Girl With $76,000 MOE Teaching Bond Debt-Nothing Should Have Been Awarded To Her In The First Place.

I refer to the recent article titled "Father fighting against daughter’s $76,000 bond debt to MOE for failing teaching course." Credits for all 6 'O' Level subjects is plain mediocre, or should I just say it straight: WAY BELOW AVERAGE. Perhaps the Ministry of Education could shed some light on how a person can be accepted as a trainee teacher on the basis of such dismal grades. I don't even want to venture a guess as to why the girl really failed both practicums. Something is terribly wrong with the selection system judging by her case. The Czar (Site Founder) Dated 31 March 2014

Education Alive ad depicting a kid trapped under a truck
By gdy2shoez From "Tuition agency order to stop ‘objectionable ad' ”, 27 March 2014, article by Joy Fang, Today: "The advertising authority ordered a tuition agency to stop placing an advertisement that shows a child trapped under a vehicle, after parents denounced its graphic content. The full-page advertisement by Education Alive to promote a workshop carries a picture of a child crushed under a vehicle beneath the words “Breaking news: Child trapped under 4 tonnes truck!” It also asked “concerned parents” of children taking the GCE O- and A-Level examinations this year what they would do to “save” their child….Its intent was to convey to parents that “their child’s future is a matter of life and death” and that parents “can literally change their child’s destiny if they wanted to”, she (founder Sherina Koh) explained. …Senior marketing executive Samantha Lee, 33, who has two sons aged two and five, said it was “very wrong to use such a picture as part of their marketing campaign”. “What kind of message are they trying to put across? That if I do not attend this workshop, my child will die? It’s insulting to parents,” she said." Photo credit from ‘Faces of Death’ Yes, this ad is definitely objectionable. First of all, it’s 4-TONNE truck, not 4 TONNES truck. Next, it’s ‘imagine if he WERE your child, not WAS’. The hyphen between the ‘MUST ATTEND’ is missing, and I seriously doubt the claim of ‘INSTANTLY’. It’s a child’s brain you’re talking about here, not a stained shirt treated with Dynamo. If I were a parent, I’d be more offended by the grammar and the schizo right and left text alignment than graphic violence, and this would be the last place on earth to send a child for English tuition (though it could also mean a great place for CHINESE tuition). Yes, I would risk my life to pull my baby out from under a truck in an instant, just like I’d rescue anyone else’s kids from the clutches of a company that sounds more like a geomancy consultancy than educators. Sherina Koh explained in a subsequent FB post cum apology that the truck image was inspired by the story of a mother displaying superhuman strength by lifting a car off her trapped child, which suggests that failure to enrol your kid with Education Alive spells eternal doom and you’re a bad parent for neglecting to do so. In any case, lifting a CAR is one thing, 4 TONNES of TRUCK on the other hand, is ridiculous. She also describes a child’s ‘future’ as being ‘a matter of life or death’. Erm, isn’t EVERYONE’S future a matter of life or death? You either live or die tomorrow, or next week. Did she really mean EXAMS instead? That if you fail your O’s/A’s, it’s the end of the world as you know it? Gosh, it must terrible for those school dropouts then, especially those who went on to found multibillion internet start-ups. Their destiny must be total shit if Education Alive is to be taken seriously. These EA folks brand themselves as ‘coaches’ not ‘tutors’. They’re also dream builders and dream ‘livers’. I have my dream liver too; I like it slightly on the raw side in a hearty bowl of peppery pork innards soup. For a bunch of ‘fun-loving’, ‘crazy’ practitioners of this destiny-changing ‘methodology’ who wear clown noses on their website, having a gruesome image in a full page ad seems out of place. But that’s not all. They used to have an ad with the actual words ‘DYING’ in Dracula font, which they pulled out of their FB page when I last accessed it. Maybe they don’t just help kids pass exams, they’re necromancers who resurrect the dead too. With their pixie dust dream magic. And it’s ‘witness how your child COMES alive’. SAVE THE CHILDREN OH GOD! This article was first published over at the blog of gdy2shoez on 27 March 2014. It is reproduced with permission.
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A Primer for Prospective University Applicants: How to Optimize Your Selection of University Courses and Adapt to the Demands of University (Part I)
(This post by Mr Koh Kian Leon first appeared here on Domain of Singapore Tutoring Experts on 28 March 2014. It is the first of two parts.)
By Koh Kian Leon My Background Believe it or not, I was once like you, the eager aspirant who naively believed that the world was my oyster upon graduation from Junior College. I had just collected my GCE “A” Level Results, and had scored straight As for all my subjects (Triple Science, Maths, GP, PW). “This is it,” I thought to myself, “This is where it all begins for me. I’m going to fulfill my parents’ wishes and apply to NUS Medicine, and become a doctor. They’ll be so proud of me!” Fast forward a couple of months, and my dreams were in tatters: I had been rejected by both NUS Medicine and Law. I couldn’t believe it. I was confident that I had performed well for both the interviews and tests. How was it possible that I couldn’t get into either NUS Medicine or Law? The only saving grace I had was an offer from SMU Law, the natural third choice at the time given that NUS Law was the more established and reputable law school in Singapore. Thankfully but unbeknownst to me, I had actually been placed on NUS Law’s reserve list; within a few weeks, I made the best career decision of my life back then: I accepted the offer from NUS Law, and have not looked back since. What I Learnt from My Experiences It is only with the benefit of hindsight and experience that I am now able to surmise the reasons for my rejection. The first is competition. Medicine and Law are renowned locally to be highly competitive courses, which only the country’s brightest talents may stand a chance to enter. Moreover, the lack of an alternative undergraduate medical school in Singapore further restricts the number of vacancies for aspiring doctors. Contrast this with the situation in the UK where there are numerous undergraduate medical schools like Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, UCL, just to name a few. With the introduction of a second law school in Singapore, the level of competition to read Law may then have been somewhat alleviated. I believe that I was rejected on my first attempt not because I wasn’t good enough, but because I had listed Law as my second choice in my application form. Students of similar calibre who had ranked NUS Law as their first choice would therefore stand a better chance than I did. The second reason was my lack of practical work experience in both Medicine and Law. While it may sound incredible to expect an "A" level graduate have great insight into medical or legal practice, the experience a student could glean from an internship in either field is both invaluable and insightful. On a personal level, it enables a student to develop an informed opinion about whether his perception of these disciplines is truly aligned with the reality of professional practice (upon graduation); practically, it imbues students with genuine knowledge of how these professions operate, which they can subsequently showcase at the interview stage to distinguish themselves from the competitive pool of similarly talented students. Optimal Selection of University Courses for You, and You Alone It is impossible to discuss career optimization for the general body of students because every individual has different aspirations and talents. Moreover, some are saddled with unreasonable parental expectations, while others might be concerned with their potential A level grades or finances. At the broadest level, there are generally four principal factors which influence a student’s selection of University courses: (1) personal ambition; (2) parental expectation; (3) academic aptitude; and (4) financial ability. These factors are largely interconnected with one another, which makes it more difficult for a student to develop an optimized career plan without the proper guidance. As a starting platform to help students decide (and at the risk of oversimplification and overgeneralization), I am going to rank what I objectively believe to be the optimal course selection locally for students with good “A” level grades into two columns below, based on their personal interest. This is based on a variety of factors: (1) career prospects; (2) financial rewards; (3) job satisfaction; (4) tuition fees; (5) industry knowledge and (6) personal perspective (I’m from NUS law after all). Please note that this list only explores single degree options and not double degree options. This list is also extremely general in nature and is not to be treated as the “holy grail” for course rankings; there is no one-size-fits-all approach to this. Dentistry or Medicine? There are several reasons why I have ranked Dentistry more highly than Medicine. Firstly, for the average person, Dentistry can often offer greater job satisfaction and work-life balance than Medicine in the short-to-medium term post-graduation. This is because Medicine is intrinsically more demanding and exhausting than perhaps any other discipline in the world today, which increases the probability of premature disillusionment and burnout (even mid-way through the course!). Secondly, Dentistry may allow for young dentists to reap greater financial rewards in the short-to-medium term, especially if they transition into private dental practice after serving their mandatory four-year bond. This would make it more ideal for applicants who wish to build their warchest quickly after graduation. Do not pursue Medicine if the objective of employment is simply to make money; disillusionment and a deep sense of job dissatisfaction is likely to follow. Law, Business or Accountancy? Law is, in my humble opinion, simply one of the most cost-effective courses in Singapore for three reasons. First, the school fees are relatively affordable because there are no lab and clinical tuition fees associated with most science-related courses (including medicine and dentistry). Second, it is a financially rewarding profession. The recent Graduate Employment Survey 2013 published by MOE demonstrates that the median basic monthly income drawn by fresh NUS law graduates is estimated to be S$4,800, which is superior to its business graduates (S$3,050) and accountancy graduates ($2,700). Third, while the study of law is initially daunting, it is nevertheless surmountable; students merely have to ensure that they pass law school (and the subsequent bar exams) in order to be able to practice law in Singapore. Moreover, post-graduation employment is largely guaranteed since the local intake is capped at less than 450 students per year, as reflected in the Survey results (NUS law graduates enjoyed a Full-time Permanent Employment Rate of 98.2%). Deciding between business and accountancy is, on the other hand, a matter of preference. Business students have the option of majoring in finance, which equips them with the fundamentals necessary to work in any finance-related role (e.g., banking, consultancy, trading, valuation, equity research, advisory, risk, corporate finance etc). While a business degree is extremely flexible given its breadth, scope and universal generality, it is also perceived as a riskier career option because it is not strictly a “professional” degree unlike accountancy. Between the two, accountancy (with a view to becoming an auditor) definitely provides for the more stable career option, but this comes at a price: first-year auditors are generally paid less, work long hours, and derive limited job satisfaction because of the mundane nature of “vouching” (a technical term which is the essence of auditing in practice). On the other hand, fresh business graduates (especially those with unsatisfactory grades) may initially struggle to find an ideal job, especially if they had not proactively engaged themselves in multiple internships over the course of their undergraduate studies to enhance their technical knowledge and experience (and hence their attractiveness to employers). That being said, business students with excellent grades and good internship experience will often have a greater variety of career options available to them than their accountancy counterparts. This may even be associated with a higher starting salary and give rise to greater job satisfaction! In the final analysis, I view the study of law as an excellent starting point for personal development because it is both a specialist area (which offers fresh graduates good job security and career prospects) and yet is sufficiently versatile and malleable in nature. This empowers graduates with reasonable post-qualification experience to explore alternative career options outside of legal practice. End of Part 1. For Part 2, visit HERE. About The Author Leon is a NUS law graduate specializing in career planning for prospective university applicants and English/GP tuition for secondary school and JC students, with a focus on the essay writing component and the development of core writing skills. He has had substantial experience of close to three years mentoring students, with all of his students demonstrating dramatic improvements under his proactive tutelage and genuine care. Feel free to visit his personal website over at http://thecareertutor.weebly.com for his background, teaching pedagogy, as well as his tutoring services and rates.
YOU MAY WISH TO READ: To study abroad, or not? Limited job options for pure Chemistry degree holders Is studying engineering that bad?

University Tuition Fees Increase By 300%?
(This post by Mr Leong Sze Hian first appeared on his blog on 21 March 2014. It is reproduced with permission.
I refer to the article “How much more the 2014-15 university intake will pay” (Today, Mar 21). University fees up as much as 7.9%? It states that “(university) Fee increases will range between 2.6 per cent and 7.9 per cent.” Spending per university student? According to the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) Education Digest 2013 – Government recurrent expenditure on education per university student in 2012/2013 was $20,978. According to the Department of Statistics’ (DOS) Singapore 2005 Statistical Highlights – the above was $13,420 in 1985. Spending declined by 7% in the last 27 years? So, it has increased by about 56% or about 1.7% per annum, in the last 27 years or so. However, inflation increased by about 63% from 1985 (CPI 69.3) to 2012 (CPI 113.1). Does this mean that in real terms, it declined by about 7% over the last 27 years or so? Tuition fees increased by 300%? In contrast, I understand that tuition fees have increased by more than 300%, or more than 5% per annum, during the same period. In this connection, GDP growth was about 457% from 1985 ($54.8 billion) to 2012 ($305.2 billion), or about 6.6% per annum. Spending was 464% less than GDP growth? Does this mean that relative to GDP growth, real education spending per university student was about 464% less than GDP growth? In other words, GDP growth was 6.6% per annum and real education spending growth was about minus 0.25%, against tuition fee growth of about 5 plus % per annum. In this connection, I understand that most countries historically, would spend more on education growth, relative to GDP growth. Are there any countries in the world that has such a dismal record of education spending relative to GDP growth? ======================================= ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Leong Sze Hian is the Past President of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, an alumnus of Harvard University, Wharton Fellow, SEACeM Fellow and an author of 4 books. He is frequently quoted in the media. He has also been invited to speak more than 100 times in 25 countries on 5 continents. He has served as Honorary Consul of Jamaica, Chairman of the Institute of Administrative Management, and founding advisor to the Financial Planning Associations of Brunei and Indonesia. He has 3 Masters, 2 Bachelors degrees and 13 professional qualifications. He blogs at www.leongszehian.com

"Physics Third Edition" by Ken Dobson/David Grace/David Lovett and other recommended Physics textbooks
In Popular bookstores you should be able to find this textbook by Publisher Collins Advanced Science called "Physics Third Edition". Authors are Ken Dobson, David Grace and David Lovett. It is suitable for both 'A' Level and IB students. Most of the material covered for the 'A'Level and IB syllabi are the same. There will be a few extra chapters in the book though which cover some of the IB options that are not examined in the 'A' Level syllabus, that said it is still a largely useful guide text for 'A' Level students. You can easily determine which chapters you need to read by comparing with the specific syllabus you are offering. This book is in colour and contains quite a few good examples of how the concepts in physics actually apply to real situations. Another book which is thicker and targeted specifically at the 'A' Levels is that by Publisher Nelson Thornes. It is called " 'A' Level Physics, 4th Edition" ; the author is Roger Muncaster. It doesn't cite too many real world examples/applications, however it contains lots of worked problems. Either one of these books is good. I do recommend to JC students that they read the latter, particularly if you intend to go on to University in any science or engineering field. Many of the University and post-University exams test reading comprehension thoroughly. For example the Medical College Admission Test heavily emphasizes reading of passages and being able to answer questions on them. I wrote the Physics section for the Barron's Guide and it was mostly a reading comprehension test as well as a test of conceptual understanding. If Popular bookstores do not have these books on the shelf, just talk to the staff and they should be able to order them for you. Editor's Note: Savvy online shoppers can also make these purchases through Amazon.com . Simply click on the images of the respective texts provided above.
THANK YOU DR DANIEL MILTON OMAN FOR ALLOWING US TO REPRODUCE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS HERE. The Czar (Site Founder) Dated 26 March 2014

National University of Singapore (NUS), National Institute of Education(NIE), University of Melbourne

BBA, Post graduate diploma (PGDE-Chinese Language), Master of Education (Special Education, Inclusion and Early Intervention)

Ex Mother Tongue HOD (The schools she has taught/teaching at shall not be revealed as per her wishes since she is still in active service at MOE)

School Teacher

Primary Level Chinese Tuition • P5 – P6 All students • P1 – P4 Students with special needs/ Students who fail Chinese Language

83526451 sally_tsc@hotmail.com

I am an ex-Mother Tongue HOD and have more than 13 years of teaching experience (Chinese Language) in Primary School. I have taught students with different abilities and students with special needs (e.g. mild autism, hyperactive, anger management). I have also attended a Level 1 ABA Therapist Training conducted by the Autism Behavioural Intervention Association (ABIA) in Melbourne, Australia.

Psychology Information Portal For Singaporean/Asian Students(SG)
URL: http://sgpsychstuff.blogspot.sg
A website which covers extensively the pursuit of psychology related courses in tertiary institutions.Advice columns, interviews with current practitioners and psychology undergraduates/graduates as well as sharing of schedules of relevant ongoing conferences within the region are amongst the offerings of this information portal.
Note: This has been featured with the personal consent of the site creator, who goes by the online moniker SGPsychStud.

Is studying engineering that bad?
It is no secret students are shunning engineering-related university courses in greater numbers due to the stereotypical perception of unglamorous work, punishing hours and less than satisfactory pay. It therefore does not come as a surprise that an impressionable youngster is observably unsettled by the trend amongst his seniors, which is that many of them refuse to pursue engineering in tertiary institutions. A netizen by the name of Eugene Thong advises him (in an online youth forum) to be level-headed when making a decision:
"Engineering is a very broad field. If you look at poly courses alone, there are various kinds of engineering courses. Engineering could be seen as "bad" as some courses have a fairly high cut-off point. A high cut-off point does give the impression (especially to those who know nothing about cut-off points) that the course is one which can be entered very easily, thus "bad". Engineering is the branch of science and technology with regard to the design, building and use of engines, machines and structures. It's no easy feat to be a master in any field, however, if you compare engineering with certain other courses, such as some business courses or perhaps other branches of science, it may seem that engineering is "easier" and the other courses/branches are "harder". Of course, the difficulty is all relative and no one have the right to judge it. I feel that more people tend to think engineering is "easier". Whether it is or it is not, is not what we are discussing today. Another thing I thought about is the need for engineers. Sure, we do need engineers. However, there is a large supply of engineers available throughout the world. Singapore needs engineers. There are Singaporean engineers. However, don't forget about foreign talents. I'm not trying to spark the debate again, but IF engineering is easy, there can easily be tons and tons of engineers produced by other countries. So, engineering could be seen as "bad" in that it'll be harder for you to find a job in the future. Job, referring to one with fairly decent pay. Of course, anyone can get a job which pays $0 per hour. I still think it's more of the mindset that everyone has. This is what happens when you live in a competitive country like Singapore. Just think about it. People tend to think differently. Lawyer? Doctor? Engineer? Businessman? Scientist? I'm sure there are stereotypes and generalisations popping into your brain. It's not that engineering is "bad", so to speak. People just find it more beneficial (for themselves) to study something else! If you are interested in a specific field of engineering, go for it! Don't avoid engineering just because your seniors didn't choose engineering!"
THANK YOU EUGENE THONG FOR ALLOWING US TO REPRODUCE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE. The Czar (Site Founder) Dated 22 March 2014
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National University of Singapore (NUS), Raffles Junior College (RJC), Raffles Institution (RI)

Bachelor of Laws (Hons)

1) A levels @ RJC (Chemistry -- A, Biology -- A, Economics -- A, Physics -- A, Mathematics -- A, General Paper -- A1, Project Work -- Band 1) 2) O levels @ RI (E Maths -- A1, A Maths -- A1, Physics -- A1, Chemistry -- A1, Biology -- A1, Combined Humanities -- A1, English Literature -- A1, Chinese-- A1, English-- A1, Higher Chinese-- B3)

Part time private tutor

'A' Level General Paper Tuition

200 Upper Thomson Road, #01-08, Singapore 574424

81336433 gpcounsel@gmail.com

At GP counsel, we pride ourselves on delivering a bespoke general paper curriculum which cater to the needs of every individual regardless of ability, within a small class setting, to deliver the best GP results. We strictly believe in keeping our classes to a small and optimal class size of 6-8 students to ensure that every student receives the maximum attention possible. Our open-style learning environment maximizes tutor-tutee interaction and establishes confidence and clarity in writing. About the tutor Kian Leon is an accomplished corporate lawyer who also loves teaching and mentoring young adults. His key strengths lie in his meticulousness, relatability, strong business and organisational acumen, as well as his relentless desire to discover and apply new coaching techniques. He has more than 4 years of tutoring experience under his belt.

• A Primer for Prospective University Applicants: How to Optimize Your Selection of University Courses and Adapt to the Demands of University (Part I) • A Primer for Prospective University Applicants: How to Optimize Your Selection of University Courses and Adapt to the Demands of University (Part II)

Understanding Nullspace better with Tech Director Mr Alan Yong
(This exclusive interview first appeared here on Domain of Singapore Tutoring Experts on 20 March 2014.)
Who says lessons can't be tremendously fun? Who says books and lecture notes are the only means through which knowledge can be effectively acquired? Nullspace, a sincerely made in Singapore brand, has for the past 6 years been working hard at breaking boring traditional stereotypes of academic learning with its wide range of robotics-based training courses for students of all ages. Not only does it strive to imbue within our youngsters various engineering, programming and problem solving skill-sets, it also seeks to nurture intrinsic values of peer cooperation such as sportsmanship and amicable teamwork. Having collaborated extensively with numerous mainstream MOE schools in addition to organizing the IDE Competition Series, Nullspace is certainly a rising star in our local education landscape which is experiencing significant paradigm shifts towards applications-based, creative learning. And we are most honoured to have its Tech Director Mr Alan Yong to join us in a sharing session today. QN: Good day to you Alan, thank you for agreeing to speak with us. How about giving our readers a proper personal introduction about yourself and your team? Who does what exactly? ANS: Hi, I'm Alan Yong, Tech Director of Nullspace. I specialise in exploring new robotics platforms and programming software for robotics competitions, and I oversee the annual Innovation, Design and Engineering (IDE) Competition Series. Soon Keong is our Curriculum Director and he develops training programs for schools. Jack Lee is our HR Director and is in charge of our training contracts with schools and manages our instructors deployment and training. Timothy Teo is our R&D Director and he focuses on electronics and programming courses. Lastly, we have Jasper Loong, our Founder and Managing Director. Special Note: Nullspace comprises 3 separate but related businesses: Nullspace - School robotics training Nullspace Science- Science enrichment, DSA preparatory programs Nullspace Centre for Robotics Learning (C4RL)- Private robotics training centre QN: Under what circumstances was Nullspace initially being conceived? Were beginning intentions on the drawing board different from the eventual path taken? ANS: Nullspace was started in 2008 when Jasper was studying in Nanyang Junior College. Most of us met through national robotics competition events and there was a meeting of minds and sufficient diversification of skill sets that the original founding team came together. We were all from different schools but the common theme is that we started young and each of us were at some point running this business concurrently with our studies. At present, half of our team are en-route to finishing our university. The beginning intention was to start this off as a side project to make some money training schools for robotics competitions. Our clientele increased over the years, and now we have 3 separate businesses and one enrichment centre. QN: Is there any meaningful correlation between the learning of robotics and mainstream academic education? How does attending robotics training courses refine and shape problem solving perspectives? ANS: At present mainstream education is still majorly lagging in terms of technological education. It's true that Singapore schools are one of the best equipped in IT and computer facilities. However that has not translated into mainstream classes for programming, computer aided design, and electronics. However we believe that MOE will be moving towards technology education in the near future. Robotics is a combination of hardware (mechanical design), semi-hardware (electronics) and software (programming). Without going too much into technical details, imagine that we need to create a robot to climb a flight of stairs. This is not an arbitrary problem; the robot stair climbing problem has been tackled by many hobbyists, professionals and universities around the world. We will usually start from the hardware design: How do we get the robot from one step up to the next? How many motors do we need? How much power do we need? What sensors should we use to determine if the robot has reached the top? We will also have to consider the electronics and the software: What type of board and processors should we use? How many input and outputs ports do we need? Is my program robust enough to handle exception events (such as a stair step that is missing)? Doing robotics does not mean that you will become an engineer, but doing robotics means that you ought to be a very good problem solver. In my post titled "3 Reasons Why Children Should Do Robotics" , you will be able to read 2 more reasons beyond training problem solving skill sets. QN:Was funding ever a problem? After all, setting up a robotics training facility like C4RL demands considerable capital outlay yes? ANS: Yes the outlay is high in terms of rental. But having a training centre enables us to smooth our business cycle more effectively because schools do not have trainings during school holidays and examination periods, while private robotics enrichment classes picks up strongly during school holidays. QN: Perhaps you would like to provide us with the main highlights of your most popular courses? Reasons as to why they are so widely received? ANS:We have our in house LEGO Robotics Certificate Programme which consists of 6 levels. LEGO is a popular educational toy, and LEGO has done a great job in transforming that into an educational tool. The attractive part about this programme is that it is instantly appealing with kids (and adults) and reduces the barrier to learning from the outset. Kids can also learn simple programming concepts through the LEGO software (or languages like C or Python for advanced classes). There is a growing pool of educated parents who recognise the benefit of such programmes, and robotics is on its way to becoming an established enrichment class of its own, alongside piano, ballet, and abacus/mental arithmetic. QN: A large proportion of students are still rather fixated on scoring good grades, something which is pretty much a consequence of traditional rote learning and somewhat encouraged by their parents who are quite possibly products of the old education order. Because good grades do eventually allow one to study at better universities, and snag better-paying jobs. There are therefore opinions going around that the situation is further exacerbated by many attending private tuition which do nothing more than provide targeted drill and memorize strategies. As they say: swallowing without chewing. Your take on this? ANS: I personally feel very strongly against the tuition industry, or more specifically against how our education landscape has gone overboard in letting grades be the deciding factor in school admissions. Increasingly many top schools in Singapore are adopting the Integrated Programme, where students undergo a 6 years curriculum and by pass the O Levels entirely, to allow for more flexible and dynamic learning. It is a good initiative, but the unintended side effect is that the academic pressure to perform well has now shifted to primary school. It has become the case that PSLE is possibly the single greatest examination that a Singaporean student has to face, at a tender age of 12. If you do well, you are set for the next 6 years, and statistically speaking, a good chance to enter into a top university programme locally or overseas. If you do not do well, the next 6 years will be tough catch up. This is the reason why GEP preparatory programmes costs so much money, and parents are willing to pay for it. So now kids in Primary 3 have to face the pressure of getting into the GEP programme, in order to do well for PSLE, in order to get into get into a good secondary school, JC and university. At Nullspace Science, we offer a new programme "CATALYST". Part of our goal is to help students get admitted to the school of their choice through the Direct School Admission Secondary (DSA-Sec) exercise. Students in this program will be personally mentored by our instructors to develop science projects of their choice, and to learn skills such as programming, 3D printing, and mechanical design. CATALYST sessions are a mixture of small group consultation, project fabrication, and idea presentations. Students will get to build their own personal portfolio website to showcase their projects. We cannot go against the flow of the education tide, but we hope to direct it to something more enriching for the next generation. QN: Looking to the future, what's up on the cards for Nullspace? Any grand plans for global domination? ANS:We can't provide too much details on our business strategy looking ahead, but we will be working with larger organisations to bring robotics to adults. One special project which I'm working on currently is a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) assignment to benefit children in need, sometime around the second half of 2014. It's been lovely conversing with you; may I take this opportunity to wish you every success in the future projects you undertake at Nullspace, and that you continue to champion the cause of education enrichment for a long, long time to come. Remember, Singapore needs you. ;)

Tutors who teach using assessment books aren't less capable
(This article by Mr Aaron Ng first appeared here on Domain of Singapore Tutoring Experts on 19 March 2014.)
There are parents who do not have a favourable view of private tutors who use off-the-shelf assessment books, thinking that such tutors are not as capable as those who come up with their own materials and worksheets. Such a view is unjustified for making the implicit assumption that assessment books are inferior compared to the materials tutors develop on their own. The quality of assessment books and so-called in-house worksheets are correlated with the quality of those who produce them. A less than competent assessment book writer will produce a similarly inferior product as a less than competent tutor. Off-the-shelf assessment books and self-developed worksheets both perform the same function; they are tools which tutors use to improve a student's academic weakness. The bottom line is that the tools should work as intended, and any tool that works as intended and performs the tasks required of it is a good tool. Besides, there is no necessity to reinvent the wheel. Given the plethora of available assessment books, it is a waste of time for tutors to develop their own worksheets when there are quality assessment books out there. Students benefit more if their tutors spend their time thinking about how to better explain mistakes or difficult questions instead of coming up with worksheets that can be easily found on the market. The so-called self-developed or in-house worksheets may also not be as original as they are made out to be. Given that the syllabi for all subjects are fixed by MOE, the range of questions and learning materials can only be as wide as the respective syllabus dictates, so it is not likely that any tutor or centre is in possession of some radically different learning materials. To focus on learning materials is to bark up the wrong tree. What is more important is whether the tutor is able to adjust his or her teaching style to match the student's learning style. A bad workman always blames his tools, but a good workman can make the best out of any usable tool. Parents should focus on the teaching skills of a tutor rather than the materials the tutor uses. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About The Author Aaron Ng is a private tutor who teaches at the primary, secondary and junior college levels. He also teaches undergraduates as a part-time lecturer with the Department of Communications and New Media in NUS, having left the department as a full-time teaching staff in 2012 to focus on private tutoring due to increased demand from parents. Aaron specialises in English writing and communication, and has about a decade of tutoring and lecturing experience. He has also won several teaching awards during his full-time teaching stint in NUS. Aaron holds a M.A. degree and B.Soc.Sci (Hons) degree from NUS. He won the NTUC Income Prize for being the top student in his major during his undergraduate study. Prior to NUS, Aaron graduated from Hwa Chong Junior College and The Chinese High School, now collectively known as Hwa Chong Institution.

Don't want to study in SIM, must I retake my 'A' Levels?

This query comes from a student: So I received my A levels results last week, and I did quite badly. Had CCD/B for H2 chem, maths and physics and H1 history. I don't really want to consider SIM, and the courses I hope to enter for at NUS or NTU (life sciences) probably won't even give my grades a second glance. I have a decent but not outstanding CCA record. Does this mean I have to retake my A levels? I am currently serving NS, and I don't know if I really have the time and resources to restudy everything in the near future, much less scoring better grades. I also heard private candidates should attempt the A levels only with proper guidance, in other words, he should have tuition. What would you advise? I am really at a loss. 16 March Sunday is my 19th birthday, and I am really in no mood to celebrate it. Life sucks. Sorry for ranting here. :( The Response: Hi, It sounds like you already have a clearly defined goal in mind (life sciences course in a local uni), even though things didn’t turn out so well this time for the 'A' Levels. I personally think that that is a great start. If getting into a life sciences course is your dream, then I would strongly encourage you to pursue it by retaking the 'A' Levels next year. Don’t just “settle” for SIM and possibly end up with regrets later. I had a friend who flunked his 'A' Levels twice and didn’t give up; now he’s in NUS business and he’s more driven than ever. I’m not saying that going for SIM is necessarily a bad decision of course; you just have to make sure that it’s where you actually want to go, instead of just settling for it. Start by taking out and organizing your notes and tutorials; come up with a solid study plan and you should definitely see an improvement for your math and sciences over time. It definitely wouldn’t hurt if you looked for tuition if you have the resources; being in NS means your weekdays are pretty much burnt (unless you are in a stay-out vocation), so a tutor can offer that acceleration in learning which you might need. I hope this helps. All the best and hope you’ll make a decision only after careful consideration about your dreams and desires. I’m sure you’ll succeed if you truly find your direction in life and work hard towards it. Eric Chng (Senior Councilor: May 2013 - December 2020) Answered On 11 March 2014

Concerns About Listing Criteria And Displaying List of Permanently Excluded Tutors

An applicant who made a submission to list with us felt unsettled by the manner in which our tutors were chosen, which led her to inform us about her opinions (her identity has been kept anonymous to protect her privacy): "Hi, I explored your site in greater detail yesterday after submitting my application as per your invitation and realised that, going by the stringent criteria you have set for the subject experts to be listed in your site, my qualifications (as you would see in my A level and University Certificates; I have included my transcripts as well) seem to fall short of the bar set. May I know how you came across my profile to extend the invite to me? I do not really concur with all the criteria/components you set in being a expert tutor, though i must admit it is a good move into regulating the tutoring industry in Singapore.Anyway since I have submitted the application, I guess this is a form of 'appraisal' for my work as well. I have also benefited much from the resources you have shared on your site. So thank you, and the other subject experts for being generous with their resources which will push me to the next level should I not be listed." The Initial Response: "Hi, "Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. We are never a passive organization simply sitting around twiddling our thumbs whilst waiting for applicants to come forward; we dispatch representatives to actively seek out potential candidates who have advertised their services through various newspapers and online platforms, as such this is very likely how we came to know about you. Somehow I feel your disagreement lies largely with our mandatory requirement of a good personal academic track record as far as the applicant is concerned, however we do not feel such demands are all that unreasonable. Excellent grades alone do not definitely a good tutor maketh, but poor grades definitely a mediocre tutor maketh. A person who cannot even get his own house in proper order (grades-wise) is in no position to instruct others. Besides, imagine if a student suddenly learns that his tutor was previously a straight Cs graduate from a third tier junior college, do you really think a lump will not form in his throat? Do you really think he will not contemplate hiring a replacement? In addition, if you will allow me to quote something I wrote a long while ago: "We will not accept any Tom, Dick, Harry, Mary or Jane just because you are a university undergrad who graduated from RI or HCI with straight As. Read: Green and inexperienced. While personal academic achievements are important, they do not form the entire core of our consideration process. Unless you have something to show for in your tutoring record for which sets you apart from the rest, you belong to the thousands of ordinary chaps who pop up all over the island year after year trying to earn some pocket money through teaching. You should just go register with a tuition agency." When I first created Domain of Singapore Tutoring Experts nearly two years ago, I am unafraid to admit I faced a significant backlash from the public. Alone all by myself back then, if I may add. Many felt this was an elitist farce staged by an insolent stuck-up. As time passes and I worked hard to shape my vision of things, a greater number came to appreciate and support what this tutoring portal truly stood for. We are not a mere collection of pretty faces on display; we are serious workhorses dedicated to the consistent delivering of quality offerings within the education industry to the masses, confused or discerning regardless. Our editors have begun processing your application to list within Domain of Singapore Tutoring Experts, should a positive outcome arise eventually, rest assured it will be communicated to you. In any case, we wish you all the best in your tutoring endeavors. :) " Her Follow-Up E-Mail: "Hi, "Thank you for your detailed reply in addressing my concerns raised. I have had visited the profiles of some of the subject experts on your list and did note a couple were not from your aforementioned list of top JCs and had made it to the list based on their other outstanding merits. So I do acknowledge that your team does not just judge based on a stellar academic record throughout but also on the individual's contributions to the tutoring industry. I do agree to a large extent the academic record is an important and not entirely unreasonable criteria. Having come from a secondary school with a good track record, I also had the chance to compare some of the offerings my school equipped me with to some of my primary friends who went to neighborhood, or more lacklustre secondary schools. Also, from my personal experience, mentioning the names of any of my alma maters does command a certain level of trust and increase of confidence from the parents/students. So yes, in answer to your questions, I have experienced the benefits of having graduated from some of the best schools. Of course, that is also where the real work begins, to be able to carry out my work in accordance to my track record. And again from personal experience, putting aside this track record, what boils down at the end of the day, besides possessing the skills to help the child, is still the dedication to my work and communication with the parents. My main concern actually lies with the list you have chosen to put up ie the List of Permanent Tutor Exclusions. Although I understood that the intention of having such a list is aligned with your vision in sieving out the best, I felt that the call to attention to the names listed (whether or not they are just individuals in it for the money or tuition centres reputable or otherwise) may in some way, or another, have certain adverse influence. Although I have not come across your site until I received your invite, I do note that your team has also built a rather large following in the number of visitors to your site. And with all good intentions in mind, I did wonder if having such a list may affect the select few who do have the heart and soul in teaching, but their inexperience or lack of other qualifications otherwise, makes them fall short of the list. After all, as you did also mention in your site, "However strict our selection/filtering process be (which include conducting interviews for certain potential listings), things can still fall through the cracks", there is a possibility that the scenario of a tutor-student misfit may occur even in the case of a listed expert tutor. I have also read forum feedback of parents who have signed up for the class of a "Super Tutor" as reported by Straits Times only to find that the tutor was not what the report had painted him/her to be. Hence on the flip side of the coin, would not having an exclusion list be drawing undesirable and unnecessary attention to the tutors who were unable to make it to the list by your stipulated criteria, but may not possess any less the passion to teach. Now, I am not speaking for all of the tutors you have chosen to place on that list, but the possible dedicated and potential few. Yes, your team has emphasized that this list does not equate to a black list, but the calling of attention to such a list, I would like to ask, the rationale and necessity of it. I am also unafraid to admit that this also arises from my own personal concern as well, especially when I realized my academic record has definitely fallen short of the stipulated criteria, and my contributions to the tutoring industry are not as extensive as your list of experts. I make no excuse for my lacks, but I do hope to receive your reply with regards to having a list in place calling to attention to tutors your team has permanently excluded, which I feel with your site's growing influence, may in turn, turn off the potential and dedicated tutors having no less the amount of commitment to be put in. After all, I'm sure that's what we are hoping and looking towards, a pool of qualified AND dedicated tutors in our education industry. To note, I am in no way, against your vision. After all, as I have mentioned, I feel this is a good move into tutor regulation in Singapore, which is a necessary move given its growth. Some have mentioned the necessity of such a move, but it takes more than a few brave souls to be able to take steps in this direction, so your efforts as a team are to be applauded. I will still continue to follow your site closely regardless of the result of my application." Our Response To This: "Hi, "The exclusion list has been instituted on orders of the management, as such I am not in a position to share with you the set of reasons behind such an action. That said, I believe at the very least it will give a clear indication (to the public) of the tutors whom we endorse, and those whom we don't. While heart and soul are qualities strongly valued, they unfortunately cannot take the place of actual ability. Wishing you a good week ahead :)" The Czar (Site Founder) Dated 17 March 2014 Special Note: This tutor's application to list with us has been rejected.