Megan Khung abuse case: How can we fix the system that failed her? (30 October 2025)
"Megan Khung would have turned 10 a few weeks ago, if she were still alive today.
Instead, five years after her death, the findings by a review panel detailed how, within a year, there were several lapses at various agencies that could have helped her.
The panel’s report came after the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) said in April it would conduct a review of Megan’s case."
Former SJI facilities manager who obtained over $67k in bribes jailed more than 15 months (30 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE – For more than four years, a facilities manager at St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) received more than $67,000 in bribes from vendors engaged to carry out various projects at the school.
He admitted doing so as he needed money to pay mounting personal debts and family expenses.
On Oct 30, Ng Cher Him, 58, was sentenced to 15 months and four weeks in jail after pleading guilty to four charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, including corruptly accepting gratification to further business interests. He was also handed a penalty of $7,500."
Early childhood teachers to have more financial support to pursue studies (30 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Early childhood (EC) educators will receive more support to pursue their studies following enhancements to the Early Childhood Development Agency’s (ECDA) scholarship programme.
These include increased financial support, a new full-time scholarship for students pursuing EC undergraduate studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), and expanded postgraduate opportunities."
AI use could make us ‘subcognitive’ (30 October 2025)
"Last spring, it became clear to me that over half the students in my large general education lecture course had used artificial intelligence tools, contrary to my explicit policy, to write their final take-home exams. (Ironically, the course was titled Contemporary Moral Problems: The Value of Human Life.)
I had asked them about some very recent work in philosophy, parts of which happened to share titles with entirely different ideas in mediaeval theology. You can guess which topics the students ended up “writing” about."
Lower fees at more pre-schools from Jan 2026 as more centres join partner operator scheme (31 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE - More parents can expect to pay lower pre-school fees from January 2026, with more centres joining a government-funded scheme to keep early childhood education affordable.
Under the partner operator scheme, pre-schools get government funding to keep fees low, and have to adhere to a fee cap.
More than 34,000 Singaporean children are expected to benefit from this scheme next year, compared with 27,000 in the current term."
Letting go when your son starts a new life abroad (31 October 2025)
"When the plane touched down on a cool autumn morning, I felt a quiet shiver of recognition.
The air carried the same damp crispness I remembered from decades ago, when I first arrived in this very country as a student. I had been young, uncertain, eager to carve out my own independent life beyond home."
Singapore’s history seen through the lenses of ST photojournalists at upcoming exhibition (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – A line of riot police stands guard near a raging fire from a burning ambulance and a crowd of angry men.
With adrenaline running through his veins, Straits Times photojournalist Mark Cheong raises his camera and captures scenes of carnage during the Little India riot on Dec 8, 2013.
Seeing the fire turn into an explosion, Mr Cheong turns to a fellow photojournalist and says: “This is not any normal day.”
Football programme for vulnerable youth gives them skills to score in life (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Mr Muhammad Arfa Yazmi works part-time three days a week delivering medicine, to earn money to help support himself and his three younger siblings. He also helps his youngest sister, who is taking the Primary-School Leaving Examinations this year, with her studies.
Until recently, he had also been schooling at ITE and had to worry about his grades. Yet, even during his most stressful weeks, the 20-year-old always looks forward to Saturday nights – when he gets to play football with other youth his age. “When I have a bad week, playing football helps me destress and eases my burdens. It’s my safe space.”
Mr Arfa is one of 500 youths aged 13 to 21 who participate in the Saturday Night Lights (SNL) programme annually. Through this development programme, vulnerable youth can train in football and learn life skills for free."
More needs to be done to educate young on grave consequences of criminal activities (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Recent arrest reports indicate a worrying trend of young people immersing themselves in serious criminal activities in Singapore and overseas.
They include the 27 Singaporeans placed on the wanted list for their alleged roles in a major scam syndicate operating in Cambodia. The suspects are largely in their 20s and 30s.
The syndicate was led by Ng Wei Liang, 32. He evaded arrest on Sept 9 when the Cambodian police closed in on the syndicate’s operations in Phnom Penh.
Of the 12 alleged associates arrested and charged in court under the Organised Crime Act, nine are Singaporeans aged between 25 and 39."
New resources launched to help parents guide children’s digital habits (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – At the start of the year, Mr Aaron Ho and his wife made the tough choice to take away their teenage son’s smartphone after his grades began to slip.
But as the school holidays approach, Mr Ho hopes instead to set clearer boundaries on screen time use upon returning the confiscated smartphone to his 16-year-old.
Having used Bloom – a physical keycard that locks and unlocks apps by tapping it on one’s phone – to curb his own screen time, the 51-year-old said he is considering using it to manage his son’s habits as well.
Setting clear boundaries is one of the takeaways from Mr Ho’s review of a set of resources designed to help parents foster healthy digital habits in their children."
Schools turn underused spaces into tinkering hubs, edible gardens thanks to MOE grant (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Schools in Singapore have converted underutilised spaces into living classrooms and tinkering hubs, with the help of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) School White Area and Canteen Grant.
Introduced in April 2024, the $64 million grant is intended for schools to convert and optimise physical spaces to meet evolving educational needs.
In response to queries, MOE said about 110 schools have tapped the grant to implement enhancements as at end-June 2025."
Young adults meet the teams shaping ST’s youth content at fifth Conversations with ST (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Young adults got a behind-the-scenes look at how The Straits Times connects with younger readers at the fifth edition of Conversations with ST.
During the event held at the SPH Media News Centre in Toa Payoh on Nov 1, participants between the ages of 18 and 30, interacted with the people behind three of ST’s young audience initiatives – G&M Explain TikTok channel, The Usual Place Podcast and the Unpacked newsletter.
Journalists Wong Yang and Christie Chiu, who front G&M Explain, explained how they break down complex current affairs topics into digestible explainers on social media.
The Usual Place Podcast host Natasha Zachariah, spoke about engaging young Singaporeans through candid conversations on issues that matter to them, while Ms Goh Yan Han, co-creator of Unpacked, discussed how the weekly newsletter offers readers fresh perspectives on politics and policy."
Late Malaysian pioneer poet Wong Phui Nam’s new and selected poems published by NUS Press (1 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Up until the hours before he died at 87 on Sept 26, 2022, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian poet Wong Phui Nam was fiddling restlessly with two manuscripts, making minute revisions to lines from six decades ago and compiling a collection of new poems he had titled In The Mirror.
The late giant of Malaysian poetry’s new work and his own retrospective of his oeuvre might not have been published, if not for two young writers – Singaporean poet Daryl Lim Wei Jie and Malaysian scholar Brandon K. Liew – who have painstakingly edited In The Mirror: New And Selected Poems Of Wong Phui Nam (2025)."
From creating poems to spotting deepfakes: Seniors pick up Gen AI skills as part of national push (2 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Unnaturally smooth skin, unsynchronised speech and questionable sources – these are some of the tell-tale signs Madam Lim Siew Gin, 70, has learnt to tell a deepfake apart from a real video.
“Some people have shared a deepfake video of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong promoting cryptocurrency with me on WhatsApp before,” said the retired uniformed officer, adding that she was not duped by this ruse as she keeps up with news reports on such scams.
But the skills she picked up through a workshop on generative AI (Gen AI) would come in handy, said Madam Lim, as AI video generation apps become increasingly sophisticated."
NUS students with fake admissions will be expelled; NTU students will face disciplinary action (2 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Singapore’s two largest universities have put up advisories cautioning prospective applicants against purported study-abroad agencies on Chinese social media platforms offering paid services that claim to help applicants secure “guaranteed” admissions to their postgraduate degree programmes.
The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) advisory on its website said the agencies will typically employ fraudulent means such as fabricating academic qualifications and other credentials in application packages to mislead universities.
The university said candidates need to fulfil stipulated qualifying criteria and all applications are reviewed based on merit. “There are no ‘guaranteed’, ‘fast track’ or ‘direct’ admission routes to NUS,” it added."
Choosing a secondary school: 7 questions parents can ask their children to guide them (2 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – As the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results are expected to be released between Nov 24 and 26, parents are likely discussing secondary school options with their Primary 6 children.
For those who have not secured a place through the Direct School Admission exercise, the next step involves shortlisting six schools and ranking them by preference."
Minor Issues: The promise of a father’s love for daddy’s girl (2 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – There was a daily routine I used to do with my middle child. Every morning, I walked her to school. She was nine years old then.
In fact, I walked all my three kids to school. It was my way of bonding with them."
Unwed mother adopts her own daughter, so toddler doesn’t grow up as an illegitimate child (2 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE - A 34-year-old finance professional is adopting her own two-year-old daughter, to spare her the label of growing up as an illegitimate child.
Born out of wedlock, the toddler has never met her biological father, who has chosen to stay out of her life.
Her mother, Natalie (not her real name), said: “The label of illegitimacy carries a heavy emotional weight for both the child and mother. It suggests that a child’s existence is somehow less valid or less desirable because the parents are not married.
“Adoption to me is a way of reclaiming that legitimacy – a way of saying we are a real family, and my daughter is a deeply loved and wanted child.”
Youth who faced childhood tragedy among 12 inaugural President’s Challenge fellows (2 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Growing up in a troubled family, Ms Shirlene Ng was 13 when she witnessed her mother take her own life. Her mental health took a hit.
“I had my own suicidal attempts, and when I turned 14, I was admitted into IMH,” said Ms Ng, referring to the Institute of Mental Health.
Ms Ng, who is now 21, switched between foster families and children’s homes eight times over the years.
She had her share of dark days. But on days when she could hold herself together, she told herself to “grit your teeth and woman up”, and that eventually got her through private school and Temasek Polytechnic, where she studied psychology."
Getting a glimpse of work life: St Andrew’s boys head out to 54 organisations after exams (3 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE - Until recently, Secondary 3 student Kawin Ho had been unsure whether to take the junior college route or pursue a diploma at a polytechnic.
But the 15-year-old from St Andrew’s School (Secondary) (SASS) has always been fascinated by how aircraft engineers turn their ideas into flying vehicles.
His mind is now set on pursuing an aerospace-related field in polytechnic after spending four days at Aether – a lab at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) set up in partnership with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) to test new technologies for the military’s needs."
‘Invisible yet deadly’: A student-led movement to fix NTU’s award-winning bird-killing building (3 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – For nearly two decades, an iconic building of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has wowed visitors with its green, sloped roofs and efficient design that has bagged the university an award for environmental consciousness.
Shortly after the School of Art, Design and Media (ADM) building’s completion, however, feathered visitors began to drop dead within its curved confines.
The birds had flown straight into the sleek, glass facade of the building, which conjured the illusion that its windows were part of the sky and surrounding landscape."
Parliament to cover Megan Khung report, caning for scammers; WP proposes changes to online harms Bill (3 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – The findings and recommendations from the review panel on the Megan Khung case will be discussed during the upcoming Parliament sitting that will begin on Nov 4.
The sitting will also cover the debates on new Bills that propose caning as punishment for scammers and scam mules, as well as a new government agency meant to provide victims of online harms quick redress, according to the order paper released by Parliament on Nov 3.
Meanwhile, the opposition Workers’ Party has proposed a raft of amendments to the Bill on online harms. It suggests including promoting suicide and sexual grooming of those under age 18 in the list of what constitutes online harms, as well as more transparency for the new agency in reporting the complaints it receives and the action taken."
MOE doubles number of allied educators, adds staff to help lighten teachers’ load (4 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – The number of allied educators, who counsel and work with students with special educational needs, has doubled from around 800 to 1,600 across all schools in the last decade.
Today, each school also has an average of 85 teachers, and the number of administrative staff has increased from six to around nine.
Minister for Education Desmond Lee revealed these numbers in Parliament on Nov 4, in response to questions from 13 MPs about teacher well-being and workload, a topic that has been in the spotlight since a recent survey found that teachers here work an average of 47.3 hours a week, up from 46 hours a week in 2018."
Advisory warns parents, students about youth-related crime, including scams and voyeurism (4 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Parents of secondary school and junior college students here have received an advisory on crime-related issues ahead of the school holiday season.
Sent in October via the Parents Gateway app, it covers behaviours such as sharing intimate images and voyeurism as it also cautions against e-commerce and phishing scams, among other crimes.
The four-page advisory, which also covers crimes like weapon possession, shop theft, cheating and drug use, was issued by the Singapore Police Force, Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), National Crime Prevention Council and National Council Against Drug Abuse."
Singapore’s yo-yo scene spins back to life with young enthusiasts (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – On stage for the first time, little James Liew steeled his nerves, heaved in a deep breath and blocked out the cheers from the crowd.
At the beat drop, the seven-year-old unleashed the yo-yo that was resting in his palm, and his moves morphed into a blur of rapid movements and smooth tricks.
That evening in July, James placed ninth among 13 participants in the junior division at the Singapore Yo-yo Championship. The division featured players aged 16 and under.
For James, though, the placing did not matter. Just competing on stage at the Foochow Building in Jalan Besar, in front of almost a hundred people, was a milestone in his yo-yo journey. He first picked up the activity in February 2024, and it has since grown into one he practises with zealous devotion."
All abused-child deaths known to social services will be independently reviewed: Desmond Lee (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – A new social services coordination centre will be set up to better identify and coordinate child abuse cases, while all child deaths will be independently reviewed in future, in the wake of four-year-old Megan Khung’s death.
Mr Desmond Lee, Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, announced this and other measures to improve safeguards in the child protection system in Parliament on Nov 5.
The new social services coordination centre, supported by technology, will help “us to better detect, sense-make and connect dots for cases from different touchpoints, such as social services, education, (the) pre-school community and other sectors”, he said.
The centre will also provide tighter links to police operations."
‘A serious breach’: Goh Pei Ming on failures of two police officers in Megan Khung case (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE - The lapses by two police officers who did not follow operating procedure in Megan Khung’s case were a serious breach which resulted in tragedy.
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming said this in Parliament on Nov 5, while noting that demands on police officers continue to increase.
Mr Goh said police officers often have to make difficult judgment calls every day and mistakes can happen under pressure.
He said: “In this case, the lapse arose because two officers, who were under pressure, did not follow the established operating procedure.”
SUSS expected to follow government contracting terms but has leeway to set own terms: Indranee (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Autonomous universities such as the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) are generally expected to follow government standard contracting terms but have “a much broader leeway to depart or set their own terms”, said Second Minister for Finance Indranee Rajah on Nov 5.
Ms Indranee was responding in Parliament to Mr Ang Wei Neng (West Coast-Jurong West GRC), who had raised concerns about clauses in government contracts such as contractors having to take on unlimited liability regardless of contract value.
Mr Ang also cited limited payments during the project, which can cause contractors – especially small- and medium-sized enterprises – issues with cash flow, as well as unlimited design changes without additional payment.
Mr Ang’s questions come after the Singapore Institute of Architects flagged “unfair clauses” in an SUSS tender for its new Rochor campus."
MSF apologised to Beyond Social Services for ‘finger-pointing’ in initial response: Desmond Lee (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has apologised to the agency running Megan Khung’s pre-school for the misunderstanding over “finger-pointing” in its initial response in April to the girl’s case.
Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee said this on Nov 5 in response to a question by Mr Cai Yinzhou (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) concerning the case of four-year-old Megan.
Mr Cai said earlier reports of MSF’s statement in April seemed to pin blame on Beyond Social Services (BSS), the agency that runs Megan’s pre-school."
Boys who get nine hours of sleep are less likely to grow fat (5 November 2025)
"Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
A recent A*Star study found that boys who slept at least nine hours every night had a 51 per cent lower obesity risk and less abdominal fat.
Abdominal fat, particularly fat around internal organs, is more strongly linked to metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease than overall body weight.
Published in the journal Obesity (Oct 2025), the study used MRI imaging to examine how sleep habits relate to fat distribution in 10-year-olds in Singapore.
In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo talks to the study’s authors Dr Cai Shirong and Dr Navin Michael about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can increase the risk of obesity and overweight in children."
$3k fine for NUS student who deflated tyres of seven cars in Woodlands (6 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – A man who deflated the tyres of seven cars in Woodlands has been handed a $3,000 fine.
On Nov 6, Benjamin Chia Yit Loong, 24, a student at the National University of Singapore, pleaded guilty to one charge of mischief.
The court heard that Chia, a Singaporean, was interested in climate change and environmental issues, and wished to make ownership of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) unattractive.
He thus decided to deflate the tyres of cars parked near his house and to leave fliers on the environmental damage caused by SUVs on these cars."
What’s with the fixation over brand-name schools? (6 November 2025)
"It was a crime report meant to highlight the suspects behind a major scam operation, but a nugget of information sparked an uproar over a school’s image.
Last week, The Straits Times reported that two brothers and their cousin were the alleged masterminds running the operation from Phnom Penh.
The group ran a government official impersonation scam that was allegedly responsible for 438 scam cases involving losses of at least $41 million.
The 27 Singaporeans suspected of being members of the organised criminal group are now wanted by the Singapore police.
But that was not what readers were talking about online.
What drew attention was a detail in the Oct 30 report that one of the wanted men, Finan Siow, was said to be a former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student who once played for the school’s rugby team.
That information – featured in both the article and an infographic – didn’t sit well with the Anglo-Chinese School Old Boys’ Association, which said the school had been singled out."
Can AI help us understand ‘skibidi toilet’? (6 November 2025)
"In the breakout Netflix crime drama Adolescence, British police scramble for clues after a 13-year-old boy is accused of killing his classmate.
Scouring Instagram, investigators initially assume he and the victim were friends – until an officer’s teenage son explains that the emojis under his posts are cloaked references to something more nefarious."
ECDA will use AI to review CCTV footage in pre-school investigations, detect potential misconduct (6 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Artificial intelligence (AI) will be used by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to improve the way CCTV footage is reviewed during investigations into suspected misconduct at pre-schools, said Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on Nov 6.
He was responding in a written parliamentary reply to Mr Ng Shi Xuan (Sembawang GRC), who had asked if the Ministry of Social and Family Development will consider using AI to detect wrongdoing in CCTV recordings and mandate tamper-proof recording systems to prevent unauthorised deletions.
CCTV cameras were made mandatory in all pre-schools and government-funded early intervention centres from July 2024."
Independent reviews of abused child deaths bring more accountability and insights: Social workers (6 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE - The plan to conduct independent reviews for the deaths of all abused children known to social services in the future is a step towards greater accountability, transparency and collective learning, said social workers.
The move will help the social service sector better identify gaps, strengthen safeguards and learn from past lapses and mis-steps, they added. This is also a significant shift from the previous approach of the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) carrying out bilateral reviews of incidents with individual social service agencies.
On Nov 5, Mr Desmond Lee, Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, announced in Parliament various measures - including a new social services co-ordination centre - to improve safeguards in the child protection system in the wake of Megan Khung’s death."
‘It was like watching my own family on stage’ (2 September 2025)
"Sibling rivalry, bickering at dinner, caregiving woes – students watch familiar moments unfold, then shape what happens next. In Character and Citizenship Education, the Family Education Interactive Drama Programme is turning perspective-taking into practice; three schools reflect on how conversations and behaviours have shifted.
By Sabrina Lee
It started like any sibling argument: raised voices, bickering, then silence. But this quarrel wasn’t at home – it was centre stage at Hai Sing Catholic School’s school hall, where student Heather Chew leaned in, drawn into the “drama”.
“It felt like I was watching my own family in a play,” says Heather.
Drama that draws students in
That sense of recognition is exactly what educators are aiming for through the Family Education Interactive Drama Programme, jointly developed by MOE and Families for Life to support students’ learning in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE).
Schools such as Dunman Secondary, Juying Secondary and Hai Sing Catholic School are bringing Family Education to life through the Interactive Drama Programme, offered in both live and pre-recorded formats for lower secondary students.
In the live version, performers stage a play, pause at key moments, and invite students to step in with their views and responses. The pre-recorded version lets classes watch the performance on video, with students role-playing scenes and reimagining them in their own way.
In both formats, teachers connect the drama experience back to lessons, helping students reflect and apply the learning in meaningful ways."
The Little Things – Teachers’ Day 2025 (4 September 2025)
"What are some seemingly small, insignificant things our students do that teachers notice, treating every moment as a chance to bring out the best in them? This Teachers’ Day, we celebrate how our educators tap on every student’s quirk by listening and guiding them to realise their potential."
This accidental lecturer is poised to help students find their way (5 September 2025)
"Without an industry background in food science, Chemistry graduate Eric Kwek started from scratch as a lecturer, learning about the protocols, processes and partnerships that would benefit his students. That is exactly why the Senior Lecturer at Republic Polytechnic is good at preparing students for life after school — to show what can be achieved from ground up.
His unapologetically vibrant wardrobe catches the eye – a flash of personality that hints at his teaching style: open, distinctive, and quietly boundary-pushing. It’s more than just flair. It suggests a willingness to stand apart and to create space for others to do the same.
You start to understand that outlook better once you know where Mr Eric Kwek comes from. The Senior Lecturer at Republic Polytechnic’s School of Applied Science didn’t start his career as a teacher. After graduating with a degree in Chemistry, he was unsure of his next steps. He joined Republic Polytechnic as an administrative officer, overseeing timetables and curriculum operations, which also suited his strengths. “I like seeing how everything fits together,” he says. “There’s satisfaction in making sure things run smoothly.”
But what stayed with him weren’t the spreadsheets. It was the fleeting interactions with students: checking in, offering comfort, sensing when someone seemed off.
Born with an eyesight condition that made eye contact and social interaction challenging, he often second-guessed how he was perceived. “I used to avoid eye contact because I was afraid people would think I was being rude,” he shares. That self-consciousness, which had once dented his confidence, also gave him perspective – helping him better understand and support students who struggle in their own ways.
Who, me? A lecturer?
The idea of becoming a lecturer never crossed his mind – until he was invited to teach a Chemistry class, as part of a Republic Polytechnic initiative that gave non-teaching staff the opportunity to try classroom facilitation. The students responded well – but it was his own quiet excitement that surprised him most.
The experience lit a spark – one that made him realise he wanted to teach. Heartened, he embarked on a four-year part-time Master’s in Life Sciences while delicately balancing family and full-time work."
His ‘dual empathy’ approach helps students find their True North (5 September 2025)
"Mr Mario Goh’s students develop not one but two needles in their inner compass – one pointing them to know themselves and the second to understanding others. When they get their bearings right, everything – including grades, career choices, and relationships – will fall into place, says the lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Business & Accountancy.
When Mr Mario Goh approaches a problem, whether previously as an HR consultant, or today as a business lecturer and school adviser, one of the first questions he asks is, “What’s your pain point?”
Being able to define a problem with clarity and unabashed honesty is half the battle won, and not as easy as it sounds, says the Senior Manager for Student Development and Leadership at Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of Business & Accountancy (BA).
This is why he has developed a series of frameworks and guiding principles to live by, across his years as an organisational psychologist and with over 15 years under his belt as a polytechnic lecturer.
These principles aren’t dense truths to be distilled, but are meant to be easy to apply like a life hack. One such principle is his philosophy of “dual empathy”, which he applies to both his teaching and mentoring sessions.
He explains, “Students need an inner compass made of two needles: self-empathy and empathy for the ‘other’.”
If they develop a good understanding of themselves, and of who the “other” party is and what they need, they will make better and more confident decisions. The “other” could refer to a project partner, client, society – anyone they are navigating with and need to show empathy for.
“By fostering dual empathy, students can navigate personal and workplace transformations and contribute meaningfully to society in a sustained and enduring way.”
This artist-lecturer designs hope and confidence in her students (5 September 2025)
"Ms Ng Wen Lei believes schools should be places of hope – like what Nanyang Polytechnic was to her when she was a student. Through gentle guidance and artistic insight, the Senior Manager at Nanyang Poly’s School of Design & Media helps students discover that creative confidence lies in believing they always have options.
Should schools be places that spell endless possibility? For Ms Ng Wen Lei, Senior Manager at Nanyang Polytechnic’s School of Design & Media, that question isn’t philosophical – it’s practical. And personal.
Years ago, when her A-level results fell short, she felt adrift. “I lost hope,” says Ms Ng. “Then how? Where to go? I despaired.” But flipping through a polytechnic brochure, she spotted a design course, and with nothing left to lose, enrolled in the course. At Nanyang Polytechnic, she found herself immersed in hands-on tools and technical skills. For the first time, she wasn’t just learning – she was making, designing, even taking on freelance projects.
“I realised I could do things. Make things. Earn from my skills,” she says. “It showed me that failure is not the end. There are always options.”
This belief – that creativity offers choices, and choices bring hope – now sits at the core of how she teaches.
“Creativity is having hope in options,” she says. “It means believing that one of many possible paths might work, and having the confidence to try.” It’s a mantra that doesn’t come from theory alone. It’s something Ms Ng has lived, and continues to practise as a lecturer.
Art meets education
Much of Ms Ng’s strength as an educator comes from the life she lived before returning to Nanyang Polytechnic to teach full-time. A practising artist and former artistic director of digital art programme Noise Metaverse, she spent years curating immersive digital experiences and experimenting with form, narrative, and audience engagement.
Her studio practice informs how she teaches: layering experiences, scaffolding discovery, and helping learners navigate the unfamiliar. “I borrow techniques from the art world and apply those methods to unpack creativity for students,” she explains. She’s especially drawn to the ways artists across history tried to be creative – not just what they made. “People think creativity is something you either have or don’t. I want my students to see that it’s a skill. It can be learnt.”
She tailors lessons to her students’ trades and traits (5 September 2025)
"Ms Izriena Idris meets students where they are at – designing competitions around their social media trends, or speaking the language of their courses. This is all part of the skills she imparts as ITE College East Lifeskills Lecturer, role-modelled with her special blend of care and rigour.
Ms Izriena Idris is a Lifeskills Lecturer at ITE College East, but to her nursing students, she speaks like a nurse, and to her engineering students, she speaks like an engineer.
This is a method Ms Izriena describes as “trade-speak”, where she adapts lifeskills to the specific language and context of each student’s future profession. It reflects her belief that teaching should connect with students’ training, be relevant to their professional identities, and make soft skills applicable to daily life and work.
For instance, when teaching communication to nursing students, she emphasises phrases that convey emotional sensitivity and build empathy. These skills are necessary for nurses who regularly handle delicate conversations with patients and their families during vulnerable moments. With engineering students, she helps them emphasise clarity, structure, and logic in their statements – attributes essential for reporting faults or managing technical issues.
“Communication looks different in every job, and makes a difference in every job,” she explains.
Her own chameleon-like skills at communication and rapport-building are what landed her the lecturing career she enjoys.
Over 15 years ago, she was handling marketing and college relations at ITE when her manager spotted her ability to connect with students of all backgrounds. She eventually decided to become a lecturer, where her skills in business services and professional development could make a direct impact on students.
Reading the room and switching up the energy
Through Ms Izriena’s lessons on public speaking, resume writing, and financial literacy, her students learn to put their best professional foot forward.
However, these subjects might inadvertently come across as too abstract or not directly relevant to students, and this requires Ms Izriena to be creative and adaptive.
For example, when she was teaching mental health as part of her Personal & Professional Development modules, she observed her students becoming restless. She quickly adapted, putting aside her lesson plan to ask them about mental health struggles that they had come across.
Gradually, the students opened up and shared stories about their close friends, family members and even themselves. “Once they heard their classmates share personal experiences, it changed everything,” says Ms Izriena. “Suddenly, they were listening.”
And only then did she return to her lesson plan."
He brings purpose and precision to every classroom move (5 September 2025)
"Shaking things up may be a good way to describe Mr Marek Otreba’s style of teaching. He thrives on using innovation to help students be better thinkers at St Andrew’s Secondary School. The Lead Teacher (Social Studies) earns his students’ respect not just for running fun and engaging lessons, but for making learning more accessible through differentiated lessons.
You could write your answers on paper or… How about getting out of your seat, pretend to be an influencer, find a spot around the school and deliver your answers via a video post?
To Mr Marek Otreba’s students, such are the fun and spontaneous activities he comes up with in class and out.
Get to know Mr Otreba better and it is clear that a lot of thought goes on behind these seemingly casual moves. Every task, digital feedback form, or station rotation (a structured circuit of short activities each focused on a specific skill), starts from an intentional place to help students think harder, grow in skill or values, or to simply benefit from differentiated instructions.
A different kind of Humanities teacher
Originally from Canada, the 42-year-old Lead Teacher (Social Studies) at St Andrew’s Secondary School came to Singapore in 2011 following two years of teaching in the UK. It was a “sliding doors” moment: He was seeking a permanent teaching role, and MOE reached out via an international job portal.
When offered the role, he was told: “We don’t want you to adapt to the way we teach Humanities. We want you to ignite change.” He has stayed true to that invitation.
Over the years, Mr Otreba has led and co-led cluster and national-level Networked Learning Communities (NLCs), and founded the Assessment and A.I. NLC, to explore how emerging technologies can support meaningful teaching and learning. For these efforts, he was conferred the MOE Outstanding Innovator Award in 2023."
She teaches them ‘not just to look but also to see’ (5 September 2025)
"It’s been no regrets for Mdm Elsie Cheng, who swopped engineering for teaching to leave more impact on people’s lives. She finds imparting and shaping values to be among the most rewarding parts of teaching design and technology as Edgefield Secondary School’s Head of Department for Craft & Technology.
There is a moment that Mdm Elsie Cheng Swee Eng will never forget: Her Design and Technology student, passionate about cats, was struggling to sketch his idea for a grooming device. His drawings were a far cry from the elegant solution he envisioned.
Mdm Cheng could see where the possibilities lay, but she was not about to lay them on a silver platter. Instead, she offered tips to guide him there.
Months later, that same student built a prototype that dispensed powder while grooming, which helped contain the flurry from the pets’ shedding fur. As she holds up a photo of his creation, Mdm Cheng, the Head of Department for Craft & Technology at Edgefield Secondary School, smiles with pride. What mattered to her was not the result, but the growth of the student as he worked towards his goal.
This moment was one of many that cemented her decision to leave the corporate world to become a teacher.
From engineer to educator
At the start of her career, after graduating with a degree in mechanical engineering, she joined Hewlett-Packard as a procurement engineer. But that left her feeling unfulfilled somehow. “I could not get the kind of job satisfaction I wanted. I did not get to see the end product, or the impact of what I was doing.”
She thought about how her Secondary 2 Form Teacher had seen an educator in her and suggested that she take up some tutoring work way back when.
Hence, she made a shift to education in 2011 – with no regrets. Her engineering expertise gave her a systematic way of breaking down challenges, but teaching gave her something deeper: the chance to shape lives. “In engineering, I was solving problems. In education, I am helping others learn to solve them.”
Students are attracted to Physics thanks to her magnetic lessons (5 September 2025)
"Mdm Quek Shir Ryn is driven to show how relevant Science is in her students’ lives, so that they embrace the subject beyond grades. As Head of Department (Science) at Bartley Secondary School, she also exudes a gravitational pull on colleagues to design more engaging learning experiences together.
Mdm Quek Shir Ryn did not enjoy Science as a student. That is always a surprise coming from the Head of Department of Science (!) at Bartley Secondary School. She might even have spaced out once or twice in class, she confesses, because “I couldn’t understand the ‘why’ behind the concepts”.
As a teacher today, when she sees her students looking restless, it reminds her of her younger self. “It’s not that they are not trying. I can see that they are trying very hard in many other areas like their CCA, Student-Initiated Learning, or leading their peers,” she reasons. That is a signal to her to up her game, to help them find the relevance behind what they are learning.
Making links to industry and perfumery
Her intent came through clearly in the years after the Covid-19 pandemic. The school’s Applied Learning Programme (ALP) in Chemical and Applied Sciences (Fragrance) had stalled. Industry partnerships had gone quiet, and student engagement had dipped. “I thought, I need to do something about this,” she says. “If we want our students to take science seriously — to see its relevance — then they need to see it applied in the real world.”
Mdm Quek reached out to companies and strengthened partnerships with industry players such as P&G and Scent by Six, who subsequently gave input to the programme. Guest speakers were invited to share career pathways in STEM, and students were brought on learning journeys to fragrance labs and consumer healthcare companies. For the perfumery module, Mdm Quek collaborated with perfumery experts to enhance students’ understanding of how scientific principles apply to real-world fragrance formulation.
Cultivating tomorrow’s STEM leaders today
As ALP programme owner, Mdm Quek is known for planning learning journeys that demonstrate real-world application of STEM concepts — including trips for department teachers to the NUS Science Demo Lab and ITE College Central. She believes that for students to be excited about STEM, teachers must first be inspired themselves.
When Secondary 3 students visited A*STAR’s National Metrology Centre, they deepened their understanding of SI units and the role measurement science plays in supporting industries. They also learned how precision in measurement underpins innovation, ensures product reliability, and facilitates international trade.
Beyond the classroom, she extends STEM learning through industry partnerships. When she brought students to Kenvue Singapore, they gained invaluable insights into the fragrance development process and learned how sensory science influences consumer experiences. They also explored how global industry leaders like Kenvue and Givaudan collaborate, and the technologies involved in creating consumer health products."
Family tradition that led to her career of a lifetime (5 September 2025)
"At first, she resisted the pull of the classroom. Now, she cannot imagine life without teaching. Mdm Lee Siok Kwan, PE Teacher at Woodgrove Primary School, comes from four generations of teachers. She designs physical activities that build character, imparts skills, reinforces values and promotes mental well-being.
At 55, after 24 years in the teaching service, Mdm Lee Siok Kwan has taught thousands of students. For all her students, she hopes to leave behind moments that matter to each.
Mdm Lee, who currently teaches Physical Education (PE) and Programme for Active Learning (PAL) at Woodgrove Primary School, gets so much job satisfaction that she cannot picture herself retiring. “I want to keep teaching as long as I can,” she says. “Teaching warms my heart and fills my soul.”
Teaching in their DNA
Coming from a family of teachers – grandparents, parents, husband, and soon, her son – Mdm Lee initially resisted the pull of the classroom. “Teaching is in my DNA, but I never knew it,” she says.
After her GCE A-Level examination, without any clear goal in mind, she enrolled in what was then known as the College of Physical Education at the suggestion of her father, a PE teacher himself. Her initial years as a beginning teacher were challenging, but also rich in learning, which laid the foundation for her teaching career. Subsequently, she took four years off to raise her four children, but she had already been bitten by the teaching bug by then.
“I was grateful I was there for my children’s milestones, and thankful that MOE kept the job open for me all those years.” When she was ready to return to work, what surprised her was how much she missed teaching and she appreciated the opportunity to continue “touch(ing) many lives”.
The class that made her realise her true calling
Posted to Woodgrove Primary School to teach PE and English after her extended absence, she faced a class which posed various challenges. There were social-emotional concerns, learning difficulties, and dysfunctional home situations rolled into one – her toughest class to date.
“I made the effort to get to know the students well, eat with them during recess, and find out their interests,” she says. Through these informal encounters, she listened to their stories and began to understand them better while forging bonds with them."
With a culture shift, she turns mistakes into motivation (5 September 2025)
"How do teachers respond to their students’ errors? At Kong Hwa School, they view them as springboards to learning and growth. Ms Diana Lin’s “Culture of Error” approach also shapes student mindsets to look beyond grades and strive for improvement.
The Primary 6 girl was inconsolable. Tears streamed down her face over her score that was just shy of a better grade.
Her teacher Ms Diana Lin, better known to her students as Mrs Tan, was concerned. Here was a child who wanted to become a teacher when she grew up, and loved learning, but was feeling so upset over missing a single percentage point.
While such incidents do not happen frequently, Mrs Tan, who is Kong Hwa School’s School Staff Developer and has been teaching at the school for two decades, says that these incidents crystallise the need to help children see that learning is about growth, not just grades.
Rewriting the rules of mistakes
Mrs Tan, a recipient of the MSEA Gold Award in 2022 and the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan LEAP Award in 2024, has been reshaping how teachers and students across the school approach mistakes.
She worked with her Vice-Principal to create a “Culture of Error”. This approach challenges both teachers and students to see mistakes as learning opportunities rather than something undesirable. The approach required teachers to examine their own reactions to student errors and reflect on how their responses influenced classroom dynamics.
“It took a little bit of time for everyone to get on board,” Mrs Tan acknowledges. “Teachers had to be vulnerable and share how they feel about making mistakes as an adult, and rethink how they react and respond towards their students’ mistakes.”
This Science teacher is a ‘balsam plant’ for spreading knowledge and kindness (5 September 2025)
"At Endeavour Primary School, Mr Jonathan Lo’s secret to effective Science education is to make it so captivating that students forget they are learning. The Head of Department of Science proves every day that the most rigorous form of education can often feel like play.
When 12-year-old Adhrit Rayala is asked what plant his teacher would be, he says, “Balsam plant.”
Then, with theatrical flair, he makes an exploding hand gesture to mimic seeds bursting from their pods. Most teachers would be bewildered with the comparison. Mr Jonathan Lo, however, takes it as a compliment, tickled. He even teasingly clarifies with Adhrit if he is referring to the knowledge he imparts, and Adhrit nods emphatically.
It is a metaphor that captures exactly how Mr Lo teaches – knowledge spreading far and wide through his thoughtful pedagogy at Endeavour Primary School.
“He makes science come to life!” Adhrit says, eyes sparkling as he recounts adventures that sound more like treasure hunts than textbook lessons. Like the time Mr Lo mysteriously brought plants to class, only to have students design their own experiments to see how water is transported in plants. Or when a seed collection project sent Adhrit’s family across the island in search of a floating seed found only at West Coast Park.
This is Science education at Endeavour Primary School: experiential, engaging, and transformative.
Rewriting the rules
Where Mr Lo is concerned, “I do not want to teach just based on the textbook. It is boring to learn the flower parts by only reading about them,” he states.
Instead, his lessons unfold like real-world mysteries. And this also applies to Mathematics. To get students to understand percentage change, Mr Lo brought in an example of a movie-ticket promotion that looked great… until students crunched the numbers. What could have been a routine exercise morphed into a masterclass in critical thinking, consumer behaviour, and ethics.
“I asked them about their feelings and opinions about the deal. ‘What do you really think about these promotions? Would you be attracted?’” Soon, the class was debating how companies market to seniors, students, and families, and whether those deals were truly fair.
Then came the twist: Mr Lo told his students that he was misled by the terms of this promotion, and explained how he provided feedback and got a refund. “Even as a teacher, I am still learning.”
She teaches lessons in flavour, grit and dignity (5 September 2025)
"For Ms Lina Tan Lay Nah, food is never just food. It offers a chance to connect, go green, or advance patient care. At Nanyang Polytechnic, the Senior Lecturer and specialist in food technology teaches students how to create meaningful products and find purpose in the process.
Food isn’t just sustenance, says Ms Lina Tan Lay Nah. It’s care, comfort, and when done well, a form of dignity. And above all, it must be tasty.
“If it’s not tasty, forget it,” she often tells her students. No matter how nutritious a dish is, she believes it won’t succeed unless people actually want to eat it.
That focus sharpened in 2019, when her father-in-law, who had dysphagia, choked after she made him a nutrient-rich porridge, thoughtfully enhanced with goji berries. The berries’ seeds, which retained their firmness after cooking, created a dual texture that was hazardous for someone with swallowing difficulties.
For Ms Tan, a Specialist (Food Technology) and Senior Lecturer at Nanyang Polytechnic, the experience wasn’t just humbling. It marked a turning point.
Overcoming her berry bad start
In ageing Singapore, where nearly one in four citizens will be 65 or older by 2030, dysphagia is a growing concern. The condition, which affects one’s ability to swallow safely, can lead to malnutrition, aspiration pneumonia, and even death.
Yet food options for its patients are somewhat limited, bland, and unappealing. Ms Tan then made it her mission to develop meals that are both suitable and enjoyable.
She introduced the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), encouraging students to reimagine food for people with swallowing difficulties.
One of their creations included the world’s first nutrient-fortified local dessert for such patients, a Herbal Tea Duo that won at the 13th Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards 2025 (Food & Nutrition category), and a mocktail that was recognised by the World Food Innovation Awards 2025 (Best Drink Innovation).
One team even reimagined bandung, the nostalgic rose syrup drink, into a safer version, as liquids that are too thin may go down the windpipe."
He teaches AI, assisted by AI (5 September 2025)
"In his classroom, Mr Max Chua, a Lecturer at ITE College West, blends empathy with innovation, using AI to teach and to listen. His own story of second chances now shapes how he gives others theirs.
The Advanced Computing Lab at ITE College West is nearly bare. Just a few pieces of AI-generated artwork are displayed in a cabinet at the entrance, and bright green tables glow under fluorescent lights.
This minimalistic room is where Mr Max Chua, who teaches at the School of Electronics & Info-Comm Technology, reimagines how students learn AI. “As part of our curriculum and pedagogy development, I created the AI Classroom to personalise learning at scale – essentially giving every student the experience of a class size of one,” he explains.
In his classes, students self-explore key concepts using GenAI tools, supported by prompt engineering guides and scaffolding questions. With GenAI, students can enjoy personalised advice to their questions. Then, during lessons, Mr Chua guides the class to apply these concepts to solve real-world problems.
The results are promising. “Students who went through the AI Classroom scored around 20 per cent better than those in normal classroom groups. Many also shared that AI helped them better understand coding and gave them the motivation to explore further.”
Learning without barriers
Making technology accessible is a constant theme in Mr Chua’s work. He specialises in AI, High Performance Computing (HPC), and Electronics Engineering, and has created modules that allow students to build real-world AI applications, even if they have never written a line of code.
“Not everyone comes in knowing how to code. My job is to scaffold learning: to deconstruct concepts so students can build their foundation from the ground up,” he says, as a leader of ITE’s Generative AI HPC teams.
His curriculum work features partnerships with Amazon Web Services, Google, and the National Supercomputing Centre. He also leads Train-the-Trainer sessions and develops general electives that support fellow educators. His workshops on AI and HPC have benefitted over 100 fellow educators. “I myself cannot teach the whole world. I need to multiply this effect,” Mr Chua elaborates.
Beyond his work at ITE, Mr Chua contributes to the community to build up AI competencies in Singapore. He is part of digital community The Gen-C, a collaboration between the National Library Board and AWS that upskills the public in AI skills like prompt engineering, working with Large Language Models (LLMs), and fine-tuning models."
She weaves a passion for nature into language lessons (5 September 2025)
"Ms Debbie Wong, who teaches English Language and Literature at North Vista Secondary School, shows that when students connect authentically with Singapore’s natural heritage, they don’t just learn about conservation – they become its champions.
A text message arrives, accompanied by a close-up of a spider. “This should be the green crab spider?” writes 15-year-old Alfonse Lee, who moments earlier had walked straight into a web at a park and immediately pulled out his phone to document the encounter.
Ms Debbie Wong’s face lights up as she remembers this: It’s not just the spider encounter that excites her – it’s what the encounter represents. Here’s a student who once walked through the world focused inward but now looks out and up, stopping to examine creatures most people would ignore, curious enough to reach out to his teacher to learn more.
An English Language and Literature teacher who is also the School Staff Developer, Ms Wong has spent the past two years weaving environmental consciousness into language learning. Her dedication has not gone unnoticed: She was nominated for the Inspiring Teacher of English Award in 2024 and received NParks’ Community in Nature, Teacher of the Year Award the same year.
From aircon to advocacy
The irony isn’t lost on Ms Wong that she was once everything her current self is not. “I was a creature of comfort,” she admits with a laugh. “Air-conditioning over outdoor adventures, every time.”
The shift came through heartbreak of the most personal kind. When both her daughters were diagnosed with dyslexia , “I was very crushed,” Ms Wong says. “I felt that they wouldn’t be able to appreciate the written word the way that I would as an English Language and Literature teacher. It was heartbreaking.”
Desperate for alternatives, she began taking them outdoors. The moment of clarity came after a walk at Changi Beach with her older daughter. Suddenly animated and confident, the little girl delivered a presentation about intertidal marine life to her Kindergarten 2 classmates. “She was brimming with joy,” Ms Wong recalls. “You could hear the pride and wonder in her voice.”
TWhen Ms Wong shared this story with her Secondary 3 class, their immediate response was, “Ms Wong, we want to do that for our Values-in-Action project too!”
He turns classrooms into creative spaces and safe havens (5 September 2025)
"To his students, he’s not judgy – that’s high praise coming from teens. Mr Abdul Hadi Bin Abdul Wahab, who is a Senior Teacher (Art) at Holy Innocents’ High School, welcomes adventurers who wish to dabble in all kinds of artistic media, or in inter-disciplinary learning. And when students need an open heart or a listening ear along the way, he’s there for them too.
Step into the art room at Holy Innocents’ High School (HIHS) and it is immediately clear that this is no ordinary class in progress. Students gather over sketchbooks, digital tablets, or film footage. Not because they have to, but because they want to. Whether they are using photography, animation, or installation, they are encouraged to work in the medium that lets their message speak.
This is Mr Abdul Hadi Bin Abdul Wahab’s domain, where students are trusted to think, create, and speak through their work. “I always ask my students: Are you doing this for the grade or for yourself?” says the 35-year-old Senior Teacher (Art). “Because how you answer shapes everything you produce.”
Mr Hadi took to teaching from young – starting with always finding ways as the eldest child to amuse his brothers. “I liked to design experiences or games for them, and they seemed to enjoy themselves,” says Mr Hadi, smiling at the memory. The first signs he would wind up as an art teacher came from his youthful passions for art and filmmaking.
His inaugural posting was to a junior college, where he met students who had creative chops but dropped Art after secondary school anyway. “They were creating for grades, not for themselves. When they failed, they assumed they were not creative or skillful enough,” he says. Six years in, he was convinced he should make the switch to teaching at secondary school. “I wanted to be where the foundations were being laid.”
What does it mean to make art that matters?
These days, he focuses on building those foundations, designing a curriculum that gives students room to experiment, fail, and return to their ideas with deeper insight. Drawing and painting are just the beginning. Students in his classes explore augmented reality (AR), 3D tools, film, photography… he rarely denies their choice of media. “Art should be comforting, meaningful, and speak to their hearts,” he explains.
He uses the Art Inquiry-based Learning Model to guide this process, helping students tackle real-world themes that matter to them. And when the themes are honest, so is the work. Some projects they have made include AR trails about cultural memory, fashion pieces tied to personal identity, and other projects that ask not just what looks good, but what holds meaning. When that process happens, the learning comes naturally.
One student was feeling disconnected with the art diet of portraits and still life. When she joined Mr Hadi’s class in Secondary 4, he saw that “those things did not resonate with her”. He suggested, “Why not do something for yourself?” This was followed by yet another profound question: What would you create if this were your last artwork?
This set her on a wholly unfamiliar journey, but she was inspired. She chose to make it personal: a photo installation in tribute to her mother. It was thoughtfully composed, emotionally honest, and deeply moving, says Mr Hadi, who turned it into an exhibition piece at school."
She builds confidence in ways that get students talking (5 September 2025)
"Science teacher Germain Kang could be mistaken for a life coach – that’s how passionate she feels about enhancing student wellbeing. The Year Head (Upper Sec) at Fuhua Secondary School devises strategies to build self-esteem and peer support for every student.
Ms Germain Kang keeps a folder on her phone called “Encouragement”. It is filled with messages from students thanking her for changing their lives.
What is remarkable is not that she has it – it is that she needs it. Because teaching, she learned, is equal parts giving and taking, building up and being worn down, creating hope while fighting your own moments of doubt.
The folder gets its heaviest use on days like the one she is recalling now. It was the day she missed meeting a student who regularly skipped school – for months, he made good on their arrangement to meet each morning, grinning when she treated him to some candy. “All the work was undone,” Ms Kang recounts. “It was only one day that I missed, but he didn’t come back to school.”
Making sure everyone gets a fair shot
Ms Kang is the Year Head (Upper Secondary) and Chair of the Student Development Council and Student Wellbeing Committee at Fuhua Secondary School.
One reason she feels prepared for these roles is how she has personally experienced the peaks and troughs of school life, from failing exams to being crowned secondary school valedictorian. Key to her progress, she admits, was not wanting to disappoint her parents. But what sustained her progress was the growing confidence in herself.
Enter Project FRESH, a schoolwide start-of-year programme she created with her team to help students build social confidence. They play games and use resources like conversation cards as icebreakers – all for a chance to build friendships from day one.
When gamifying quizzes in her Science classes, she creates individual as well as team modes, so “everybody gets a chance to shine and also work together to raise the bar for the whole class to win”.
And when she gives affirmation, it is for results as well as for effort. After every weighted assessment, for instance, her announcement slides list not just top scorers but also those who made the most improvement.
This has echoes of her own trajectory. “I want them to know that where you begin does not define where you can go.”
His teaching subjects? Accounting, integrity, vulnerability (5 September 2025)
"When teaching the balancing of books, Mr Simon Sng is also shaping young lives. The Year Head (Lower Secondary) at Bedok South Secondary School has a systematic approach to build relationships with students, parents, and teachers – echoing the discipline of an auditor.
Three years into his career as an auditor, Mr Simon Sng was grabbing lunch at a mall when he spotted two students struggling with their accounting homework. Without hesitation, he approached them.
“I just tapped one of them on the shoulder and asked, ‘Are you alright? Do you need help with your accounting homework?’” he recalls. That started an impromptu tutoring session, and the students opened up about what was bothering them. Then came their question that changed everything: “Are you sure you are not a teacher?”
“It was like a trigger point,” Mr Sng says. “I realised teachers impact lives.”
Soon, he would make the leap from auditing into teaching.
More than numbers, it is about integrity
Currently the Year Head (Lower Secondary) at Bedok South Secondary School, Mr Sng was once written off as an at-risk student. “I was not a good student,” he reveals. Behind his skipping of classes and disengagement during lessons, he was shouldering adult responsibilities, working as a private tutor, to help support his family when his mother was ill.
But he had teachers who supported and acknowledged his every progress, showing him that underneath all the missteps was a lot of potential. “I want to be a teacher who can be there for students like they were there for me,” he explains.
His corporate years taught him invaluable lessons about integrity and moral courage. In auditing, he had to surface discrepancies regardless of client pressure. This commitment to do what is right, even in uncomfortable situations, became deeply ingrained in his character.
Now, that same principle is threaded through all he does in education. “It is about teaching students about integrity,” he says, “having the moral courage to stand up for what is right, not just in accounting, but standing up for people who need help.”
She ensures that students with different needs have opportunities to shine (5 September 2025)
"Mdm Usha d/o Krishnasamy crafts learning moments that blend structure with heart. With calmness and consistency, coupled with innovative methods, she makes learning accessible to different learners. The Lead Teacher for Learning Needs (Special Educational Needs) at North View Primary School also guides teachers on inclusive strategies with a steady and practised hand.
“Teacher, I spoke in Tamil. You haven’t given me points.” It’s a small request from a young student. Eager, proud, beaming. But Mdm Usha d/o Krishnasamy takes it seriously. “Mother Tongue learning is about having a positive experience,” she says. “It is about providing a safe space for them to practise and explore the language.”
After 23 years in the classroom, Mdm Usha, whose students call her Mrs Theva, remains energised by these moments. Not because they are dramatic or showy, but because they signal quiet change — the kind that takes root when students feel seen and supported.
Mdm Usha is the Lead Teacher for Learning Needs (Special Educational Needs or SEN) at North View Primary School. She teaches Tamil Language and Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), and uses inclusive practices to support learning and behavioural needs both within the classroom and other school activities. She also mentors teachers of students with SEN, by guiding them on their use of inclusive practices.
A mantra she adopted, “Essential for some, useful for all”, reflects how she approaches inclusion with intention and practicality. Structured routines and simple, clear instructions form the backbone of her classes. “When I say ‘Position 3’, students know exactly the sitting posture to assume – upright, arms folded on a table clear of clutter, to be ready to learn. These cues help all my students, not just those with SEN.”
She uses multimodal and multisensory techniques — songs, chunking, visual aids, text-to-speech software — to support reading and oral communication. In her Tamil lessons, she incorporates tech platforms like Nearpod and Kahoot to spark excitement, and creates her own instructional videos to make the experience more personal.
“When students hear my voice in the videos, they recognise it immediately and tell me so! That connection makes them pay attention.” She adds, “Rapport is very important. If a teacher does not connect with the students, the same tools will not have the same effect.”
These personalised touches, Mdm Usha believes, create a sense of safety and familiarity. She reassures her students that mistakes are part of learning. “You don’t have to be perfect,” she tells them calmly. “Just try.”
She finds ways to lift her students’ ‘invisible burdens’ (5 September 2025)
"At Fuhua Primary School, Mdm Nurul Huda Bte Juma’at turns emotional touchpoints into teachable, trackable moments. The HOD (CCE) also develops schoolwide programmes that embed values into daily routines, customise care, and equip teachers to manage tough conversations.
The primary school student was clutching an unopened umbrella, catching up to his little sister to shelter her in the downpour. When their father approached, he took the girl’s hand and walked off without acknowledging the boy, leaving him standing there, drenched, his shoulders slumped in resignation.
“I just broke down,” Mdm Nurul Huda Bte Juma’at recalls of witnessing this scene involving her student from afar. “Children may be carrying invisible burdens.”
Difficult situations like this underpin her dedication to be empathetic and understanding towards every student’s needs. Currently the Head of Department for Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) of Fuhua Primary School, Mdm Huda develops comprehensive frameworks that guide in the implementation of pastoral care and weave character-building into every corner of school life.
Building systems that inculcate good values
In short, Mdm Huda doesn’t leave the inculcating of good values and outcomes to chance.
“We need to be intentional in our values education,” she says. “We need to ask ourselves — what are the learning outcomes in each particular lesson?”
Her comprehensive values chart anchors every term to one school core value, that is reinforced through multiple platforms. Each morning, student leaders share the day’s character focus during assembly with the school population. It might go like this: “The character trait of the day is care. We need to listen more, and exercise empathy for others.”
Teachers receive updates through calendar invites highlighting the core value for the week, along with curated lesson resources for reinforcement with students.
The message is then threaded through the Sixer Programme, Fuhua’s peer support programme supported by the House System that takes all the students through values-based games and activities.
To produce the chart, Mdm Huda also collaborated with the HOD PE and Aesthetics, Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) Coordinator and CCA teachers to map CCE developmental milestones into their weekly activities, ensuring classroom, CCA, and Sixer experiences reinforce one another.
The process of mapping was more intricate than it sounds: she took reference from the MOE CCE developmental milestones and repackaged them into bite-sized statements that teachers could relate to and apply in their lessons.
For instance, she created simple, adaptable statements like ‘demonstrate a positive outlook in life’ that teachers could easily incorporate across different subjects. Teachers could use this to recognise students who maintain an optimistic attitude when tackling challenging questions.
When Mdm Huda shared this milestone map with her colleagues, she was delighted that teachers appreciated its clarity and readily used the statements in their lessons."
Watch: How these educators make the ordinary, extraordinary (11 September 2025)
"These happy faces belong to the eight recipients of 2025’s President’s Award for Teachers. How exactly do they bring out the full potential of their students and colleagues?
To many of us, the teachers who leave the deepest imprint are the ones who turn the everyday rhythms of school into moments that matter.
This year’s recipients of the President’s Award for Teachers are eight such outstanding educators. At first glance, their classroom may look like any other. But so much else happens: the planning, learning, trialling, collaborating and facilitating. Not to mention the countless conversations and acts of care that all add up. And this is just for their students.
What about the work they do to shore up their profession and build up their colleagues and peers?
The effort that our eight recipients put in every day is not always obvious, but its impact stays with their students and colleagues long after."
How do MOE Kindergartens support children’s emotional and mental well-being? (18 September 2025)
"Learning to understand and manage emotions is a crucial part of every child’s development. At MOE Kindergarten (MK), we create safe spaces where children are encouraged to express themselves and learn that all feelings are valid. Here’s how our MK educators are helping our little ones build the social-emotional skills they need to form meaningful connections with others.
MK@Dazhong “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” Programme
Teachers introduced the Emotional Cups and Self-Help Kits to help children learn skills such as managing disagreements, navigating misunderstandings, or taking turns between peers.
These simple tools give children a healthy outlet to express their feelings, reflect, and resolve them.
For example, they doodle how they feel on pieces of paper, which are then ‘stored and secured’ in their personalised cups, after which, they explore what they can do using the picture cards in the self-help kit.
“As a teacher, it’s incredibly rewarding to witness how these small tools are making such a big difference. Seeing our children respond with such enthusiasm, kindness and confidence is the most joyful outcome of all.” - Ms Vaeshanavi Manoharan, MK Level Head at MK@Dazhong
MK@Tampines Social and Emotional Check-in CornerHere, children are given the time and space to pause and reflect on their emotions.
Resources such as emotion charts empower them to recognise, name and navigate their feelings. The space helps little ones develop self-regulation skills through calming strategies like deep breathing, sensory tools and fidgets.
“Teaching values can be an abstract concept for children. As teachers, we break down what each value looks like in real-life situations and make it as concrete as possible to the children.” - Ms Sasha Leung, MK Level Head at MK@Tampines"
The Real Life of Teachers: The Good and the Gritty (23 September 2025)
"Beyond the lesson plans and CCAs lies the true story of what it means to teach. 18 educators open up about the moments that build them, challenge them, and remind them why they chose this calling.
These 18 teachers know that real teaching can happen anytime.
During classes? Sure.
But also in the unscripted, unexpected moments between lesson plans.
Far from an Instagrammable moment, it’s…
The professional expertise that turns chaos into learning.
The emotional intelligence that reads invisible struggles.
The canteen chats that changes lives.
Meet 2025’s President’s Award for Teachers (PAT) recipients and finalists
Welcome to the real life of teachers.
The good, the gritty, and everything in between."
Our Schools, Our Stories 2025 (25 September 2025)
"Our Schools, Our Stories is an annual photo and video contest organised by the Ministry of Education that celebrates the unique stories of everyday school life, as seen through the eyes of students, staff, and the wider school community.
Discover the winning entries of this year’s contest. More than just photographs or videos, these are stories that celebrate the relationships, experiences, and opportunities that make school a place of growth and inspiration."
Our School Community: Junior Category (25 September 2025)
"School is more than just a place of learning — it is where the extended school family grow, support, and inspire one another. Witness shared moments and meaningful collaborations, where everyone plays a part in making a difference.
BEST PHOTO STORY
School Life in a Snap
By Hsu Audrianna Ii-Zanne, Lyha Medina Binte Kamzaruddin and Kieran Tan Ze Xu
Fuhua Primary School
Teacher Facilitator: Ms Najuma Banu
We love capturing the fun and exciting moments that happen across the different CCAs in our school.
From friends dancing, training on the field, and playing the guzheng, to learning how to start a fire with dried leaves, every moment is a memory worth snapping.
In our Infocomm CCA, we learn how to take clear and creative photos, using techniques like framing, lighting, and timing. Sometimes we capture action, other times we focus on happy faces and teamwork.
Each photo tells its own story. We’re proud to be behind the lens, turning everyday school life into lasting memories."
Our School Community: Youth Category (25 September 2025)
"School is more than just a place of learning — it is where the extended school family grow, support, and inspire one another. Witness shared moments and meaningful collaborations, where everyone plays a part in making a difference.
BEST PHOTO STORY
More Than a Teacher: A Mentor , A Friend , An Inspiration
By Png Yi Qi, Tay Xin Ying, Rachael and Zhang Haoran
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School
Teacher Facilitator: Mr Yip Seng Yiam Gerald
My Chinese teacher, Madam Chi King Kiok, has devoted over 50 years to education.
She’s now in her 80s. After retiring in 2008, she continued as a flexi-adjunct teacher, finding joy and meaning in guiding the next generation.
With patience and empathy, she formed close bonds with us and became someone we could trust. Embracing the spirit of lifelong learning, she overcame challenges in adapting to new technology, learning from her younger colleagues and students along the way.Her advice to the younger generation is to manage time well, use mobile devices wisely, and always stay in control of emotions. Her unwavering dedication continues to inspire many."
Our School Community: MOE Staff Category (25 September 2025)
"School is more than just a place of learning — it is where the extended school family grow, support, and inspire one another. Witness shared moments and meaningful collaborations, where everyone plays a part in making a difference.
BEST PHOTO STORY
A Journey of Kindness: K1 Children Touch Hearts in the Neighbourhood
By Mr Prakash Ezekiel
MOE Kindergarten @ Bendemeer Primary School
Our K1 children embarked on a learning journey to appreciate the unsung heroes in our neighbourhood.
From packing care packs to making heartfelt crafts, they personally thanked shopkeepers, construction workers, and MRT staff for their hard work.
Through these simple acts, our young learners discovered empathy and gratitude, interacting with confidence and kindness.
This outreach built awareness, self-confidence, and a deeper sense of community — a reminder that even young hearts can uplift and inspire."
World of Possibilities: Junior Category (25 September 2025)
"Discover how school opens up a world of possibilities for both students and staff, whether through innovative learning, new experiences, or opportunities that inspire growth and discovery.
BEST PHOTO STORY
Ready to Dream, Ready to Try
By Lionell Ho Yao Zu and Danise Jacob
Woodlands Ring Primary School
Teacher Facilitator: Mr Muhammad Bin Amir Said Alkatiri
School is where we discover endless possibilities. Whether it is leaping for the sky, scoring a basket, kicking a ball, or walking with friends, every moment sparks adventure.
Here, we are encouraged to explore, challenge ourselves, and grow in confidence. School is not just lessons, but where we find talents, push limits, and believe anything is possible. And through it all, we live our motto — We Do Our Best. With effort and courage, the possibilities are endless."
World of Possibilities: Youth Category (25 September 2025)
"Discover how school opens up a world of possibilities for both students and staff, whether through innovative learning, new experiences, or opportunities that inspire growth and discovery.
BEST PHOTO STORY
Different Pathways, Endless Possibilities
By Ngui Shisi, Joie Nio Yu Tong and Goh Zi Riz Tiffanys
Nanyang Junior College
Teacher Facilitator: Mr Chan Guang Hui
Our school offers many co-curricular activities, from drama to dance, giving students chances to shine. These experiences deliver a newfound and refreshed meaning to school life, as they open doors beyond academics.
Whether on stage or on the sports court, every movement is a brushstroke in each student’s book. It is more than a moment; it is a door to endless possibilities and pathways yet to be discovered."
World of Possibilities: MOE Staff Category (25 September 2025)
"Discover how school opens up a world of possibilities for both students and staff, whether through innovative learning, new experiences, or opportunities that inspire growth and discovery.
BEST PHOTO STORY
Chasing Curiosity in China
By Ms Chua Zheng Yi Jane
Kheng Cheng School
These photos show how my students stepped out of their classrooms and into a world of wonder.
In Shanghai and Suzhou, every street, museum and garden became a place to learn. From observing koi in a garden pond in Suzhou’s Museum to posing under lanterns in an alley, each snapshot reflects their growth and joy.
Whether laughing at new discoveries or learning to navigate cultural differences, they show how learning comes live in unexpected ways. This was more than a trip; it was a journey of hearts, minds and friendships."
Priceless Moments: Junior Category (25 September 2025)
"What makes your school experience memorable? What moments make you smile, learn, or grow? See the special moments in school that we cherish.
BEST PHOTO STORY
Hi! I’m Sheldon!
By Ridwan Bin Razali
Fernvale Primary School
Teacher Facilitator: Ms Siti Erliasari Binte Haroon
I want to share my priceless journey since transferring to Fernvale Primary School. On my first day, I met Calvin, who became my first friend. He’s very kind, and introduced me to classmates who would shape my school experience.
My love for soccer helped me bond with them. I’ll never forget the moment they cheered for me and celebrated with me during our PE lesson. They made me feel truly accepted.
Exploring Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden opened my eyes to new adventures, but my most treasured moment was building a LEGO model of our school stage with my friends. As we clicked the pieces together, I knew I had found my place here."
Priceless Moments: Youth Category (25 September 2025)
"What makes your school experience memorable? What moments make you smile, learn, or grow? See the special moments in school that we cherish.
BEST PHOTO STORY
In The Spaces We Shared
By Yee Yi Hui and Edelia Binte Muhamad Nizam
Nanyang Junior College
Teacher Facilitator: Mr Chan Guang Hui
The most priceless moments aren’t always the big events or loud celebrations. It’s the little moments, the quiet laughs and simple joys, that stay with us forever — snapshots of joy, friendship, and togetherness that we hold close.
We chose moments that reflect our journey: the thrill of learning something new together, the burst of colour and collaboration in creating a shared canvas, and the gentle exchange of ideas when guidance becomes inspiration. Each moment reveals the bonds we’ve forged, the creativity we’ve sparked and the memories that bring warmth to our hearts.
These are the moments that unite us."
Priceless Moments: MOE Staff Category (25 September 2025)
"What makes your school experience memorable? What moments make you smile, learn, or grow? See the special moments in school that we cherish.
BEST PHOTO STORY
A Teacher’s Campsite Reflection
By Mr Ng Chin Yong Ivan
South View Primary School
Watching my students at the P5 camp is one of the most rewarding moments of the year. I saw them overcome fears — scaling rock walls, abseiling with trembling hands — and many succeeded. Their faces beamed, flushed with excitement at what they’ve managed to accomplish.
Through team challenges, they learned to communicate, to listen, and to encourage. The raucous cheers, the happy chatter, and the tired groans after a long hot day all reminded me of the bonds they were building.
What touched me most was witnessing the quieter students shine — going further than most, gamely trying new experiences while others hesitated, surprising even their friends.
Camp isn’t just about adventure, it’s about growth. As their teacher, it fills me with pride to see how they’ve grown, not just as students, but as young individuals finding their footing."
What I Go To School For (25 September 2025)
"What makes school so meaningful? Explore these winning video entries by students, teachers, and school staff from the Our Schools, Our Stories Photo & Video Contest 2025. Here, they show us the moments, people, and passions that shape school life.
BEST VIDEO: JUNIOR
The Heartbeat of Our School
By Tai Cen Qian Adelle, Lau Ying Xi and Yeo Ling
Commonwealth Secondary School
Teacher Facilitator: Mr Christopher Sim
HONOURABLE MENTION: JUNIOR
Hey Wait!
By Zoya Gulam Moinuddin Rehman
First Toa Payoh Primary School
Teacher Facilitator: Ms Ho Chi Chia Brenda
Why I Go to School – Magical Moments
By Muhammad Zufayri Bin Mohd Faridon, Chia Yuan Kai Zac and Teow Kai Jie Jay
Pathlight School
Teacher Facilitator: Mr Benedict Song Jin Huey"
The Concert Hall Classroom (26 September 2025)
"A core learning experience in the lower-secondary Music curriculum, the Performing Arts-Based Learning (PABL) curates bespoke live music performances to connect classroom to stage, celebrate local talent, and deepen musical appreciation.
Mention live music performances and it’s understandable that concerts by international acts such as Taylor Swift and Coldplay come to mind. But beyond these large-scale, buzzy events, Singapore has no shortage of homegrown talents and music events in our own professional arts scene.
To spark students’ interest in these local acts, and forge in them a deeper sense of identity, community, and connection with Singapore’s arts and cultural heritage, MOE and the National Arts Council (NAC) initiated the Performing Arts-Based Learning (PABL) experience to bring bespoke live music performances to them. In its inception year in 2024, more than 12,000 students from 48 schools attended such specially curated music performance as part of PABL. This year, the numbers have almost doubled, with over 23,000 students from 85 schools participating in the programme.
“MOE and NAC work closely with local cultural institutions and performing arts groups to put together each PABL programme, which takes place at Singapore’s professional arts venues. We also strive to feature Singaporean artists, arts groups and local works in each programme, including those by Cultural Medallion and Young Artist Award recipients, to help students develop an appreciation for them,” elaborates MOE’s Arts Education Branch (AEB). For instance, Metropolitan Festival Orchestra (MFO) engaged 2023 Young Artist Award recipient Julian Wong to specially curate and rearrange Our Singapore Songbook’s programme since last year.
Making meaningful connections between classroom learning and the local professional arts scene
Unity Secondary School is one of the schools which participated in the PABL for the first time this year. Its Secondary 1 students attended Songsmith: Singapore Songs and Songwriting, presented by The Esplanade Co. Ltd. and Inch Chua with Metronome Collective. During the programme, students were invited to create songs with the performers.
“We simply suggested words to the singers on stage, and they turned them into a full song right there and then! I was honestly stunned by their talent. It was so cool how they could come up with melodies and lyrics so quickly. It made the performance feel super interactive and fun, and I’ll definitely remember that moment for a long time,” says Roselin Manoj, a Secondary 1 student from Unity Secondary School.
For Ms Christine Tang, Senior Teacher (Music) at Unity Secondary School, having her students on the PABL programme is a great way to include learning experiences outside the classroom, with live performances in a professional setting. “They are enriching and bring to life students’ music learning, such as the musical elements of texture, dynamics, and more,” she adds."
Four ways to improve our child’s Executive Functioning skills (26 September 2025)
"What are these skills which help with everyday tasks and challenges and how can we cultivate them? Here are some tips from MK@Punggol Cove educator Ms Khoo Lin Xiu.
Let’s learn A B C … E F! That’s EF for Executive Functioning skills. They’re important for getting through the day, even for adults. Here are 4 ways to strengthen EF skills in our preschool kids.
What are Executive Functioning skills?
EF skills include:
• paying attention
• remembering and following rules
• regulating emotions
• taking turns
• self-control
• flexible thinking"
PE teachers turn writers for SG60 e-book (24 October 2025)
"Dive into 60 stories celebrating sporting excellence, inspiring teachers and lifelong lessons in the e-book by MOE’s Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy.
For People and Country. Majulah!
That’s the tile of an e-book released in September by MOE’s Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (Pesta) as Singapore marks 60 years of independence.
Fittingly, the book is made up of 60 stories contributed by 60 teachers from across the PE fraternity.
“They are all unique and inspirational,” says Mr Hanif Abdul Rahman, Principal Master Teacher at Pesta and editor of the book on how he would describe the stories within.
If he had to choose his favourite stories, which would they be?
“If I really have to zoom in on something, it has to be the stories where the authors fondly talk about the influence of their own PE teachers or sports coaches when they were students, or the influence of their colleagues on them when they are now PE teachers.”
Read the e-book here: https://pesta.moe.edu.sg/pesta-sg60-book-for-people-and-country-majulah/"
How this English teacher went from noob to AI champ (3 November 2025)
"Mr Ghazali bin Abdul Wahab was afraid his students would be left behind if he didn’t up his tech game. How did the Lead Teacher at Canberra Secondary School springboard to the front of the class in the latest tools, and how has it changed the way he teaches?
Mr Ghazali bin Abdul Wahab stands before a room of teachers, demonstrating AI tools with emissarial zeal.
The Lead Teacher of English Language and Literature at Canberra Secondary School deploys AI to customise his lessons, mark papers and – most importantly to him – to keep students excited and engaged.
It’s quite a transformation for the educator of over 25 years who, just a few years ago, was struggling with basic digital tools during the shift to online learning.
“Suddenly, we were thrust into online learning,” he recounts of the Covid-19 lockdown period in 2020.
“I watched my colleagues who were tech-savvy adapt quickly while I struggled.”
If AI is as useful and powerful as it sounds, how helpful and relevant will teachers be in time to come? Schoolbag puts this and other tough questions to Mr Ghazali, who takes them on gamely – with no help from his AI friends."
This JC subject opens doors to the world stage (6 November 2025)
"Curious about what students learn in China Studies in English? Two students and an alumnus talk about their love for the subject and how a deeper understanding of China spills over to their appreciation of the Humanities and beyond.
For students at selected junior colleges in Singapore, the subject China Studies in English (CSE) offers a unique gateway to explore one of the world’s most influential countries whilst developing critical thinking skills that extend beyond the classroom.
“The idea of learning about another country appealed to me,” explains JC2 student Acacia Tan Hui Wen from Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), on why she picked CSE as one of her A-Level subjects.
Her initial curiosity has blossomed into deeper contemplation about global issues. She draws “similarities between social issues faced in China and Singapore, but how they’re tackled in different ways”; to support their ageing population, for example, China tends to focus on financial assistance while Singapore emphasises community-building, she says.
“CSE also reminded me of Social Studies in secondary school because both subjects involve critical thinking skills and comparison of different perspectives. It’s interesting to see the parallels between those two subjects.”
Cuts across various disciplines
In general, students of CSE find that the subject offers more than they expected. The curriculum is multi-disciplinary. Students explore a range of issues from economic policies and political stability, to social changes and foreign policy. Students could analyse China’s Belt and Road Initiative from multiple lenses by examining its economic and geopolitical implications.
Nicholas Wan, a JC2 student from Yishun Innova Junior College, is also drawn to how the subject makes connections across the humanities and social sciences. “It has allowed me to explore and get a taste of university subjects that interest me, such as History, Political Science, Sociology, Public Policy and Global Affairs,” he explains.
“Given that China wields significant global influence, understanding its political structure, economic development, societal construct and international relations gives me a strategic advantage in comprehending China,” he says. “CSE has allowed me to understand better how China has risen on the global stage, in areas such as climate change. It also helps me connect the dots between China’s growing economic influence and US’ responses, and how these manifest in economic competition.”
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."
Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary to Visit Malaysia for ASEAN Education Roundtables on 19 June 2025 (18 June 2025)
"Senior Minister of State for Education, Dr Janil Puthucheary, will attend the ASEAN Ministers of Education and Higher Education Roundtables in Langkawi, Malaysia, on 19 June 2025."
Minister for Education Desmond Lee to Attend the 53rd Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Council Conference (30 June 2025)
"Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, will attend the 53rd Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO) Council Conference in Brunei Darussalam, from 1 to 2 July 2025."
2025 School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (1 July 2025)
"The Ministry of Education (MOE) welcomes Singaporean students who are overseas to join our primary and secondary schools, junior colleges (JC) and Millennia Institute (MI) upon their return."
Disbursement of Child LifeSG Credits and Top-Ups to Edusave Account or Post-Secondary Education Account in July 2025 (3 July 2025)
"In July 2025, families with eligible children will receive a one-off disbursement of the Child LifeSG Credits (CLC) and/or a one-off top-up of $500 to their children's Edusave Account or Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA). These are part of the suite of household support measures to support families with children in managing their child-raising costs, which were announced by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong at Budget 2025."
Record Student Participation as Chinese Radio Drama Scriptwriting Competition Opens to Primary Schools (4 July 2025)
"A record number of more than 850 students across 69 educational institutions participated in this year's "Script it Right" Chinese Radio Drama Competition ("与声剧来"中文广播剧创作比赛). Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), Ms Jasmin Lau, was the Guest-of-Honour at the competition's award ceremony, which recognised student winners for their strong creative writing skills, storytelling abilities and Chinese language proficiency. The competition was jointly organised by CPCLL, UFM100.3 and Holy Innocents' High School to foster students' passion for Chinese language and storytelling."
Seven Young Educators Receive National Award for Dedication in Nurturing Students (9 July 2025)
"In recognition of their unwavering dedication and impact in nurturing their students, seven teachers received the Outstanding Youth in Education Award (OYEA) from Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, at the National Institute of Education (NIE) Teachers' Investiture Ceremony held on Wednesday, 9 July 2025."
Racial Harmony Day 2025: Our People, Our Tapestry (18 July 2025)
"Racial Harmony Day (RHD), which falls on 21 July, is commemorated annually by schools to enable students to gain a deeper appreciation of racial harmony and social cohesion. The theme 'Our People, Our Tapestry' reflects how Singapore's diverse cultures interweave to form our unique social fabric, through mutual understanding and respect of our ethnic and religious communities."
Annual Chinese Text Recital Competition Draws Record 2,500 Students (26 July 2025)
"A record number of 2,525 students from 272 primary and secondary schools, junior colleges, and Millennia Institute submitted more than 1,400 video entries for the 8th National Text Recital Competition. 107 students emerged winners and were recognised for their vocal articulation, fluency and stage presence at the award ceremony today. Guest-of-Honour Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), delivered a speech and presented awards to the winners."
196 Students Awarded Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS) (29 July 2025)
"196 students received the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS) at the 2025 SgIS Award Ceremony. Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, gave out the scholarships at the ceremony."
School Terms and Holidays for 2026 (30 July 2025)
"The school year for 2026 for all MOE primary schools (including MOE Kindergartens) and secondary schools will start on Friday, 2 January 2026 and end on Friday, 20 November 2026."
Opening Address by Minister for Education, Mr Desmond Lee, at the MOE Scholarship Ceremony (1 August 2025)
"SMS David Neo
Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman of the Public Service Commission
Colleagues, Friends
Scholarship and Award Recipients and family members
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A very good afternoon. Let me begin today's event by congratulating all our scholarship and award recipients and your invited guests.
This is the first MOE Scholarship Ceremony where we bring together recipients of the MOE Teaching Scholarships, the MOE Teaching Award and the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme (or START) Scholarships and Awards."
167 Individuals Awarded Teaching Scholarships and Grants at MOE Scholarship Ceremony (1 August 2025)
"167 individuals received scholarships and grants from Minister for Education Mr Desmond Lee at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Scholarship Ceremony held at Sands Expo & Convention Centre today. For the first time, the Scholarship ceremony brought together recipients of the MOE Teaching Scholarships, MOE Teaching Award, and the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme (START) Awards."
Students Showcase Vocal and Composition Skills at Annual Xinyao Singing and Songwriting Competition (2 August 2025)
"42 students were recognised for their vocal and composition skills at this year's "Xin Kong Xia" 《新空下》Xinyao Singing and Songwriting Competition Grand Finals. A record number of close to 100 students from 23 schools participated in the Singing (Group) Category, which continues to garner interests from inter-school team participation, with the team from Nan Hua High School and Tanjong Katong Girls' School emerging as finalists to compete for the top three prizes at the grand finals. Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), Ms Jasmin Lau, graced the event and delivered an opening speech."
Students Showcase Creativity and Vocal Skills in Inaugural Malay Choral Recitation Competition (11 August 2025)
"More than 190 primary and secondary students advanced to the finals of Katapella 2025, Singapore's first national-level Malay choral recitation competition, where students showcased their linguistic talents and creative expressions in the Malay language."
More Than 180 Students Showcase Public Speaking and Critical Thinking Skills at Inaugural National Debate Competition (16 August 2025)
"185 students from 28 secondary schools and pre-university institutions participated in the inaugural National Schools Chinese Debate Competition, and 24 finalists were recognised at the awards ceremony held today. Guest-of-Honour Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), delivered a pre-recorded speech at the event."
Preschool Teachers Recognised for Nurturing Love for Chinese Language Through Storytelling (16 August 2025)
"28 preschool teachers emerged winners at this year's Storytelling Aids Competition for Preschool Chinese Language Teachers (2025年学前华文教师故事教具制作比赛). With over 270 entries, this year's competition saw one of the highest participations in the past three years. The annual competition aims to inspire preschool Chinese Language teachers to engage children and nurture their interest in learning Chinese Language through creative storytelling."
Opera Estate Primary School and Yusof Ishak Secondary School Emerge as Champions of Katapella 2025 (22 August 2025)
"Opera Estate Primary School and Yusof Ishak Secondary School have emerged as the champions of Katapella 2025, Singapore's first national-level Malay choral recitation competition, in the primary school and secondary school categories respectively. Each winning team received a trophy and book vouchers worth $3,200."
Inaugural National Chinese Reading Competition Draws Over 2,500 Student Participants (23 August 2025)
"A total of 2,541 students from 239 primary and secondary schools participated in the inaugural National Chinese Reading Competition. Among them, 135 students across the primary and secondary school categories advanced to the competition finals today. Guest-of-Honour Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State for Education and Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL), delivered a speech and presented awards to 50 student winners at the award ceremony."
Relocation of Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre to 1 Victoria Lane from January 2027 (23 August 2025)
"New Campus Will Provide UPTLC with Larger Learning Spaces and Upgraded Facilities to Support Teaching and Learning
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will be relocating the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre (UPTLC), currently located at 2 Beatty Road, to the former Stamford Primary School Site at 1 Victoria Lane with effect from January 2027, following the expiry of its tenancy at 2 Beatty Road in December 2026."
195 Students Recognised for Diverse Achievements at Annual Special Awards Ceremony (26 August 2025)
"This year, 206 Special Awards were given out to 195 students from 91 educational institutions to recognise their diverse achievements in both academic and non-academic domains. Minister for Education Mr Desmond Lee presented the awards at the Special Awards Presentation Ceremony on 26 August 2025 at the National University of Singapore's University Cultural Centre."
Singapore Students Win 18 Gold Medals, 17 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Medals and 1 Team Championship in this Year's International Olympiads and International Young Physicists' Tournament (27 August 2025)
"The Ministry of Education (MOE) congratulates all students for their outstanding performance in the International Olympiads for Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Mathematics, Nuclear Science, Physics, Artificial Intelligence, Informatics, and the International Young Physicists' Tournament, which were held overseas from June to August 2025. Outside of the competitions, our students gained valuable experience through interactions with like-minded peers from all around the world."
Four Teachers Recognised at Most Inspiring Tamil Teachers' Award Ceremony 2025 (30 August 2025)
"Four teachers received the Most Inspiring Tamil Teachers' (MITT) Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions in the teaching and learning of the Tamil Language. In addition to the MITT Award, one teacher was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award while another received the Best National Institute of Education (NIE) Tamil Trainee Teacher Award."
Eight Teachers Receive Top Honours for Dedication and Excellence in Education (4 September 2025)
"Eight outstanding educators received this year's President's Award for Teachers from President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the annual Teachers' Day Reception on 4 September 2025."
Addendum to the President's Address (17 September 2025)
"MR DESMOND LEE
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will continue to enhance our education system so that Singaporeans can flourish at every stage of their lives and reach their fullest potential, regardless of starting point. We will equip and empower Singaporeans to learn for life and thrive in an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-transformed future."
Close to 10,000 Student Athletes Recognised for Sporting Achievements at Colours Award 2025 (26 September 2025)
"This year, a total of 9,963 student athletes received recognition for their sporting achievements and display of good sporting character through the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) Colours Award. The Award is presented to students from secondary schools, junior colleges, and Millennia Institute."
Singapore Teachers Embrace Digital Technologies and Benefit from Strong Professional Development: OECD TALIS 2024 Study (7 October 2025)
"Based on the findings of the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) 2024, Singapore teachers have been quick to adopt digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to teach their students more effectively. They have benefited from strong pre-service teacher preparation and continual professional development throughout their careers. Our teachers also felt valued by society, and view teaching as an attractive first-choice career option."
41 Schools to Welcome New Principals in 2026 (8 October 2025)
"The Ministry of Education (MOE) will appoint 41 Principals at the annual Appointment and Appreciation Ceremony for Principals on 30 December 2025. Of these, 25 are newly appointed Principals."
MOE Financial Assistance Schemes to Benefit an Additional 31,000 Students (16 October 2025)
"The Ministry of Education (MOE) will revise the income eligibility criteria and raise the quanta of several of its financial assistance schemes for Singaporean students in schools and Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs).
These enhancements can benefit 31,000 more students from lower- and middle-income households, by helping them cope with education-related costs and access school and post-secondary programmes. This brings the total number of students who would benefit from MOE's financial assistance schemes annually to about 133,000."
Open for Nominations: President's Award for Teachers and Outstanding Youth in Education Award (21 October 2025)
"The Ministry of Education (MOE) invites members of the public to nominate educators who have made outstanding contributions in moulding the future of our nation. Nominations for the national awards below are now open.
President's Award for Teachers 2026
The President's Award for Teachers (PAT) recognises experienced educators who are role models for the teaching profession. These educators adopt innovative approaches in their lessons, are lifelong learners and are mentors to their peers. They embody deep passion for teaching, and inspire their students and peers through their words and deeds.
The award is open to teachers from primary schools, secondary schools, Junior Colleges (JC) / Millennia Institute (MI), as well as educators from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), polytechnics and the National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC). Since 1998, PAT has recognised over 140 educators for their teaching excellence, dedication and hard work."
Close to 400 Students Explore Singapore's Multicultural Heritage Through 8th Cultural Heritage Walk 2025年 "走出校园，走进文化" (25 October 2025)
"398 students from 16 secondary schools embarked on an immersive journey through Singapore's historic Bukit Pasoh and Chinatown districts on 25 October 2025, as part of the annual Cultural Heritage Walk. Students explored culturally significant landmarks such as the Kong Chow Wui Koon, Masjid Jamae, and Sri Mariamman Temple, as well as two newly-added sites, the Chinatown Heritage Centre and Harmony in Diversity Gallery."
Three Teachers Lauded for Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning of Malay Language (1 November 2025)
"Three Malay Language teachers were recognised for their outstanding contributions to the teaching and learning of the Malay Language at this year's Arif Budiman Malay Language Teacher Award Ceremony on Saturday, 1 November 2025. Guest-of-Honour Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and Second Minister for Finance and National Development, presented the awards to the recipients."
Commentary: Teenagers know vaping is harmful. That doesn’t mean they’ll stop (5 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: My 15-year-old son recently came home from a student leader workshop and told me he’d spent the afternoon with former drug offenders.
The men he met spoke about choices they had made in their youth that slowly led to other risks and ultimately derailed their lives. Their stories included cigarettes, vapes, and increasingly, Kpods - vape pods laced with dangerous anaesthetics. Many said it started with curiosity, peer pressure, or "just trying it once".
My son said their stories didn’t feel like a lecture. They didn’t use scare tactics. They just straight up told their stories, plainly and honestly.
As a parent, I was struck by how formative the workshop was for my son.
Teenagers are often told what not to do. Don’t smoke. Don’t vape. Don’t take drugs. But if you really think about it, how often are they given the space to understand why, or to contribute to the conversations?"
Enhanced internship, higher starting pay among recommendations to draw architectural, engineering talent (5 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A task force for architectural and engineering consultants has proposed enhanced internships with higher starting salaries and dedicated mentors, among a list of 11 recommendations to drive talent to the built environment consultancy sector.
It comes as Singapore's long-term infrastructure plans, such as the Long Island, Greater Southern Waterfront and Changi Airport's Terminal 5 looms on the horizon.
“To turn these complex developments into reality, we need capable and passionate BE (built environment) professionals,” said Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for National Development."
I used to think my mum had no dreams of her own. Now I see that she set them aside for me (5 September 2025)
"My mother has never complained about being a stay-at-home wife and mum – not openly at least.
She shows her love every day in countless quiet acts: never cooking the same meals two days in a row so we don't get bored with eating at home, folding and putting away laundry in our closets, tidying up our rooms for us whenever they get messy.
Growing up, I thought it was all just "mum stuff". This was just how things were: Mothers are meant to be at home and daughters would eventually take up the same roles and responsibilities."
Being a first-time PSLE mum has made me rethink what success really means (6 September 2025)
"Watching my oldest child hunched over a timed practice paper at the dining table, I remembered his very first spelling test in kindergarten.
That was the first of several little milestones that have brought us to this point today: In a few short weeks, he will sit his first national examination, the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).
Nothing has prepared me for this. And yet, everything has, in a way."
Six in 10 youths want wider definitions of success in Singapore: Poll (6 September 2025)
"Six in 10 youths in Singapore hope society can celebrate wider definitions of success, as well as encourage risk-taking and learning from failure. Organisers of the SG Youth Plan gathered more than 200,000 responses from young people and stakeholders from last November to July. The insights into youths' hopes and aspirations will build on existing initiatives to help them reach their full potential, and inform a five-year plan by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth as well as the National Youth Council."
'Nobel Prize for students': Singapore startup wins US$1 million in seed funding after clinching top award (8 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A Singapore startup was named the winner of the 2025 Hult Prize last Friday (Sep 5), earning US$1 million (S$1.28 million) in seed funding.
Stick 'Em is an education technology company co-founded in 2021 by Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) alumnus Adam Huh Dam, Singapore Polytechnic graduate Chong Ing Kai and National University of Singapore (NUS) student Tew Jing An.
The start-up provides affordable Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) kits, paired with an online learning platform that enables teachers to conduct their own classes."
Singapore picks up first case of incel radicalised by mixing far-right, far-left and ISIS ideologies (9 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A 14-year-old was issued a restriction order under the Internal Security Act (ISA) earlier in September, in Singapore’s first case of self-radicalisation by a mix of different extremist ideologies.
Influenced by what is known as a "salad bar" of extremist ideologies, the boy staunchly supported the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), subscribed to anti-Semitic beliefs espoused in far-right extremist ideologies, and also identified as an incel, the Internal Security Department said on Tuesday (Sep 9).
Incel is short for "involuntary celibate" and refers to a subculture of individuals – mostly men – who identify as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one.
The boy first came across far-right extremist content in the middle of 2024 and by April this year, he had pledged allegiance to ISIS online."
NLB giving away 60,000 pre-loved books for free this weekend, visitors can bring home 10 books per person (9 September 2025)
"Calling all bookworms to keep this weekend (Sep 13 and 14) free. The National Library Board (NLB) will hold the 10th edition of its Big Book Giveaway, which sees its pre-loved books given away for free. This year's event will have 60,000 books up for grabs – the highest number to date.
Happening at the Plaza of the National Library Building, this year's Big Book Giveaway will have books of various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery and adult non-fiction. There will also be a dedicated section for books about and from Singapore.
Each visitor can bring home up to 10 books per person, with books available on a first-come-first-served basis."
Parents with 3 or more young children to get S$1,000 LifeSG credits from Sep 10 (10 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Parents with three or more young children will receive S$1,000 (US$778) in LifeSG credits from Wednesday (Sep 10), as part of Singapore's efforts to support large families.
The LifeSG credits are for each third and subsequent Singaporean child, aged one to six this year.
Each eligible child will receive S$1,000 each year until he or she turns six years old."
Woman who worked at kindergarten charged with abusing three children aged 5 (11 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A 34-year-old woman was charged on Thursday (Sep 11) with ill-treating three five-year-old children at a kindergarten.
The woman, whose name was redacted in court documents due to a gag order protecting the identities of the victims, was handed three charges under the Children and Young Persons Act for inflicting unnecessary physical pain and suffering to the children.
The alleged incidents occurred on the same day on Jul 25, 2024, according to charge sheets."
Only 37% of parents in Singapore confident in guiding child's digital habits: MDDI survey (12 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Only 37 per cent of parents in Singapore felt confident in their ability to guide their child’s digital habits, according to survey findings released by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) on Friday (Sep 12).
The remaining 63 per cent felt little or no confidence in their ability to do so.
"For parents who expressed little or no confidence, the main challenges cited were limited time due to work or other commitments, the child’s reluctance to follow rules, the child’s ability to bypass parental controls, and parents’ limited knowledge of parental controls or monitoring tools," said MDDI in a press release."
Why 'AI slop' is taking over the internet, and what it's doing to our brains (13 September 2025)
"A set of triplet babies are using brooms to clean up the mess they made in a supermarket. A kitten is being eaten from the inside out by a swarm of ants. A toddler with an orange for a head is being saved by an orca and a Labubu doll after jumping off a cruise ship.
If all of this sounds like a nonsensical mash of random visuals, that is the point.
Welcome to the latest type of content proliferating on social media platforms, streaming sites, video games and the internet as a whole: artificial intelligence (AI) slop."
What’s with the morbid jokes among youth? How to tell when laughter isn’t the best medicine (13 September 2025)
"Late at night, as I was scrolling through social media as usual, I came across a video. In it, a man is standing at a window of a high-rise block and says, "What if I just – ", before cutting himself off, feinting a jumping motion out the window and then laughing to the camera.
I chuckled at first, then caught myself.
Why did I find that funny? And why did so many others in the comments say something like, "Same … except I'm not joking. Or am I?"
17 students, 2 staff members develop gastroenteritis symptoms at E-Bridge Pre-School in MacPherson (15 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The authorities are investigating suspected cases of gastroenteritis reported at the E-Bridge Pre-School branch at Circuit Road.
As of last Friday (Sep 12), 17 students and two staff members from the preschool in MacPherson were reported to have developed gastroenteritis symptoms since Sep 9, the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said in a joint response on Monday.
No one was hospitalised, CDA, ECDA and SFA told CNA."
‘Harder than I thought to find a job’: Can traineeships help new graduates? (15 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: After applying to more than 150 jobs, AN, a 24-year-old computer science graduate, found herself in a dilemma familiar to many fresh graduates – hold out for a stable job, or consider an internship that pays less but promises a few months of industry experience.
With no offers in hand despite months of effort, she took on a part-time data role paying S$1,000 (US$780) a month while continuing to apply. After half a year of searching, she landed a full-time software developer job in September.
Nevertheless, the lengthy hunt for employment was a demoralising experience, said Ms N, who wanted to be identified by her initials only."
More businesses hit by fake bulk orders, with scammer claiming to be school staff (17 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Three more businesses have been targeted in fake bulk order scams, with the latest incidents involving the impersonation of a staff member from Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS).
The latest scams targeted local Mediterranean restaurant HaPiHa, fruit and vegetable vendor Nabayla, as well as bedding company Simply Dreams.
In all three cases, the scammer claimed to be an SCGS staff member and placed large orders."
Former St Joseph's Institution facilities manager accused of accepting bribes from 3 people (18 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A man who worked as a facilities manager at St Joseph's Institution (SJI) and three people alleged to have given him bribes were charged in court on Thursday (Sep 18).
Ng Cher Him, 58, is said to have accepted bribes of more than S$67,000 (US$52,400) from Renee Song Mui Kuan, 53, Ooi Kim Wei, 48, and Margaret Chin Lee Lan, 71, between 2018 and 2023. Ng, Song and Chin are Singaporeans, while Ooi is Malaysian and a Singapore permanent resident.
Song is a sales manager for both FB Services and Furnishing and Building Services (F&B Services), while Ooi was the director of air conditioning company EuconAir Services, and Chin was in charge of Integrated Security Solution Asia Pacific, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB)."
Singapore to launch mandatory AI literacy course for public servants: DPM Gane (19 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Public servants in Singapore will soon have to attend a mandatory artificial intelligence (AI) literacy course so that they are prepared for an AI-driven era, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said on Friday (Sep 19).
The course will raise the level of responsible AI use in the public service and will complement digital leadership training, he said during a speech at the annual Public Service Leadership ceremony.
"As leaders, we must set the tone by being open to using AI in our own work, encouraging our teams to do the same, and guiding our people to use these tools effectively and thoughtfully," said Mr Gan."
‘Almost every instructor is doing it’: How university professors are using AI, and why students are concerned (19 September 2025)
"There was one problem with the reading material assigned to Ms Pearl (not her real name) for her English course assignment at the National University of Singapore (NUS): It did not exist.
The 21-year-old was one of 14 literature students at NUS enrolled in EN3254 Worldly Words: Written Image and Visual Text this year.
Over the Chinese New Year break in February this year, the professor had given the class a reading assignment, but when Ms Pearl looked up her assigned scholarly book chapter, she could not find the chapter online or at the university library."
Are you relying on ChatGPT for parenting advice? Here's why AI can’t replace the village a mother needs (21 September 2025)
"When a close friend returned to work after maternity leave, I texted her to see how she was doing. How was she coping with juggling full-time work and caring for her firstborn?
She appeared chirpy and excited, but having gone through the newborn haze and (ongoing) struggles of returning to work myself only a year ago, my alarm bells went off.
At my insistence, she confessed: “Well… So I’ve been back to work for a week, and I thought I could manage caring for my baby and working from home, but it turned out to be so freaking hard. And now I feel like a total failure.”
Baffled, I asked her: “Who told you you could work and care for a baby at the same time? Caring for a baby is a whole other job.”
Sheepishly, she replied: “I asked ChatGPT…”
Her daughter’s meltdowns inspired this Singapore mum to design a journal for kids with big emotions (22 September 2025)
"Andrea Goh Fenton always suspected her daughter Livie was a little different when it came to sensitivity and big emotions, even as a baby.
“Besides feeling overwhelmed in noisy, loud environments, she is also rather self-conscious of what people think of her,” said the 46-year-old.
Her daughter, now four, would get easily upset or angry if she thought someone was laughing at her. “My daughter has an excellent sense of humour but when my husband and I laugh at her quirky comments, she often misunderstands it as us teasing her.”
It would upset her so much that she would have a meltdown, where she would pull her fingers and even scratch herself."
1,700 more unemployed graduates in 2025 cohort led to increased sense of job competition: Tan See Leng (23 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Fresh graduates in 2025 are feeling stronger competition in their job searches partly because more in their cohort are entering the job market immediately after graduation, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said on Tuesday (Sep 23).
There were about 2,400 more fresh graduates who had entered the labour force instead of taking a break or pursuing further studies as of June, compared to the same time last year, he told parliament.
"Even though there were about 700 more fresh graduates who were employed, the additional 1,700 active jobseekers who had yet to find a job may have contributed to a stronger sense of job competition among fresh graduates," he said."
Drop in visitorship, high revamp cost among reasons to relocate Geylang East Public Library (23 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The decline in visitors and the high costs of renovation were considered in the decision to relocate Geylang East Public Library to Tanjong Katong Complex in 2030, Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Rahayu Mahzam said in parliament on Tuesday (Sep 23).
From 2015 to 2024, Geylang East library saw about a 31 per cent decrease in visitors, from 670,000 to less than 470,000, she said.
While the National Library Board (NLB) had considered revamping the library at its current site at 50 Geylang East Ave 1, the cost of doing so would be more than twice the cost per square metre compared to relocating it to Tanjong Katong Complex."
Woman admits lying about address so daughter could be enrolled in well-known primary school (24 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A woman lied that she and her daughter stayed near a well-known primary school in order to get the child enrolled.
When the school authorities detected the ruse and began conducting house visits, the Singaporean woman instructed her tenants to lie that she and her daughter still lived there.
The 41-year-old pleaded guilty on Wednesday (Sep 24) to one charge each of giving false information to public servants and giving false information when reporting her change of address. A third charge will be considered in sentencing."
Revolution for kindness? MPs suggest support for Singapore’s youth on day 3 of President’s Address debate (24 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Members of Parliament raised suggestions targeted at Singapore’s youth during the third day of the debate on the President’s Address, including providing support for young parents and teaching empathy in schools.
A total of 18 MPs, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and four other political office holders, spoke in the course of more than six hours of debate on Wednesday (Sep 24).
In his address on Sep 5, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam highlighted the need for a "we first" mindset amid global uncertainty, which the prime minister also referenced in his speech during the debate on Wednesday."
Are in-house or catered meals safer in preschools? Hygiene lapses are the real risk, experts say (25 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A spate of gastroenteritis cases over the past month has reignited concerns over food safety practices in preschools.
All three affected centres – E-Bridge Pre-School at Circuit Road, Mulberry Learning at Punggol and PCF Sparkletots at Mountbatten – prepared meals in-house, leading to questions over whether in-house kitchens or centralised catering provide safer food.
But food safety experts told CNA that the real issue lies not in where meals are prepared, but in how strictly hygiene protocols are followed."
Commentary: The race to stack internships is hurting young people (25 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: “How many internships did you do?” That was one of the first questions a student from my alma mater asked me when we met at a recent book club.
When I replied, “Just one, in university,” his eyes widened.
He had already completed two internships even before starting his second year, and he still felt like he was falling behind.
This kind of pressure is increasingly common among young people in Singapore amid anxieties about employability."
Postgraduate courses excluded from mid-career SkillsFuture scheme to avoid creating a 'paper chase': Janil Puthucheary (25 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A SkillsFuture initiative that provides an allowance to mid-career workers aged 40 and above taking up training courses has not been extended to postgraduate programmes as most jobs in Singapore do not require such qualifications, said Senior Minister of State for Education Janil Puthucheary in parliament on Thursday (Sep 25).
The authorities are “also careful not to inadvertently perpetuate a paper chase at the master's level”, said Dr Janil in response to questions from Members of Parliament Hamid Razak (PAP-West Coast-Jurong West) and Kenneth Tiong (WP-Aljunied) on extending SkillsFuture programmes to support postgraduate studies.
The training allowance, first announced in 2024 as part of the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, helps to partially offset income loss during full-time training. This supports training programmes up to the undergraduate degree level.
That said, mid-career Singaporeans can use their S$4,000 (US$3,100) top-up of SkillsFuture credits to offset the out-of-pocket training fees for selected postgraduate master’s programmes offered by the autonomous universities."
Undergraduate accused of molesting women on public transport pleads for bail to resume internship but fails (25 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A university undergraduate who faces charges of molesting women on public transport and committing voyeurism was remanded earlier this month for allegedly offending while on bail.
The 24-year-old pleaded with a court on Tuesday (Sep 23) to be released on bail to resume his internship.
He made the request after his lawyer had already submitted for bail on his behalf, saying that his late father's only wish was for him to complete university.
The judge rejected his bid, noting that this was his second time allegedly offending while on bail."
Singapore must break away from seeing education as 'arms race', says Desmond Lee (25 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Singapore must do more to break away from seeing education as an "arms race", Education Minister Desmond Lee said in parliament on Thursday (Sep 25).
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will therefore take steps to study how to reduce the stakes in exams, focus on non-academic aspects of the school experience, and guard against "hothousing" by families with more resources.
MOE will look at ways to refresh the education system in line with the spirit of the government's Forward Singapore agenda, said the minister."
School Sports Fiesta to bring students of different backgrounds together (25 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A new School Sports Fiesta will be launched next month as part of a pilot programme aimed at bringing students from different backgrounds together through sports, said Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo in parliament on Thursday (Sep 25).
The initiative will begin with 16 schools across three clusters, involving both primary and secondary levels. It is part of a broader effort by the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) to expand cluster-level sports competitions and foster greater social integration among youth.
Speaking on the fourth day of the debate on the President’s Address, Mr Neo said that Singapore’s unity will be “tested in a changed world”. He referenced Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s speech on Wednesday, in which Mr Wong expressed concerns that more than half of young Singaporeans said most of their friends are from the same socio-economic or racial group."
AI tutors are on the rise. Could they disrupt Singapore's billion-dollar tuition industry? (26 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: When her daughter was in secondary school, Ms Shubhada Jayant Bhide had to hunt for the best tuition centres, ferry her to and from classes, and set aside some of her salary to pay for all of it.
These days, her younger son Shrihaan gets the help he needs at home – from an artificial intelligence-powered “tutor”, and at a comparatively nominal price.
The Secondary 1 student turns to his AI tutor whenever he's confused about something he learnt in school, and which he can't find an opportunity to ask his teachers about.
“It is such a gamechanger when it comes to traditional tuition,” said Ms Shubhada, an IT professional in her 40s. “It is literally at our fingertips.”
Museums in Singapore shed 'atas' image but will need to go beyond novelty elements to draw the crowds (26 September 2025)
"On a weekend outing with her family last year, Ms Charleen Phor found herself trailing behind her toddler as he eagerly explored the colourful shophouses of the past and clambered into a cramped cargo hold at the Children’s Museum Singapore.
In a gallery where young visitors were exploring the journey of early migrants, her son peeked into a streetside barbershop and played a multimedia game where he could clean a digital Singapore river.
"I like the very open concept, where the children can explore at their own time and realise, 'This is where I want to park myself'," said Ms Phor, a programmes lead in her early 40s who has visited the museum at Coleman Street three times since its opening in 2022."
Singapore says no established link between paracetamol use in pregnancy and autism (26 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said on Friday (Sep 26) there is “currently no robust scientific evidence” between paracetamol use during pregnancy and autism in children, despite recent assertions made by US President Donald Trump.
In a Monday news conference at the White House, Mr Trump advised pregnant women not to use the painkiller Tylenol, which contains acetaminophen, or paracetamol, as a primary ingredient.
Medical groups, citing numerous studies, have said that paracetamol plays a safe role in the well-being of pregnant women.
On Friday, HSA, the regulator of health products in Singapore, echoed those calls."
Once considered a golden boy, this ex-scholar left medical school to 'make his 20s count' (27 September 2025)
"At a modest dance studio in a warehouse complex, accessed by clanking cargo lifts, Mr Julian Low was rehearsing for an upcoming performance by the theatre group that he and his wife founded.
It was a setting far removed from the days when he was training to be a doctor at the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine).
These days, the 28-year-old Singaporean trains in tai chi, a traditional Chinese martial art, and holds workshops and rehearsals for his theatre collective in this space located at the light industrial zone of Pasir Panjang.
It was in 2019 that he walked away from medical school after third year, so that he could run a video production company."
Why loving my five kids equally looks different for each of them (27 September 2025)
"I've heard the argument for having just one or two children countless times. It goes like this: "I want to be able to love my children equally, and having more children would make that really difficult."
Point taken, but as a mum of five kids aged two to 12 years, I'm here to argue and stand by my reality: I love each of my five kids equally, and I'm willing to die on this hill.
Naysayers might point out: "But you only have a pair of hands and 24 hours a day. You're outnumbered all the time. How could you possibly give each of your children the individualised attention and love they need?"
My trick isn't in having more hands – although I wish I did."
'Serial predator' targeting schoolgirls online by posing as teen gets jail, caning for rape (29 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A young man targeted four schoolgirls as young as 11 years old online by posing as a "lovestruck teenager" before taking them to a secluded place where he sexually assaulted them.
Syed Muhammad Yusri Syed Yasser, now 25, was sentenced on Monday (Sep 29) to jail for 14 years and eight months, and 24 strokes of the cane.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated statutory rape and one count of sexual penetration of a minor, with four other charges taken into consideration."
Recess is served: Here's what students at 5 schools will get when they switch to pre-ordered meals (30 September 2025)
"SINGAPORE: What does it take to prepare meals that appeal to primary school students? According to a caterer managing several school canteens from January next year, even the colour of vegetables matters.
“We think about what type of vegetables to use. Actually, a lot of kids don’t have fancy tastes, in fact, familiarity is comfort,” said Mr Desmond Chin, managing director of caterer Gourmetz.
“So we tend to go towards broccoli, cauliflower, green leafy vegetables like spinach, that’s about it. We wouldn’t give them fancy things like asparagus.”
From January next year, 13 schools across Singapore will roll out a central kitchen model at their canteens. The initiative builds on a 2022 pilot at Yusof Ishak Secondary School, which is managed by caterer SATS.
Gourmetz will operate five of the 13 school canteens adopting this new model – Blangah Rise Primary, CHIJ Kellock, Radin Mas Primary, River Valley Primary and Outram Secondary at its York Hill campus until it closes in 2027."
What you can do if you see a child with special needs who seems lost (1 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: "She's gone. I … panicked, I didn't know where she went."
Mr Edward Chan, a father of two daughters with autism, recalled vividly an incident when his elder daughter went missing.
He had been with his daughters at a playground in front of their housing block when his younger daughter started to cry and wanted to go home.
He asked his wife to meet him at the lobby to pick up their younger girl, and told the older girl to wait at the playground.
When he came back, she was nowhere to be found. "It's just not more than 20 steps (from his older daughter) … she's gone," said Mr Chan."
Foreign student whose bank account was used in fake SAF bulk order scams gets jail, in first such sentencing (1 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A foreign student in need of money sold her bank account details and it was later used to funnel almost S$18,000 (US$13,980) in scam proceeds, with most of the money coming from a fake Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) bulk order scam.
Rajadi Rajasinghe Manamendra Patabadilage Vishwa Madavi, a 22-year-old Sri Lankan, was sentenced on Wednesday (Oct 1) to jail for three months and two weeks.
She was also fined S$1,100. If she does not pay the fine, she will have to serve three days' jail in default."
'Higher risk of misuse': MSF to stop use of Child Development Account money at optical shops, retail pharmacies (1 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will stop the use of Child Development Account (CDA) money at optical shops and retail pharmacies after recent audits found a "significantly higher risk of misuse" at such establishments.
This includes cases where establishments allow parents or trustees to encash the CDA funds, even though it is prohibited.
The CDA is a special co-savings account with government co-matching, and the funds can be used to pay for approved expenses for the child or the child's siblings.
MSF said it conducts periodic audits and checks to ensure that CDA funds are used for authorised purposes only. On top of that, the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) audited selected parenthood schemes, including withdrawals made by parents and trustees."
Police investigating after woman filmed kicking another woman at SMU (1 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The police are investigating an alleged altercation on Tuesday (Sep 30) between two women at the Singapore Management University (SMU), which was captured on video.
The video, circulated on social media, showed a woman in a pink hoodie kicking another woman who was lying on the ground.
The 22-second clip also showed several bystanders moving towards the woman on the ground to check on her after the other walked away."
With no chess club in their school, these girls took the initiative – and won at Singapore nationals (2 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Ng See Jen is no stranger to facing obstacles when it comes to her passion for chess.
As a younger child, she was the only girl at open competitions. There were times she was shouted at by losing opponents. Once, she was told to stay home and play with Barbie dolls.
But See Jen has stuck with the mind sport since picking it up in primary school about six years ago.
"It is good for your mind and it helps strengthen your thinking," she said. "It has many benefits."
So when the Secondary 1 student found out that her new school, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls', did not have a chess co-curricular activity (CCA), it was just something else to overcome."
Teen who assaulted fellow vaper and confronted police, among other offences, sent to Boys’ Home (2 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A 15-year-old boy who attacked a fellow vape user and hurled vulgarities at a police officer after his mother reported him has been placed in the Boys' Home for two years.
The boy, who cannot be named as he is under 18, pleaded guilty to 12 charges. Another eight counts were taken into consideration for sentencing on Sep 25.
The details of the Youth Court case were made available on Thursday (Oct 2). His charges included voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery, harassing a public servant, shop theft and possession of vapes."
One man caught in vape enforcement operations across six institutes of higher learning (2 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: One man was caught during vape enforcement operations carried out over three weeks by the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) across six institutes of higher learning (IHLs).
These are tertiary education institutions such as universities and polytechnics.
A 24-year-old was found with two vapes and 10 related components on campus during the operation from Sep 8 to Sep 29.
He was issued a notice of composition and fined on the spot, and the vapes and related components were seized, the authorities said in a joint statement on Thursday (Oct 2)."
NUS implements five-day work-from-office policy for all university staff (2 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The National University of Singapore (NUS) has implemented a five-day work-from-office policy for all full-time staff members, the university said on Thursday (Oct 2).
In response to queries from CNA, an NUS spokesperson said that staff from "central administration units" resumed working on campus five days a week from Sep 1, and the arrangement was then extended to the "rest of the university" from the start of this month.
CNA understands that the university transitioned to a four-day work-from-office, one-day work-from-home policy in late 2023."
34 students, 10 staff members develop gastroenteritis symptoms at two E-Bridge Pre-School outlets (3 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Authorities are investigating 44 suspected cases of gastroenteritis in two E-Bridge Pre-School outlets at Dawson Road and Sengkang Square, less than a month after a similar outbreak hit its MacPherson branch.
The Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA), Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issued a joint statement on Friday (Oct 3), stating that 34 students and 10 staff members had developed symptoms at the two branches as of Wednesday.
At the Dawson Road outlet, 20 students and four employees have reported symptoms since Sep 18. One student was hospitalised on Sep 26 and discharged the following day.
As of Wednesday, 12 students and four staff members had recovered and returned to the preschool, while the remaining students are “recovering well,” said the agencies in response to CNA queries."
She juggles homework and fast cars. This 15-year-old is Singapore's first female Formula 4 driver (3 October 2025)
"At just 15, Kareen Kaur may not have a driving licence yet — but she’s already clocking speeds of over 200kmh on the racetrack.
The Secondary 3 student, who began go-karting at the age of nine, has made history as Singapore’s first female driver to compete in Formula 4.
F4 is the first rung on the ladder to F1. Drivers will have to progress through F3 and F2 before getting to the pinnacle of motorsport racing - a sport that's long been dominated by men."
17-year-old girl among trio charged with trafficking Kpods (4 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) on Saturday (Oct 4) charged three suspected suppliers of Kpods, one of them aged 17.
The 17-year-old cannot be named under the Children and Young Persons Act, as she is under the age of 18.
The other two are: Vernette Heng Cui Teng, 23, and Amir Shah Anwar Shah, 27."
MOE refreshes secondary school art syllabus to prepare students for a changing world (7 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A “hybrid animal” takes shape on a Secondary 1 student’s art assignment, complete with arms that can help seniors get around.
Koh Wen Cheng, 13, and his fellow classmates are blending different parts of their favourite animals, drawing from their own interests to experiment with unique and unconventional traits.
They then turn to their laptops to discuss and give feedback on each other’s creations – all in a bid to get students to think critically about their work and find new ways to improve.
“The main problem that the elderly are facing now is that they don't really get any friends or peers to talk with … so I drew this animal which can help converse (with them) and (when they need) help getting food, water, or transport,” Wen Cheng told CNA.
This is all part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) new art syllabus for secondary schools, which has been implemented across more than 140 schools so far."
Singapore teachers work longer hours, report higher stress than OECD average (7 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Teachers in Singapore worked longer hours and were more likely to experience a lot of stress compared to the OECD average, a study found.
The OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey, which is done every five years, is the largest international survey of teachers and principals.
In 2024, 55 education systems were surveyed, including 3,500 lower secondary teachers across all 145 public secondary schools and 10 randomly selected private secondary schools in Singapore. Singapore also took part in the 2013 and 2018 editions."
SkillsFuture providers to be barred from using third-party promoters (8 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Registered training providers under SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG) will be prohibited from using third-party promoters starting Dec 1, the agency announced on Wednesday (Oct 8).
SkillsFuture, launched in 2015, is a government initiative promoting lifelong learning and upskilling through courses and training. Singaporeans aged 25 and above receive credits, starting from S$500, that can be used for approved courses.
SSG cited recent public feedback on third-party agents using "undesirable" marketing practices as the reason for banning the use of such promoters."
41 schools to get new principals in 2026 (8 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Forty-one schools will have new principals as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) annual appointment and rotation exercise.
Of these, 25 are newly appointed principals, MOE said in a press release on Wednesday (Oct 8).
The 41 schools comprise two junior colleges, 20 secondary schools, and 19 primary schools."
Despite regional decline, US education still appeals to Singaporean students (8 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Drawn to the United States' education system, Singaporean students are still heading there for their tertiary studies, undeterred by recent uncertainties introduced by the Trump administration.
Students and education counsellors CNA spoke to said Singaporeans remained keen on the opportunities for networking and access to research institutes available, with others placing weight on the recognition a US degree affords.
US government data released recently showed a nearly 24 per cent drop in Asian students arriving in the US in August, compared with last year."
Commentary: School canteens aren’t just a logistical problem solved by central kitchens (9 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: When netizens saw what primary school students will eat at recess if they opt for meals prepared at a central kitchen, reactions were mixed.
Some praised the meals as nutritious, as they incorporate wholegrains and lean proteins. Others were unimpressed with the appearance of the food. One CNA reader likened it to combat rations.
However, my concern goes beyond the nutrition and taste of the pre-ordered meals. As a father of three school-going children, I see canteens not merely as places where kids load up on calories, but as living classrooms for self-sufficiency and community. When my children buy food with their pocket money, they learn essential skills – making choices, handling money and interacting with stallholders.
That is why the central kitchen model, which will be adopted by 13 schools in 2026, gives me pause. Though it addresses genuine challenges such as stallholder shortages and rising operating costs, we ought to consider what our children lose when food becomes increasingly automated and impersonal."
Singapore nears goal of training 1,500 responders in psychological first aid (9 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Singapore is on track to train 1,500 SGSecure Responders in psychological first aid by the end of this financial year, as part of a national push to build mental resilience on the frontlines and in the community.
About 1,300 responders have already completed the course, which was launched in 2023 and run by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Participants are taught how to provide calm and compassionate support after a crisis.
Responders also learn how to assess needs, listen empathetically and connect people to help, while recognising stress reactions and promoting safety. The focus is on reducing distress, respecting culture and ethics, and caring for both survivors and responders.
According to the Singapore Red Cross (SRC), youths, workers and caregivers have driven a nearly 20-fold increase in demand over the past five years for psychological first aid training."
Scholarships for students among ground-led initiatives to help Palestinians: Shanmugam (9 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Scholarships in Singapore are among the ground-led initiatives to help the Palestinian people, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Thursday (Oct 9).
Mr Shanmugam was speaking to the media after meeting with three Palestinians who were offered scholarships to study at Singapore universities under the Palestinian Scholarship Initiative (PSI).
The initiative was launched in October last year by a group of Singaporeans in response to challenges faced by students due to the war.
Two are in postgraduate programmes at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Singapore University of Social Sciences, while another is a 19-year-old undergraduate at the Singapore Institute of Management."
National Heritage Board is holding a pop-up museum till Dec 14 featuring objects contributed by Singaporeans (9 October 2025)
"From now till Dec 14, the National Heritage Board (NHB) will be running a free-entry pop-up museum titled Museum of U & Me. Located at the lawn of the National Museum of Singapore, the pop-up aims to highlight Singapore's history through a curated collection of everyday objects contributed by Singaporeans from all walks of life.
These include measurements of Princess Diana taken by Singaporean designer Benny Ong; the watch awarded to retired runner C Kunalan when he was named Sportsman of The Year; a made-in-Singapore Setron television set from the 1970s and more.
While some of the items are part of the National Collection, others are loaned objects from the accompanying On The Red Dot series."
Low pay, mismatched expectations: Why Singapore students are turning away from engineering (10 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: As a child, Mark made model planes using cardboard rolls from kitchen paper. He read books about aircraft and dreamed of becoming a pilot. So when it came time to pick a degree, aerospace engineering was the obvious choice.
Now 24 and in his final year at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Mark – who asked to remain anonymous – is looking for an exit.
“For me, straight up, the number one, and actually the only thing that would come to mind is just starting pay,” he said.
Mark is not alone in considering leaving traditional engineering for the prospect of a better-paying career path."
Tan Tock Seng Hospital partners NTU to bring traditional Chinese medicine into inpatient care (10 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: After suffering a stroke in July, Mr Tan Kay Chuan is now on the road to recovery at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) – with the help of a different kind of treatment.
The 60-year-old is receiving acupuncture twice a week as part of his rehabilitation.
Such traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practices could soon be part of mainstream inpatient treatment in Singapore, under a new initiative that aims to bring Eastern and Western medical practices closer together in the country’s national healthcare system.
On Thursday (Oct 9), TTSH inked a partnership with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to explore how TCM can complement Western medicine in pain management, rehabilitation and palliative care."
Growing up, I felt guilty talking about money. Here's why I'm changing that for my kids (11 October 2025)
"At the time of drafting this piece, the TOTO prize pool has reached S$10 million this year for the ninth time.
Just a few months ago, I recalled a dinner conversation with my children to help them make sense of the lottery prize pool. I offered them two choices: Pick a million dollars right now (from, say, striking the lottery) or choose one cent that doubles every day for the next 30 days.
Unsurprisingly, one of them picked the first option and the second choice was selected by another. It was only after we brought out the calculators to do some sums that they realised that the one cent would eventually compound into an amount that exceeds S$10 million.
This little exercise is one of the many ways I try to help my children build a stronger understanding and discernment towards how money works – how it can be grown, used and saved."
From text to touch: The braille centre in Singapore helping the visually impaired connect with words (12 October 2025)
"Having optimal space matters to the visually impaired, in more ways than one.
There is, most obviously, physical space. At the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) in Toa Payoh, the corridors are straight and wide, with 90-degree angle corners. Its clutter-free floors lend an overall spartan appearance, seemingly inevitable in a place where function trumps form.
The area is relatively easy to navigate for visually impaired employees, like Jason Setok, supervisor at the association’s Braille Production & Library Services Centre.
The 46-year-old, who’s worked at SAVH for nine years, is familiar with the route from his office to the Braille Production Centre, a room roughly 30 steps away. He doesn’t need a cane for his trip down the hallway, finger-tapping on walls to alert colleagues who may be nearby as he takes us on a tour of his modest workspace.
All things considered, it seems a gentle learning curve compared with picking up braille when he lost his vision at 27 due to glaucoma. He took five months to master it."
More children with autism are joining mainstream schools, and parents are learning what it takes (13 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Nine-year-old Ethan (not his real name) has never once complained about going to school. Each morning, he heads off with enthusiasm and returns brimming with excitement, eager to share stories about his day.
But this year, a new challenge has tested him.
This is the first year the Primary 3 student had to sit for graded examinations. While he excelled in oral assessments – scoring 87 marks in one – he managed just 15 out of 100 in a recent written paper.
“Reading is very difficult for him so he can’t read the questions and he doesn't really understand why exams are important,” said his mother, Jane (not her real name), adding that Ethan has a history of speech delays.
She now wonders if enrolling him in a mainstream school three years ago, instead of a special education (SPED) school, was the right decision."
7-day work weeks, marking while at home: Singapore teachers say they're as busy as ever if not more (14 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: As an English and mathematics teacher in a Singapore primary school, Heidi starts her day at 5.30am.
Classes start two hours later and run until about 1.30pm when school ends. Three times a week, she holds remedial classes until about 3pm. After that, or co-curricular activity commitments, she marks assignments until 5pm.
“Two to three times a week, I continue working in the evenings. On Saturday and Sunday, I also spend an hour or two planning lessons and marking as well. Actually, I would say I do work seven days a week,” she told CNA.
“It really has affected my time with my family members because I’m literally marking while I’m at home.”
Introducing a preschool voucher scheme alone may increase fees without improving accessibility or quality: MSF (14 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Implementing a voucher scheme alone in the preschool sector may result in fees increasing without improving accessibility or quality, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family Development Eric Chua said on Tuesday (Oct 14).
He was responding to an adjournment motion by the Workers' Party's (WP) Kenneth Tiong, where the Aljunied Member of Parliament proposed ways to achieve fairer and more diverse preschool education.
One of these was per-child subsidies in the form of preschool vouchers that parents can use at licensed preschool centres, in place of direct operator grants.
The WP had, in its party manifesto ahead of the 2025 General Election, proposed that vouchers be given to parents to be applied to childcare or preschool fees, as an alternative to subsidies."
One man's love and legacy of paper: How A'zone and its lecture pads stood the test of time (16 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Inside an industrial building east of Singapore, work is in full swing.
A truck carrying paper shipped from Austria has just arrived at the Loyang neighbourhood, and workers move quickly to unload the heavy pallets.
For paper destined to become notepads and lecture pads, the journey begins with the printing process, where lines, checks and grids are embossed at another location.
The sheets are then sent back to the factory to be sorted and counted by a machine. Various objects like inserts and covers are attached, before a trimming machine takes over to cut them into specific sizes.
A few more steps later and the final products, emblazoned with the A'zone logo, will be shipped to distributors all around Singapore as they have been for the past few decades.
Mention A'zone to most Singaporeans, and you're likely to get a knowing nod. To those born in the 1980s and 1990s in particular, the company's various writing and lecture pad designs will evoke memories of school-going, foolscap-tearing days."
Higher income eligibility cap for MOE financial aid schemes, bigger transport subsidies for students (16 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Higher income eligibility ceilings across financial assistance schemes offered by the Ministry of Education (MOE), and bigger transport subsidies for primary and secondary students from next year.
These are some of the upcoming enhancements announced by the ministry on Thursday (Oct 16), which could benefit an additional 31,000 students from lower- and middle-income households by providing support for education-related costs, and access to school and post-secondary programmes.
This also brings the total number of students who would benefit from MOE’s financial assistance schemes annually to about 133,000, it said."
18-year-old charged for alleged trafficking of suspected etomidate vape pods (17 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: An 18-year-old teen was charged in court on Friday (Oct 17) for the alleged trafficking of suspected etomidate vape pods, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) said.
The pods, suspected to contain etomidate, were found in Kwek Rui An Rayern's vehicle by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers on Thursday. The case was referred to HSA.
Two e-vaporisers and 127 suspected etomidate vape pods were seized from the vehicle. Another five pods were seized from his residence at Bedok, HSA said."
Do centralised kitchens spell the end of Singapore’s school canteen culture? (17 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: When school canteen vendor Rayner Tan opened his vegetarian stall at Mee Toh School in Punggol two months ago, it was not just about selling food.
“I wanted to interact more with kids. That's one of the reasons why I chose a primary school,” said Mr Tan, who had little prior experience in the food-and-beverage industry before taking up the only available non-halal vacancy at the school.
Mr Tan is among a shrinking breed of vendors who have long been part of Singaporeans’ early school years. He was sharing his views on the future of school canteens with CNA’s Deep Dive podcast.
Starting next year, 13 primary and secondary schools will switch from traditional canteens to a central kitchen model, where meals are prepared off-site. Students will be able to collect their pre-ordered food by simply tapping their bus passes at dispensers.
The move aims to tackle a growing shortage of stallholders like Mr Tan, but concerns have also been raised about what students stand to lose in the process."
Doctor or dentist visits can overwhelm kids with ADHD or autism – here’s how to support them (17 October 2025)
"Someone is shining a blindingly bright light into your eyes. You’re in an unfamiliar room with things you’ve never seen, heard or smelled before. Something feels unbearably scratchy around your neck but you aren’t allowed to touch it.
You remember there’s someone in the room with you, the one with the light. It’s a stranger and he’s now asking you to stay still while he touches you with weird objects; some feel cold and wet, others sharp and pointy. And even painful.
If that scenario is already uncomfortable for you as an adult, imagine what it does for neurodivergent children at the dentist’s or doctor’s office. Even a haircut can be as anxiety-inducing as being held hostage in a chair."
'I can motivate people to take action' - how Singapore's young climate activists are leading by example (17 October 2025)
"When Ms Kong Man Jing first stepped off the ferry onto St John’s Island as a junior college student in 2012, she expected little more than a three-day sun-soaked excursion.
Instead, her eyes were opened to a hidden world — coral reefs, skittering crabs, slithering octopuses, sea anemones, and dense forests alive with birdsong.
“I realised, for the first time, that Singapore had lots of beautiful wildlife,” recalled the 31-year-old.
"I was blown away, and I wondered why I didn't know any of this before."
That sense of wonder was the catalyst for Ms Kong to pursue a degree in environmental biology, and later, in 2019, to start Just Keep Thinking – a social media initiative where she shares accessible, bite-sized lessons on science and nature."
Now grown up, ex-bullies open up on what drove their behaviour and wish they could turn back the clock (17 October 2025)
"When an old video of Abdul Wafi Idris assaulting a fellow student resurfaced online in 2024, it reignited a national debate about youth violence and accountability.
The clip, recorded in January 2022, showed a then-14-year-old Abdul Wafi hitting and kicking a boy in the toilet. It spread like wildfire across social media and sparked widespread backlash.
The criticism was intensified because of Abdul Wafi's status as a national boxer representing Singapore on the world stage – someone associated with discipline, control and respect, not senseless violence.
Speaking to CNA TODAY on Oct 10, Abdul Wafi described feeling overwhelmed during his moment of virality, frustrated and embarrassed by the ghost of his past.
Now aged 18, he admitted that in his childhood and early teenhood, he was "angry and aggressive most of the time"."
I took 3 years to write my first book. It was a struggle but it helped me grow through pains and losses (17 October 2025)
"In the late 2010s, I was a student at Hai Sing Catholic School, where we had a rich culture of reading. Mornings involved the passing-around of newspapers, magazine articles, and English worksheets aimed at levelling up our language skills.
While some viewed this as a chore, my friends and I felt it was time well spent. I had a few family members working in the real estate industry, and was spurred by them to read financial literacy books.
Other kids were reading age-appropriate books like Percy Jackson. My typical reads involved Rich Dad Poor Dad, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and Warren Buffet Invests Like a Girl – earning me the nickname “finance minister” among friends.
My literary tastes would have likely remained within this limited genre if it wasn’t for a set of reading lists given to us by our English teachers, curated by genre.
This was my first exposure to fantasy, and I was enraptured by it. Reading books like Pawn of Prophecy by David Eddings and The Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan, I discovered a love for imagining worlds beyond our own and their endless possibilities."
How a young runner with autism stayed the course to finish his first marathon in under 5 hours (17 October 2025)
"Mr Lucas Tan was 13 years old when he discovered his passion for running.
It began as a simple activity to help Mr Tan, who has autism, stay focused.
But Mr Tan's natural talent soon became apparent.
“Lucas has a lot of running potential. He’s consistent and very competitive,” said his coach Norman Koh, who has been training him since the teen started out in 2014.
Now 24, Mr Tan has completed six half-marathons and most recently, a full marathon in Taiwan, where he emerged first in his age category of 20-29 with a time of four hours and 47 minutes."
In the age of AI, I still share my kids' photos online – but here's where I draw the line on what to post (18 October 2025)
"The first time I shared a photo of my firstborn son online, he was just 30 days old.
I was still adjusting to motherhood, revelling in the fact that I now had a baby boy.
Sure, I could have shouted it from the rooftops, but posting it on social media felt like the easiest way to tell the world.
Now that he's four years old, I still find myself scrolling back to that photo, trying to remember how tiny those hands were."
'For her own good': Why this father reported his teen daughter for using drug-laced vapes (20 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: “She was so high on the bed … she was shivering and she didn’t know what she was doing until a couple of minutes later, when she started to sober up.”
Daniel (not his real name) was shocked when he found out his daughter was using kpods – vapes laced with etomidate, an anaesthetic agent.
Josephine (not her real name) has always been close to her father. If there was anything she was upset about, she would turn to him. To Daniel, she was the “apple of his eye”, and he “pampered” her the most among his children.
He was heartbroken when he found out she had turned to illegal substances – and he decided to report her to the police."
Why 7 in 10 Singaporeans have yet to use S$500 SkillsFuture credit that expires end-2025 (21 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Unlike many others who have yet to tap their SkillsFuture credits, data analyst Randi Ang, 34, has used all of his credit on a course that allowed him to pivot to the technology sector from healthcare administration.
The accounting graduate first used his credits for a polytechnic diploma conversion course in web development and programming in 2017, before taking a career break to study for a master's degree in enterprise business analytics.
That allowed him to make the job switch in 2020. Earlier this year, he spent his one-off SkillsFuture credit top-up on a post-diploma certificate in enterprise big data management to deepen the skills he uses at work."
Singapore schools add anti-vaping content to science, character education lessons (22 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: What would you do if your friend passed you their vape and asked you to hide it in your pocket – and there's now a random bag check?
This was one scenario discussed by secondary school students in Singapore during a character and citizenship education lesson (CCE) which journalists were invited to observe on Wednesday (Oct 22).
Some said they would reject their friend’s request at the expense of their relationship, and instead ask if they were struggling with something; or advise them on how to seek help safely.
Since September, primary and secondary schools as well as junior colleges have also received additional anti-vaping content for science lessons, including updated information on etomidate and its harmful effects."
Former preschool teacher convicted of ill-treating 2-year-old girl (22 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A former preschool teacher was convicted on Wednesday (Oct 22) of one charge of ill-treating a two-year-old girl in 2022.
Wu Jiaying, a 32-year-old China national, was found guilty of forcefully placing the girl down onto the floor and a chair, lifting her by her arm and pulling her across the classroom, as well as shaking her violently.
The woman had contested the charge, saying she had intended only to control the situation and get the child to calm down."
‘We are sorry for the outcome’: Masagos acknowledges agencies could have done more in Megan Khung case (23 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Singapore’s Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli on Thursday (Oct 23) apologised and acknowledged that agencies involved in the case of four-year-old Megan Khung’s fatal abuse could have done more when handling the matter.
“As the lead for the national child protection system, I would like to say that we are sorry for the outcome,” he said. “We cannot eradicate every risk of a child loss. But our resolve is absolute. We will do everything possible to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies.
“We will make sure that every link in our child protection ecosystem; every professional and agency; does its very best and more, to protect our vulnerable children,” he added."
Multiple lapses, shortcomings in how agencies handled Megan Khung abuse case, review panel finds (23 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A report looking into the death of four-year-old Megan Khung found multiple lapses and shortcomings among agencies that handled her case.
Several key lapses identified in the report included officers who did not follow protocols, the mischaracterisation of Megan’s injuries by social workers, as well as the failure of police officers and child protection specialists in following up on Megan’s case after the information was made known to them.
There was also a “lack of clear understanding and communication among the agencies” involved in Megan’s case, the report found."
A timeline of how Megan Khung's fatal abuse case unfolded – and how agencies could have done more (23 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: More than 300 days passed between the moment a preschool teacher first noticed bruises on four-year-old Megan Khung in March 2019 and her death from physical abuse by her mother and her then-boyfriend.
In that time, child protection officers and social workers from various agencies involved in the case had taken actions to escalate Megan’s case to the police, but there were “instances of a lack of clear understanding and communication” among them, a review panel found on Thursday (Oct 23).
Gaps in the child protection ecosystem, as well as procedures that were not followed by officers involved, led to a lack of police and social interventions in the abuse at the time.
In the end, Megan died after suffering more than a year of physical and emotional abuse by her mother Foo Li Ping, and her then-boyfriend Brian Wong.
The panel’s report detailed how it all happened."
Learning Chinese has become too difficult for kids today, and that’s not okay (24 October 2025)
"Recently, while revising for her end-of-year exams, my 15-year-old daughter came to me with a list of Chinese words, asking me to test her on them.
It had been a while since she'd asked for help. Ever since starting secondary school, she has mostly managed her studies on her own. But when she handed me the list, I wasn't surprised by the request. Rather, I was caught off-guard by what was on it.
Now, I consider myself fairly proficient in my mother tongue. Not only did I grow up in a Chinese-speaking family, I consistently scored As in Chinese throughout my schooling years.
The list of words my daughter handed me was meant for her Secondary 3 cohort (she's in the International Baccalaureate programme, but the Chinese textbook they use is the same as the O-Level track). But I found myself unable to read a number of them, let alone understand them.
Even my husband, who had studied Higher Mother Tongue (HMT) back in school, found some of the words unfamiliar and difficult."
Voices: Young adults are job-hopping faster than ever. Here's why mentorship could change that (25 October 2025)
"For many pop culture fans of my generation, what comes to mind when we think of "mentorship" is Mr Miyagi – the seemingly stern and aloof, but caring and compassionate sensei, played by Pat Morita in the 1984 film The Karate Kid.
I always loved that his mode of instruction for 17-year-old Daniel was not through hyped-up, motivational speeches but through the calm, mundane, endless repetition of "wax on, wax off". What seems like a tedious chore of waxing a car becomes muscle memory, and later, mastery.
More than four decades on, the original film stands as a reminder of a somewhat unpopular lesson in an increasingly fast-paced world: True growth can't be fast-tracked. It can be earned only through multiple cycles of effort, correction and patience.
When I started out in my career 20 years ago, I had the privilege of having a boss who was generous with her time and patient instruction.
She took me to client meetings, where I saw firsthand the challenges of managing conflicting expectations and difficult conversations. Eventually, she trusted me to lead pitches independently, coaching me silently from the sidelines and giving pointers behind the scenes.
Much of what I learnt under her tutelage I adopted when I started my own agency years later, and for those lessons, I am forever grateful."
Former preschool cook molested toddlers regularly during naptime; prosecution seeks 10 years' jail (27 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: In what the prosecution described as one of the most horrendous acts of sexual abuse in a preschool, a cook molested toddlers regularly during naptime while other teachers were present.
Teo Guan Huat, a 61-year-old Malaysian and Singapore permanent resident, pleaded guilty on Monday (Oct 27) to three counts of molestation of minors. Another five charges will be considered in sentencing.
The name of the preschool cannot be published due to a gag order protecting the identities of the victims, who were between one and two years old at the time of the offences, which took place over seven months in 2023.
The court heard that Teo worked for the school for about a year before he resigned in late 2023 after being discovered."
Commentary: Conversations on kids’ screen time focus too much on quantity (27 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: More than half of children aged two to six are exceeding recommended daily screen time limits, according to a recent survey by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI).
For many parents, this finding strikes uncomfortably close to home and heightens anxieties about the excessive dependence young people have on their devices.
But while it is easy to wag a finger at parents, the truth is more complicated. For many, devices are not simply a “lazy option” but a necessity – a way to keep children occupied when adults are juggling long hours, household demands and the rising pressures of modern life.
Parents of older children also find it a struggle to manage screen time when their kids need to access apps and devices for schoolwork, blurring the line between leisure and educational use. Such situations make imposing strict guidelines and “policing” device use a fraught exercise."
Social workers say Megan Khung review panel set record straight, call for greater support instead of more procedures (27 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Following Megan Khung’s fatal abuse case, professionals in the social work sector welcomed the review panel’s recommendations but stressed that the sector still needs more support.
With more agencies who were involved in the case acknowledging their part in the lapses that occurred, those who spoke to CNA said they felt relieved that the full facts were released, and also made several suggestions that could prevent such tragedies from happening again.
Megan died in February 2020. She was abused for months by her mother Foo Li Ping and the woman's then-boyfriend Brian Wong, before the latter inflicted a fatal punch on the girl.
In April, Foo was sentenced to 19 years' jail for abusing her daughter and helping to burn her corpse. Wong was jailed for 30 years and given 17 strokes of the cane for his role in Megan’s death, along with other drug crimes.
Social work professionals told CNA they felt “a sense of relief” after the report’s release on Oct 23 that the inadequate response to Megan’s case was no longer attributed solely to community agencies, and that there was more “accountability” across the board."
Social workers say Megan Khung review panel set record straight, call for greater support instead of more procedures (27 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A new hotel will open on the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Kent Ridge campus in the first half of 2026.
The Ridge, which has 185 rooms, is a “campus hotel” designed for students, visiting academics and professionals, its website said.
The hotel, which is not open to the public or tourists, will be located along Computing Drive, which is near NUS’ School of Computing and the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences."
Commentary: Young workers aren’t chasing flexible work anymore – they want job security (28 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: For years, conversations about youth employment in Singapore have circled around the same buzzwords: flexible work, career advancement and work-life balance. These ideas appear in corporate brochures, HR seminars and even government dialogues.
But the reality is more layered. Young workers value flexibility and progression, but they prize financial security and job stability above all. And this is where employers often get them wrong.
A new study by the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS), involving more than 1,000 youths and 250 employers, found that across life stages, youths consistently rank financial gain and job stability higher than flexible work or career advancement. Rather than flexibility, they are a generation seeking stability in uncertain times."
Commentary: Megan Khung's story must end in enduring change of the child protection system (29 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The fatal abuse of four-year-old Megan Khung exposes a painful truth about how we can fail the most vulnerable among us.
Too often, protection becomes procedural. We risk reducing children’s lives to fragments of case notes and forms, escalated somewhere but going nowhere.
Megan died in February 2020 after months of beatings, starvation and acts of emotional abuse by her mother and the woman’s then boyfriend. Her ordeal was all the more tragic, for how she fell through the cracks and the multiple lapses by agencies which were laid out in an independent review panel’s report on Thursday (Oct 23)."
Preschool in molest case fined; three of its employees barred from working in sector: ECDA (29 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The preschool that employed a man who went on to molest three toddlers on its premises was fined S$26,200 (US$20,230) by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA).
The fine was meted out in May 2024 after ECDA's investigations uncovered multiple breaches of the Early Childhood Development Centres (ECDC) Act and Regulations at the preschool that had compromised the safety of the children in its care, an agency spokesperson said on Wednesday (Oct 29) in response to queries from CNA.
ECDA had been informed of one of the man's offences against one of the children by the preschool on Dec 5, 2023, and later learned from the police and the preschool of further offences he committed against the two other children.
The agency later commenced investigations into the safety procedures and child-safe policies at the preschool and completed these in February 2024.
In addition to the fine, new enrolments were also restricted at the preschool, and its licence tenure was shortened from 36 months to six months, the spokesperson said."
Educators question why preschool cook who molested toddlers had so much contact with children (30 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A former preschool cook who molested three toddlers should never have been assigned childcare duties in the first place, early childhood educators said, raising concerns about staffing practices across the preschool sector.
Teo Guan Huat, 61, pleaded guilty on Monday (Oct 27) to three counts of molesting girls aged two or younger. Between May and November 2023, he molested the victims two to three times a week during naptime, under the guise of patting them to sleep.
His regular duties went beyond typical kitchen responsibilities. Teo escorted children to another teacher for showers, laid out mattresses at naptime, and helped put children to sleep – tasks that educators said should have raised immediate concerns.
A former preschool principal who gave her name as Ms Lin, 37, said she was “really disgusted” to learn of this case.
“Cooks and cleaners do not have ‘children’ cast in their JD (job description) at all,” she said, adding that it is a “red flag” for the cook to be helping with toilet and naptime duties in the first place."
Former St Joseph's Institution facilities manager who received at least S$67,000 in bribes jailed (30 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: An ex-facilities manager at St Joseph's Institution (SJI) was jailed for 15 months and four weeks' on Thursday (Oct 30) for receiving bribes of at least S$67,000 (US$51,600) from vendors contracted to carry out projects at the school.
For more than four years, Ng Cher Him, 58, would ask vendors to mark up their quotation submitted to SJI, with the markup to be paid to him as gratification.
He pleaded guilty to four charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act, with another five charges of a similar nature taken into consideration for sentencing. Apart from the jail term, Ng was ordered to pay a penalty of S$7,500. If he cannot pay the penalty, he will have to serve four additional weeks in jail."
49 more preschools to offer lower fee caps starting Jan 1, 2026 (31 October 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A total of 49 preschools will be added to a scheme offering lower fees from next year, taking the total number of centres under the scheme to 380, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) announced on Friday (Oct 31).
These centres have been appointed under the new five-year term of the Partner Operator Scheme, which will start on Jan 1, 2026 and end on Dec 31, 2030. The current term ends in December.
The scheme supports appointed centres to “improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of childcare and infant care services” for Singaporean families, ECDA said."
In a cashless society, parents must do more to help kids understand money's value (1 November 2025)
"When I was a child, I often saw my mum at the dining table with a stack of bills, carefully working out our household's monthly budget.
Most of her shopping for clothes or bags took place during the Great Singapore Sale, and I never once saw her opening her wallet for branded goods.
Whenever she handed over the cash for my tuition teacher’s fees, she would sigh and say that it meant no taxi rides for the rest of the month.
Watching her, I developed the habit of conscious and deliberate spending, which later shaped me into a financially literate adult."
Her first day as an autism coach was tough but she stayed on for 11 years: 'This is where I want to be' (3 November 2025)
"On her first day at work at St. Andrew’s Autism Centre (SAAC), a client unintentionally hit Chloe Phua. Within the first month, the senior coach had some bruises and bumps from working with her clients.
Most would have quit at these early challenges but not her.
Over her 11 years at SAAC's Day Activity Centre, the 37-year-old has occasionally been slapped, hit, and even bitten, but Phua continues to serve her clients, mostly adults with moderate to severe autism, with love and dedication.
“Serving people is what I like to do and look forward to doing each day,” she said."
Son obtains personal protection order against father who was violent to him over his 'living habits' (3 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Increasingly frustrated and irritated with his son's living habits, a man resorted to physical violence by slapping his son, pulling his hair, pouring water on him and shooting him in the face with a rubber band.
The son, who is above the age of 18 and two years away from graduating, applied for a personal protection order (PPO) against his father and was granted one by the family court.
In a judgment made available on Saturday (Nov 1), District Judge Soh Kian Peng found it necessary to order a PPO for the son's personal safety or protection."
The last days of Megan Khung (4 November 2025)
"Megan Khung was four when she died from abuse. The perpetrators? Her mother Foo Liping and her boyfriend, Wong Shi Xiang. They later burnt her corpse to avoid detection.
At that point, more than 300 days had passed from the time her bruises were first spotted by her preschool teacher.
A review panel was convened in April 2025 to look into how the various agencies in Singapore acted in Megan’s case. Its findings shed light on the lapses and shortcomings of these agencies that played a part in the tragedy.
Our timeline looks at the moments when one or more agencies could have done more to intervene."
MOE takes holistic approach to teacher well-being; total work hours stable over the years: Desmond Lee (4 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) takes a holistic approach to monitoring teachers’ well-being rather than tracking singular metrics such as work hours, said Education Minister Desmond Lee in parliament on Tuesday (Nov 4).
Speaking in response to parliamentary questions about the results of an OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey, he said MOE tracks indicators including job satisfaction, retention rates and stress levels.
The ministry also engages with MOE teachers’ unions to “get feedback and suggestions”, he added."
Government apologised to social service agencies for perceived 'finger-pointing' in initial statement on Megan Khung case (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The government has apologised to Beyond Social Services and other agencies for the misunderstanding over "finger-pointing" when the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) made its initial statement on Megan Khung's case in April, Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee said on Wednesday (Nov 5).
Mr Lee, who is also Education Minister, said this in parliament while responding to questions on the fatal child abuse case.
Four-year-old Megan died in 2020 after being abused by her mother and her mother's boyfriend for several months. The couple was sentenced in April.
In April, MSF said that social service agency Beyond Social Services, which operated the preschool where Megan was enrolled, did not fully describe the severity of her injuries in its report to the Early Childhood Development Agency. MSF said this resulted in "inadequate interventions".
A subsequent report by a review panel, published in October, found lapses by multiple stakeholders, including MSF's Child Protective Service and the police, as well as social workers."
Megan Khung fatal abuse case: MSF to set up social services coordination centre, strengthen oversight (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) will establish a social services coordination centre, as well as improve protocols and coordination with the police for missing children following a review of the Megan Khung fatal abuse case.
Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration Desmond Lee also pledged in parliament on Tuesday (Oct 5) to improve the “frontline capability” of child protection and strengthen systems and oversight over the sector.
The death of the four-year-old in February 2020 after suffering months of abuse had earlier led to a review panel that found multiple lapses and shortcomings in the agencies involved in her case.
Mr Lee, who is also the Education Minister, said: “There were opportunities to pick up on the abuse, which might have prevented Megan’s death. Our responses clearly fell short.”
Police officers in Megan Khung case were 'under pressure', leading to 'serious breach': Goh Pei Ming (5 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The lapse in the police's handling of four-year-old Megan Khung’s fatal abuse case occurred as a result of two officers being "under pressure" and not following "established operating procedure", said Minister of State for Home Affairs Goh Pei Ming on Wednesday (Nov 5).
Speaking in parliament, Mr Goh said this "serious breach" resulted in a "tragic outcome".
"Our frontline police officers bear a heavy responsibility to protect ... lives. They take this responsibility seriously, and perform their duties with commitment and professionalism," he added.
"The demands on our police officers continue to increase. They often have to make difficult judgment calls every day in the course of their duties. When under pressure, mistakes can happen."
The police will learn from this, and reinforce procedures as well as training for their officers, added Mr Goh."
Commentary: Singlish is so much more than ‘broken English’ (6 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: My primary school teacher once scolded me for using “broken English” and ending a sentence with “lah”. That same afternoon, I watched my sister order chicken rice at the hawker centre in a mix of Mandarin, Teochew and English: “Uncle, wo yao kueh png, no bone. Dowan chilli.”
Nobody batted an eyelid. It was just how we spoke. That contrast between what’s acceptable in class and what’s normal everywhere else has puzzled me ever since. Why was the way we spoke treated as a flaw?
Singapore’s bilingual education policy is often told as a success story. Since the 1960s, English has been promoted as the language of economic progress, and Mother Tongue languages for cultural grounding. In 2020, 74.3 per cent of literate residents surveyed in the population census were at least bilingual, up from 70.5 per cent a decade prior.
But we don’t compartmentalise English or our mother tongue in our daily lives. We live in the spaces between and beyond them."
NUS student fined for putting green beans into car tyre valves to deflate them (6 November 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A National University of Singapore (NUS) student inserted green beans into the tyre valves of seven cars to deflate them, as he wanted to make ownership of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) unattractive.
Benjamin Chia Yit Loong, a 24-year-old Singaporean, was fined S$3,000 (US$2,300) by a court on Thursday (Nov 6) for one count of mischief.
The court heard that Chia was interested in climate change and environmental issues, and wished to make SUV ownership unattractive.
He decided to deflate the tyres of cars parked near his house, and to leave on the cars flyers about the environmental damage caused by SUVs."