get his personal achievement of Olympic Gold with both support from his parents (all time).
Consider that he only gets a single medal, the US training/ sponsorship to Schooling are actually well planned/ executed. Wish him the very best in future.

Redbean 26 Apr 2016: Train, train, train ... what, what, what?
Unless for the purpose of on-the-job training, SkillsFuture credit is only economically good for left-pocket to right-pocket promotion.
Do NOT anyhow use up the small token SkillsFuture credit for whatever trivial course (for fun n leisure) under the sun.
For self-starter, explore the internet (or even youtube) to get updated with interesting stuff and download free mobile apps to learn language (or just past-time).
For self-learner, SkillsFuture credit is actually better consumed as mobile wallet (for extra paid language features)/ book allowance (if eligible) for re-playing/ re-reading/ re-learning.
For real train problem, mot/ lta have (1) business problems identified, (2) extremely big sensors data, (3) big time to crunch big data, (4) business/ customer/ data (/whatever) analytics to the rescue, (5) blah blah blah ...

Redbean 3 Mar 2016: Benjamin Lim’s case – Thou shalt not give false witness
Student has to be taught and learnt to be careful from young. Unprofessional people tend to be exceptionally harsh to particular type of pupil (such as student/cca leader) till forgetting their own image. Their over-reactions actually show bad behaviour to many and send wrong signal to the young mind.

Redbean 5 Feb 2016: Benjamin Lim - A boy died, a father’s cry
Redbean 3 Feb 2016: Benjamin Lim - A life gone through apathy and bo chap
Singapore wrongful and painful journey for parents, student, school, police ... Sadly the young boy was not prepared to face multiple blows. Sadly the school admin failed to get the rightful consent from his parents to leave the school. Sadly the police did not let the boy attended his school lessons for the day. Sadly the parents were not inform first-hand of the school-and-police investigation.

TOC 1 Feb 2016: What MSM reported wrongly about case involving the death of 14-year-old student
For important matter related to a student, the school must inform the parents first-hand to reach a common understanding, so as to avoid a harsh judgement on the youth. Rightfully, the school admin will call the parent with the school office phone, before a student is allowed to leave school premise during school hour. The one-sided sudden and short notice was regrettable, as the disrupted cohort camp could actually served as a good opportunity to observe the student's behaviour.

Amos Yee 23 Aug 2015: THE LEE KUAN YEW DOLLAR BILL DILEMMA
The younger generation might have lose faith on the leaders based on what they read on the internet (especially the bad past). With a young heart, it is surprising that you can begrudge such (perceived or real) high hatred, till tipping-point grievances (after your ordeal).
For my expectations, there must be standards and quality to meet for any (whether free or willingly-paid) national event (especially no glaring mistake). The lengthy excuses from you reflect a lot of your type of standards, open-minded and quality attitude towards your undertakings.
A gentle note – Amos be nimble, Amos be quick, Amos jump over The ‘hatred’ stick.

TOC 7 Nov 2014: An “appalling” year for Minister Tan Chuan-Jin
Separately (not about money/ charity), just a week ago (31-Oct 2014), I had to call npp (from home) regarding a case of emperor with no cloth/ shoe running on the road.
At the beginning, there were none-of-business passer-by and stop-and-wait private-car, with only one good enough woman shouting and chasing after the helpless soul.

Catherine Lim 20 Aug 2013: A Reading Event: The Teacher
Despite the real-life serials she had written for her (grammatical-wrong) compositions, she was left on her own by the beloved teacher – indeed the education/ school failed her!
During my Sec 4 School Exam, I got ONE RED F9 for my English paper (and FOUR GREEN A1s for other subjects), so I was kicked out/ not eligible for the first 3-month JC study.
Lucky for me, my good English-speaking classmate gave me a last-minute crash course on composition writing, and I finally scored C6 for my English paper during my GCE O Level.
As the saying goes, “A friend in need is a friend indeed!” The moral of the story – the real education/ school is more than just an academic teaching relationship/ environment!

WSJ 6 Aug 2013: Bald Solidarity Proves Hair-Raising to Singapore School
SpotlightOnSingapore 6 Aug 2013: St Margaret Secondary School Principal: covering her ass over punishment of bald students?
With current constraint on school rules and regulations, it will be more appropriate/ innovative/ cooler for the girls to support children with cancer in other ways, such as start blogging the meaningful event for Hair for Hope and appeal for donation to cancer patient on the post.
The girls need to keep their earlier promises on wearing wig as a compromise from the school. With their passion for charity, the girls will not be deprived of meaningful act during their life time, and will never be too late to do many noble works during their youth and when they grow older.
The lifting of constraint (compromised twice) is not the end, but the start of more charity involvement (over real promise) for the girls.
The real winning for all to see/ follow would be the girls’ continual commitment/ heart to cancer patient/ event in the long run.

Diary of a Singapore Cabby 3 Jun 2013: Road Rage – Why I didn’t report it.
The problem is that even if you have genuine video footage of the road rage/ offence, the relevant authority (LTA/ police/ ...) may still be reluctant to act base on the evidence alone when there is no serious mishap (with common people left unprotected).
For my school punching incident, the discipline master most likely had been make use by the prefect (by adding salt/ vinegar), so did the abusive punishment in public area and in front of many students (probably seen by some teachers as well).

Diary of a Singapore Cabby 27 May 2013: God And City Harvest Church
I had read Bible Knowledge (during secondary school)/ Buddhist Teaching (through free publication) from religious leader on miracle/ good deed, but still like more on Philosophy Study (through self-reading) from great thinker towards best practice/ way of life.
Just few days ago, an elderly man met me (twice on same day) at HDB void deck and told me he believed in many religions. He first shook hand with me, but kept talking in the negative sense. I reminded him frankly that it would not be good for him, especially when mentioning of God.

Diary of a Singapore Cabby 21 May 2013: Road Rage – Why I didn’t report it.
When I was in primary school, I was once punched in the stomach by the discipline master (guess something to do with a complaint from a prefect) while the classes were dismissed from school hall and walking to the classrooms.
My family did not take up the issue further (many many years ago), but I can still remember the ugly hand/ face. After some time, the discipline master (or maybe look-alike) strangely appeared in tv as a billiard player?
I survived the big blow (at least mentally), but not sure related to my slightly out-of-shape lower rib cage.
If you need, go for a medical checkup at polyclinic first (before go to police station)?

Philolitics 15 May 2013: Shane Todd Case: Singapore’s State Media’s Reports & Response
This post is much better than earlier few. Today Singa is taking a long break, and I just got threatened (by keeping left) by a young fellow (normally will give way to old man/ pregnant woman) who insisted that he had the right of way keeping on his right of the walk path. He even tried to scare me of pushing him (actually the other way round) that there were CCTVs outside the building. I invited him to go inside the building together, but he just walked off instead.

Philolitics 22 Apr 2013: Work Until You Drop Dead? I’d Rather Commit Suicide!
What is your passion now (and then)? In life, we need to shoulder some obligations, but bear with fewer liabilities if we can.
Put CPF aside, the government/ bank will worry most if nobody worries/ owes them money, as people will have too much free time doing nothing every day.
Blogging is tough, so do take a rest if you need. Your priority is still to further your study, and think for your future/ family.
Put your IT knowledge to good use, but careful with too much of Philosophy thinking (especially for young mind).
Think of double degree (maybe IT plus ??) since you are still very young (if you can afford or part-time).

Philolitics 22 Apr 2013: Singapore’s “Allowance” For Interns – Fit For a Slave
More than just being open-minded in thinking, but also try to keep quality attitude in your future undertakings. After my commercial experience on prepaid card industry, I had also worked on stuff related to card printing industry and smart card industry (to name a few).
The real challenges are when there are difficult tasks (sometimes even the gurus think is impossible) assigned to you. There are many ways to accomplish a difficult task, but only 1-2 correct ways to implement the task neatly (through repeated trial/ hard work) with zero or least problem in future.

Philolitics 17 Apr 2013: Singapore’s “Allowance” For Interns – Fit For a Slave
Think of the bigger picture that the company is not just providing opportunity/ number to fill up academic intern. The company needs to provide guidance/ facilities/ resources/ hardware/ software/ ... to accommodate the intern.
If you are lucky enough during internship, you will have the opportunity to undertake something really marketable (such as industry project in prepaid card during my time). The commercial experience gain by academic intern will be long-term and rewarding (not short-term and monetary) for your future.

Philolitics 28 Mar 2013: Singaporeans: Book-Smart, Street-”Stupid”
For any learning process/ work, there will be a mix of boring and fun parts in it. Take mind-twisting logic, you will still need a ready-pool of known facts as the base for you to start your analysis. Even for well thought-out case, the story to success will never be a simple and straight-forward fairy tale.
In our society, tuition classes are the likes of those book-smart to attain top position/ grades in their academic study (for better career in future? in general, do not forget poly will have less pay to degree …).
However, selected enrichment courses are the makings of those street-ready to pick up knowledge/ skills for their lifelong benefit (for developing interest/ potential ... and self-reliant to survive in future).

Lucky Tan 30 Nov 2012: Video : Don’t leave me, Sunshine
In my opinion, the video has mixed/ blurred up between enrichment courses and tuition classes. The video has also exaggerated by lumping all the good/ bad things together.
The sensible things for parents to do are to let the child go for selected enrichment courses (if affordable, and not many at a time) to pick up basic knowledge/ skills, and to further develop in the areas where the child shows interest/ potential.
Many not-so-rich children cannot afford to keep up with our current elitism education system (unless real changes in future?), and these parents should be pleased that their children can learn/ grow up meaningfully, even if in not-so-good neighbourhood school.
Do not waste too much money on unnecessary commercialized tuition classes, as the child does not need A* in all school subjects to survive in the outside world.

Mr Brown 3 Sep 2012: Animals in the news today
Few years back, PCF walls were painted with many not-so-cute animals, that made people conveniently called animals’ school. Good luck to quality search.

Today 7 Sep 2011: Choosing English was key to S’pore’s survival: Lee Kuan Yew
With focus on international market, it is wiser and crucial to treat English as main language as well as Mother Tongue language as secondary language.

TR 5 Mar 2010: 星政策纵容岛学生华文差
对于掌握第二语文,学生的学习态度一般显得马虎,因此母语的成功更取决于教师的积极鼓励和认真教导。
其他科目如数学和科学也是通过英语教课,加上华族家长和学生们普遍通用英语交谈,导至年轻一代较少机会接触到华文。
随着国家迈向国际市场发展,若不适当的降低母语水准将是弊多于利。从长远的角度,只要肯努力,注重双语教育才是明智之举

TR 14 Jan 2010: English-iliterate foreigners flock to free CC language classes sponsored by Singapore taxpayers
With PA members everywhere (in Singapore), PA can actually activate big pool of highly educated, volunteer members to do really free language classes to those willing to learn English.
Then PA members can proudly do big service to community (and PAP) for once, and show everyone that they really care for social integration for both newcomers and locals.

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