Domain Of Singapore Tutoring Experts

Better Believe It......Because They Actually Happen(ed) Collection 75
45 students rejected from top universities due to bullying records Freshmen take pictures at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, during the entrance ceremony on Feb. 29, 2024. [YONHAP] Despite stellar academic credentials, two students were denied admission to the prestigious Seoul National University (SNU) last year — not for lack of grades, but for past records of school bullying. They were among 45 applicants across six major national universities who saw their college dreams derailed due to histories of school violence, highlighting a growing shift in how character is weighed in Korean university admissions. The two rejected students at SNU had applied through their College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) scores. Despite their high academic performance, their history of school violence in elementary, middle or high school led to their disqualification. Since the 2014 academic year, SNU has deducted up to two points from CSAT scores of applicants who had received disciplinary actions of school transfers or expulsion. In Korea, students apply to university through two main tracks: early admissions, which considers school records and interviews, and regular admissions, which primarily relies on scores from the CSAT. At Pusan National University, eight students — six from the early admissions cycle and two from the regular admissions cycle — were rejected due to deductions related to school violence. Kangwon National University saw five early admissions rejections, while Jeonbuk National University had five cases in total. Gyeongsang National University had three early admissions rejections. Kyungpook National University rejected 22 applicants, the highest number among national universities. Full story at Korea JoongAng Daily (November 2025)
Chicago day care teacher detained by ICE agents as parents were dropping off their children By Whitney Wild Karen Sabaka (second from left) is consoled by Tara Goodarzi outside Rayito de sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center in Chicago after a teacher was arrested by federal agents on Wednesday. (Joshua Lott/The Washington Post/Getty Images) The arrest by federal agents of a day care teacher inside a child care center in northwest Chicago has drawn strong condemnation from local leaders. Two ICE agents flanked the teacher Wednesday inside Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center and then forced her outside through the doors with her arms behind her back. “This morning ICE agents followed a teacher into the facility without a warrant and abducted her in front of her students,” Rep. Mike Quigley said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon, adding the incident showed a “complete lack of humanity.” The day care teacher’s arrest marks the latest action by federal immigration authorities to draw condemnation in the Chicago area, which has seen a series of aggressive tactics since the Department of Homeland Security launched “Operation Midway Blitz” at the beginning of September as part of President Donald Trump’s nationwide enforcement agenda. The arrest happened “during the busiest time of drop-off where kids and families have to witness a teacher being forcibly removed and agents kitted up in tactical gear,” Chris Widen, whose 4-month-old son is taught by the woman, told the Associated Press. “These are the nicest, kindest people. They don’t deserve, these children don’t deserve to be living through this,” Esmeralda Rosales, whose child attends the daycare, told the AP. Rayito de Sol, which translates to Little Ray of Sunshine, offers services for infants through pre-kindergarten-aged children, with several locations throughout the Chicago and Minneapolis areas, according to the company’s website. CNN has reached out to a representative for the teacher. Full story at CNN (November 2025)
IIUM lecturer defends claim Romans learned shipbuilding from Malays Solehah Yaacob says her conclusion is based on a research hypothesis developed through ‘extensive study’ since completing her PhD in 2005. Solehah Yaacob, an Arabic language lecturer from IIUM, was ridiculed for claiming that ancient Romans may have learned shipbuilding from Malay seafarers. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA: An International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) lecturer who was ridiculed for saying that ancient Romans may have learned shipbuilding techniques from Malay seafarers has doubled down on her claim. Arabic language lecturer Solehah Yaacob said her remarks were made based on a research hypothesis developed through “extensive study” since completing her PhD in 2005. “My hypothesis, grounded in classical Arabic sources, proposes that the Romans acquired aspects of the art of shipbuilding from the peoples of the Malay Archipelago,” she said in a statement today. “Unlike the Europeans, who were largely continental, the Malays were a maritime civilisation.” Solehah said her hypothesis is supported by numerous references, including PY Manguin’s “The Southeast Asian Ship: An Historical Approach” in the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, and RL Smith’s book “Premodern Trade in World History”. She also said the Malays’ superior nautical knowledge and shipbuilding skills made them among the earliest masters of the sea. Full story at Free Malaysia Today (November 2025)
China school slammed for making pupils salute teachers arriving in cars on cold mornings Pupils stand at attention by gates in early morning to greet staff; supporters say it instils respect, critics fear ‘blind obedience’. A primary school in China has caused outrage by making pupils salute teachers’ cars when they arrive in the morning. Photo: Douyin By Zoey Zhang A viral video of primary school pupils in eastern China saluting teachers on cold mornings has sparked a storm of outrage online. The incident happened at Jianqiao Primary School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, a century-old institution known for its status as a key local school and a model of civility. In the clip, four pupils wearing patrol armbands stand at attention at the school gate. Each time a teacher’s car drives in, they salute and shout “good morning”. In less than a minute, they greet 10 cars. Two young pupils salute a teacher’s car as it pulls into the school one morning. Photo: Douyin The particular salute is known as a symbol of the Young Pioneers, a children’s organisation led by the Chinese Communist Youth League. While some teachers wave at the pupils, most cars drive past with their windows up. Meanwhile, another pupil is seen standing in the corridor, checking the appearance of classmates. The video has attracted more than 100,000 likes on mainland social media, with reactions divided. Supporters defend the practice as “etiquette education”, arguing it will help instil respect in the children. \ Girl pupils wearing white uniforms line-up and bow as a cavalcade of teachers’ cars pass by. Photo: Douyin However, critics said it was “ridiculous formalism”, warning that it could teach children to equate respect with blind obedience rather than equality. One online observer said: “Why do the teachers not acknowledge the children’s greetings? With so many kids walking to school, the heavy traffic at the gate is also dangerous.” Full story at South China Morning Post (November 2025)
‘So close he felt its fur’: Grizzly bear mauls schoolchildren in Canada By Maiya Keidan Toronto: A grizzly bear attacked a group of primary school students on a walking trail in Canada, seriously injuring three children and a teacher. The attack happened in the town of Bella Coola – about 700 kilometres northwest of Vancouver – on the central coast of the western province of British Columbia. Students and teachers were walking along a trail when a grizzly bear burst out of the forest and attacked them. Credit: Alamy Officers were still searching for the animal on Saturday (AEDT), and residents had been told to remain indoors until further notice. The group of about 20 students and teachers had stopped along a trail near the river when the grizzly burst out of the forest and attacked, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service (BCCOS) said. Several teachers intervened, using bear spray and a bear banger – a loud, exploding device used to deter wildlife – to drive the bear away. Parent Veronica Schooner said her 10-year-old son, Alvarez, was among the children from the years 4-5 class who were attacked while they were on a walk. Teachers tried desperately to drive the grizzly away from the pupils. Eleven people were hurt. Credit: ABC America/Mike James He was so close to the animal “he even felt its fur”, she said. “He was running for his life,” she told The Canadian Press. “He said that bear ran so close to him, but it was going after somebody else.” Schooner said a lot of people tried to halt the attack but one male teacher “got the whole brunt of it” and was among the people taken by helicopter from the scene. She said some children were hit with bear spray as the teachers fought off the bear. Full story at The Sydney Morning Herald (November 2025)
'Downward spiral': French mother says social media drove her teen to commit suicide A French mother whose 15-year-old son died by suicide has launched a legal fight against some of the world’s biggest social media platforms, alleging their algorithms flooded him with self-harm content that drove him into a “downward spiral”. This comes as France is considering a possible ban on social media for teens, similar to one that took effect in Australia on Wednesday. Students place their phones in lockers after switching them off at a high school in Lorient. © Loic Venance, AFP A French mother whose teenage son took his own life is fighting to hold social media platforms accountable, saying their algorithms pushed suicide-related content that sent the 15-year-old into a "downward spiral". Emmanuelle Pouedras told AFP her story as France mulls scaling back social media access for teens, including through a possible ban for children under 15 similar to the one in Australia. Clement had only just started his second year of secondary school when he jumped off a bridge in the northwestern region of Brittany in 2024. His mother, a 55-year-old shopkeeper, and her husband, Sebastien, are now seeking to reopen the investigation into his death and hold social media platforms to account. In September, they filed a complaint against TikTok and Meta among other such companies on charges including incitement to suicide. The vast majority of the videos on his TikTok "For You" page – where the platform's algorithm recommends content – were "inciting him to death, telling him he doesn't matter to anyone", Clement's mother told AFP at home in the town of Lorient. In a world first, Australia on Wednesday banned under-16s from social media. © David Gray, AFP The self-harm content "exacerbated" her son's distress and sent him into a "downward spiral", she said. "TikTok knew he wasn't doing well, TikTok did nothing and TikTok is not helping us find the truth," she said, accusing the platform of failing to act. Her son was also cyberbullied on the messaging service WhatsApp right up until the last hours before his death, she told AFP. Full story at France 24 (December 2025)
Two people dead and nine wounded in mass shooting at Brown University, as suspect remains at large Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, says ‘shooter’ still at large, as officials embark on widespread manhunt By Edward Helmore At least two people were killed and nine more critically injured in a shooting on Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, with the suspect still at large hours after the first shelter in place orders were issued. Police scattered across the campus and into an affluent neighbourhood filled with historic and stately brick homes, searching academic buildings, back yards and porches for hours late into the night after the shooting was first reported in the afternoon. The deputy chief of the Providence police, Timothy O’Hara, said that the suspect was “a male dressed in black”. The suspect is believed to have exited the Barus and Holley campus building where the shooting took place on Hope Street. O’Hara said officials were “utilising every resource possible to find this suspect.” Police released footage of the man they suspected to be behind the shooting late on Saturday, adding that some witnesses reported that the man, who could be in his 30s, may have been wearing a camouflage mask. Screengrab of surveillance video released by police shows a man investigators believe is the suspected shooter. Photograph: Providence Police University president Christina Paxson confirmed that 10 people who were shot were students, including the two killed. Another person was injured by fragments from the shooting, authorities said. Officials initially said a suspect was in custody, before saying that was not in fact the case and a manhunt was ongoing. Providence mayor Brett Smiley told CNN that the doors of the engineering and physics building were unlocked because many final exams were under way there. “Based on what we heard from officials at Brown, anybody could have accessed the building at that time,” he said. “We are a week and a half away from Christmas. And two people died today and another eight are in the hospital,” Smiley said earlier in the evening. “So please pray for those families.” Full story at The Guardian (December 2025)
East Java boarding school head gets 20 years, chemical castration for sexual abuse Despite being in effect for nearly a decade, chemical castration remains a rare sentence, even for offenders who qualify under the law. By Edward Helmore Illustration of child abuse. (Shutterstock/271 EAK MOTO) In one of East Java’s toughest rulings on sexual abuse, the Sumenep District Court has sentenced the head of a local Islamic boarding school (pesantren) to 20 years in prison and chemical castration for assaulting his students. In a closed-door hearing on Tuesday (Dec 9), a panel of judges led by Andri Lesmana found 51-year-old M. Sahnan guilty of sexually assaulting eight underage students at the Darul Abror Islamic Boarding School in Arjasa district from 2016 to 2024. The court imposed the maximum prison term of 20 years and ordered him to pay a Rp 5 billion fine, or serve an additional six months if he fails to do so. Judges also issued a rare order for chemical castration and mandated electronic monitoring for the maximum period of two years. The verdict further requires Sahnan’s name and identity to be published in national and regional newspapers. The ruling exceeded the prosecutors’ request for a 17-year prison sentence. Hanis Aristya Hermwana, head of the General Crime Division at the Sumenep Prosecutor’s Office, said the chemical castration, electronic monitoring and publication of Sahnan’s identity will take place after he completes his 20-year prison term. “The law stipulates that additional penalties are carried out only after the main sentence has been served,” he said on Thursday, as quoted by Tribunnews.com. Spokesperson for the Sumenep District Court, Jetha Tri Darmawan, said the sentence is not yet legally binding, as Sahnan is still considering an appeal. Full story at The Jarkata Post (December 2025)
Chief of S Korea's high-stakes exam quits over 'insane' English test By Kelly Ng South Korea's Suneung is an infamous eight-hour marathon of back-to-back exams The English section of South Korea's gruelling college entrance exam, or Suneung, is notoriously difficult, with some students comparing it to deciphering an ancient script, and others calling it "insane". So intense was the criticism around this year's test that the top official in charge of administering it resigned to take responsibility for the "chaos" it caused. "We sincerely accept the criticism that the difficulty of questions... was inappropriate," said Suneung chief Oh Seung-geol, adding that the test "fell short" despite having gone through several rounds of editing. Among the most daunting questions are one on Immanuel Kant's philosophy of law and another involving gaming jargon. The latter, worth three points, asks students to pick where a sentence should fit in a given paragraph. Here's the sentence in bold, followed by the paragraph: The difference is that the action in the game world can only be explored through the virtual bodily space of the avatar. A video game has its own model of reality, internal to itself and separate from the player's external reality, the player's bodily space and the avatar's bodily space. (1) The avatar's bodily space, the potential actions of the avatar in the game world, is the only way in which the reality of the external reality of the game world can be perceived. (2) As in the real world, perception requires action. (3) Players extend their perceptual field into the game, encompassing the available actions of the avatar. (4) The feedback loop of perception and action that enables you to navigate the world around you is now one step removed: instead of perceiving primarily through interaction of your own body with the external world, you're perceiving the game world through interaction of the avatar. (5) The entire perceptual system has been extended into the game world. The correct answer is 3. Many have criticised the way the question and several others were worded. One user on Reddit called it "fancy smart talking" while another said it was "awful writing [that] doesn't convey a concept or idea well". Students are given 70 minutes to attempt 45 questions. Just over 3% of this year's test-takers scored the highest grade for the English section, compared to 6% last year. Full story at BBC News (December 2025)
In Florida’s Panhandle, a Hearing on School Vaccine Mandates Gets Heated The hearing was the first concrete step toward repealing some of the state’s vaccine requirements. Rolling back others would require legislative action. Larry Downs Jr. speaks against childhood vaccine mandates at a public hearing held by Florida’s Department of Health on Friday in Panama City Beach, Fla. Credit: Kate Payne/Associated Press By Patricia Mazzei and Brendan Farrington Health officials working to eliminate school vaccine mandates in Florida held the first and perhaps only public hearing on the plan on Friday, moving toward ending a policy that public health experts credit with limiting the spread of diseases such as chickenpox and hepatitis B. The Florida Department of Health workshop drew a passionate crowd of about 100 people to a hotel conference room in Panama City Beach, a conservative-leaning vacation spot that is difficult for many Floridians to get to. Many members of the public, including a number of parents, said they favored doing away with vaccine mandates as a matter of individual freedom. But there were also doctors, teachers and disease survivors who opposed the policy change, saying it would lead to unnecessary suffering and preventable deaths. Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, the Florida surgeon general, and Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, said in September that they intended to make Florida the first state to scrap vaccine mandates for schoolchildren. The announcement stunned the public health community, which is grappling with a growing anti-vaccine movement led in part by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s health secretary. The country is experiencing a resurgence of measles, a highly contagious disease preventable by vaccination. Hundreds of people are quarantining in South Carolina in an attempt to control an outbreak that began in October. There was also a large outbreak in West Texas this year. The Florida Health Department, which Dr. Ladapo oversees, has proposed repealing its requirement that children be vaccinated against four infectious diseases: varicella (chickenpox); hepatitis B; pneumococcal bacteria; and Haemophilus influenzae type B, or Hib, a bacterium that is distinct from the influenza virus and on rare occasions can be deadly. Full story at The New York Times (December 2025)