Higher subsidies for needy students on CDAC learning programmes (5 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Needy students will be paying less for learning programmes from Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) from next year.
On Saturday (August 4), the organisation announced that from January 2019, there will be higher fee subsidies for underprivileged students currently attending subject-based learning programmes at 12 CDAC Centres."
Shine Festival grows into YouthX (5 August 2018)
"The Government is scaling up its efforts to engage the young in Singapore.
This year, the annual Shine Festival held by the National Youth Council (NYC) has grown into the inaugural YouthX, one of the largest youth-centric events in recent years."
Self-help groups play critical and irreplaceable role in boosting social mobility: Ong Ye Kung (5 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on Sunday (Aug 5) called on self-help groups to work more closely with his ministry to provide academic and social support for students from vulnerable families.
This is especially necessary for those who are on the verge of dropping out of school, he said."
SUSS using data analytics to cater to student needs (6 August 2018)
"Varsities have always collected information about students, from their grades to the courses they take.
Such data was hardly used in the past. But today, universities are looking at how to study such data, to tailor learning to students' needs - a field known as learning and predictive analytics."
Homecoming for former ITE students (6 August 2018)
"It took Ms Gayathiri Dhavadas 20 applications over three years before she finally got a place in a nursing course at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) at age 21, because of her unsatisfactory N-level scores.
She remembers a question from her pre-admission interview: "Why should I give you a chance?"
The enduring power of print in a digital world (6 August 2018)
"Today's students see themselves as digital natives, the first generation to grow up surrounded by technology like smartphones, tablets and e-readers.
Teachers, parents and policymakers certainly acknowledge the growing influence of technology and have responded in kind. We've seen more investment in classroom technologies, with students now equipped with school-issued iPads and access to e-textbooks."
Help in using tech to tackle social issues (6 August 2018)
"Teachers can now sign up for a workshop where they are learn techniques to guide their students in preparing for this year's Samsung Solve for Tomorrow challenge.
For the competition, students are encouraged to use technology to create solutions to social issues in Singapore."
Recently launched platform for online tutoring draws 400 students (6 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE (THE NEW PAPER) - Young people today are spending more time chatting, playing games, reading and taking in the news on screen, and a new online tutoring platform aims to capitalise on this.
Local start-up teachnlearn provides them with the option to book tutors of their choice for 30-minute sessions, and online tutoring can be done via video chat, messaging and a virtual whiteboard."
Seven new MOE kindergartens to be set up in 2021 (6 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Seven new Ministry of Education (MOE) kindergartens will open in 2021, it was announced on Monday (Aug 6).
This will mean there will be a total of 36 MOE kindergartens across the island in three years' time, double the current number, Second Minister for Education Indranee Rajah said on a visit to MK @ Punggol Cove."
URA forms new partnership to promote built heritage and identity (7 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced a new partnership that will support collaborations between the public and private sectors and Singaporeans in shaping the nation's built heritage and identity.
The Heritage and Identity Partnership (HIP) will take on an expanded role from the Conservation Advisory Panel, which ended its last tenure in May."
New NHB programme aims to bring students closer to Singapore's heritage (8 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Growing up, Muhammed Irfan Ahemed Ghani had never heard of the Tok Tok Man, a noodle hawker in the old days who went around alerting customers of his presence by playing a bamboo instrument which made a "tok tok" sound.
But the 16-year-old soon found himself playing the role of the popular figure together with his classmates from Kranji Secondary School (KSS)."
Catholic JC vice-principal regrets comment on neighbourhood secondary school students (8 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - A vice-principal at Catholic Junior College (CJC) has expressed deep regret for telling the school's students that most neighbourhood secondary school students come from troubled families.
A CJC spokesman, in response to queries from The Straits Times, added that the remarks by Mrs Yue-Chang Teck Hui, who is vice-principal in charge of academic matters, "were not appropriate, and are not reflective of the actual situation or the mindsets of CJC educators"."
Link gives youth opportunities to volunteer or intern in Asean (10 August 2018)
"Young people in Singapore will soon get more opportunities to intern or volunteer in other South-east Asian countries. The Asean Youth Community (AYC) was launched on Wednesday as a platform to connect young people in the region and link them up to internships or volunteer opportunities in Asean countries.
The initiative was launched at an event at Serangoon Garden Secondary School to mark the 51st anniversary of Asean, which was attended by about 400 youth delegates and diplomats from Asean countries."
NUS students raise more than $581,000 at annual charity event (12 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Students from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have raised more than $581,000 during the varsity's Students' Union (NUSSU)Rag and Flag charity event this year.
The annual event hadabout 7,700 students collecting donations from the public on Aug 6 this year. The proceeds will be handed over to 21 charity programmes supported by Community Chest, and beneficiaries include Fei Yue Community Services, the Autism Resource Centre (Singapore) and HCA Hospice Care."
'Thank you, teacher' - after 46 years (12 August 2018)
"Mr Veera Sekaran never forgot his primary school teacher's act of kindness 46 years ago.
When she found out his family could not afford to buy him a pen, she rallied his classmates to put together a stationery set and a school bag for him."
More parents taking alumni route to ensure kids' Primary 1 spots (13 August 2018)
"More parents are making use of their alumni status to get their children a Primary 1 slot in popular schools this year - likely in anticipation of keener competition among a bumper crop of Dragon Year babies.
There was a spike in interest for the second and third stages of registration, Phases 2A1 and 2A2 - meant for children whose parents have alumni status, among other ties."
Local medical teaching site a global hit (13 August 2018)
"Argentina. Belarus. Egypt. Saudi Arabia. Medical students and faculty from these countries and more are flocking to Pathweb - an online pathology teaching resource created by an associate professor from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine.
Pathweb is a combination of a virtual pathology museum that holds digitised, annotated specimens of diseased organs, and a teaching blog-site with videos and mind maps for students' self-study."
NTU receives $11m gift for endowment fund for medical education and healthcare research (13 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Monday (Aug 13) received an $11 million gift to set up an endowment fund to further medical education and research in healthcare.
The gift came from the estate of the late Madam Irene Tan Liang Kheng, and the Government has matched it, bringing the total for the endowment fund to $22 million."
Young leader pays tribute to professor who believed in him this Teacher's Day (13 August 2018)
"Not many people can say they were selected to receive the Queen’s Young Leader Award at 25. Even fewer can claim the award was for a barely tangible prototype of an online social enterprise portal. Not Mr Oon Tian Sern, though.
He was one of only two Singaporeans to receive the award in London this year from Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen’s Young Leader Award recognises and celebrates exceptional youths from across the Commonwealth who take the lead in their communities and use their skills to transform lives."
First woman to be awarded Home Team's Singapore Merit Scholarship (14 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - Growing up, Ms Cammy Chua was always interested in the uniformed services. This was not surprising, given that her father is a former fighter pilot who constantly impressed on her the importance of security.
Yet, she was still apprehensive when applying for a Home Team Scholarship, as she would have to go through six gruelling months of basic military training and officer cadet school as part of a prerequisite for the scholarship."
Pushing limits to achieve a first (15 August 2018)
"Growing up, Ms Cammy Chua was interested in the uniformed services. Not surprising, given that her father is a former fighter pilot who impressed upon her the importance of security.
Yet, she was still apprehensive when applying for a Home Team scholarship, as she had to go through six gruelling months of basic military training and officer cadet school as part of a prerequisite for the scholarship."
Grant for social science, humanities research (15 August 2018)
"University researchers can start applying for a new grant to help fund their social science and humanities research projects.
The newly launched Social Science and Humanities Research Fellowship will provide selected researchers with a grant of up to $1 million for their research projects, over the course of five years."
Tutor gave statement to cop after threats: Lawyer (15 August 2018)
"While private tutor Fiona Poh Min was being investigated for cheating, she was "threatened and physically intimidated" by police officers, said her lawyer.
As a result, she "involuntarily" gave her statement to police investigation officer (IO) Eddie Ho after she was arrested, said lawyer Nicolas Tang yesterday. This was refuted by the officer, who said he was not aware of the claims."
Five receive President's Scholarship in Istana ceremony (16 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - As a recipient of the President's Scholarship, he could have chosen to go to almost any university in the world.
But Mr Stefan Liew Jing Rui, who is also a Singapore Police Force scholar, is choosing to stay true to his roots - he has enrolled in local liberal arts college Yale-NUS."
Hold on to values Singapore was built on: President (17 August 2018)
"In the face of disruptive changes, the new generation of leaders must hold on to what is evergreen - values, character and commitment.
It was through perseverance, determination and foresight that our pioneers built a nation based on meritocracy, integrity and impartiality, said President Halimah Yacob."
First batch of cyber warriors selected to drive Singapore's Smart Nation efforts (17 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE - She may not be sleeping in a military bunk or applying combat tactics in the jungle. But Ms Pun Shu Fen is training to be one of the first cyber warriors in Singapore, defending the nation's critical information infrastructure.
Ms Pun, 22, is among the pioneer batch of nine Smart Nation Scholarship holders. The two women and seven men were selected from 233 applicants to be groomed to drive Singapore's Smart Nation and digitalisation efforts."
Play to learn at Punggol Cove Primary School (17 July 2018)
"Children are constantly learning from what they experience every day, so it is important that learning goes beyond the four walls of the classroom.
The Programme for Active Learning (PAL), implemented in all primary schools in Singapore, provides Primary One and Two students with opportunities to pick up socio-emotional competencies and life skills.
Punggol Cove Primary School’s PAL programme encompasses hands-on activities in areas including music, dance, sports, drama and outdoor education.
All play and no work?
The wide range of activities available through PAL excite the students. They take part in activities such as playing games, heading outdoors to learn about nature and putting together a performance or a piece of art.
But there’s more than meets the eye, if you look through the lens of an educator.
The school’s teachers design the programme to create rich learning experiences that pique students’ interest and encourage them to explore, ask questions and socialise. As they facilitate the programme, they look for opportunities to develop students’ confidence, build friendships and encourage teamwork."
Four tips to help your child manage stress (24 July 2018)
"Communicate well, spot stress points, avoid piling on excessive pressure and don’t be a “helicopter parent”.
When Dr Lim Choon Guan’s daughter told him that her stomach hurt and she was unfit to go to school, he had his doubts. It wasn’t like her to miss lessons, and she didn’t seem physically ill. True enough, on checking her WhatsApp messages on her mother’s phone, he found that she felt ostracised by some girls at school.
The discovery puzzled him. Why would his daughter keep this from him? What other problems was she facing that he wasn’t aware of?
He thought hard and realised he could be part of the problem. “What I personally do is think about why my child may not want to share things with me. Could she be afraid of my reaction?” he said. “She was in Primary Three at the time. Maybe she didn’t understand the importance of telling an adult.”
The episode has stayed with him, a useful reminder of how challenging it is for parents to manage the mental well-being of their children. This is true even for an expert like himself, the Deputy Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health."
Stepping into a digital world (27 July 2018)
Cheriise Sin, a Secondary Two student from Jurong West Secondary School, quipped, “So many interesting stuffs to learn and experiment with!”
Seen in the the school’s creative labs, our young techies and budding film makers are busy creating short films, mobile apps and websites.
Students like Cheriise are part of the school’s Applied Learning Programme (ALP) known as ALP @ JWSS: Harnessing Technology, the Visual Arts and Communication in Authentic Context, where they find innovative solutions to solve real social and environmental issues using knowledge, skills and values from three key subject disciplines which are: InfoComm Technology (ICT), English Language and Visual Arts.
So, what do our students do?
As they create a host of digital artefacts, the students explored a variety of fields such as media literacy and coding.
Conducted at the lower secondary levels, the Media Literacy modules highlight the importance of information searching and discernment where students were taught to spot fake news by verifying the authority of the sources and cross-referencing other websites or sources. The module also focussed on detecting biasness in moving pictures using the 5-Finger Test recommended by the National Library Board. Using the 5-Finger Test, they analyse a TV commercial of their choice. In addition, they learn to deconstruct music videos to gain greater insights into their subliminal messages."
Solving problems creatively at North Spring Primary School (7 August 2018)
Clutter in the classroom bothered 8-year-old Kelvin. He would see sharpeners and used pencils lying untidily on the desks, and observed instances when his classmates misplaced or forgot to bring their stationery, which would be an inconvenience throughout the day.
So when discussing the R’s – reduce, reuse and recycle – with his classmates, Kelvin shared his concerns and together, an idea for a “Stationery Stand” was conceived. Misplaced and unclaimed stationery could be deposited at this stand, for classmates to easily retrieve what belonged to them. Classmates could also borrow items, and the classroom would be a neater and more conducive place for learning.
“We planned this project in January, asked our group for recyclable materials, then started building the Stationery Stand in March,” shared Kelvin.
Such opportunities to innovate are a result of North Spring Primary School‘s Problem Identification and Solution Generations Values in Action (VIA) programme, which is integrated into the Project Work and Social Studies curriculum. Implemented school-wide, all students are taught to develop problem-solving skills progressively."
Cycling safely at Fern Green Primary School (14 August 2018)
As Singapore moves towards being car-lite, people are encouraged to use public transport, as well as alternative modes of transport – like cycling.
For children, cycling is fun! It’s thrilling to feel the wind rushing past as one pedals along. It is also a great family activity that encourages bonding and exercise. But with the availability of roads, shared paths and cycling paths, children need to be taught the basics of cycling safety and etiquette.
With that in mind, educators at Fern Green Primary School decided to introduce cycling lessons to all students in Primary One.
“Cycling is a life skill,” explains Mr Camillus Peh, head of department for physical education and co-curricular activities at Fern Green Primary.
Going far together
Not everyone in the class starts off on the same ground – some students can already manoeuvre a bicycle without a hitch, while others have no experience at all."
128 Students Awarded the Singapore-Industry Scholarship (2 August 2018)
"128 students will receive the 2018 Singapore-Industry Scholarship (SgIS)1 on 2 August at an award ceremony with Second Minister for Education and Finance, Ms Indranee Rajah as guest-of-honour."
Seminar for Pre-School Chinese Language Teachers 2018 (4 August 2018)
"To enhance their professional skills and grow their professional network, more than 800 pre-school Chinese Language (CL) teachers and educationists attended a dedicated seminar on 4 August 2018. Held at ITE (Institute of Technical Education) College Central, the seminar was organised by the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) and supported by the Early Childhood and Development Agency (ECDA)."
Seven New Moe Kindergartens Opening in 2021 (6 August 2018)
"In 2021, MOE will be opening seven new MOE Kindergartens (MKs) across Singapore, as part of our earlier-announced expansion to 50 MKs by 2023. All seven MKs will be located within primary schools and will offer Kindergarten Care (KCare) services. Please refer to the Annex for the locations of the new MKs."
Recognising Our Students’ Holistic Achievements (14 August 2018)
"This year, 196 Special Awards – the highest number in a single year so far – were given out to recognise students’ achievements in both academic and non-academic spheres, including their contributions to the community1. Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Culture, Community and Youth, presented the awards at the Special Awards Presentation Ceremony on 14 August 2018."
Social Science and Humanities Research Fellowship Launched at 4th Start Award Ceremony (14 August 2018)
"The Social Science and Humanities Research (SSHR) Fellowship was launched today by Minister for Education Mr Ong Ye Kung at the 4th Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme (START) Award Ceremony."
School Terms and Holidays for 2019 (15 August 2018)
"The school year for 2019 for all MOE primary and secondary schools will start on Wednesday, 2 January and end on Friday, 15 November 2019."
NUS student gets caning, 9 months' jail for molesting fellow student, peeping in hall toilet (30 July 2018)
"SINGAPORE — After a night of working on her final year project, the 24-year-old National University of Singapore (NUS) student was taking a nap in the computer laboratory with her boyfriend when she was molested.
The culprit was her classmate, who, unknown to her, had been issued a conditional warning for peeping into a hall toilet one-and-a-half years ago.
On Monday (July 30), the molester was sentenced to nine months' jail and three strokes of the cane. The 26-year-old, who cannot be named due to a gag order to protect the victim's identity, pleaded guilty to two charges of molest and insulting the modesty of a woman."
Sota looks to draw more students from lower-income families (30 July 2018)
"SINGAPORE — To draw more children from lower-income families and identify and nurture students with a flair for the arts, the School of the Arts (Sota) will improve its outreach to primary schools.
Without providing a timeline, the school said it plans to roll out targeted and intensive arts enrichment programmes for those with an aptitude for the arts.
Presently, its outreach to primary schools serves to raise awareness of the school and its application process."
O-Level exam cheating case: Student claims he was afraid to tell tuition teachers he did not want to cheat (1 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE – In the ongoing trial of tuition centre principal Poh Yuan Nie and two accomplices, who allegedly helped six students from China cheat at the GCE O-Level examinations, one of the students claimed he “did not dare” tell the defendants that he did not want to be part of the ruse.
Two years ago in 2016, Poh, together with her niece Fiona Poh Min, 30, and China national Feng Riwen, 25, allegedly helped the six students cheat during the O-Level exams. Two of the students testified during the first three days of the trial in April.
Mr Zhang Jinlu, 21, the prosecution’s fifth witness, took the stand on Wednesday (Aug 1). He told the court that Poh Yuan Nie – also known as Pony Poh – and Fiona Poh had called him to Zeus Education Centre’s office on Oct 18, 2016, a day before his Physics/Chemistry practical exam to discuss cheating."
Some teachers unhappy over insufficient parking lots, MOE steps in to allow them to park in bus bays (3 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — Ahead of the imposition of parking charges on teachers on Wednesday (Aug 1), the move gave rise to an unexpected problem in some schools: A lack of parking lots due to high demand for season parking, which caused unhappiness among some teachers after they were unsuccessful in ballot exercises for parking spaces.
Previously, teachers in some schools were allowed to park at undesignated parking lots, but were unable to do so after the Ministry of Education announced in March that all teachers would have to pay for parking from Aug 1 in line with the Public Service Division's clean wage policy.
The issue was resolved after some schools wrote in to the authorities to allow staff to use the bus parking lots, although these cannot be permanently converted into car park lots due to government stipulations."
Wiping clean the ‘mixing pot of viruses’: Lessons from a flu outbreak in a primary school (4 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE – Contaminated surfaces such as a water cooler and toilet door could have played a role in a flu outbreak at a primary school in north-western Singapore last year, experts from the Ministry of Health (MOH) reported in findings published last month.
While not possible to pinpoint if that was the main mode of transmission, the experts called for hygiene and cleaning standards to be stepped up to control outbreaks."
NATIONAL DAY SPECIAL 2018: Propelling his father’s Japanese language school to new heights (6 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — Mr Yutaro Kitahara may be only 27 years old, but he has single-handedly helped boost the business at his father's Japanese language school by five times over the past five years.
Revenue of the 35-year-old Hougang Japanese Language School — purportedly the first of its kind to be set up in Singapore back in 1983 — hit six digits for the first time last year. The number of newly-registered students also doubled and the school has about 15 teachers working both full-time and part-time."
This year, to give back to the community, the school also started giving free Japanese lessons to students from low-income families, with five children aged 12 to 16 enrolled in the programme for now."
Police report filed against debate coach accused of sexually harassing students (8 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — A police report has been filed against a debate coach for alleged sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour towards secondary school students he was mentoring five years ago.
The man, believed to be an employee of a statutory board, committed the alleged offences in 2013, when he was already in public service.
The statutory board did not respond to media queries and, as the case involves minors, TODAY is withholding the person's identity and details of his occupation."
Ngee Ann Poly raises S$20,000 for Lombok villagers affected by earthquakes (10 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE – A group of lecturers from Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) have helped raise about S$20,000 since Monday (Aug 6) for Lombok residents affected by the major earthquakes that recently rocked the Indonesian island.
The sum is double the S$10,000 target, which they had initially hoped to reach by Sept 3.
For them, news of the disaster hit close to their hearts. After years of visiting two villages in east Lombok as part of a Youth Expedition Project (YEP), they had developed strong bonds and friendships with the locals."
Aware calls for free childcare, financial incentives to help low-income mothers break out of poverty (11 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — Trends such as more unstable employment are making it increasingly harder for lower-income families to balance work and care, the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) said in a new document based on interviews with 47 low-income mothers.
In the report titled "Why Are You Not Working?", released ahead of a panel discussion on Saturday (Aug 11), the gender equality advocacy group called for measures to stimulate social mobility by "dramatically" improving the financial circumstances of low-income families.
Among its recommendations: Free childcare for families with monthly household income of less than S$2,500, improving the Government's ComCare assistance for needy families after the beneficiaries find employment, and enhancing laws barring employers from discriminating workers based on family responsibilities."
New National Instructors and Coaches Association to be set up by NTUC (13 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — As the gig economy continues to take flight here, concerns over the welfare and career development of freelancers will see the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) setting up a national association for freelance coaches and instructors in fields such as sports, dance and fitness.
Tapping the labour movement's network and resources, the National Instructors and Coaches Association (Nica) aims to address the major issues this group of workers face — from the loss of income due to illness or injury, payment-related disputes, to professional development to help improve their work prospects. For instance, association members will get access to insurance packages from its insurance partners that mitigate against income loss due to prolonged sick leave."
Arctic trip changed 19-year-old’s views on animal hunting (15 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — Yale environmental studies undergraduate Victoria Lim, 19, had previously taken a dim view of seal hunting. But having returned last week from a trip to the Arctic, she found her view challenged.
A ban or boycott of seal products would impoverish the Inuit, said the self-professed environmentalist, who also developed a better appreciation of the need to have diverse views on environmental issues.
Last month, Victoria became the first Singaporean to join more than 100 youths from 16 other places, including Ecuador and Micronesia, on a 16-day expedition to the Arctic to witness climate change where it is most apparent."
President’s Scholars devote time to society, family and the environment (16 August 2018)
"SINGAPORE — At a Chinese New Year event his school hosted for senior citizens when he was 13, Alden Tan Ming Yang said, "See you next year!" when bidding goodbye to one of the participants.
The woman quipped: "Can we see you tomorrow?"
The casual remark made the Secondary One student at Raffles Institution think hard about community service."