Friday, October 31, 2008

They light up English lessons

IN AN effort to make learning English fun, primary school teacher Matthew Ong developed a game populated by knights and armies that sees his pupils conquer territories on a map.

The game acts as an incentive for pupils, who gain rewards like bigger armies for doing things such as writing the best poem in class.

'I try to get my pupils to see the importance of English and how they can use it to their advantage in different contexts,' said the Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) teacher.

Yesterday, the innovation landed Mr Ong, 28, an inaugural Inspiring Teacher of English Award. He joined eight others in winning the first national award to recognise teachers who have helped their students improve their English skills.

Jointly presented by The Straits Times and the Speak Good English Movement, the awards were handed out at a ceremony last night at the National Library.

Each winner received a trophy and a cash prize worth $2,000 from Rear-Admiral (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister of State for Education and Information, Communications and the Arts.

The winners beat 154 other teachers nominated by students, parents and colleagues. They emerged following a rigorous selection process that included classroom evaluations and interviews with judges from The Straits Times, the Speak Good English Movement and the British Council.

Madam Nordiana Sani of Mayflower primary was among yesterday's winners. The 28-year-old was lauded for getting her pupils to act out - literally - while studying short children's stories.

'I stop at important points in the story and get my pupils to step into the role,' she said. 'They then think about what the character will do next.'

In a speech, RADM Lui said it is not easy for teachers to inspire students when they have so many demands on their time, such as marking. He believes the role of the English teacher is to infuse students with the 'excitement of the language' so it will stay with them long after they leave school.

Another winner, Mr Tan Ying Kiat, 34, said the award also works to inspire teachers.

The Nanyang primary instructor said the honour 'will keep me going. It is an indicator that I am on the right track'.

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Dunman alumni oppose new badge

FORMER students of Dunman secondary are up in arms over a move to change their school badge and motto.

They have started an online petition - petitiononline.com/dmnlogo/ - to stop it, and have garnered more than 200 signatures, mostly from former students who felt the change would destroy the school's identity.

Another group has come up with a PowerPoint presentation, which is now being circulated via e- mail. Titled Save Dunman Badge And Motto Campaign, it details the school's history and cites reasons for retaining the original badge.

The new badge drops the school motto Pengetahuan suloh hidup - which is in Malay and means Knowledge: The torch of life - and replaces it with the image of a torch.

The new school motto is 'Dare to achieve your dreams'.

Mr Tan Shao Yi, 28, a systems engineer who started the online petition, said that with so many mergers of neighbourhood schools taking place, it was a miracle the school was still around, so it should try harder to preserve its heritage.

The autonomous school, which moved to Tampines Street 45 in 1990, celebrates its 45th anniversary this year.

School principal Edelweis Neo, who has helmed the school for eight years, said the new school badge was not so much 'change' as an evolution.

'Identifying it in graphic form makes it much clearer and more relevant to the present. We're still keeping the meaning behind the torch,' she said.

The school decided to update the badge last year, when it began upgrading its facilities. A competition was launched and the winning entry was given the finishing touches by a professional.

M. Kamini Manibannan, 15, a secondary 3 student of the school, said she was initially not used to the badge, but has come round to the new design. 'It is simpler and I can relate more to it. The previous version was more wordy.'

But former students, like Ms Khartini Khalid, a 32-year-old lecturer who graduated in 1992, disapprove of it.

She said she had the best years of her school life at Dunman, and that the motto, Knowledge: The torch of life, was 'evergreen and forever relevant'.

Mergers and relocations have touched off discussions about the loss of a school's identity among alumni who feel strongly about their schools.

Last year, eight schools were merged into four, and 14 were relocated; this year, four schools became two and 11 others moved.

Ms Khartini said it was critical to maintain the school's sense of history and tradition, given that it was no longer in Haig Road.

But Mrs Neo said relocation has not hurt the school's identity, as the three other schools in the Haig Road area - Dunman High, Tanjong Katong Girls and Tanjong Katong secondary - might have overshadowed Dunman.

She added that she has invited former students to meet her so she can explain the change.

The school is also building a heritage centre and painting murals to honour its past.

Principals of merged schools said they have strived to preserve the heritage of the two schools. For instance, when Serangoon Garden South and Zhonghua primary merged to become Zhonghua primary last year, the school included Serangoon Garden South's history and uniform design on its heritage board.

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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Why so many exams in Primary 1?

MY DAUGHTER is in primary 1 in a neighbourhood school. For her Semester Assessment 2 (SA2), also called year-end examination, I was astonished to find out there are six examinable subjects. Beside the three core subjects - English, Chinese and Mathematics - my daughter has to sit for another three 'Open-Book Exam' (in the exact words of the letter to parents), namely Social Education, Music and Art. All these SA2 exams are spread across a two- to three-week period.

I question the rationale behind having exams in all six subjects in the first year of primary education. Other than the three core subjects, the others are more to develop the individual, morally, socially and aesthetically. Although it is an open-book exam, it will put pupils and parents in a stressful situation. I suggest it be replaced by continual assessment throughout the year.

As we are encouraging schools to 'teach less, learn more', heavy reliance on exams to assess students should be reviewed, particularly in subjects intended to help them appreciate the finer things in life and shape the morals of our children, our future.

I would like to hear the views of the Ministry of Education.

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Crestar plans more centres

CHENGDU: Even when the going gets tough amid the global financial crisis, parents in China are not about to save on their children's education.

Despite the economic downturn, Singapore-based Crestar Education Group is on target to open at least six new preschools across China next year.

The group yesterday opened the ELFA preschool in Chengdu - its first in Sichuan. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say and Minister of State for Defence Koo Tsai Kee officiated at the opening. The school had served as a temporary shelter for victims of the May 12 Sichuan earthquake.

'The financial slowdown has not affected our plans in China. In fact, we are on target,' said Crestar's managing director Kwan Peck Leng.

'For next year, we have planned for 10 new centres; we have already confirmed six to seven, anything more will be a bonus,' she told The Straits Times.

Crestar, which already has 30 centres in 18 cities in China, first set up shop in Suzhou in 1995. Overall, it has a network of more than 100 centres - preschools and Childcare centres - in five countries, namely China, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh.

Expressing confidence in the Chinese market, Ms Kwan said: 'The Chinese have high regard for education for children. They would rather tighten their belts on other things than compromise on the children's education.'

While no comprehensive figure exists to illustrate how big this potential market is, surveys in many Chinese cities have shown education fees to be among the top expenditure items of numerous families.

Crestar charges an average of 1,200 yuan (S$264) a month and Chinese professionals, businessmen and government servants form the bulk of its clientele.

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Monday, October 27, 2008

Pay more to qualified preschool teachers

THIS letter is in support of Madam Chang Choon Kheng's letter last Tuesday, 'preschool teachers' pay rise: No strings'.

I fully agree with her on the reasons she gave for a pay rise for preschool teachers. There is one more to add - that is the duty of teachers to give motherly love and affection to toddlers in school.

In addition, preschool teachers' pay is not according to qualification but experience. I agree that experience counts, but so does the extra knowledge a teacher has in the form of a higher qualification. A more qualified teacher can present a lesson better than one who has the minimum qualification, using the same teaching material and resources.

The only reason the better qualified teacher chooses to work in preschool is, as Madam Chang suggested, her passion to teach young children.

There are teachers with various qualifications, such as O and A levels, certificate, diploma, graduate degree and even master's degree. But there is no difference in the pay they get. This is very frustrating and one reason many preschools lose good teachers to better-paying jobs.

I hope the Government will look into this matter seriously and take action.

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Engineering fun for students

WITH his hands clutched tightly around the control yoke and eyes fixed on the altitude gauges in front of him, teenager Satria Salimi was ready to fly his own plane for the first time.

But within a few minutes, the plane crashed - not once but three times.

Luckily, the 14-year-old was not flying an actual plane but a virtual one in a flight simulator at Nanyang Polytechnic.

Satria, a secondary 2 student from Admiralty secondary, was one of thousands of secondary school students who took part in workshops held at the five polytechnics last week as part of the annual Engineering Week.

The event is organised to promote engineering - which has become less popular as a field of study in recent years - to secondary school students.

The students got to fly planes, build solar-powered boats and make aspirin from scratch.

Satria said he did not know that so much hand-eye coordination was needed in the work of an aircraft engineer.

The flight simulator he tried will be used in two new courses, aeronautical and aerospace technology and aerospace systems and management, which will be offered by Nanyang Polytechnic's School of Engineering next year.

The students had to be meticulous in their work, especially when it came to making aspirin.

This reporter tried her hand at it, only to find out later that she had got the amount of the chemicals wrong.

The work needed creativity too. She was stumped when a boat which she and some students made out of plastic bottles and styrofoam kept tipping over when it was placed in a container of water.

The boat had balanced perfectly on the table.

A quick-thinking student saved the day by sticking a piece of plasticine to one side of the boat.

Judging by the fun and laughter which filled the laboratories, the students enjoyed themselves nonetheless.

Nanyang Polytechnic's chemical engineering deputy director Yow Kum Pang said: 'Engineering is about applying the principles of science to everyday life. The students are taught this through the experiments.

'We hope they go away thinking that engineering is relevant and fun.'


'My hand-eye coordination is not good. I did not react quickly when I saw that my plane was not balanced, and it crashed so many times. Now, I know why pilots earn so much money.'
Admiralty secondary student Satria Salimi, 14, on the dexterity one needs to fly an aircraft.

'You have to be very careful and make sure that the right amounts of chemicals are added. If we make one wrong step, the medicine might become poisonous.'
Admiralty secondary student Amirul Mukminin Alfian, 14, who learnt how to make aspirin.

'Our boat sank when we placed it in the water for the first time as one side was heavier than the other. We had to try quite a few times to balance it. Finally, when we were successful, we felt so happy.'
Admiralty secondary student Ang Jie Ling, 14, who built a solar-powered boat out of recycled materials.

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Fare hike: Help for some poly students

MP Cynthia Phua is fed up that her appeals for Polytechnic students to be granted higher transport fare discounts have failed.

To provide relief, the MP for Aljunied GRC is setting aside $1,500 of grassroots funds monthly for tertiary students whose family's household income is below $2,500 and who are not bursary holders.

About 30 applications have been received for the $150 vouchers -  the number has not been decided - to be given every quarter.

'It's been said a lot of times, and I'm very frustrated about appealing. I am now resigned to creating my own help,' said Madam Phua.

In the past few months, she has heard more transport-related gripes from families with Poly students.

As a result of the Oct 1 fare hike, most commuters ended up paying four cents more per trip. They included Poly students, who are classified as tertiary students alongside those studying in universities. tertiary students pay full adult fares if they do not buy a monthly tertiary concession pass.

Poly students have, over the years, questioned why they pay more than their same-age peers in junior colleges (JCs) and institutes of technical education (ITEs), who enjoy student fares.

With recent price hikes, many Poly students such as Mr Bernard Chen, 23, are feeling the pinch.

The Temasek Polytechnic student has a $45 train concession pass and pays adult fares on buses. He now has to top up his ez-link card every four days instead of five.

'Choosing the Poly route doesn't mean that I should pay more. We are all students without an income,' said Mr Chen.

He is also the secretary of the Workers' Party Youth Wing, and touched on this issue at a protest organised by bloggers at Hong Lim Park last month. He said buying a $97 hybrid concession pass, which covers both bus and train travel, would be too costly as the amount is a third of his allowance.

While the price of the monthly tertiary concession pass did not go up in the recent hike, buying one costs almost double what other pre-university students pay.

The tertiary pass costs between $45 and $97, depending on the mode of travel - train, bus or both.

This compares with the $25 to $52.50 that students from JCs and ITEs pay for their pass.

Former Ngee Ann Polytechnic student Pang Khin Wee, 21, now doing his national service, was so irked by this 'unfairness' that he started an online petition three years ago. He collected 3,000 signatures in just a few hours and sent the link to TransitLink, which runs the concession schemes for SBS Transit and SMRT. He was told the feedback would be considered. The petition is still online, and there are more than 10,000 signatures to date.

Three Polytechnics - Singapore, Ngee Ann and Republic - said they hope their students can enjoy the same concessions given to those in the JCs and ITEs.

Temasek and Nanyang Polytechnics did not want to comment.

Other MPs The Sunday Times spoke to called on transport operators to exercise corporate social responsibility.

When contacted, a TransitLink spokesman said it exercises prudence in granting further concessions 'to avoid any adverse impact on full-fare paying commuters'.

Going by figures provided by TransitLink from March to August, the average amount collected from tertiary concession passes is more than $2.5 million a month.

Mr Gerard Ee, chairman of the Public Transport Council, said it encourages operators to give concessions.

'With the current economic climate, we will certainly encourage them to see whether it is within their means to do more,' he said.

'Hopefully, it doesn't fall on deaf ears now that more people have raised it.'


Do you think Poly students should be paying the same transport fares as JC students? Have your say at straitstimes.com

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Sunday, October 26, 2008

Susilo hits the books

STUDIES, instead of sport, are set to come first for one of Singapore's top badminton players.

Ronald Susilo has applied for a full-time management course with SIM University (UniSIM), and is expected to take a 15- month break from competitive action.

The Indonesia-born shuttler, who turns 30 next June, says it is time to think about his future after sport.

'I'm thinking of widening my knowledge and taking up this course will help me do that,' he said.

If his application is accepted, Susilo is likely to miss the South- east Asia Games in Laos in December next year.

This is because the diploma course starts in January and will end in early 2010.

Classes will be held six times a week, covering topics like marketing, accounting, economics and business law.

To fund his tuition fees and other expenses, Susilo has applied for the SembCorp Trailblazer-Wong Kok Siew Scholarship.

A former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student, he did not further his education after his GCE O-Level examinations in 1997.

Instead, he became a full-time shuttler, and quickly established himself as Singapore's No 1.

In 2004, he landed his first major title when he won the Japan Open.

Later that year, he vanquished world No 1 Lin Dan on his way to the men's singles quarter-finals at the Athens Olympics.

But his body has taken a battering in recent years, with injuries to his shoulder, knee and Achilles' tendon. They make it difficult for him to deliver consistent results.

As his form dipped, so did his world ranking. Susilo, who went into the Athens Games as the world No 9, is now ranked 56th in the world.

At the Beijing Olympics in August, he was eliminated in the opening round by second seed Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia.

'Taking time off for studies will also give my body a chance to rest and help me recover from all the injuries,' he said.

When asked if he was considering retiring from badminton soon, he replied: 'I don't know yet.'

But he is keen on setting up a badminton academy. To prepare for this - and to keep fit - he intends to pick up the racket after classes.

'I can conduct short coaching courses for young players, or spar with my national teammates to help them,' he said.

Another top male shuttler, Kendrick Lee, is also hitting the books. He is taking a diploma in management studies at UniSIM, but on a part-time basis.

'I've gone back to my studies as I cannot wait until my badminton career is over,' said the 24-year- old, who dropped out of Singapore Polytechnic in 2002.

'Otherwise, I would be even further behind my peers.'

The world No 31 started classes in July and will have to endure a punishing schedule over the next 30 months.

Lessons are held three times a week in the evenings, and Lee often has to rush straight from training at the Singapore Sports School in Woodlands to UniSIM's campus at Namly Avenue, off Bukit Timah.

Whenever he travels overseas for tournaments - he is currently playing in the Denmark Open - he would pack his textbooks with his badminton gear.

Lee, who is eyeing a career in banking, says it is too early to tell if all this will take a toll on his on- court performances.

But he has no regrets so far.

'In Singapore, we cannot live without paper qualifications,' he said. 'As much as I like badminton, I have to keep up with my education.'



'I don't know yet.'

RONALD SUSILO, on whether he is retiring from badminton

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Teaching: Don't forget the 'p' word

IT IS heartening to read of the Government's emphasis on building a quality teaching force and necessary revisions on their compensation to retain good teachers. Even more assuring is the desire of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to seek out 'passionate' would-be teachers, minus the cookie- cutter process of selection.


The question of measuring one's passion comes to mind. How will MOE determine an applicant's level of passion? While we cannot deny the value of recruiting an experienced and more mature candidate, it is tricky to measure his ardour for teaching.

One potential inadequacy in determining a candidate's passion is to limit his record academically. At best, this merely gives an indication of one's ability to absorb and deliver hard information during exams. Many experienced teachers today do not always attribute their success only to their impeccable O or A levels results.

It is also inaccurate to equate passion with youth. Younger teachers may have higher energy levels but may lack the maturity and hardiness of an older colleague. Education Minister Ng Eng Hen himself commented that younger teachers 'pose a bigger challenge to MOE to develop and retain as many of them as possible' (Sept 6). The back gate is as wide as the front, so they say. The teaching profession is not one for the meek at heart. It requires high levels of energy, fortitude and integrity. Such virtues are more often than not acquired through years of experience.

Most important, a passionate teacher keeps his purpose in sight. One of my favourite teachers has to be the late Elizabeth Choy, Singapore's icon of endurance and courage during the Japanese Occupation. Even after she began her teaching career, Mrs Choy never lost faith in herself, her god and her students, many of whom had caught her vision and became teachers. In other words, she was truly a passionate teacher and mentor.

Passion is a measure of one's heart for a cause, person or profession. Taking such a definition into consideration when selecting our future educators will go a long way towards the good moulding of our young minds and hearts.



Sex education

'Make my job simple: Just teach me what you want me to practise.'

MISS BENNETT ISABEL: 'Which teacher teaches what he does not expect his student to practise? Which parent demonstrates what he does not want his child to adopt? Don't we teach - reiterate - even emphasise what we want to see take place in action? As a young person in the centre of this debate about sex education for the young, I wonder what exactly I am being taught. Is premarital sex right? If it is not, why then am I being 'educated' on how to have 'safe sex'? Is not 'safe sex' still premarital sex? Please educate us young ones on what needs to be practised. Don't give us a reason or an excuse to have premarital sex. The curriculum on 'safe sex' methods only condones and endorses the concept of premarital sex. The young may be in the 'raging hormones' phase of life. That, however, does not make us mindless beings or animals - unable to control and master passions, feelings and emotions. The power to choose abstinence is given to every human being, regardless of age. I have chosen abstinence, because I have been taught clearly that premarital sex - safe or not - is wrong. Make my job simple: Just teach me what you want me to practise.'

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NUS dean to boost financial literacy here

WHEN Professor Bernard Yeung arrived here to take up the post as dean of the National University of Singapore's Business School in July, he got news that the value of his investments in some Lehman Brothers-linked businesses had just about evaporated.

One of his goals now, as custodian of Singapore's oldest business school, is to sharpen financial literacy here so people can avoid the mistakes which even savvy investors make.

Aged 55, the Hong Kong-born Canadian was a professor in global business at New York University's Stern School of Business. He took over as dean from Professor Christopher Earley, who stepped down last December after 21/2 years.

Meeting reporters yesterday, Prof Yeung said he aimed to make the NUS school 'Asia's global business school'.

He added that the work he did in the United States was US- or Euro-centric, and that Asia needed several institutions to generate knowledge afresh for its own context.

He also wants to foster a spirit of social responsibility in the school. His staff members are writing a series of 13 articles explaining the current financial crisis for The Straits Times.

His wife Jean, a sociologist, and 16-year-old daughter have moved here with him; his son, 21, is a student in New York University.

Now that he is in Singapore, he plans to extend his tenure and retire here because he wants to be where 'the Asian Renaissance' is flowering.

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What PSLE students knead

Some primary school pupils are not just swotting up on academic notes ahead of next week's crucial PSLE.

They are learning something hands-on as well - massage.

A school in Woodlands has signed up 60 of its pupils for massage classes to help them relax ahead of the primary School Leaving Examination, which start on Friday.

Madam Ho Sau Peng, principal of Qihua primary School, said: 'We are aware of the tension and stress primary 6 pupils are feeling with the PSLE around the corner. So we picked two classes for this experimental project.'

The school's head of department for pupil well-being, Ms Catherine Manickaratnam, said: 'Their last massage lesson is on the day before the PSLE. Hopefully the massages will help them relax before their exams.'

The school is picking up the entire tab for the course, which costs $10 a head, as it is a pilot programme, she said.

It began the massage classes two weeks ago, making it the first and only school here to try what is internationally known as the Massage In Schools Programme.

Certified programme head instructor and trainer Gloria Wong, 68, sent out brochures to all primary schools a fortnight ago. There is no official form of accreditation yet.

In six 30-minute classes, pupils are taught 15 fingertip and palm massage techniques for the head, neck, shoulders, back and arms. These have quirky names such as 'hairdresser' (circular movements on the head) and 'catgrip' (kneading the back of the neck).

Five other lessons are then spent applying the techniques on a classmate of the same sex that they have been paired up with. The pupils sit in chairs and are fully dressed in their school uniform while their partner massages them.

primary 6 pupil Kyra Shafira Kusuma, 13, said she 'felt ticklish and awkward' at being touched by her friend at first. But now, the massages help her feel more relaxed and she can concentrate better in class, she said.

Her form teacher, Mr Anuar Ismail, 40, noticed that students were more focused and relaxed in class after the massages.

'They are also easier to handle and seem more willing to listen to instructions,' he said.

First started in 2000 in Britain, the international programme, which encourages clothed peer massage and positive touch for children between the ages of four and 12, has been adopted by schools in Australia, Ireland and Scotland.

Ms Wong, who trained in Australia and London, said the strokes are supposed to have a calming effect, making children less aggressive and hyperactive.

Such peer-to-peer massages also help to improve children's concentration and social relationships, she added.

However, Gleneagles consultant psychiatrist Adrian Wang said that although such activities do encourage friendship bonding, guidance and advice should be given to pupils in case they cross physical boundaries unknowingly.

Specialists agree the massages do help children relax, but are sceptical about the ability to reduce aggression in them.

Dr Wang said: 'It has not been scientifically proven.'

Paediatric physiotherapist Sarah Wong suggested addressing the source of aggression and stress, saying: 'It's a short-term remedy and parents should not rely on this and expect it to solve their children's behavioural problems.'

Housewife Roziah Kassim, 49, is all for the massage classes as her 12-year-old son Muhammad Nur Hidayah seems more relaxed after them.

She said her son used to argue and fight in school but has noticeably calmed down recently. She added: 'I can learn from him, too. Then I can massage him at home and help him relax.'

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LKY School gains US$5m from Oei's bet

A DARING share market gamble by tycoon Oei Hong Leong at the height of last week's meltdown could deliver as much as US$10 million to the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.

Mr Oei stepped in where others feared to tread and bought one million shares in beleaguered insurer AIG and immediately pledged the stock to the school.

It was then decided that cash would be easier to administer and he timed the deal perfectly again, selling the stock for US$5 million, at a 177 per cent gain.

If the school gets a matching grant from the Government, as is highly possible, this makes it a US$10 million windfall.

Mr Oei paid US$1.80 a piece for the shares on Tuesday last week when the stock was in freefall and before the US government launched its rescue plan.

The wily businessman took the investment plunge reckoning that AIG would not be allowed to go under. He told The Straits Times he would donate the shares to the school to mark Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's 85th birthday, which fell on Tuesday last week.

Hours after Mr Oei made his deal, the US government announced an US$85 billion bailout, which sent the shares up. They closed on Friday at US$3.85.

That would have made a US$3.85 million benefit for the school. Mr Oei met the institution over the weekend and promised that the gift would be near that level, which is about $5 million in local currency.

But on Monday, he managed to get even more, selling the shares for about US$5 - a gain of US$3.20 a share in under a week.

Mr Stavros Yiannouka, vice- dean for executive education and development at the LKY School, said: 'We are delighted and stand in admiration of Mr Oei's investment acumen.'

He said that the cash will go into an endowment fund where income generated will pay for scholarships for students from China.

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Cash for paper in some cases

THE term 'degree mill' is used widely to refer to institutions that offer degrees to students who do not have to do much work to graduate.

Some operate with no more than a mailing address to which people send money in exchange for a piece of paper that looks like a degree. Others require some nominal work to be done but do not require college-level coursework.

In the United States, all colleges and universities would apply voluntarily for accreditation to establish their status.

Accreditation is a process of peer review and is usually seen as the key to determining if a degree programme meets generally recognised academic, fiscal and structural standards.

There are two ways to check the accreditation of US institutions. The database maintained by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation ( www.chea.org ) has information about quality assurance and accreditation organisations. In Singapore, enquiries may be directed to the US Education Information Centre at www.useic.org

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Ngee Ann leads the way in continuing education

NGEE Ann Polytechnic is set to play a bigger role in championing lifelong learning with the launch of a Continuing Education and Training Academy.

In three years' time, the academy will be training 10,000 adults a year in courses ranging from early childhood education to retail and IT.

This will expand on the role of Ngee Ann's existing Centre for Professional Development, which now trains 5,000 people a year in part-time diploma and workforce skills qualification courses.

The academy will also provide career counselling and advice. Its range of courses will be expanded to include those targeted at the 'silver population', for instance, in hobby areas like foreign languages such as French.

Ngee Ann's principal, Mr Chia Mia Chiang, said: 'We want to allow the silver population to come in, pick up a hobby or deepen their understanding in technology areas like the use of hand-held devices.'

The academy will be the Polytechnic's platform to promote and facilitate the re-employment of older employees.

Mr Chia said the setting up of the academy is in part a response to the Government's masterplan for continuing education and training which aims to help workers acquire new skills.

The Government will provide places for more people to be trained by setting up new training centres.

Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong, who officiated at the launch of the academy yesterday, lauded the Polytechnic's efforts in helping workers obtain 'portable and industry-relevant' skills.

A worker who has benefited from lifelong learning is Mr Tan Hooi Soon, 48. Even before the senior technical officer at the Public Utilities Board had graduated with a Ngee Ann Poly technology diploma in May, his job scope had been enlarged.

Mr Tan went from supervising two employees in drainage systems to supervising 30 men in catchment surveillance work at the new Marina Barrage project.

The father of three children, aged 17 to 22, was also promoted and given a 10 per cent pay increase.

'It's tougher to study as you get older. Other people spend one hour, I need to take three hours. But it's worth it,' said Mr Tan, who topped his class with 23 distinctions out of 24 subjects.

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Crescent Girls' lessons come in 3D

ABOUT 20 students from Crescent Girls' School (CGS) sat at their desks yesterday decked out in red-rimmed 3D glasses.

On a screen in front of them flashed images of a river bed being whittled away by a torrent of water.

The girls then shared their thoughts about soil erosion with students in China during a videoconferencing session and exchanged video clips of local rivers over the Internet.

The initiative was part of a programme launched officially yesterday called i-Connect@Crescent, which aims to transform learning through the use of technology.

CGS is one of the six so-called 'future schools' that will be testing grounds for a host of new technologies up till 2012.

In May, it was announced that the Government and four private companies will pump $80 million over the next four years into the Future Schools programme. It will eventually see 15 schools tapping into new technology.

Through i-Connect@Crescent, which was developed by a group of companies headed by Hewlett- Packard Singapore, CGS students will be exposed to a range of technology both in and out of the classroom.

For example, the girls can work on essays using the WriteToLearn program, which checks their grammar, and get real-time feedback to improve their work. They also use personal digital assistants outfitted with a global positioning system to explore the outdoors.

secondary 2 student Yeo Yitong welcomed the technology, which she said fosters independent learning.

'If I find that my essay is not good enough, I will get tips from the WriteToLearn program and learn how to improve.

'I am taught to rely on myself. I think this will help me when I start working,' she said.

Principal Eugenia Lim said that while technology provides many possibilities, it is important that it is integrated seamlessly into the curriculum.

'This integration is the difficult part but it will be what makes learning relevant and enduring for the girls,' she said.

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Fancy setting, worthless degrees

THE ceremony in the Old Parliament House had all the pomp and circumstance associated with any graduation.

The professors and graduands were in full academic regalia. Speeches flowed in English and Mandarin. And afterwards, a gala dinner at a hotel.

At the ceremony, the university's honorary president, a Professor Bernard Cadet, delivered an inspiring speech, urging graduands to transform the world.

'Believe nothing is impossible. West Coast University (WCU) will be proud of you in the future,' he told the 76 graduands from Singapore, Indonesia and China, before handing them their doctorates, master's and bachelor's degrees.

But this was a ceremony for an unaccredited university based in Panama, not Los Angeles, as its school in Singapore had claimed.

The Asia-Australia School of Management (AASM), a Case-certified school in Middle Road, offers West Coast University programmes here with a related company, Huanyu Training Expert.

At least two American states have outlawed degrees from WCU, describing it as a 'degree supplier' that offers 'fraudulent or substandard degrees'.

The Texas State Higher Education Coordinating Board warns on its website that WCU 'is used by multiple unaccredited entities. The extent to which they are related is unknown, but more than one operator is suspected.'

In some parts of the United States, it is a criminal offence to use degrees from unaccredited institutions.

'Dr' John Huang, one of the owners of AASM and Huanyu, insisted that the university is based in Los Angeles and faxed The Straits Times documents showing West Coast University International registered as a business in California.

But he confirmed that it was not the California-based West Coast University reputed for nursing and health science-related degrees. He admitted that WCU was unaccredited, but said his students had been given the facts.

His doctorate is from Ashwood University, the same degree mill that granted this reporter's pet dog a doctorate for US$599 (S$886) just two months ago.

The guest of honour at Monday's ceremony was MP for Joo Chiat Chan Soo Sen, who delivered a speech in Mandarin and English.

Contacted afterwards, he said he had been invited by a grassroots leader and accepted as he wanted to encourage the habit of life-long learning.

Told that WCU was unaccredited, he said he had not been given any information about it. 'If my presence there had given the university credibility, that was not my intention,' he said.

Several graduates interviewed after Monday's ceremony believed the university was based in Los Angeles and that it was a proper institution.

They had paid between $13,000 and $19,000 in fees to take up bachelor's, master's and doctorate courses lasting one year to 15 months.

Those who took up the doctorate programme said they attended classes two days a month, from 9am to 5pm.

Several said they did not know a university can be registered and yet have no academic accreditation, where it is subject to quality checks by an independent body. It also means employers may not recognise the degrees.

An electronics factory quality controller who paid $13,000 in fees for her bachelor's degree said: 'I was hoping to get a better job in logistics with this degree, but now it may not be possible.'

Ms Ho Fee Men, director of a Chinese medical hall, said she had heard rumours that the university was unaccredited, but continued with her PhD programme anyway. To get her doctorate, she paid $19,000 in fees, attended classes twice a month over 15 months and wrote a 50,000-word thesis.

Two businessmen said they knew their doctorates were worthless but took up the programme to learn about business management.

Mr Chang Chia Sheng, 55, managing director of X.L. Handle, which makes industrial fasteners, said he gained from discussions with other businessmen.

Earlier this year The Straits Times exposed another school, Boston Business School, which also offered degrees from West Coast University. It has since stopped running the courses.

At least 218 people here have been found with degrees from dubious universities such as Preston, Wisconsin International and Kennedy-Western.

Business owners make up one of three groups here who have degrees from unaccredited institutions and degree mills. For many of them, an honorary PhD has become a must-have symbol of success.

Another group comprises consultants and private school lecturers who may have a first degree and some expertise in a particular area, but seek a master's degree or doctorate to bolster their credentials.

And lastly, there are those who pay for undergraduate degrees and transcripts - usually non- graduates who want qualifications to gain jobs or promotions.

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

S'pore Islamic school in Java tie-up

JAKARTA: An Islamic school in Singapore has teamed up with a Muslim boarding school here to launch an international religious school in East Java.

The school opened in the Magetan district when the new school year started last month. Its first batch of pupils attend kindergarten, primary 1 and 2 classes.

While the school is already running, its partners - the Madrasah Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiah and Yayasan Pesantren Sabilul Muttaqin (YPSM) - officially cemented their relationship by signing a memorandum of understanding in Surabaya yesterday. The Indonesian group runs about 200 Islamic boarding schools in East Java.

The chairman of its board of directors, Mr Miftahul Huda, told The Straits Times that the tie-up was part of its efforts to improve the quality of education in pesantrens so that religious school graduates could compete for jobs with those educated in secular schools.

'We like the mix of secular and Islamic studies in the Al-Irsyad curriculum so that our graduates can compete in the labour market,' he said.

The other attractions are that Al-Irsyad is part of the Singapore Islamic education system that is recognised by Al Azhar University in Cairo and that has links to Cambridge University in Britain, he noted.

'Another factor is that English will be the main medium of instruction, something that many Indonesians want to be proficient in today.'

Al-Irsyad's executive director, Mr Razak Mohamed Lazim, said: 'We are very proud to be in the project as it means a recognition of Singapore's madrasah education by Indonesia.'

Yesterday's signing is a boost to its efforts to export its educational services to Islamic schools in the region.

Al-Irsyad is one of six madrasahs in Singapore under the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) which has adopted a balanced and integrated curriculum. Students learn both the sciences and Islamic disciplines at primary level.

Yesterday's tie-up is the second for Al-Irsyad. It set up an affiliate school, Al-Irsyad Satya, near Bandung, in West Java, in partnership with Yayasan Parahyangan Satya last year.

In the latest project, it is forging a long-term collaboration with the transfer of educational technologies and systems to the East Java school in the first two years.

At a later stage, the Al-Irsyad curriculum will be adapted by all the boarding schools under the foundation in East Java. The project is expected to benefit some 75,000 students.

The interest started when five YPSM board members spent a week in Singapore last December to study Al-Irsyad's educational system.

Subsequently, key leaders of the new school spent one month in Singapore in March on an internship programme.

Some 18 new teachers then spent two weeks in Singapore during the June holidays to study the Singapore curriculum and academic systems.

Temasek Foundation chairman, Mr Goh Geok Khim, said: 'It is important for a newly set-up school to be established with good processes and systems, and be equipped with well-trained staff.'

He said the foundation is funding S$306,000 as grant for teacher training and academic curriculum development. Over time, the East Java school will be a model for other schools in the province, he said.

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Dubai over uni for poly grad

Other Polytechnic students would have leapt at the chance to further their studies in a university, but not Ms Grace Lee.

Her greater desire is to live abroad and work in the service industry. And come September, she will be doing just that.

She will head for Dubai to work as a guest relations agent at the five-star Tiara Palm Dubai Hotel. Her job will involve taking care of VIP guests.

She will earn up to $2,300, with meals and accommodation provided.

Last year, Ms Lee, now 23, turned down an offer to read business economics at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) after doing a business diploma course at Temasek Polytechnic.

During her Poly days, she had done a four-month stint at a five- star hotel in China and that opened her eyes to the opportunities overseas.

'I wanted to take charge of my life and chase my dream of embracing different cultures,' she said.

She signed up for a one-year hospitality programme at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM). Some of her friends said 'she was stupid' not to accept the NTU offer.

As part of the SIM programme, she spent six months at the International Hotel Management School in Switzerland. There, she applied for a job in Tiara Palm.

'I will miss my family and friends when I leave for Dubai. They have been so supportive of me,' said Ms Lee, whose father is a manager in the aviation industry and mother is a housewife.

'I'll be back when the integrated resort is ready. I'll take this chance to establish my career in the meantime,' she added.

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Local universities, not students, decide

PROFESSOR Kishore Mahbubani's misconception that parents prefer an overseas education to a local one for their children should be quelled. ('Don't sniff at our education system', Aug 15).

Yes, we are sending our child to Australia. And no, it was not our preferred choice. The National University of Singapore (NUS) made that choice for us. They have turned away many medical school applicants who possess the criteria to apply.

Since the NUS has such a limited intake for medicine, and the admissions panel cannot afford to interview all qualifying applicants, will they kindly revise the criteria so that students need not apply fruitlessly?

How can you qualify for entry and not be called up for an interview. How are these decisions made?

During her interview with faculty members of an Australian university, our daughter spoke of her hospital job attachments and a rare permission by two renowned surgeons to witness them at work in the operating theatre.

She gained insight and inspiration from doing ward rounds with a paediatric oncologist whose footsteps she wants to follow. She was told by the faculty members that these were the strong points that garnered her one of the 50 places granted, out of more than 500 overseas applicants.

She was not given a chance to address the NUS panel to tell them about the job-shadowing and why it made her all the more determined to become a doctor. It could have made a difference, or maybe not, but we will never know.

In a recent newspaper report, a Singaporean was quoted as saying that one incentive to have children would be if the Government could 'make tertiary education less expensive'. To me, that should be amended to read 'make tertiary education possible'. It does not matter if the fees are $20 or $20,000 if there is a serious lack of places for qualified students to attend local universities.

Every child who qualifies should be given a place in the local universities to pursue his choice of study.

I am grateful for the excellent education system in Singapore, one that is envied and emulated by others. We should provide not only for children aged seven to 18 years old, but all the way until they obtain degrees in their chosen fields.

Not all of us decide against an education in NUS. It is NUS who decides against us.

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Undergrads start online NTU paper

THREE undergraduates have started a news website as an alternative to their campus newspaper which recently saw a report on a political opposition figure's visit yanked from its pages by the university administration.

The Enquirer, helmed by a group of 23-year-olds from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), was launched on Oct 3, a month after Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan visited the campus to speak to students and distribute fliers.

The university administration instructed students in charge of the newspaper, The Nanyang Chronicle, not to print a report on Dr Chee's unsolicited visit. It said that, as publisher, it had the right to stop its media platforms from being exploited by uninvited people to gain publicity.

This ignited a protest by another group of students - at Hong Lim Park on Oct 5 - against the lack of editorial independence on campus.

Chief editor of The Enquirer, Mr Chong Zi Liang, said the act of censorship was the catalyst for starting the website.

'As the Chronicle is funded by the university, the administration has the final say on whether some stories can or cannot be reported. I felt there was a need for an independent avenue to report these stories which can't be covered in the Chronicle,' he said.

His assistant, Mr Lin Junjie, who is also the Chronicle's chief editor, said The Enquirer aims to fill the gaps in the Chronicle's coverage.

NTU's action has led to some debate in the forum pages of newspapers over how much independence student newspapers should exercise.

An NTU spokesman was reported in The New Paper on Oct 6 as saying the university generally does not interfere in editorial matters. She added: 'In this case, there is the potential of an unsolicited visit being given publicity in furtherance of a political objective.'

In his reply to a reader's letter in The Straits Times' Forum Page on Oct 16, NTU senior associate provost Er Meng Hwa re-stated NTU's right as publisher.

At least three people have written in to the ST Forum Page since, taking issue with his stand.

National University of Singapore undergraduate Johnathan Kwok Dao Yong, 24, agreed that a publisher has rights but said: 'NTU needs to be clear as to whether it wants The Nanyang Chronicle to be a newsletter or a newspaper.

'A newsletter will publish only the good and pleasant things in a university, and basically act as a way for the university to advertise itself. On the other hand, a newspaper will publish both good and bad stories about the school, in as neutral a way as possible.'

The Chronicle is published every three weeks during the school term. It was conceived as a way for journalism students to put in practice what they learn.

Protest organiser Scott Teng, 24, is pleased that students have another platform to turn to for news.

He said: 'We do not know when the administration will pull the ownership card again and decide to spike other stories. But with The Enquirer, we know that these stories will not go unreported.'

Likewise, the Chronicle's teacher-supervisor Andrew Duffy, also a journalism lecturer, has welcomed the entry of The Enquirer in the student media.

He noted that the site's initiators are students from NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information.

'I hope this shows that the principles of journalism which they have learnt in the classroom are important to them,' he said.

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Saturday, October 18, 2008

Colourful path to good table manners

THE Straits Times' Goodness Gracious Me! project has gone to the schools.

Pupils from 88 primary schools that receive the Little Red Dot magazine are colouring their way to graciousness. Their efforts are for a contest organised by the weekly publication, which is distributed with The Straits Times exclusively to subscribing schools every Tuesday.

The children have to colour cartoons based on the campaign and devise their own slogans to get friends and family members to return used trays at the foodcourts.

Among those vying for the top prize of an iPod nano are pupils from Da Qiao primary School - 500 primary 3 to primary 6 pupils were colouring away when The Straits Times visited this week.

Teachers say the exercise will help the young absorb some good values, while pupils seem to be getting the message.

Ong Wei Ting, an 11-year-old student in primary 5, said: 'The tray is ours and the food is ours. So we must put it back.'

The contest ends on Monday.

Parents interested in getting their children's schools to subscribe to Little Red Dot should direct teachers to call Ms Adeline Tan on 6319-1675 or Ms Shahrena Hassan on 6319-5097, or e-mail cirschool@sph.com.sg for more information.

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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Top marks for merger of Chinese High and Hwa Chong

IT HAS been three years since Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College became Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), and the union has been a happy one, said the school's principal, Mr Ang Wee Hiong, yesterday.

Students now have a continuum of learning over six years, rather than the previous four in secondary school and two in junior college which were disconnected.

Collaboration between teachers has improved. Students are also able to go on educational overseas trips and exchanges, given the more expansive programme, said Mr Ang during a ceremony at the school.

'The merger has given us the opportunity to go full speed on taking learning beyond the classroom,' he added.

Hwa Chong Institution was the first school to take the bold step of merging its secondary and junior college entities. The latest to do so will be Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College, which are merging next year.

The proposal to merge had faced resistance from some current and former students worried about loss of identity and heritage, but the merger now has the full support of the alumni, said Mr Ong Eng Chang, president of the Hwa Chong Alumni Association.

Hwa Chong Institution unveiled the statue of an early school leader, the late rubber tycoon and philanthropist Lee Kong Chian, on its premises in Bukit Timah Road yesterday. The ceremony was attended by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Dr Lee sat on the board of directors of Chinese High School from 1927 to 1966, and was its chairman for 18 years.

The school also announced celebrations for its 90th anniversary next year, such as a drama production, art exhibition and a feast for 10,000 current and former students.

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

An 'enriching' time for pre-school teachers

PRE-SCHOOL teachers could soon start leading enrichment lessons in subjects such as drama and music as part of a plan to boost teacher salaries and increase the appeal of the profession.

The Association of Private Childcare Organisations (Apco), which represents about 200 of the 545 private Childcare centres here, is sending teachers for training in a variety of co-curricular areas now handled by private companies.

Armed with this training, teachers could see their salaries - generally between $1,400 and $1,800 a month - rise by up to 20 per cent, said Apco chairman Sam Yap.

The move is designed to stem the flow of teachers from the profession. An Education Services Union survey of 5,000 pre-school teachers last year showed that 34 per cent wanted to leave their jobs within 12 months. More than half (56 per cent) said their main complaint was low pay.

Demand for such teachers is expected to rise in the coming years; the Government has announced plans to build 200 more Childcare centres by 2013 as part of a drive to allow more mothers to return to work.

To meet the demand, Apco will also start recruiting teachers from Malaysia by the end of the year.

'I've heard of some centres taking up to six months to look for a new teacher,' said Dr Yap, who is the founder of Childcare chain Cherie Hearts. 'While many teachers are passionate about their jobs, there are some who choose to leave because the pay is too low.'

Teachers with diplomas in pre-school education are paid about $1,500 to $1,800 a month. Those with certificates command about $1,400 to $1,650.

Currently, external vendors conduct enrichment classes at most Childcare centres. The lessons are optional and parents must pay for them on top of school fees. With the training, those fees would now go to the teachers, said Dr Yap.

Our Juniors' Schoolhouse, with branches at Westlake Avenue and Jalan Pari Burong, is the first centre to send its teachers for training. Principal Sharon Yee of the Westlake Avenue branch said ultimately, pupils will benefit. 'Unlike external vendors, we do not need extra time to build rapport with the children. We also know the children's strengths and weaknesses, so we can tailor the classes to their needs.'

Parents welcomed the move to have enrichment classes during school hours.

'If enrichment lessons are not done during school hours, I will have to send my daughter for them during the weekends,' said television producer Siow Pit Chee. Her three-year-old daughter attends Our Juniors' Schoolhouse.

'She has more time with the family now and it makes things less hectic for my husband and I,' Ms Siow said.

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RI and RJC to merge in January

TWENTY-SEVEN years after they decided to break off into two separate schools, Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College will become one again.

The merger, which has been in the works for a few years now, was formally announced yesterday.

It will take effect in January, and the new school will be known as Raffles Institution (RI).

It will have 4,600 students, making it the biggest school in Singapore.

The move is being taken to strengthen the school's six-year integrated programme (IP) and make it more seamless.

On the surface, there will be little change for students. The school will still be an all-boys' one from secondary 1 to 4: Raffles Girls School (secondary) has chosen to stay as a separate entity.

The students will also continue to skip the O levels and finish their six-year course with the A levels.

Students from outside the Raffles family will continue to be admitted, at the secondary 3 level under the Direct School Admission system, and at the JC1 level for those who do well at the O levels.

The principal of the new outfit, Mrs Lim Lai Cheng, 44 - the first woman head in the school's 185- year history - said yesterday that the merger will give students an advantage.

It will help the schools' decision makers in their planning, and students will benefit from a more integrated approach to programmes, said Mrs Lim, herself an ex-RGS girl who is currently the RJC principal.

Existing programmes can also be lengthened to give students greater benefits.

For instance, RI now runs a two-year talent programme at secondary 3 to develop students' talents in specific subjects like chemistry or literature.

With the merger, the programme can continue till JC2 and enable the students to continue their development in the area, by learning from university professors, for instance.

The other changes are mainly to the leadership structure within the school.

Overseeing Mrs Lim and her team of six deputy principals will be a new board of governors, chaired by Professor Tan Ser Kiat, who heads the current RI board. His deputy will be Professor Cham Tao Soon, who now heads the RJC board.

Mr Bob Koh, who is RI's principal now, will leave the school for a senior appointment at the Education Ministry.

When asked yesterday why RGS chose to remain separate, Justice Judith Prakash, who heads its board of governors, said the school has built its own identity in the last 130 years as a premier institution for girls, and it would like to stay that way.

'Being in an all-female institution does a lot for the girls' confidence because they naturally assume leadership.

'Sometimes, girls tend to be a bit diffident when there are boys around,' she said.

Former students of Singapore's premier school welcomed the move.

Mr Cheng Soon Keong, 44, president of the Old Rafflesians' Association alumni group, said the new entity will be very different from the RI of the past, which offered a pre-university programme.

'The system has totally changed, we're definitely not going back to the old days.

'As an alumni member, I think it's fantastic that the leadership development of students will be more pronounced in future,' said Mr Cheng, who was in the first batch of RJC students in 1982.

He cited better infrastructure and a bigger staff for the new school among the reasons for his optimism.

Prof Cham said there is another reason to be excited: The presence of older students within the same school, which will be inspiring for younger boys.

'Having older students as role models is very important. When I entered RI in secondary 1, I was inspired by the top students and the rugby captain,' he said.

RI will be the second school running the IP to merge to better offer secondary and pre-university education under one roof.

The other is Hwa Chong Institution, formed by a merger between The Chinese High and Hwa Chong Junior College.

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Sunday, October 12, 2008

Undergraduates play policymakers for a day

UNDERGRADUATE Neo Ru Bin used to think that public policymaking in Singapore took a top- down approach, with little input from people on the ground.

'I had the impression that it's the academically capable scholars making the policies, and always top-down,' said the final-year political science student at the National University of Singapore (NUS).

Miss Neo, 22, now thinks policymaking here is more consultative and complex. This is her perspective after taking part in the first public policy competition organised by the Public Service Division.

Some 400 undergraduates from NUS, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University, in 100 teams of four, sent in proposals on how to handle the challenge of a shrinking population.

Fifteen teams went on to the semi-finals over the weekend at Changi Village Hotel, where they played the Prime Minister's principal private secretary.

Their brief this time was to advise the Prime Minister on issues he should address for his National Day Rally speech - such as the widening income gap and the loss of national identity.

Three teams, including Miss Neo's, made it to the finals yesterday. In their 20-minute presentations, they had to factor in a last-minute bird flu outbreak in a neighbouring country.

Their proposals included bringing forward the rally so that the PM could reassure Singaporeans. Other ideas: provide aid to the neighbour, and use the crisis as an opportunity to reinforce the sense of nationhood.

The contest aimed to expose students to the intricacies of policymaking: the difficult choices to be made, and the need to cater to different groups, said Mr Teo Chee Hean.

The Minister in charge of the Civil Service told reporters that young people tend to understand the workings of business more than public service.

'They may have less understanding of both the challenge and the meaning, as well as the inherent satisfaction of public service.'

He highlighted a big difference between running businesses and making policies: 'You are working for the welfare of Singaporeans and the future of Singaporeans, and not just the bottom line of the company and of the shareholders.'

The judges for the finals were Civil Service head Peter Ho, Permanent Secretary (Public Service Division) Lim Soo Hoon and Second Permanent Secretary (Trade and Industry) Ravi Menon.

The champions from NUS won $2,000 cash and an internship with the Civil Service. The runners-up from NTU received $1,500; with another NUS team in third place, getting $1,000. The remaining 12 teams won $250 each.

Miss Neo, whose team was third, now feels the work of policymakers is challenging. 'It's easy to criticise a policy, but I've come to see all sides of the picture.

'It's a huge responsibility because it affects many people.'

Another who had felt policymaking was top-down was NUS economics student Khaw Kai Min, 22. He said: 'I've learnt that you can't please all groups of society.' His team won first place.

chinlian@sph.com.sg

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Polytechnic course to combine business with engineering

EVEN before the fourth university opens its doors in 2011 to offer inter-disciplinary degree courses, one polytechnic has gone ahead to launch such a programme from next year.

The new diploma course at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) will combine engineering with business to produce graduates who are both technically competent and equipped with business knowledge.

The diploma, a collaboration by the engineering and business schools, will take in 80 students for a start.

It is aimed at secondary school students interested in science, mathematics and technology, but who may not necessarily want to pursue a pure engineering course.

Dr Dave Chong, the director for SP's school of electrical and electronics engineering in charge of the programme, said the new course takes a leaf from the fourth university's cross-disciplinary approach and opens up options for diploma holders who may want to pursue various courses at the university level eventually.

He noted that students taking a traditional business course have little exposure to the capabilities of new technologies, while those in pure engineering courses would have little exposure to business skills.

The new course will have modules in mathematics, science, engineering and business, including communication skills. In the final semester, students will pursue internships or overseas immersion programmes to broaden their exposure to engineering and business practices.

Dr Chong said: 'Graduates will be able to exploit and harness technologies for new business developments. They can use technology to create new business opportunities and also effectively use new technology in the business environment.'

The diploma aims to fill a growing need in the engineering-related industry for graduates who are technically competent and equipped with knowledge of marketing, sales, project management and business development.

A survey that SP did among managers from engineering companies in January confirmed such a demand for such graduates. Over eight in 10 of those polled supported running such a diploma programme, and nearly nine in 10 said they would hire between one and three such graduates.

Mr Lawrence Leow, who heads the Association of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), said: 'The breadth of the engineering curriculum, supported by business knowledge, should produce graduates who possess good working knowledge of engineering with a business perspective.'

He predicted that such graduates would find jobs among SMEs, particularly those in engineering- related fields.

SP will introduce two other new courses next year: a diploma in creative writing for TV and new media; and a diploma in nutrition, health and wellness.

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Singapore is 4th cheapest place to raise expatriates kids

A GLOBAL survey has found Singapore to be among the countries where it is cheapest for expatriates to raise their children.

Singapore emerged fourth cheapest, after Spain, India and China, in a survey by HSBC Bank International of 870 expatriate parents across 14 places. In the poll, the cost of raising a child included - but was not restricted to - the cost of education.

Almost four in 10 of those in Singapore who were polled said it was cheaper raising junior here than in their home countries.

Another 25 per cent said the cost was 'about the same'.

At the other end of the spectrum, Britain, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong are the most expensive places to raise children.

The survey also asked these expatriate parents to rate the countries they are living in, in areas such as the amount of time their children spend studying and being outdoors, and whether they think their children will remain in their adopted country upon growing up.

Using these criteria, Singapore came out tops in Asia and fifth on the list of 14 places for expatriates to raise children. It lost out to Spain, France, Germany and Canada in the ranking of the 14 places. Within Asia, India was second but eighth on the list of 14; China was third in Asia and ninth on the list.

Australian publisher Katrina Bingham- Hall, 43, who arrived in Singapore five years ago, is bringing up five children aged between four and 14.

With the older four attending government schools here, she spends less than $1,000 a year on their school fees, and is all praise for how little the 'brilliant' education system here costs.

Back home, it would cost her about $700 a year to put just one child through public school.

She added: 'Singapore's education system is streets ahead of Australia's. The teachers here are far more dedicated and the education standards are far better.'

As for American Tracy Waychoff, 46, she chose Singapore when her husband was offered a choice of postings here and in Brazil, China and Mexico.

The mother of two teenagers said: 'I know my children will be safe in Singapore and drugs are not a concern.'

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Singapore Primary schools deserve the best

AS A mother of a two-year-old boy, the recent slew of changes to primary school education interested me greatly.

One change, in particular, stood out: All primary school teachers hired from 2015 - when my son will be in primary 3 - will have to be graduates.

The other measures announced on Sept 25 by Education Minister Ng Eng Hen as part of a retooling of primary school education included going fully single- session and introducing co- curricular activities for children from the minute they hit school.

It is high time that more emphasis is placed on teacher quality in primary schools. secondary schools and junior colleges have long had the cream of teachers. Currently, only 55 per cent of primary school teachers are graduates, compared to 91 per cent in secondary schools.

Sure, the proportion has been increasing over the years, and among new primary school teaching hires, 69 per cent have a university degree.

primary school education in Singapore has long been viewed as important, but not critical, to shaping a child's outcome in the education system. But that view seems to have shifted, and this should be applauded.

A look at high-performing education systems around the world shows why primary school teacher quality counts.

Consultancy firm McKinsey, which did a study last year on the factors behind the world's best performing systems, found that in Finland, all teachers have to have a master's degree. The country also recruits teachers from the top 10 per cent of each cohort.

The result? Finnish children, who enter preschool only at age six and primary school at seven, and study for just four to five hours a day, top the world in assessments of reading, mathematics, science and problem-solving by the time they are 15 years old.

In South Korea, primary school teachers are more highly regarded than those who work in secondary schools because the system emphasises building a strong foundation. It recruits teachers from the top 5 per cent of each cohort, and all primary school teachers have to be graduates.

In the United States, teachers from a programme which targets graduates from top universities get significantly better outcomes from their students even though they have a short period of training, work in the toughest schools and have no prior experience.

For sure, Singapore does not do too badly. Our students come out tops in international exams for mathematics and science, for instance, even though the system spends less on each student than almost any developed country.

So the system works. But more can be done, and this is where upgrading of primary school teachers comes in.

Research in the US, for instance, shows that if two average eight-year-olds are given different teachers - a high performer and one who does not do as well - the student's performance would diverge by more than 50 percentile points within three years.

Other studies have shown that teacher quality matters more when a child is younger.

That is not to knock the current lot of teachers who are not graduates. They are doing a good job, and the fact that our system is world-class is as much down to them, as anyone else.

But, as with everything else, there is room for improvement, and upping the quality of teachers at the lower level is one big area.

Hiring graduates only, as National Institute of Education director Lee Sing Kong put it, is a timely and significant evolutionary development, but not a radical departure from existing models.

He said that in future, classroom teachers, not just university lecturers, will have to do more school- based research, and this alone will require teachers to be better trained.

With the shift in emphasis in the education system - it now aims to impart not just exam smarts, but soft skills such as communication - hiring quality teachers is more important than ever.

For instance, in my interviews over the years with teachers here, for instance, I have found that many speak - and teach - in Singlish.

As a result, many of their young charges pick up this habit of speech in their formative years, and by the time steps are taken to correct this, it is usually too late.

For sure, not all graduates speak good English, so the Ministry of Education has to make sure that its hiring process is tailored towards getting the talent that will be equipped to impart the soft skills.

Perhaps the biggest indication that the move to up quality is the right one comes from teachers themselves. Many non-graduate teachers in service have already taken up degree programmes, part-time or otherwise.

Radin Mas primary teacher Siti Mas Laily, 27, is one. She is doing a part- time degree in English and psychology.

'My diploma is in IT, but I am teaching English, so I felt a need to improve my content knowledge,' she said.

As of August this year, 448 have applied for professional development leave to upgrade themselves, more than double the 214 last year.

For all these reasons, I am excited about the way primary school education is going. Not only will the emphasis shift subtly away from exam results, I think children will be a lot happier studying at the primary school of the future. They will get a chance to learn from the best and get a crack at picking up activities that could liven up school too.

All this, and they might not even have to get out of bed at an ungodly hour, what with the move to single-session schools.

Now, for an encore, the Education Ministry need look no further than to take a crack at raising standards at a lower, but just as critical level: preschools.

Then, our education system will be world-class from top to bottom.

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Friday, October 10, 2008

UniSIM survey shows benefits of upgrading

UPGRADING has paid off for working adults who attended SIM University, according to a new study commissioned by the school.

About half of the private university's students saw their salaries increase after graduation, while about 20 per cent moved to different jobs after finishing their courses.

The poll, done by The Nielsen Company, is the first comprehensive survey on the impact of continuing education on the working lives of adults here.

Of the UniSIM graduates whose salary increased, the average rise was about 15 per cent while nearly one in five saw an improvement of more than 30 per cent.

Those who changed jobs reported a 21 per cent wage increase, compared to the national average of 6 per cent per last year, said UniSIM yesterday.

One UniSIM graduate, Mr Kit Chan, 29, switched jobs after completing his Bachelor of Arts in business studies. He is now working at a local bank as an assistant vice-president and received a 30 per cent pay increase.

Mr Chan, who had a diploma in electrical engineering from Singapore Polytechnic, said returning to school improved his career prospects.

'My degree definitely played a part in landing my current job. In the process, I also learnt better time management as I juggled studies with my work,' he said.

Apart from a better salary, 50 per cent of students who changed jobs within two years of graduation moved to a different industry.

UniSIM is a privately-funded university recognised by the Education Ministry.

Established in 2005, it provides higher education programmes for 8,000 adult learners and issues its own degrees.

The poll of its former students included responses from just over 1,000 graduates who earned their degrees between 2002 and last year.

The majority of those who responded were between 30 and 40 years old. Most worked in the public sector and multinational corporations.

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Trust private schools here?

THE spate of private school scandals has laid bare the inadequacies of minimum standards imposed on private schools here.

Tipped off by complaints, Straits Times checks earlier this year on the list of 327 Case- accredited private schools here uncovered over a dozen with shockingly low standards for their courses, teaching staff and facilities.

The worst were Camford Business School and Boston International, which offered worthless degrees from unaccredited universities such as the Paramount University of Technology, a degree mill based in Wyoming, United States, and a 'West Coast University' accredited by an agency in the South Pacific islands of Wallis and Futuna.

Straits Times checks recently unearthed even more schools offering courses from unaccredited institutions. The Centre for Professional Studies came under fire for offering unaccredited Preston University master's degrees and doctorates to students here over the last four years.

Shines College was also found to have enrolled hundreds of students in degree courses offered by European University, found to have only private school registration in Switzerland, and the University of Northern Virginia, which has lost its accreditation since Aug 6.

What is surprising is that all these schools had sailed through two rounds of checks - first to register as private schools with the Education Ministry (MOE) and second to win the CaseTrust for Education award given out here.

So it is understandable that affected students are now pointing an accusing finger at MOE's private school licensing scheme and the CaseTrust for Education scheme for failing to protect their interests.

However, the Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), which administers CaseTrust, has shrugged off complaints, saying that its scheme was only meant to safeguard student fees in the event of a school going under, not to vouch for the quality of the programmes.

MOE explanations, too, share a similar refrain. The ministry has said repeatedly that registration by MOE does not in any way 'represent an endorsement or accreditation of the quality of programmes'.

Yet, to register, MOE requires the over 1,200 private schools here to have appropriate facilities, qualified teachers and if they are offering courses from overseas universities, then the institutions must be 'bona fide' and the courses approved by MOE.

To date, unfortunately, it has not made clear what it considers a 'bona fide university'. For most people, that would mean an institution with academic accreditation which is subject to quality checks on its courses, teachers and facilities, not just a legal entity that mints degrees.

This raises the question: How did these rogue players uncovered by The Straits Times pass scrutiny?

Rudimentary checks with embassies here and accreditation bodies like the Council for Higher Education Accreditation in the United States would have revealed that the likes of Paramount University of Technology lack proper accreditation.

In the case of Preston University, MOE said the Centre for Professional Studies, which offered the programme, had submitted the university's accreditation in Pakistan. Alarm bells should have gone off, as in the US, the school is listed by state government agencies as a 'degree supplier' offering 'fraudulent or sub-standard degrees'. It had also been found out for inventing more than half of its faculty list.

Although there is an accredited university going by the same name as West Coast University, all it took was a few more clicks on Google to find out that its accreditation was by an agency in the South Pacific islands.

And what about the two insurance agents' associations that ran MBA programmes from the unaccredited International University (IU), Vienna? The same programme had been previously offered by another unaccredited institution, Vancouver University Worldwide, before being transferred to IU, Vienna.

One of the associations argued that as the course is offered only to its association members, there is no need for it to seek MOE approval for the course. Should this be allowed?

If so, then why the need for private schools to seek approval for their courses?

All these gaps must be closed in the new, stricter Edutrust Scheme that the Government will introduce next year to ensure that the private education sector meets baseline quality standards.

The Government had announced that regulation of private schools will from next year come under MOE. A new independent council will decide on applications for registration and certification, as well as the actions to be taken against errant schools.

The new law will also give the MOE sharper teeth when it comes to punishing rogue private schools. Currently, a school can only be de-registered, and that too under extreme circumstances.

The new rules must be rigorous enough to force private operators to offer only quality courses from properly accredited institutions. If not, Singapore's ambitions to become a quality education hub will be affected.

Last year, Singapore celebrated passing the halfway mark in its quest to become a Global Schoolhouse with 150,000 international students by 2015. The 86,000 foreign students here hail from more than 120 nations, and carry the hopes and dreams of their families, many of whom scrimped and saved to send them here.

A disappointed Indian student from Shines College said: 'I thought of going to Malaysia because it will be easier on my parents, but in the end decided on Singapore. We thought the Government here is strict and will ensure that schools here are top-quality. Now I may have lost all my parents' hard-earned savings.'

Singapore is not the only one in this heated worldwide race for the foreign student dollar. The authorities often say that Singapore's education hub aspirations enjoy an edge over its regional competitors such as Malaysia and Thailand because of its higher quality benchmarks.

Enough of empty boasts. It is time to ensure that private institutions here live up to that quality promise.


Straits Times

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IPS to operate from Bukit Timah campus

ONE of Singapore's leading think-tanks is poised to complete a merger with the National University of Singapore's (NUS) public policy school.

The Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), whose members include Ambassador-at-large Tommy Koh, will begin operating from the university's Bukit Timah campus on Monday.

The move completes a merger with the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, designed to give the think-tank access to more resources and a prime location.

It was previously located near Pasir Panjang.

IPS specialises in strategic policy research and holds roundtable discussions with some of the top minds in Singapore and around the world.

The think-tank will move into House Number Five at NUS, which was once home to the Economics Department of the University of Malaya.

It recently underwent a $3 million renovation.

IPS chairman Tommy Koh said he hopes the new location will be an 'inspiring environment in which to think and work'.

Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School Kishore Mahbubani said:

'By returning to the former home of the Economics Department, IPS has symbolically and substantively increased its linkages with NUS.'

AMELIA TAN

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Surge in UniSIM degree applicants

SIM University (UniSIM) has seen a surge in applications after the Government introduced hefty subsidies for degree programmes earlier this year.

The number of applicants jumped 60 per cent in the wake of news that the State would cover 40 per cent of the cost of part-time courses there and at Singapore's three publicly funded universities.

The subsidies are for working adults who are citizens and have not had subsidised undergraduate education here, to give them a shot at higher qualifications.

More than 3,000 people applied for the July intake at UniSIM, which caters to working adults in their late 20s looking to upgrade their skills, advance in their current jobs or make a job switch.

To keep up with the demand, the school increased its intake by 50 per cent to 1,800 students. The school, which has 8,000 students, has two intakes a year.

The most popular degrees include those in business, aerospace systems, business analytics and human resource management. The four saw up to two applications for each opening.

With the subsidy, a four-year part-time degree at UniSIM - which would cost about $30,000 - would cost just $18,000. In comparison, undergraduates in an average four-year full-time degree course at Nanyang Technological University or the National University of Singapore would pay about $25,000.

UniSIM president Cheong Hee Kiat said the fact that the subsidy was extended to the school is a recognition of its quality. He said it was key that UniSIM was 'recognised as part of university space' and that it was the only institution, apart from the other three universities, to be given degree- granting status by the Education Ministry.

UniSIM, set up in 2005, started offering its own degrees the following year targeted at working adults.

The university is looking to expand its course offerings for this group and is planning to add more postgraduate programmes and lifestyle courses.

To entice more to sign up, it plans to increase the number of modules in its general studies degree to include fine arts, wine appreciation, film studies and traditional Chinese medicine.

It has also tied up with other institutions, including the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa), to offer courses like visual communication with business, so students can take advanced courses in visual communication at Nafa but go to UniSIM for the business modules.

Such 'twinning' programmes would offer students the best of both worlds, said Professor Cheong.

He added: 'We recognise that we do not have all the knowledge that will allow us to produce many of the programmes we want to do. So we look for partners who are already experts in certain areas so we can offer students as wide a repertoire as we can.'

UniSIM is holding its third convocation next Thursday for 851 graduates.

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NUS up, NTU down, in varsity rankings

SINGAPORE'S two biggest universities moved in opposite directions in the latest survey of international universities by The Times of London Higher Education supplement.

While the National University of Singapore (NUS) rose three places to No. 30, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) fell eight places to No.77 on the list of 200 universities.

Harvard kept its position at the top while Yale moved ahead of Cambridge University into second place. The University of Oxford came in fourth.

The University of Tokyo emerged top in Asia at No. 19.

Kyoto University and the University of Hong Kong ranked 25th and 26th, ahead of NUS.

Other Asian universities in the top 50 were the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Osaka University, Peking University and Seoul National University.

NUS' highly international faculty and students moved it forward in the rankings, said Mr Nunzio Quacquarelli, managing director of QS, the London-based careers and education group which compiles the highly-followed rankings.

The four-year-old list, which ranked universities in 33 countries this year, is used by prospective students, governments, employers, investors and the universities themselves as a guide.

More than half of NUS' 2,103 faculty members are from overseas.

The university was also viewed favourably by employers in Asia, as well as its academic peers.

NUS president-designate, Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, said the university was pleased to be consistently ranked among the best in the world, and promised to build innovative programmes which would cement its place as a leading institution in Asia.

Six categories count towards the ranking: academic peer review, employer review, faculty- to- student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty, and international students.

The lion's share of 40 per cent comes from a university's reputation among its peers, while employers' keenness to hire its graduates is a significant 10 per cent.

International faculty and students each contribute 5 per cent.

While NTU also did well in peer and employer reviews, it lost out slightly in the number of citations gathered by faculty members.

Its academic publications were not cited as often by academics in other universities compared to the schools ahead of it, said Mr Quacquarelli.

Publications which are influential are cited more often, and stronger universities tend to be behind such work.

NTU president Su Guaning is optimistic that NTU's ranking will improve in a few years when work by new top faculty members will start to have an impact.

Among them are Caltech geologist Kerry Sieh and Associate Professor Christos Panagopoulos, a highly-regarded young physicist in Europe, said Dr Su.

Mr Quacquarelli also noted that rankings were contentious and should be used with caution as they cannot reflect all aspects of university excellence.

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