S’pore embassy in Washington seeking US clarification on Harvard’s visa ban (7 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – Singapore’s embassy in Washington has been seeking clarification from the US State Department and Department of Homeland Security on President Donald Trump’s directive prohibiting foreigners from entering the country to study at Harvard University.

The embassy is hoping for clarity from the US authorities in the next few days, including on whether there will be any delay in the processing of visas for Singaporeans hoping to study in the US, Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on June 7."

Helping dads be nurturers, not punishers: How Centre for Fathering beat odds to celebrate 25 years (7 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – Growing up, Mr Edwin Choy never felt safe when his father was at home, fearful that he would be drunk and become violent.

“I was determined to be a good father,” says Mr Choy, who was 26 and working as a pastor when his first child was born."

‘Can you say that in English?’ Why a common tongue matters (7 June 2025)

"In May, I walked into my daughter’s recent Parents’ Day celebration in her pre-school with one worry on my mind – that I would be the oldest parent there among those in their 20s and 30s.

However, during the course of the event, something else made me even more uncomfortable. One of the teachers kept switching between Mandarin and English when conducting an activity and interacting with parents."

Hear Me Out: Has the swing against elitism gone too far? (7 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – At a time when most people understand that the personal is political, individual views have become a battleground of virtue – equality, good; hierarchy, bad. Elitism? The worst possible kind of social evil.

Yet, take a step back from this instinctive repulsion and there might be benefits to muddying the waters. Elitism, the belief that an elite group, however defined, should be entitled to the reins of power has been the norm throughout much of history."

Why shielding children from death does more harm than good (8 June 2025)

"In my work supporting grieving families, I have often seen parents wrestle with the delicate task of explaining to a child that a loved one has died.

Take the case of a three-year-old boy I worked with, whom we’ll call A. His father had died on the operating table during the removal of a brain tumour."

Mum of six who juggles three jobs starts free breakfast club for children in Ang Mo Kio (8 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – With six children and three part-time jobs to juggle, Ms Lydia Susiyanti Sukarbi, the 36-year-old sole breadwinner of her household, may not have much.

But what she has – compassion, generosity and grit – she gives freely.

Three times a week before the crack of dawn, she dishes out free breakfast to underprivileged children who live in her Ang Mo Kio neighbourhood."

First batch of polytechnic EAE students graduated five years ago. Where are they now? (8 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – The polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) scheme that started in 2017 has provided an alternative admission pathway for students with strong aptitude and interest in an area.

Around 14,500 students from secondary schools and ITE applied for early admission in academic year 2025, and around 6,000 applicants received an offer, an increase from 5,500 the year before."

June school holidays 2025: Learn to be a scam sniffer (8 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – In the past, people encountered scams through fake letters, phone calls or too-good-to-be-true deals from strangers.

But in today’s digital world, where everything from banking to leisure happens online, scammers are trying more ways to reach people, including children like yourselves."

S’pore actress Pan Lingling’s son graduates with first-class honours (8 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – Mediacorp actress Pan Lingling is a proud mum.

In her Instagram post on June 3, the 54-year-old wrote: “The proudest moment in my life. To my firstborn, we see your effort. We know your hard work. We feel your dedication.”

The sequence of photos showed Pan’s son, Beckham Wee, clad in his graduation gown. The 25-year-old, who had just graduated from Singapore University of Technology and Design, was seen giving his mother a peck on the cheek."

No small feat: 18 graduate from first cohort of 42 Singapore, SUTD’s tuition-free coding school (9 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE - Completing coding school at 42 Singapore (42 SG) is proving to be a serious challenge.

Out of the 190 students in the first cohort who joined the tuition-free programme at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), 18 have graduated and 100 have quit."

Singapore teens are creating their own study culture – one Telegram channel at a time (9 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – Students here are building a parallel study culture of their own, through Telegram channels and other online spaces.

There now exists a new subculture of student-owned Telegram broadcast channels, where students share study tips and notes, with some also documenting aspects of their school life.

Over 20 of such channels have sprouted in the last two years and have become the go-to space for many looking for peer-driven support outside the classroom, apart from official resources like the Singapore Student Learning Space where teachers upload study materials for students."

Coding, KinderFit, musical play: How preschool’s diverse curriculum is nurturing confident, creative children (9 June 2025)

"Whenever Mr Eldric Chew sends his two sons to preschool, it is like a trip down memory lane. The 37-year-old also attended Kinderland at Marine Parade when he was a child, and still remembers the building, where his brother, cousin and himself, learnt and played together.

In fact, when he enrolled his older son, Enzo, now 6, back in 2020 in infant care, he recognised a teacher who had been with Kinderland since he was a preschooler there.

He recalls the preschool’s strong music focus and bilingual approach – a constant for the 47-year preschool, even as the curriculum evolves with the times."

New NIE study to examine well-being and behaviour of girls in top secondary schools (9 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE - Researchers will be studying how life in top Singapore schools affects the well-being of girls, who have been found to be at greater risk of stress and problematic behaviours.

The study by the National Institute of Education (NIE) aims to recruit 4,200 secondary school students from three girls’ schools and one co-ed school in Singapore."

College grads are lab rats in the Great AI Experiment (9 June 2025)

"Companies are eliminating the grunt work that used to train young professionals – and they do not seem to have a clear plan for what comes next.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is analysing documents, writing briefing notes, creating PowerPoint presentations or handling customer service queries, and – surprise! – now the younger humans who normally do that sort of work are struggling to find jobs."

Measles immunity required for maids working in households with young kids not fully vaccinated (10 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE - From September, employers of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) must ensure that their helper is immune to measles if their household has a child under the age of seven who is not fully vaccinated against the disease.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in a release on June 10 that this measure will enhance public health resilience and protect unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections."

Fun With Kids: Bouncy playgrounds at Marina Square, Suntec City; Stem Fest with mentoring for girls (10 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.

Reimagined Dragon playground at Marina Square

Three iconic Singapore playgrounds built in the 1970s and 1980s – fondly known as the Dragon, Pelican and Elephant – have been reimagined as giant inflatables at Marina Square’s central atrium.

Until June 22, navigate a circular maze inspired by the Pelican and hop over to the Elephant to enjoy a ball pit. Then glide down an 8m-high, 14m-long Dragon-themed inflatable slide, the largest and tallest of the play structures there."

askST: Do degrees from private schools result in jobs and how can I pick a quality one? (10 June 2025)

"Q: My polytechnic graduate son did not get a place in the local universities, but he is keen on studying for a business degree. So, he has started applying for a place in a private school. But we are worried after reading the news that less than half of fresh graduates from private institutions found full-time jobs in 2024. My husband and I do not have the means to send him abroad for studies. Can you give us some advice?

A: First, I hope your son has also considered other options, such as work-study programmes that lead to specialist diplomas and perhaps even going out to work for a year or two to get some work experience before trying again for university."

New campaign by Singapore charity TomoWork spotlights people with invisible disabilities (12 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – In secondary school, Mr Thaddaeus John Tham Yong Yi struggled with spelling and grammar. He was barely passing his English composition essays.

Mr Tham has dyslexia, an invisible disability that affects his reading and writing skills.

Unaware of his condition, his classmates wondered why he was poor in the English language."

False address cases rise over past five years as P1 registration exercise fuels housing demand (13 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – More parents have been caught providing false residential addresses in the past five years to secure spots for their children in popular primary schools.

While the Ministry of Education (MOE) used to investigate an average of around one case a year between 2008 and 2018, this figure jumped to about nine cases annually from 2020 to 2024. There were no cases reported in 2019."

Dad’s inspiring: Meet three fathers who are everyday heroes to their kids (14 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE – If love is in the details, these three fathers love deeply.

Cancer survivor and single dad Ben Phua, 69, learnt to cook by trial and error so he could feed his 14-year-old son, who has special needs, nutritious meals.

Mr Steven Eng, 59, has been carrying his 37-year-old son, William, for decades as the younger man has muscular dystrophy, a condition that causes muscles to weaken over time.

Mr Muhammad Dian Khudhairi Mohamed Ali, 52, once drove to Kuala Lumpur to see his daughter, national taekwondo athlete Diyanah Aqidah Muhammad Dian Khudhairi, 26, in her first SEA Games in 2017, even though he was not sure if he could secure tickets to the match. Diyanah’s mother had died two years earlier."

Why Junior College was a good choice for these students (3 March 2025)

"Schoolbag caught up with three A-Level grads from Catholic Junior College (CJC) to find out more about their JC experience. From the school’s wide-ranging programmes and activities, to the tight support network of teachers and friends – find out why the JC route was the right choice for them.

By Arielene Wee/ Jacquelyn Ng

“In just two years, I was involved in over 40 activities and programmes! It was an amazing range – from attending Arts Fest and STEM conferences, to organising CJC’s Open House as a student councillor.” – Galen Ang

When choosing between JC and poly, Galen Ang chose the former because he was unsure of a specific poly course to pick. He shares that at CJC, “The huge number of school programmes helped me discover my interests, and more importantly, myself.”

As a student councillor, Galen planned orientation programmes for his juniors, and leadership dialogues on how to improve the school. One of the suggestions from this dialogue – to introduce a flame mascot as part of CJC’s identity – was implemented last year. “This was a core JC memory because we made a difference. We see the mascot at school events now! I am thankful for these moments of making likeminded friends, being study buddies, and navigating school life together.”

Stronger together: Student well-being gets a boost with parental support (4 March 2025)

"From “monster hunts” to art jam sessions, here’s how Parent Support Groups are teaming up with schools to boost students’ mental health.

Therapeutic art jam sessions. Cute crochet toys. These are just a couple of the many things parents are doing for stressed students, as they actively involve themselves in their children’s school communities. And many of them are discovering that volunteering their time and effort at the Parents Support Group (PSG) goes a long way to ensure that students’ mental well-being needs are supported.

Schoolbag dives deeper into three PSG-led programmes that are making a tangible difference in students’ lives.

At Chung Cheng High Yishun, parents are supporting students’ well-being one crochet stitch at a time

As the school year enters its busiest stretch and stress levels peak before the exam period, a whimsical initiative by the PSG at Chung Cheng High Yishun (CCHY) has brought much-needed joy to students. The initiative mentioned: Rainbow Monsters – handcrafted crochet creatures, each tagged with a note of encouragement.

First started in September 2024, the project saw PSG members partnering Peer Support Leaders (PSLs) to host a school-wide “monster hunt” during recess, where students eagerly searched for 260 crochet monsters hidden around the school campus. The aim was to add some fun to the hectic term, but it managed to spark important conversations about mental well-being.

Mdm Betsy Toh, one of the parents who initiated the PSG Crochet Club, shares that attached to each crochet monster was a heartfelt message reminding students to reach out to peers if they need extra support.

“This initiative was also about creating a sense of togetherness,” says Mdm Toh, whose daughter is a PSL. “We didn’t set out with an intentional message about mental health; instead, we simply shared something we enjoyed and loved doing, and in doing so, spread joy to the rest of the school.”

More than just grades: 21st century students share their skills for success (7 March 2025)

"As the definition of success evolves through generations, so do the skills and competencies required to achieve it. We speak to a Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT) Accountancy undergraduate and former thrift shop owner to find out how they’ve enriched themselves through their experiences outside of school.

“Study hard, get good grades, get a good job” is an often-heard mantra in Singapore. However, it is increasingly evident that academic accolades are not the only way to achieve fulfilment in life – especially in today’s fast-changing world.

Just as important in today’s world are practical and soft skills. Hou Hui Qing, a 24-year-old SIT Accountancy undergraduate tells us how she has grown to be a motivated and compassionate leader from her internship at Ah Hua Kelong, a fish farm. Also, Enif bin Omar, a 20-year-old who built his own thrift and vintage business, shares how he has developed a great sense of social awareness through it.

Changing the world starts with knowing yourself

For both Enif and Hui Qing, being self-aware kickstarted their journey. By understanding and following what mattered to them, they accomplished things they could be proud of. The seed of Enif’s business, Cappo’s Garage, for instance, was planted in 2018 when he was just 14. He had an interest in vintage fashion, and when he visited his parents’ retirement house in Malaysia, he found a thriving vintage fashion scene “way bigger than I’ve ever seen in my life”.

Enif then brought home vintage clothes for his friends and sold some of the garments on Carousell, a Singaporean online marketplace for second-hand items. His online sales took off and he ventured into setting up physical pop-up stores before eventually opening a permanent store in Far East Plaza. “It started as a hobby, but I grew to realise the opportunities available as I kept an open mind,” shares Enif, whose earnings from the business has allowed him to support himself through his studies in the past few years."

JC admission changes, mid-career level-up, Special Education support, and more (10 March 2025)

Check out these and other MOE COS 2025 highlights.

How to break the vicious screentime cycle (14 March 2025)

"Screens are a lifeline for busy parents. But too much screen use can disrupt sleep and affect children’s health. The Health Plan under Grow Well SG offers small, practical steps to help families unplug. Four parents who have tested these strategies share their struggles, successes and lessons learned.

A video buys you some peace while you wash up after dinner, but bedtime becomes another battle.

If this feels familiar, you’re not alone. For these four families, managing screen use was a challenge – until they took small steps to make a change.

Mr Seah’s Story: Breaking the Screentime Cycle

Getting kids to settle down can feel like herding kittens. Mr Seah Kok Yong admits that the screen saved him – and his three boys – much grief at mealtime. “We would give them the screen when we needed them to stop running around,” he says.

He thought it was harmless. Feeding time was more fuss-free, and they were picking up vocabulary too.“The nursery rhyme videos taught them English better than I thought I could,” he adds.

But over time, his sons – 12-year-old twins and a 9-year-old – became increasingly hooked. “They would always demand for more. Once the screen was in their hands, it’s very hard to take it back,” he recalls. His boys became engrossed in YouTube videos and Roblox, sometimes staying up past midnight.

The turning point came when his youngest son, Kaydus, received a Health Plan booklet at school under the Grow Well SG initiative. The booklet provided structured guidance on healthy habits – including the importance of at least seven hours of uninterrupted sleep."

DSA Leadership: For students who can seek consensus and build connections (18 March 2025)

"Primary 6 students can try for direct entry to certain secondary schools based on their talent in leadership. Here are the different ways three schools develop these students’ potential.

Leadership can be a tricky quality to identify. Students applying for the DSA Leadership programme typically already have a track record of serving as a prefect or Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) leader in primary school, or some sort of similar experience.

Naval Base Secondary School goes a step further to ask applicants to elaborate on their experiences. This is to find out if they embody specific leadership dispositions such as being self-reflective and collaborative, having a heart to serve, and more. “We also want to see if they have clarity of thought as they communicate, and align with our RECIPE values – which stands for respect, excellence, compassion, integrity, perseverance, and enthusiasm,” explains Mr Shawn Neo, the Subject Head for Student Leadership at this school.

On top of that, Naval Base also sets a group challenge to observe how the students behave when they have to work together on a task. This is to gain insights on how students navigate differences, approach problem-solving and contribute to group goals – qualities that Mr Neo says are essential for future leaders.

Bukit View Secondary School sets a group task and interviews students as a group as well. “We want to see how well they listen to one another and build on their peers’ answers,” says Mr Norafiq Ismail, one of the teachers in charge of this school’s Leadership Development. “An outstanding candidate will be someone who can really synthesise the thoughts in the room.”

At New Town Secondary School, teachers also keep in mind that leadership styles are diverse while conversing with applicants. “Not every leader is someone who is rah-rah and boisterous. We also appreciate students who may be quieter, but show maturity in thought,” says Ms Adora Tan, one of the teachers in charge of Student Leadership at the school. “Sincerity and a disposition of wanting to serve also form a good starting point.”

Here’s a closer look at how these three schools nurture students’ leadership skills."

Where do teens hang out after school? The answer will surprise you (26 March 2025)

"Game consoles, drum sets, foosball tables – stuff you’d expect to find in a big tech company’s staff lounge – are appearing in designated hangout spaces in schools now. Schoolbag visits three schools to find out how letting students have fun engages them more meaningfully past lesson time.

You might think that school is a place that students can’t wait to leave at the end of the day. But now, through initiatives to turn designated spaces into hangout areas tailor-made for students to have fun, relax and bond, school has become more than just a place to study.

We visit three schools to get a glimpse of what draws students to stay back after school in these spaces, and how teachers say the spaces have made a world of difference in meaningfully engaging students. Across the board, students and teachers echo the same sentiments: these hangout spaces have done wonders in improving students’ mental well-being and school life. More than that, students are making fond memories, finding their communities, and gaining confidence while being supported to thrive both socially and emotionally.

In New Town Secondary School, the Oasis helps students build relationships and resilience

Walking into the Oasis, one enters a bright and cosy space replete with couches, plump beanbags, and a larger-than-life mural done by students. Here, New Town Secondary School (NTSS) students take their pick of activities, from billiards and board games to foosball and video games.

To students, the Oasis lives up to its namesake, offering a blissful retreat away from the stress of studies. “It’s like a different part of school,” says Secondary 4 student Ezanne Wong, one of the student crew who helps manage the space. “When you enter, it’s like being mentally away from school stresses and in a space where it’s just about making memories filled with laughter.”

The relaxed environment also facilitates “very organic” interactions, says Oasis teacher-in-charge Ms Nurul Aisyah Rosli, as students can freely and casually play games together even if they are unacquainted. As a result, the Oasis has helped bring together students across different backgrounds. This was most apparent when Tanglin Secondary School (TSS) merged with NTSS in 2023. The Oasis, as a common, safe and fun space, helped “build a stronger school culture by bringing a lot of people together”, says Ezanne, who was a former TSS student.

Students have also found communities here. Secondary 3 student Lee Chee Yat, who’s also a crew member, said the Oasis recalled the time when he had just entered secondary school. “I met a lot of people like me here, who were also not used to the school and to new people, so it helped me feel less lonely,” he says."

Bringing Out the Best in Every Child (1 April 2025)

"For over six decades, the Ministry of Education has worked to build schools, design curriculum and put in place programmes and initiatives to develop every Singaporean Child… and the mission continues today.

1. Setting Firm Foundations

Post-World War 2, the pioneers of Singapore aimed to create a unified education system that provided equal access to education for all Singaporeans. But many schools had been damaged or destroyed in the war and our population was growing.

Building for a Booming Population

Existing schools were bursting at the seams, and with uneven standards, there were schools which were little more than makeshift shacks. We wanted to ensure that each child would not only have a desk and seat, but also conducive facilities to help him learn."

Making a difference in a very different era (1 April 2025)

"Teachers who joined MOE in the early days are a highly respected force. We recount their warm memories from the 1960s and deep friendships that endure through the years.

Making student's dream come true

“As a teacher, I believe I can make a difference in a child’s life,” she said.

A student had to quit school at Sec 2 because the family couldn’t afford her fees. Before her last day, she shared with Mrs Yip that she wanted to run her own hair salon one day.

To help her take the first step towards her dream, Mrs Yip walked into a salon to get the girl a job as a shampoo girl.

Many years later, Mrs Yip received an invitation to that ex-student’s wedding. She was also invited to the opening of her own hair salon. “Of course I went!”

On opening day, her ex-student offered to wash her hair for her.

“Between the two of us, the tears were enough to wash my hair.”

Mrs Yip also made lifelong friends with her colleagues, including her Head of Department Mrs Theresa Lim. They forged bonds of over 40 years."

Cool it with the hothousing (3 April 2025)

"Parents want to make sure their kids are well-prepared for the transition from preschool to primary school. But overloading them with lessons and expectations can backfire. The key is to inculcate a joy for learning instead, says Mdm Azlina.

Theory, practice, and personal experience – when it comes to preparing children for the transition from preschool to primary school, Mdm Nur Azlina Binte Subari draws from all these perspectives. Not only is she a lead lecturer at the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC), but she has also navigated this milestone moment with her two children, who are in Primary 1 and 2 respectively.

Schoolbag speaks to Mdm Azlina to find out how to best prepare children for this important step, and why hothousing kids may backfire and stress them out.

Learn to identify each kid’s individual needs

Like all parents, Mdm Azlina wanted to support her children in important learning milestones, such as the preschool-to-primary-school transition. So, a few years before they started primary school, she signed them up for a phonics class to help them improve their reading skills.

“Before enrolling my kids in the class, I tried to engage them in reading activities and games at home,” elaborates Mdm Azlina. “But they often lost focus halfway, so I thought that the more structured environment of a formal class might help supplement my reading activities at home.”

However, she soon realised that the class’s focus on workbook exercises rather than hands-on activities was not a good fit for her children in different ways. “My son made progress in reading, but he often expressed a lack of enjoyment in the class. My daughter questioned why she could not read as well her brother. She said the class was very difficult, and that she was very sad about this.”

Her daughter’s struggles hit her hard. “I didn’t want my child to feel that she was not good enough in comparison to everybody else. As an early childhood practitioner, I understand that children develop at different paces, and I reassured her that she would get there in her own time.” Taking her son’s boredom to heart as well, she pulled both her children out of the phonics class after a year."

5 perks of being in polytechnic I was not ready for (11 April 2025)

"No uniforms. Four-hour breaks. These were just some of the perks that I was looking forward to when I entered Polytechnic. Turns out, freedom does take some getting used to.

It’s a rite of passage for those who are sitting their O Levels to talk about where they want to go after secondary school. I was at the same crossroads three years ago, together with a lot of my friends, deciding between enrolling in a junior college and polytechnic. My friends and I spoke to everyone – from older siblings to teachers to tuition teachers – just to find out which choice was better for us.

In my case, ultimately, I chose to go to polytechnic as I felt that its hands-on curriculum suited me better, as I was more of a “need to experience to learn” person than a “read and memorise” student. Besides, there were many perks that polytechnic life offered that sounded great – until I experienced it for myself. Here are five freedoms that took me a while to get used to.

1. No uniforms = more freedom or more thinking?

Having the freedom to wear whatever I wanted to school sounded amazing. But as it turned out, I wasn’t ready to think about what I had to wear to school every single day. There were days when it felt nice and was a no-brainer to wear my new clothes or shoes, but oftentimes, I found myself staring at my closet for more than 10 minutes and saying to myself, “I have nothing to wear!”

As the school year progressed, I realised no one really cares about what we wear; I’ve even seen people going to school in shark slippers. After three weeks, I then started to warm up to this relaxed and casual lifestyle, and threw on whatever I felt like wearing that day, be it a new top or an overworn oversized shirt. This taught me it does not matter what I wear to school, as long as I feel comfortable and confident in it."

Watch: Plant a bookmark? Discover cool sustainability projects in schools (17 April 2025)

"These winning projects at this year’s School Green Awards prove that sustainability education can be hands-on, creative, and downright fun.

By Sabrina Lee

A garden bursting with vegetables, colourful student-authored books on food waste, and handcrafted seed paper bookmarks – these creative initiatives from our schools demonstrate that environmental education can be both rewarding and engaging.

Schoolbag explores how schools are weaving sustainability into everyday learning, inspiring students to become environmentally conscious citizens through hands-on experiences.

At Fengshan Primary School, students create paper that bloom

For students at Fengshan Primary School’s Environmental Science Club, paper recycling takes on a cool twist as they learn to make paper that can later sprout into plants.

The process begins with collection. Students gather old, used papers from various points around the school including the General Office, Staff room (with teachers’ assistance), recycling bins, and directly from their peers.

“We shred these papers before turning them into pulp by blending the paper with water,” explains Primary 5 student Ishaan Kaustubh. “Then we collect fallen leaves and flowers from the school’s garden, tear them into small pieces, and mix them with seeds and water.”

Meet the transformers (17 April 2025)

"What do a marketer, broadcast journalist and a train engineer have in common? All of them made a mid-career switch to teaching and not only found a different sense of purpose, but also that the skills they honed in their previous jobs now help them in the classroom.

Former marketer Mohamed Zubir Osman unpacks the art of the sell in the classroom

Five years into his sales and marketing job, Mr Mohamed Zubir Osman was doing well – the money was good, he enjoyed his work, and he felt a sense of achievement. At that point, he was also about to become a father for the first time. But it was right then that he decided to switch careers to become a teacher. “I realised something was missing,” he remembers.

As a secondary school student, he had fallen in love with History thanks to his teacher’s engaging style of teaching this subject. That same teacher’s motto of “connection before correction” also inspired him. “That means getting the teacher-student relationship right is paramount,” he explains. That was when Mr Zubir first thought about becoming a teacher. He ultimately decided to try out the private sector first. By the late 2000s though, he realised that his earlier dream was still alive.

“I wanted to make a direct impact on students, and build that connection with them,” he says. He also felt that his experience in sales and marketing would be helpful in teaching. “I had learnt a lot of problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills, which I thought would be transferable to the classroom setting.” With the support of his wife, he decided to take the plunge."

From shooting bullseyes at the pasar malam to winning gold at the National School Games (24 April 2025)

"West Spring Secondary’s Teo Wee Woon was just eight years old when she started playing shooting games at the pasar malam. Now in Secondary 4, the Captain of the school’s Shooting CCA is gunning to pursue the sport further at the junior college level.

Secondary 4 student Teo Wee Woon looks the picture of calm and composure at West Spring Secondary’s shooting range. As Captain of the school’s Shooting CCA, she is currently soaring at the sport, though the story of how she got into shooting is a rather humble one.

Trading her toy guns for an air pistol

Wee Woon was around eight years old when she began playing shooting games at the pasar malam, or night bazaars, around her neighbourhood. It started out as a fun and casual hobby, but she quickly became good at it.

When it was time to select a secondary school, her parents encouraged her to pick one nearby that offered the Shooting CCA since she enjoyed shooting games so much.

She ended up choosing West Spring Secondary, and went through several selection trials before joining the CCA. Even though she didn’t know anyone else in the CCA initially, she settled into it easily and quickly got the hang of shooting with an air pistol. Her shots were often on target, and her seniors would jokingly ask if she was shooting using auto-aim, a feature in video games that helps players aim.

Wee Woon became the only Secondary 1 student selected to represent the C Division women’s air pistol school team at the NSG – alongside three Secondary 2 students. Even though her individual score was the lowest out of her teammates, the team still came in first at the national level."

How a PE Teacher went from sepak takraw newbie to coach of the sport (29 April 2025)

"When Yuying Secondary School needed someone to take charge of the sepak takraw Co-Curricular Activity (CCA), Mr Iskhandar Abdul Talib had to figure out how to teach a game he had never played before.

By Sabrina Lee

How does someone coach a sport they’ve never played? For Mr Iskhandar Abdul Talib of Yuying Secondary School, the answer was to lean on the fundamentals he already knew as a PE teacher – then learn alongside his team.

To build skills quickly, he first turned to the Game Concept Approach, which teaches core tactics through modified games rather than repetitive drills.

“When students need to improve their sideline shots (a serve, kick, or spike that lands just inside the side line, making any return a tough sideways reach), I create a simple incentive – three points instead of one for scoring there,” he explains. The extra reward nudges them to attempt tougher plays and think strategically about positioning.

Beyond game design, Mr Iskhandar also relies on Differentiated Instruction, matching challenges to each player’s ability. “Beginners focus on five consecutive juggles, while more experienced players aim for 20 or more. This way, nobody’s bored or overwhelmed,” he says.

These methods proved vital when the school suddenly had no sepak takraw coach just before a major competition. Mr Iskhandar stepped up. “As one of the teachers-in-charge of the CCA, I was already handling court bookings, jersey orders as well as training supervision then. I couldn’t let these students enter unprepared,” he recalls."

Hospitality meets career guidance in this partnership programme (29 April 2025)

"Beyond picking up industry skills, students from Boon Lay Secondary School learnt to chart their career path and build healthy friendships through a meaningful mentorship initiative between their school and the Pan Pacific Hotels Group.

“It took some convincing to get some of the students on board, because they were reluctant about the almost-year-long commitment to participate in the mentorship programme,” says recalls Ms Bhavaniswari D/O Batumalia. “But once they saw the value in it, we saw a visible increase in their commitment through the effort they put into their tasks and how they looked forward to meetings with their mentors. This engagement spread to other aspects of school too.”

The Head of Department for Partnerships and Engagement in Boon Lay Secondary School (BLS) was responding to a question about the changes she observed in her students after undergoing the mentorship programme. Acronymised as FLEX (Fulfilling Lives through Experience), it is born out of a partnership between BLS and the Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG).

“We wanted to better engage our students outside of school,” explains Ms Bhavani. “And we thought of tapping on PPHG’s expertise in hospitality to give our students exposure to the industry and get to know what a career in the hospitality industry might be like.”

Learning out of the classrooms, in the hotels

The FLEX mentorship programme with PPHG, which has been running since 2022, comprises a four-day externship where students shadow their mentors. The mentors show them the ropes of working in a hotel, followed by three months of fortnightly mentoring sessions. Every year, over a dozen students are paired with mentors who are industry veterans. The teenagers gain career insights and newfound confidence from the mentorship, among other skills.

Anson Ho, who graduated from BLS in 2023 and is an alumnus of FLEX 2023, says that the programme was “a transformative and eye-opening experience”. He chose to pursue a post-secondary course in Tourism Management, and he secured a part-time role as a concierge at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, a hotel under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group, where he further deepened his knowledge of the industry.

“I gained better clarity of what I want to do when I graduate. And it also instilled in me a sense of purpose and responsibility, encouraging me to become a positive influence in my community,” adds Anson.

Open House for Primary Schools 2025 (5 May 2025)

"What do you need to know before visiting open houses with your child? Read on for more details on how you can support your child in choosing a primary school that’s suitable for them!

Getting a peek into the school grounds, meeting the teachers and students, experiencing each school’s culture – open houses provide opportunities for you and your child to choose a primary school most suitable for them. Here are some points to keep in mind as your child embarks on this exciting new chapter.

While attending the virtual/physical open houses for primary schools, consider the following pointers:

1. Your child’s strengths and interests

Observe and discuss with your child bout what they enjoy doing, including their hobbies, be it playing sports, making music, creating art, or even gaming. Have conversations about their kindergarten experiences to understand which subjects and activities they like or dislike. As there will be many new learning opportunities during primary school years, ask them what else they would like to learn and try. Then, read up on and find out more about the primary schools that can provide your child with the opportunities to nurture their existing strengths and interests or explore new areas of interest.

2. Distance between home and school

The daily journey to and from school is an important consideration. Consider the means of transport your child will be using. Regardless of the mode of transport, be it by car, school bus, or public transport, what is the fastest and safest way for them to commute to and from school? A long commute can affect your child’s energy level and readiness to learn and participate in school activities, which can impact their overall school experience.

3. School Environment and Culture

Each school has its distinctive culture, which you can experience firsthand at their open houses. You can get a preview of what each school has to offer in terms of its programmes, Co-Curricular Activites (CCAs), facilities, school staff, values, and school culture. Before going for open houses, browse through the schools’ websites to learn more about them.

Open House for Secondary Schools (5 May 2025)

"What do you need to know before visiting open houses with your child? Read on for more details on how you can support your child in choosing a secondary school that’s suitable for them!

Getting a peek into the school grounds, meeting the teachers and students, experiencing each school’s culture – open houses provide opportunities for you and your child to choose a secondary school most suitable for him/her. Here are some points to keep in mind as your child embarks on this exciting new chapter.

1. Have a conversation with your child about their strengths and interests

Find out from your child about what they look forward to in secondary school and what worries them most about their secondary school life. Have them share their favourite lessons and activities in primary school and what they think their strengths and interests are.

In your conversations with them, you can also have them list what they enjoy about their school experiences in order of preference. This could range from the learning environment to academic programmes to CCAs and even the canteen food! Their insights will give you a better understanding of what matters to them and identify schools that align with their strengths and interests, ensuring a more meaningful secondary school experience.

2. Think of different aspects of the school experience

When discussing possible secondary school options with your child, consider the school’s distinctive electives and programmes, culture and ethos, subjects and CCAs offered, as well as the distance from home. These will all impact your child’s school experience.

3. Shortlist a range of schools

After having a conversation with your child, use the checklist on SchoolFinder to explore and shortlist the options together. Find out what each school can offer your child and whether it seems to be a good fit for your child’s strengths, interests, and abilities. This exploration can better inform the 6 choices that you and your child indicate after the release of the PSLE results. If you need help navigating SchoolFinder, read this article for tips."

It takes a village (5 May 2025)

"Who can kids turn to when they’re feeling blue? Here’s how schools are supporting student well-being.

In the early hours at Greendale Primary School, students, teachers and the school leaders gather in the canteen over a simple breakfast. Laughter and light-hearted chatter fill the space. This is a get-together of the Breakfast Club, which takes place once or twice per term.

“The Breakfast Club was started last year as part of our efforts to promote social interaction in school, nurture social bonds and peer support,” shares Mdm Siti Zulaikha Bte Zainal Abidin, Head of Department (HOD) for Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) of the school. “We want every student to feel that we care about them, beyond their academic performance.”

This casual meal is just one of the various layers of support woven into schools today to boost students’ mental well-being. Behind the scenes, a circle of care works together – the peer support leaders, teachers, Year Heads and school counsellors – to ensure that students who need help don’t fall through the cracks.

Strengthening the student-teacher bond

As teachers are often one of the first to notice when something is not right with a student, they are key figures in supporting students’ well-being. At CHIJ St Theresa’s Convent, for example, it is common to see form teachers or school leaders having one-on-one morning chats with students to check in on how they are doing.

Mrs Amanda Tan, HOD of CCE of the school, shares, “We might take a walk around the school, go to the canteen or simply sit on a bench around the school compound and strike up conversations with students. These chats give us a glimpse into the child’s life, how she is doing and help us understand the kind of support she may need.”

EdTech can be a gamechanger for more engaged learning (8 May 2025)

"While EdTech tools can support more engaging lessons for more diverse students, learning how to use these tools effectively can be challenging. Here’s how three educators are doing it.

Using tech to dispel the fear of learning

Forgotten how to calculate the area of a trapezium? Fret not. Because Senior Teacher Mr Charles Yip at Tampines Secondary School has a simple and catchy melody to which he sings, “Half the sum of the parallel sides, and times the height between them.”

Using music to help students remember mathematical formulas is something Mr Yip, who has been teaching for 20 years, has been doing for a while. He used to make up these tunes himself, and also used songs found on YouTube. More recently, however, he’s been tapping on Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically, the Generative AI (Gen AI) tool Suno, to craft these jingles. And that’s just one way technology is helping him make his Mathematics lessons more engaging.

“I always question myself: why can’t the students remember or understand the concepts?” he says. Very often, he realised, it was simply because these concepts were not presented in ways that were interesting and accessible to them. For some, there is also the very real obstacle of fear.

Take algebra, for example. “Some students approach this topic with an unfounded fear, maybe because it’s a more abstract concept. If I tell them the next topic I am teaching is algebra, they will say ‘it’s so difficult’, even though they have not encountered it before.”

To dispel this fear, he decided this year to use the framework of an adventure story to introduce students to algebraic expressions. He used Gen AI tools, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude to come up with the plot of students getting lost in a jungle while trying to reach a mysterious city. To get directions to their destination, they had to tap on their understanding of algebra to answer questions.

Mr Yip used Adobe’s Firefly AI tool to generate the accompanying illustrations for this story. To craft the questions, he drew from lessons that other teachers had shared on the Community Gallery in the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS), MOE’s online teaching and learning platform for students and teachers."

Designing a platform to stretch imaginations and build communities (13 May 2025)

"For Mrs Judy Swee, teaching is a calling. And when her interest in Design Thinking was sparked, it kindled in her a desire to bring like-minded students and teachers together.

“Educators are designers too. When I encounter a problem, I define it, scope it, then brainstorm solutions and test them one by one,” says Mrs Judy Swee, drawing the link between her passion for teaching and enthusiasm for Design Thinking. And it is this connection that led the Head of Department of Discipline at Bedok Green Primary School (BGPS) to initiate and organise the inaugural Design Thinking Conference for primary schools in the East Zone.

The event, which took place on 3 April this year, was attended by 170 teachers and students from 18 schools – a resounding turnout that far exceeded Mrs Swee’s expectations.

A casual chat that ignited a passionate cause

Despite its success, the conference’s origin was humble. It all started from a chat between Mrs Swee, who also heads the Student Leadership committee, and her fellow teacher Miss Chin Ching Shia.

Mrs Swee recalls the two of them being at the Design For Change Challenge last year. This is an annual competition where students meet and engage with industry and community partners to come up with impactful solutions to solve real-world problems. “I asked if she would mind hearing me out on this idea that I had, and since she was my captive audience, she couldn’t say no,” jokes Mrs Swee with a hearty laugh.

Mrs Swee’s “Instead of sending students out for competitions, why don’t we organise it ourselves?” pitch captured Miss Chin’s imagination, and by the end of the conversation, the both of them had brainstormed a bunch of ways to make this happen. The major objective: fun."

Crossing levels, gaining perspectives (26 May 2025)

"These three teachers made the deliberate move to teach at a different level – from junior college to secondary to primary – driven by a passion to better understand and support student development. They share with Schoolbag the insights and skills they have gained on their journeys to become more masterful educators.

Ms Nicole Law leapt from academic-driven excellence into applied education to support a different student profile

It is a given that academically inclined students often enter schools with a strong academic focus. But what Ms Nicole Law observed at Hwa Chong Institution (College), where she taught Economics for four years, was that some studious students may thrive even better in environments that emphasise practical hands-on application of classroom knowledge and skills to real-world settings.

“I’ve had students who transferred to polytechnics and were much happier for it. That really opened up my thought process about the applied education pathway and I wanted to learn more about it,” she explains of her decision to apply to teach at NorthLight School, which has a non-mainstream curriculum. The school has an experiential approach to teaching and learning, as well as an added emphasis on students’ social-emotional development.

“I was drawn to the school’s mission. It’s not about chasing a particular grade, but rather giving students back the confidence to continue to develop themselves,” she elaborates.

She was also keen to make a direct impact on a group of students whom she had encountered while working at MOE HQ, where she had to reply to appeal letters from parents whose children had not met the entry requirements for polytechnics and ITEs. Ms Law shares that the letters often shed light on the personal family circumstances, such as the home environment, that had impacted a child’s studies. And she also saw first-hand the effect policies had on people’s lives.

In her current role as the Subject Head for Info-Comm Technology at NorthLight School, Ms Law has learnt to build strong teacher-student relationships by scheduling one-on-one time with each of her students. Like other form teachers at NorthLight, she also makes periodic home visits to engage her students’ parents."

A school and a tech start-up gamify the learning experience to bring sustainability lessons to life for students (27 May 2025)

"Gan Eng Seng Primary School and Move Technologies teamed up to enhance students’ learning experience within the school’s Applied Learning Programme through a Virtual Reality game. Read about how this partnership has benefitted students, the school and the company alike.

Imagine a game where you explore your surroundings, encounter a talking cat, and solve puzzles to search for an elusive treasure.

This is how Primary 5 students at Gan Eng Seng Primary School (GESPS) are deepening their understanding about sustainability, thanks to their school’s partnership with Move Technologies, a social enterprise that aims to tackle real-world problems with virtual products.

Enhancing the existing Applied Learning Programme

The immersive gamified experience, where students learn about food packaging while exploring a simulation of their neighbourhood, is a recent addition to the suite of learning experiences within GESPS’s Applied Learning Programme (ALP) on food sustainability, From Farm to Table. According to Ms Brina Tan, the Head of Department of Science at GESPS and the school’s ALP coordinator, the ALP aims to develop “confident communicators, critical and creative thinkers, as well as students who are more curious about their learning.”

For Primary 5 students, the programme focuses on the topic of food packaging – understanding properties of materials suitable for use as food packaging, distinguishing between biodegradable and non-biodegradable options, as well as exploring ways to reduce food packaging waste.

“Students at this age may be starting to pack food to bring to school or from hawker centres to bring home to their family,” Ms Tan explains. “We want them to be role models and positive influences on those around them by making more sustainable choices in food packaging.”

While existing learning experiences within the ALP enabled students to learn the content, the initial rollout of the programme – Move Technologies hadn’t come into the picture then – didn’t quite get the response intended. “Students had in-class discussions and projects, and went on a learning journey on upcycling,” says Ms Tan. “Some of our students, being very hands-on and kinaesthetic in nature, found the classroom portions a bit dry.”

While considering how to make the programme more engaging for all students, the teachers in the ALP team wondered: what if students could learn through a self-paced game with puzzles to keep them motivated and actively involved? This way, their understanding of the content could be assessed too."

Wayfinding through the secondary school years (28 May 2025)

"The teenage years can be some of the most tumultuous ones. Three resilient teens give us a glimpse into their lives and how they navigate the pressures of their growing-up years.

Secondary school represents the beginning of teenage years and an important stage of growth, where students are exposed to new experiences and academic, social and personal stresses. The challenges faced during this time can be significant for teens, so we speak to three secondary school students to learn about how they are overcoming these hurdles by understanding their needs and finding support in the people around them.

Ruth Kan unwinds with books and art, and says managing the boundaries between school responsibilities and play is a delicate balancing act

Like many students, the things that dampen Ruth’s everyday mood revolve around studies, such as seemingly endless piles of homework or lagging behind in revision. The Secondary 4 student at Kent Ridge Secondary School admits that managing the increased academic difficulty at the Secondary 4 level, while juggling her Student Council and floorball CCA commitments, is no small feat.

To unwind from the pressures of school, Ruth reads and sketches at home. “Since young, I have always been interested in drawing animals.” For four years now, she has allocated consistent time to practise drawing, resulting in the highly realistic animal art she produces today.

Ruth manages to juggle her hobbies alongside all her other responsibilities thanks to a keen sense of how to delineate time. While she has Student Council duties before or after school hours, “I try not to let that affect my studies,” she explains. By completing her homework and studying in school, she keeps her time at home free for recreational activities.

Besides that, Ruth also dexterously adjusts the amount of time she spends on recreation during busier seasons. For example, she allows herself time to do one piece of art before going back to her studies. This way, she effectively sets boundaries between work and play to keep a good balance between the two. “When I study, I study very hard. When I’m not, I don’t touch my textbooks at all.”

Ruth also credits her school’s Character and Citizenship Education programme with helping her cope with the challenging teenage years. She gives the example of how teachers have offered advice on time management to help students revise effectively and feel less overwhelmed. “In this way, we are able to learn how to navigate through our feelings and problems,” she says."

Where sports meets syntax (3 June 2025)

“The football field and the classroom aren’t as different as they appear,” says this English Teacher who applies the same winning techniques in coaching and crafting lessons.

By Sabrina Lee

In Bartley Secondary School, Mr Lee Guo Sheng moves seamlessly between two seemingly different worlds: the football field and the classroom. His systematic and measurable approach to both coaching the sport and teaching English relies on the same principle – breaking complex skills into measurable steps. Here’s how this educator scaffolds learning on and off the field.

Breaking down success on the field

In Mr Lee’s Football Co-Curricular Activity (CCA), he uses a goal setting approach where he establishes clear, measurable targets for players: “This week, focus on making 10 successful passes to teammates. Next week, we’ll aim for 15.” For shooting practice, it’s equally concrete: “Today, try to score once within the penalty area. By month’s end, let’s work toward scoring two times from the same position.”

Alumnus Kendrick Hiang, who is currently pursuing coaching qualifications through the Singapore Coach Excellence (SG-Coach) Programme, is proof of just how well this approach works.

Mr Lee recalls, “When Kendrick first joined the CCA, he would kick the ball as hard as he could and hope for the best.” So, he started working with Kendrick one-on-one at the start and end of every practice session, repeating the basics to build confidence."

Thriving Together: Maximising the Potential of Education (6 March 2025)

"At the 2025 Committee of Supply Debate, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced initiatives to strengthen students' holistic development and maximise their potential, extend greater support to working adults to upskill and learn for life, as well as deepen partnerships across the education ecosystem to enhance teaching and learning. These initiatives will further advance our Forward Singapore agenda, to develop multiple pathways to success, and embrace learning beyond grades."

Infosheet 1: Revised Junior College (JC) Admission Criteria (6 March 2025)

"As part of the Ministry of Education's (MOE) efforts to broaden definitions of success beyond academic achievements and encourage holistic development in our students, MOE will revise the JC admission criteria from the 2028 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), by reducing the number of subjects required for JC admission. With this change, students will have more scope to recalibrate their curriculum load by offering one fewer subject, and to use the freed-up time from offering one fewer subject to strengthen their development of 21st Century Competencies and pursue other interests."

Infosheet 2: Enhancing Support for Mid-career Individuals under the SkillsFuture Level-up Programme (6 March 2025)

"The SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme (SFLP), jointly introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) in 2024, is a significant commitment by the Government to make SkillsFuture as a key pillar of our social compact. It supports Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above, who are at higher risk of skills obsolescence, to pursue upskilling and reskilling to stay relevant and competitive amidst a rapidly changing economy."

New "Xin Kong Xia 2024" Album Showcases Students' Musical Talent Through Chinese Songs (14 March 2025)

"The Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) has released an album featuring 13 original songs composed by student winners from the 2024 National Schools Xinyao Singing and Songwriting Competition. Titled "Xin Kong Xia 2024", the album was launched today by Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the CPCLL, Ms Gan Siow Huang, at the National Schools Xinyao festival. The annual festival aims to promote xinyao as a vital part of our cultural heritage, and deepen students' understanding and appreciation of the Chinese language and culture."

Singapore Youth Festival 2025: Students to Showcase Aspirations for Our Nation's Future Through Diverse Art Forms (21 March 2025)

"In celebration of Singapore's 60th year of independence, the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 2025 will showcase youth artistic talents through performances and artworks from March to July. As part of the celebration, students will express their interpretations of our nation's cultural heritage and their aspirations for building our shared future together."

Second Minister for Education Dr Maliki Osman to Attend the 15th International Summit on the Teaching Profession in Reykjavik, Iceland (23 March 2025)

"Second Minister for Education, Dr Mohamad Maliki Bin Osman, will attend the 15th International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) in Reykjavik, Iceland, from 24 to 26 March 2025."

World Book Day 2025 Opening Ceremony and Launch of New National Chinese Reading Contest to Cultivate Love for Reading (12 April 2025)

"More than 800 secondary and pre-university students participated in this year's World Book Day Opening Ceremony at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) on Saturday, 12 April 2025. Jointly organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), National Library Board (NLB) and HCI, the event aims to promote a culture of reading among youths."

MOE’s Statement on School Holiday and Designated Day Off-in-lieu on Monday, 5 May 2025 (16 April 2025)

"As Polling Day (3 May 2025) is a public holiday and falls on a Saturday, Monday, 5 May 2025 will be a school holiday and a designated day off-in-lieu for all staff in MOE Kindergartens, Primary and Secondary schools, as well as Junior Colleges and Millennia Institute. Classes will resume on Tuesday, 6 May 2025."

Start of 2025 Direct School Admission Exercises & ITE and Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (6 May 2025)

"The Direct School Admission (DSA) Exercise for admission to secondary schools and junior colleges (JCs) in 2026 will open for application from 7 May 2025. Separately, applications for early admission to the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and polytechnics based on course-specific aptitude and interests will start from 20 May and 2 June 2025 respectively."

2025 Primary One Registration Exercise to Start from 1 July 2025 (14 May 2025)

"New and Relocating Primary Schools to Meet Shifting Demand

The registration period for children's admission to Primary One (P1) in 2026 will be from 1 July 2025 to 31 October 2025."

Student Dancers Reimagine "Growth" Through Chinese Street Dance Competition 成长 -- 2025年第六届爱上华文街舞比赛 (17 May 2025)

"Over 200 students from 19 schools participated in the sixth edition of the Chinese Street Dance Competition. Jointly organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) and local media content company MCC, the competition aims to promote the learning of Chinese language and culture through music and dance. The Finals and Awards Ceremony were held at Our Tampines Hub's Festive Plaza today."

180 Students Take Part in Chinese Riddle Competition that Showcases their Language and Problem-Solving Skills (17 May 2025)

"180 students from 24 secondary schools participated in the fourth National Chinese Riddle Competition (全国中学生灯谜比赛) on Saturday, 17 May 2025, at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI). Jointly organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), Tung Ann District Guild, Riddle Association (Singapore) and HCI, the competition aims to engage students in the art of solving Chinese riddles and foster their appreciation of Chinese language and culture."

Singapore Students Clinch Record 11 Awards at International Science and Engineering Competition (29 May 2025)

"The Singapore student delegation clinched eleven awards at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2025 – the highest number of awards won since Singapore's first participation in ISEF in 2001. The delegation of eight students competed against more than 1,700 students from over 60 countries, regions, and territories. In total, four individual projects and two team projects were submitted to ISEF, which was held in Columbus, Ohio, USA, from 10 to 16 May 2025."

More than 650 Students Showcase News Reporting and Language Skills at Annual Competition (30 May 2025)

"This year, 652 students from 60 secondary schools participated in the fourth edition of the Young Reporter News Challenge (《我来报新闻》挑战赛). Jointly organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning, MediaCorp 8world and Speak Mandarin Campaign, with support from the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language, the competition aims to develop students' interest and ability to communicate and present in Mandarin, as well as their media literacy skills."

MOE Teachers' Conference and ExCEL Fest 2025 (3 June 2025)

"The Teachers' Conference and ExCEL Fest (TCEF) is organised biennially by the Ministry of Education (MOE) for teachers to learn together as a fraternity. Held from 3 to 5 June 2025, TCEF2025 will welcome over 18,000 participants and presenters, including teachers from Special Education schools who will be sharing their insights and practices for the first time at TCEF."

Pre-University Seminar 2025 – Re-imagiNATION (5 June 2025)

"552 student participants from 30 pre-university institutions participated in the Pre-University Seminar 2025 Closing Ceremony held at Nanyang Technological University. Into its 56th edition, the annual seminar, which was co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Tampines Meridian Junior College this year, was themed 'Re-imagiNATION' to encourage students, as stewards of the future, to explore innovative and improved solutions to various challenges facing the nation. Through rich discussions and interactions with people of diverse backgrounds, students explored the future of Singapore across three sub-themes, "Thrive, Connect, Grow", and were given insights into a range of issues, policies, and perspectives to build a stronger Singapore."

More Singaporeans taking up courses with employment objectives, dipping into SkillsFuture credits in 2024 (9 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: About 260,000 Singaporeans used their SkillsFuture credits in 2024, 35 per cent more than the year before, announced SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) on Wednesday (Apr 9).

Of this group, 28,000 Singaporeans dipped into their SkillsFuture mid-career credits after the scheme was rolled out in 2024.

Singaporeans aged 40 and above received an additional S$4,000 (US$2,900) in SkillsFuture mid-career credits in May 2024. Younger Singaporeans will receive the same amount when they turn 40, and more than 7,000 courses are eligible to be used with the credits."

Singapore badminton player Jessica Tan retires at 31 to pursue university degree (11 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: After more than a decade in competitive badminton, one of Singapore’s most decorated players Jessica Tan announced her retirement on Friday (Apr 11), citing injuries and the decision to pursue her studies in sports management.

“After dedicating so many years of my life to the sport of badminton, there is an inevitably bittersweet feeling stepping away from these exhilarating competitions,” said Tan, 31.

“But one never really retires from badminton; it will always be a part of my life. I’m excited about going back to school again, and I’m grateful to the Singapore Badminton Association, Sport Singapore and sponsors for their generous support throughout my career,” she added."

Stop fussy eating: How this frustrated mum transformed mealtimes with her specially designed plate for kids (12 April 2025)

"Mother-of-one Rachel Raeburn recalled when her daughter, Oia Tan, was four years old and mealtimes would be a dreadful experience.

“Oia was easily distracted and would take an hour to finish her meals, and even then, often not finishing the contents on her plate. She didn’t like mushy food and green leafy vegetables with stems,” said the 49-year-old.

The founder of her public relations firm, Relish PR, would be tearing her hair out, coaxing Oia to finish her meals. The girl is now nine years old."

As a child, I loved reading. As a parent, here’s how I’m teaching my kids to love it too (12 April 2025)

"As a kid, my favourite place in the world was my neighbourhood library.

From there, I travelled the globe and other universes. I went back in time to the Crusades and far into the future on spaceships bound for other stars. I befriended ethereal creatures, fought vampires and escaped zombies – all through the pages of my books.

I read everything and anything in front of me, from brochures and menus to even the nutritional information on food packaging. Nothing was too boring for my hungry eyes."

No conclusive evidence linking ready-to-eat meals to food poisoning during Total Defence exercise: SFA, MOH (15 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: There is no conclusive evidence linking the gastroenteritis cases that emerged during a national preparedness exercise earlier this year to the consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) meals, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Tuesday (Apr 15).

A total of 187 people – representing about 0.2 per cent of those who consumed the meals – came down with gastroenteritis symptoms during the exercise.

"Based on investigation findings, there is no conclusive evidence linking the reported gastroenteritis cases to the consumption of RTE meals," SFA and MOH said in a statement posted on the SFA website."

Commentary: The AI-fuelled child exploitation crisis is global – so must be our response (15 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Child sexual exploitation is one of the most universally reviled crimes in society.

While governments are implementing regulations to stem this abuse, the problem is a transnational one. A recent regional cross-border operation which led to over 400 arrests – including 21 men in Singapore – laid bare this disturbing reality.

This is not only a law enforcement issue; it is a collective challenge to update our moral, legal, and technological defences against a crime that is growing faster than most systems can keep up."

GE2025: Monday after Polling Day declared a school holiday (16 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: May 5, the Monday after Polling Day, will be a school holiday, announced the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Since Polling Day is a public holiday and falls on May 3, which is a Saturday, the following Monday will be a designated day off-in-lieu, MOE said in a statement on Wednesday (Apr 16).

This will apply to all staff in MOE kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, as well as junior colleges and Millennia Institute, the statement read. "

'Want to join?': These 4 mums started the Mindful Mamas community to make motherhood a less lonely journey (18 April 2025)

"It was at MacRitchie Reservoir that I met the four founders of Mindful Mamas. The late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, and a breeze cooled our brows. Each woman had her baby in a carrier or in her arms, looking more than ready to go for their regular walk.

A year ago, they were strangers. Today, they work closely to build their growing community of nearly 1,000 mums in Singapore, who want to slow down, manage their stress better, and raise their children in a mindful, unrushed and intentional manner.

Before they found each other, motherhood mostly felt like a struggle."

She teaches parkour to empower women and kids – and change the public’s perceptions about the sport (19 April 2025)

"Parkour coach Gwendolyn Neo remembers how some HDB residents would hurl insults at the young kids she trained, at an open area in Bishan: “Stupid kids – only know how to climb and dirty walls. You are delinquents! Young punks! Confirm never study well in school.

“People would generally shout at us and say we are doing illegal things,” said Neo, who co-founded a parkour academy, Lion City Parkour, with her husband Koh Chen Pin in 2022.

“I even had to call the police on them once because they kept filming the kids, and threatened one of them,” she added. The children were mostly aged six to 10 years old."

The psychology of parents who fatally abuse their children (22 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: In October 2022, Azlin Arujunah was sentenced to life imprisonment for causing the death of her son. The boy had been hit with a hanger, pinched with pliers, confined in a cage for a cat, and scalded by hot water.

In September 2023, a man was sentenced to 21.5 years' jail and 18 strokes of the can for killing his two-year-old daughter Umaisyah and burning her body in a pot.

In April 2024, a man was sentenced to 34.5 years in prison and 12 strokes of the cane for killing his five-year-old daughter Ayeesha, who was smacked in the face up to 20 times in a toilet where she was kept all day with her brother."

Secondary school student arrested after cutting teacher with a penknife (29 April 2025)

"SINGAPORE: A Bartley Secondary School student was arrested after cutting a teacher with a penknife on Monday (Apr 28).

In response to CNA's queries, the school said on Tuesday that the teacher was taken to hospital where he received outpatient treatment.

"He has been given medical leave and is recovering well at home," said the school's principal Britta Seet, adding that a police report was made."

How this 35-year-old woman adopted her foster daughter and built a forever family with her (5 May 2025)

"When asked how many children they want, most married couples might say one, two, or perhaps none.

But Nasrin Shah Beevi, 35, has raised six children – and she doesn’t plan to stop there.

None of these children were born to her, however. They are her foster children, and have ranged from a baby to children in their tweens."

Jail for former preschool teacher who abused two toddlers, trapped them using furniture (5 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: A preschool teacher who trapped two toddlers under a table, slapped them and treated them roughly was sentenced to 19 months' jail on Monday (May 5).

The offender and the preschool cannot be named due to a court order protecting the identities of the two young victims.

The woman, now 30, was fired by the preschool on Jun 29, 2022, two days after the last incident of abuse."

Keeping my 12-year-old safe from 'sus' online content: Why a smartwatch makes more sense than a smartphone (6 May 2025)

"Call me an overprotective mum, but giving my 12-year-old daughter J a personal smartphone is a decision that I am holding off for as long as I can.

Sure, the internet is everywhere. Even schoolwork has moved online. While we’ve been getting by with shared devices for schoolwork, the idea of handing her unfettered access to the digital world feels like throwing her into the deep end without a life jacket.

Netflix’s unnerving four-part docuseries Adolescence cemented my decision. Centred on a teenage boy who is arrested for murder, it paints a sobering picture of how unregulated digital exposure is reshaping childhood in ways even we, as adults, are ill-prepared to navigate."

Mandai Wildlife Reserve to add overnight camping experience and a ZooSchool for kids in coming months (8 May 2025)

"Mandai Wildlife Reserve is getting yet another upgrade with new experiences set to open in its eastern cluster in the second half of 2025.

These include the Colugo Camp, an overnight stay experience; more dining options in the Dining Alley; Green Canvas, a new venue for meetings and exhibitions; two nature-themed indoor attractions, Exploria and Curiosity Cove; and a ZooSchool for children.

The latter is a partnership between Mandai Wildlife Group and preschool NTUC First Campus. It will offer an immersive nature-inspired wildlife education programme across the wildlife parks for children from preschool to 12 years old."

Fire breaks out at Tampines industrial building; workers and students nearby evacuated (9 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Firefighting operations are underway after a blaze broke out at a two-storey industrial building in Tampines on Friday (May 9), sending dark plumes of smoke and ash into the sky.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at 18 Tampines Street 92 at 12.50pm, adding that it has deployed five water jets, an aerial monitor from a combined platform ladder and an unmanned firefighting machine.

"The fire is under control, but the structure of the premises is assessed to be unstable," it said in an update at about 3pm, adding that the fire involved textile items."

The ex-JC teacher who started a Tiong Bahru cafe with viral doughnuts and baked a Crazy Rich Asians wedding cake (9 May 2025)

"In a quiet corner of Tiong Bahru, Caffe Pralet began when a junior college teacher followed her heart into the kitchen. Founded in 2006 by Judy Koh, 62, the cafe represents a remarkable second act for someone who spent her early career teaching literature and General Paper at Catholic Junior College.

The cafe went viral recently for its square sourdough doughnuts and sandwiches. The articulate Koh – who still very much has the air of a literature teacher – already had a baking school next door called Creative Culinaire, which opened in 2000."

They weren't diagnosed with dyslexia. But these children still need help with learning difficulties (9 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: After her elder son was diagnosed with dyslexia, Ms Elmy Sulaiha Nasre thought her daughter, who was displaying similar symptoms, also had the learning disorder.

Instead, she found out that Nur Evren Elveera, at eight years old, had another problem which could have hindered her learning ability from an even younger age.

At four to five years old, Evren's speech had been unclear. She had difficulties with alphabets, including flipping them around in her writing, her mother told CNA."

Townsville, Damai primary schools to move in 2029 due to growing demand for places (14 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Two primary schools will relocate in 2029 to meet the growing demand for places in East Canberra and Tampines North, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Wednesday (May 14).

Townsville Primary School will move from Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 to the junction of Canberra Walk and Canberra Crescent in Sembawang.

Damai Primary School will relocate from Bedok Reservoir Crescent to Tampines Street 64, next to the upcoming Tampines North MRT station on the Cross Island Line."

Primary 1 registration exercise to start on Jul 1 (14 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: The registration exercise for children entering Primary 1 in 2026 will begin on Jul 1, 2025, and run until Oct 31.

Parents can register their children through the Primary 1 registration portal, which will also contain information on the various registration phases and the schools that their child is eligible to register in, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Wednesday (May 14).

It is compulsory for Singaporeans born between Jan 2, 2019 and Jan 1, 2020, to participate in this year’s exercise or enrol in the Junior 1 or Primary 1 programme of a government-funded Special Education school."

8 Singapore indie bookstores join forces to launch Bookshop.sg, a one-stop site for book lovers (14 May 2025)

"Book lovers, rejoice – there’s a new way to support your favourite independent bookstores in Singapore.

Bookshop.sg, which launches Wednesday (May 14), is a one-stop online shopping platform that brings together eight independent local bookstores, allowing readers to browse and purchase books from all of them in one place, without the need to visit each store in person or to hop between different websites.

The eight participating bookshops are: Epigram Books, Wardah Books, City Book Room, Union Book, Sea Breeze Books, Nurul Anwar Bookstore, Basheer Graphic Books and Thryft."

Umaisyah's killing, teen overdose deaths show devastating cost of drugs on society and families: Shanmugam (16 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: The true cost of drug abuse cannot be measured in economic terms alone, and the scale of the “human tragedy” is “immense”, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam on Friday (May 16).

Speaking at the Drug Victims Remembrance Day observance ceremony at Suntec Convention Centre, Mr Shanmugam said drug abuse is devastating to society, individuals and their families.

“When an individual becomes addicted, he or she will prioritise the buying of drugs to feed their addiction, over the needs of his or her family and children. Drug abuse also leaves deep emotional scars on the family,” he said.

He gave the example of the death of two-year-old Umaisyah. She was abused by her parents and killed by her father, who hid the crime with his wife by burning the girl's body in a metal pot."

Preschools take precautions as HFMD cases rise in Singapore (16 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Some preschools in Singapore are stepping up their checks and cleaning measures amid a recent increase in cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

Figures from the Ministry of Health (MOH) showed that for the week of Apr 27 to May 3, there was an average of 61 HFMD cases a day. The daily average did not go above 50 cases in 2023 and 2024.

At least two major preschool chains are taking precautions to protect their students from being infected.

Doctors are also encouraging parents to ensure their children maintain proper hygiene ahead of the June school holidays."

NUS apologises for 'operational lapse' in dealing with books from Yale-NUS College library (21 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: The National University Singapore (NUS) on Wednesday (May 21) apologised for an "operational lapse" in dealing with books from Yale-NUS College, which is shutting this year.

Hundreds of books from the Yale-NUS College library were reportedly sent for disposal or recycling on Tuesday, triggering an outcry from its alumni and students.

Photos and videos showed books packed into trash bags and loaded onto a truck from a recycling company."

Yale-NUS library books: Staff unaware of students' interest; 500 titles recycled (21 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Library staff at the National University of Singapore (NUS) "did not realise" that students would be interested in excess books from Yale-NUS College - an oversight, said the university librarian, that led to hundreds of titles being sent to a recycling plant.

The college, which is scheduled to close this year, had been preparing for renovations ahead of the relocation of the NUS law faculty and its library to its premises, Associate Professor Natalie Pang told reporters on Wednesday (May 21).

As a result, the collection of 45,000 books at the Yale-NUS College library had to be moved. About 80 per cent - 36,000 books - were rehomed to various NUS libraries, other universities or given to faculty members."

Commentary: A parent was hit with a chair at my son’s game. This isn’t what sport’s about, says former national swimmer Joscelin Yeo (21 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: A Singapore Youth League (SYL) football match made the news last week. Not for a spectacular goal or a breakout young talent. Instead, the headlines came after one parent allegedly assaulted another after an Under-14 game between Geylang International and Albirex Singapore Football Academy on May 11.

According to Albirex, the victim was struck with a metal chair. Photos circulated online show the victim with a streak of blood down his left cheek. The incident had reportedly escalated from verbal taunting to physical aggression, all within view of the children.

Let that sink in. Grown adults, attending a youth football match to support their children, ended up engaging in behaviour more suited to a wrestling ring than a community sports field."

'All of that work has just vanished': Yale-NUS faculty members criticise handling of library books (22 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Faculty members at Yale-NUS College have expressed disappointment over the handling of library materials after 500 books were recycled due to what the National University of Singapore (NUS) described as an "operational lapse".

Two professors told CNA on Thursday (May 22) that they were not informed about any opportunity to claim the 9,000 excess books – duplicates or titles with low usage rates – that had been earmarked for disposal.

These made up about 20 per cent of the college's library collection, according to Associate Professor Natalie Pang, university librarian of NUS."

Teenage students often use AI to do homework, a survey finds. This is the impact on their grades (23 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: In an age of ChatGPT, are students actually doing their homework any more? Even if they are, they would be using artificial intelligence tools, a local survey has found.

This is not only at the university level, where their usage is allowed with rules in place. All of the secondary school students surveyed said they used AI tools.

They are frequent users too: 84 per cent of secondary school respondents use AI for their homework at least weekly, while 29 per cent do so several times a week. The rest of them use it at least monthly."

This mental wellness app from SHINE offers round-the-clock support to youths (23 May 2025)

"Developed with support from the National Council of Social Service, SHINE’s eBuddy app equips youths with the tools to manage their mental health anytime, anywhere.

The Social Service Sector Strategic Roadmap (4ST) is the National Council of Social Service’s (NCSS) guide for empowering individuals, strengthening communities and fostering a more caring and inclusive society. It comprises four strategic thrusts that provide actionable steps and best practices for stakeholders to drive organisational growth and sector-wide impact.

SHINE aligned with three of these strategic thrusts: Empowered and included individuals, families and communities; effective and impactful social service entity; and future-directed social service sector."

Singaporeans at Harvard face uncertainty after Trump blocks international students (23 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Singaporean students enrolled at Harvard are grappling with confusion and anxiety following the Trump administration's move to revoke the university's ability to enrol international students.

Under a directive announced on Thursday (May 22), Harvard will no longer be allowed to enrol foreign students for the 2025-2026 academic year. Existing international students must either transfer to other schools or risk losing their legal status in the US.

Around 6,800 international students – including 151 Singaporeans – are enrolled in Harvard's current academic year, making up 27 per cent of its total enrolment, according to university statistics."

CNA Explains: Trump's standoff with Harvard and how it affects international students (23 May 2025)

"President Donald Trump's administration escalated its standoff with Harvard University on Thursday (Mar 22), revoking the school’s ability to enrol international students.

Existing international students at the university must also transfer to other schools, or risk losing their legal status.

The conflict between Trump officials and Harvard had been building for months over demands that the university submit conduct records about foreign students, as well as change its admissions and hiring practices to combat antisemitism on campus.

The move could significantly affect the university, which enrolled nearly 6,800 international students this academic year. Other universities could also be in the firing line."

Judge temporarily halts Trump's block on foreign students at Harvard (24 May 2025)

"BOSTON: A US judge on Friday (May 23) suspended the Trump administration's move to block Harvard from enrolling and hosting foreign students after the prestigious university sued, calling the action unconstitutional.

The order provides temporary relief to thousands of international students who were faced with being forced to transfer under a policy that the university called a "blatant violation" of the US Constitution and other federal laws, and said would have an "immediate and devastating effect" on the university and more than 7,000 visa holders.

"Without its international students, Harvard is not Harvard," the 389-year-old school said in its lawsuit filed earlier on Friday in Boston federal court. Harvard enrolled nearly 6,800 international students in its current school year, equal to 27 per cent of total enrollment."

I worry that I’m raising my kids to be complainers. Here’s what I’m doing about it (24 May 2025)

"Singaporeans are well-known for complaining. It’s even said to be one of our national pastimes, alongside eating, shopping and queuing.

On Facebook alone, Complaint Singapore has more than 244,000 group members, with dozens of fresh posts daily documenting some new (or old) gripe about living in Singapore.

Singaporeans made more than 1.7 million municipal and estate complaints in 2023 alone, many of them relating to daily living irks such as overflowing trash bins."

Trump defends block on foreign students at Harvard (25 May 2025)

"WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump defended on Sunday (May 25) his administration's move to block foreign students at Harvard after a judge suspended the action, branded by the top university as unlawful.

"Why isn't Harvard saying that almost 31 per cent of their students are from FOREIGN LANDS, and yet those countries, some not at all friendly to the United States, pay NOTHING toward their student's education, nor do they ever intend to," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

"We want to know who those foreign students are, a reasonable request since we give Harvard BILLIONS OF DOLLARS, but Harvard isn't exactly forthcoming."

Gallery Children’s Biennale returns with inclusive spaces and new baby-friendly artworks (26 May 2025)

"National Gallery Singapore’s Gallery Children’s Biennale will be returning from May 31, 2025 to Mar 29, 2026 with eight interactive and larger-than-life artworks by artists from Singapore and Asia, aimed at championing accessibility and inclusivity for all audiences.

For the first time, all artworks at the Biennale will include baby-friendly experiences to stimulate their auditory and visual senses in a safe environment, according to a press release by National Gallery Singapore.

The Biennale will also feature thoughtfully designed spaces for persons with disabilities to enjoy and participate in art activities."

Recycle or give away? How some libraries deal with unwanted books (26 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: As part of managing libraries, there is a system to review the books to ensure they remain relevant and in good condition.

Unwanted books may be redistributed or recycled depending on several factors, according to Singapore's National Library Board (NLB).

The issue of recycling books became a talking point recently after hundreds of books from the Yale-NUS College library were sent to a recycling plant before they were offered to students, sparking an uproar among students and alumni."

Singapore embassy in Washington DC engaging US authorities on Harvard international student ban (27 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Singapore’s embassy in Washington DC has engaged the US Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security about Donald Trump’s revocation of Harvard’s Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) certification.

Singapore is also monitoring the impact of the measures on the academic prospects of Singaporean students, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on Tuesday (May 27) in response to CNA queries.

A ministry spokesperson added that Singaporean students at Harvard should remain in contact with its International Student Services for updates."

Probation for boy, 16, who repeatedly trespassed into junior college toilet to peep at women (27 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: A 16-year-old boy who repeatedly trespassed into a female toilet at a junior college to peep at women was given 18 months' probation at the State Courts on Tuesday (May 27).

The teen, who cannot be named due to a court gag order, said he had been curious about the female anatomy.

Apart from the probation, he was ordered to perform 60 hours of community service and attend psychological or psychiatric treatment if necessary."

Did not 'feel right': Yale-NUS students say they were asked to destroy DVDs (28 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Yale-NUS students who worked as student associates at the college library said they were asked to render DVDs unusable by library staff in April - about a month before the final cohort graduated.

Two of them who spoke to CNA on condition of anonymity said they had not known beforehand that they were to scratch DVDs until they were assigned to do so during their respective shifts.

Both recalled using penknives to scratch the discs. One of them, Janet (not her real name), said a librarian had instructed her to make four cuts on the discs so they could no longer be read."

Josephine Teo unveils enhanced Singapore AI language model, encourages workers to boost basic AI skills (28 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: An enhanced version of a locally developed large language model now understands more Southeast Asian languages and possesses code-switching and emotion recognition capabilities.

The updated version of the Multimodal Empathetic Reasoning and Learning in One Network (MERaLiON) is able to handle Malay, Tamil, Thai, Bahasa Indonesia and Vietnamese, on top of English, Mandarin and Singlish.

Developed by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), the upgrades were announced by Singapore's Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo at tech event ATxSummit."

'Anxious, uncertain': US study plans for Singaporeans derailed by halt on new student visas (29 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Music teacher Sharon had long dreamed of studying piano in the United States. With her children now grown, she finally pursued that goal – auditioning in person, enduring multiple screening rounds and securing offers from two American universities.

But on Tuesday (May 27), her plans were thrown into turmoil.

An internal cable obtained by Reuters revealed that US President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered consular offices worldwide to stop scheduling new visa interviews for students and exchange visitors. The move comes as the State Department prepares to expand its vetting of applicants' social media activity."

'Art should be for everyone': She started Senisini for youths to meet, create art and make new friends (30 May 2025)

"The lights in the room are dim, but the walls burst with bright, vibrant colours, vivid shadows, and beautiful patterns – a montage of batik, tie-dye, shadow puppetry and more. I was at an art jamming session, or an art club, as Senisini calls it, and I was floored.

Senisini means "art here" in Malay, and the ground-up organisation, founded by Iffah Syafiqah Yusof, provides a creative space for youths.

A commercial analyst by day but an artist at heart, the 26-year-old Singaporean told CNA Women that Senisini began as a passion project with a few friends in August 2024."

Commentary: Yale-NUS library outcry was never just about rehoming books (30 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: It is an oddity in our world of fast fashion and disposables that we’re reluctant to dispose of books. While I’m unsentimental about discarding old clothes and furniture, books give me pause: Those that did not move out with me still form a disorderly pile in my parents' place, eliciting occasional mild distress.

I'm clearly not alone: The active Facebook group Books Don't Throw (Singapore) is 117,000-strong and growing. Community libraries have flourished, run out of Housing Board void decks or like the Casual Poet Library, where individual shelves are rented and curated by different owners. The outrage over the ill-considered and unceremonious disposal of books from the Yale-NUS College library is more evidence of how many of us feel strongly about books.

One of my most prized possessions is a second-hand copy of How the Hills Are Distant, a poetry collection by the late pioneering Malaysian poet Wong Phui Nam, published in 1968. Mr Wong was a beloved friend and mentor, a friendship that bridged our difference in years, before he passed in 2022."

An underreported problem? Survey finds 30% of Singapore secondary school students claim they have been bullied (30 May 2025)

"SINGAPORE: A survey by CNA's Talking Point programme has found that student bullying could be more pervasive than official figures suggest, with about 30 per cent of secondary school students in Singapore claiming they have been bullied.

Among these, almost half said the instances took place in the past year.

A total of 1,010 students aged 13 to 17 and spread across 149 secondary schools were surveyed on their experiences with bullying in 2024."

Having always struggled to make friends at school or work, this is how I started seeking out real connections on my own (30 May 2025)

"I had few friends while growing up. Throughout my schooling years, I felt like an outsider whenever my peers on campus talked animatedly about football or their favourite K-pop idols.

I didn’t particularly enjoy any of the same activities or interests, so I didn’t really know how to have extended conversations with them.

Watching my peers interact easily with each other, I always figured I was socially inept. “Something must be wrong with me,” I thought. For years, loneliness was a constant shadow looming over me."

'Too hot to think': Rising heat leaves Singapore students cranky and distracted (30 May 2025)

"With temperatures soaring during Singapore's hottest months of May and June, 43-year-old Clement Tan is concerned about how the heat is affecting his children in school.

“Their school is in an older building and I’ve been there for meet-the-parents sessions. The fans do not provide ventilation throughout the whole classroom and it can be really uncomfortable at certain parts of the classroom,” Mr Tan, a litigation lawyer, said. He has three children aged 10, seven and five.

He has equipped his two older children, who study at Fairfield Methodist School (Primary), with handheld fans to give them some reprieve from the weather. The school has also allowed students to wear their physical education (PE) attire throughout the day, which has helped keep them cool and complaint-free."

Final-year polytechnic student Georgina Dobson wins Mediacorp's 987 STAR competition (1 June 2025)

"A new voice may soon grace the airwaves: The winner of Mediacorp's 987 STAR 2025 competition, final-year psychology studies student from Temasek Polytechnic Georgina Pattarida Dobson.

Dobson on Saturday (May 31) beat out the other three finalists – Lex Whitlock, Nicolette Callie Wee and Shaniah Kiew – in a two-hour grand finale to win the S$5,000 cash prize, courtesy of Fisherman's Friend, and a contract with Mediacorp 987.

According to Dobson's LinkedIn profile, she is also president of her polytechnic's emcees club."

ECDA investigating potential breach over abrupt closure of Little Paddington Preschool's Bishan branch (3 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: The Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) is investigating a preschool for giving parents just one day's notice of a branch closure.

Parents of children enrolled at Little Paddington Preschool's Bishan centre were only informed on May 30 that the school’s lease of its premises would be expiring on May 31.

The school later delayed the closure to Jun 10, and offered enrolment in another branch, and transport for affected children."

NIE's postgraduate teacher training programme to be shortened by four months: Desmond Lee (3 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: The National Institute of Education's 16-month postgraduate programme for teachers-in-training will be shortened to a 12-month course, Minister for Education Desmond Lee announced on Tuesday (Jun 3).

Speaking at a teachers' conference on his ninth day at the ministry, Mr Lee said the refreshed programme will have a stronger focus on integrating theory and practical application.

After graduating from the Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme, the new teachers will also have more support for professional learning, which will be grounded in authentic classroom experiences, he said."

Woman charged with giving false information during P1 registration to have daughter enrolled in school (5 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: A 41-year-old woman was charged in court on Thursday (Jun 5) with giving false information in order to enrol her daughter in a school in the north of Singapore during the Primary 1 registration in 2023.

The Singaporean woman was handed one amalgamated charge of giving false information to a public servant and two counts under the National Registration Act and National Registration Regulations.

She cannot be named due to a gag order imposed by the court to protect her daughter's identity."

Quality of teacher training matters more than duration of NIE programme, aspiring educators say (5 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Reducing the duration of postgraduate teacher training in Singapore from 16 months to 12 could make a difference in attracting applicants, but won't be as important as making the programme both effective and efficient, aspiring educators said.

Earlier this week, Education Minister Desmond Lee announced that the training period for the National Institute of Education’s (NIE) Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) would be shortened by four months.

This is part of a regular review of teacher preparation programmes, according to the Ministry of Education (MOE) and NIE."

Singapore exploring 'worst-case scenario' solutions for its Harvard students: Vivian Balakrishnan (7 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Singapore is trying to find solutions to deal with the "worst-case scenario" where Singaporean Harvard University students are not able to study in Boston, Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan said on Saturday (Jun 7).

His ministry will continue to seek clarification on international student visas with the US State Department and Department of Homeland Security, he told reporters, though he made no promises that the matter would be resolved in time.

Dr Balakrishnan on Saturday completed a four-day working visit to Washington DC. This was the first ministerial visit to the US since both countries elected new governments."

Mandatory measles immunity for maids working in households with young children who are not fully vaccinated (10 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: From Sep 1, maids working in households with young children who are not fully vaccinated against measles must be immunised against the disease.

This mandatory immunisation is aimed at protecting "unvaccinated young children who are at higher risk of serious health complications from measles infections", said the Ministry of Manpower on Tuesday (Jun 10).

The measure also comes amid a recent jump in infections in the US. Ten cases have also been recorded in Singapore this year as of the week ending May 10, according to the Ministry of Health’s weekly infectious disease bulletin. That is just one short of the 11 cases logged throughout all of 2024."

School holiday enrichment classes see surge in demand, including for preschoolers (11 June 2025)

"SINGAPORE: Enrolments for holiday enrichment classes have more than doubled during the June school break, with education providers attributing the surge to tighter travel budgets and parents seeking meaningful ways to engage their young ones.

This rising demand is not limited to older children, with preschoolers now diving into programmes ranging from robotics to public speaking."

As a child, I thought my dad was ‘boring’. As a new parent, I’m learning that the boring stuff is often what matters most (13 June 2025)

"In March 2024, I became a father. Now, one year and three months on, I’m still figuring things out day by day. Curiously, I now find myself looking back more often than ever before – back to my own childhood with my own father.

In my secondary school years, I had a close friend who was both my classmate and teammate in our co-curricular activity, basketball. My friend’s father would come to watch all our basketball games and, afterwards, would talk extensively and openly about how he felt our team and my friend had performed.

Whenever father and son had differing opinions, they would have a healthy debate about it, and were comfortable doing so even in front of others. They shared a rapport that seemed so vibrant and dynamic."

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