Singaporeans from all walks of life are coming together to help the needy, one brick at a time.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Secondary school raises funds for "We Are One" project
Students and staff from St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School are taking part in the nation—wide "We Are One" project.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
SAE Group opens creative media institute in Singapore
Singapore's creative media industry is set to receive a boost, with the global creative media education provider, SAE Group, opening a multi—million dollar training institute in the city—state.
MOE to review initiatives aimed at keeping drop-out rate low
The Ministry of Education (MOE) will review initiatives aimed at getting students to stay in school. It said more will be done to help the schools keep their drop—out rate low.
Monday, October 26, 2009
MOE releases guidelines on sex education programmes
The Ministry of Education (MOE) has released guidelines which external vendors conducting sexuality education programmes in schools will have to adhere to.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
COMPASS proposes forming a Parent Ambassador Taskforce
Getting parents involved in a child's education has always been key and to take this to a higher level, the Education Ministry's Advisory Council, Community and Parents in Support of Schools (COMPASS), has proposed forming a Parent Ambassador Taskforce.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
SAFRA to provide better, more affordable facilities
SAFRA is looking into providing better and more value—added facilities for NSmen and their families from next year.
SAFRA to invest in pre-school education and make facilities more affordable
SAFRA is looking into providing better and more value—added facilities for NSmen and their families from next year. It's looking to invest in pre—school education.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Half the 136 youths arrested in past 12 months were students
STUDENTS made up almost half of the 136 youths arrested for loan-shark and related harassment activities in the past 12 months, said Education Minister Ng Eng Hen yesterday.
He also stressed that parents, as primary caregivers, are responsible for what their children do after school.
However, schools, playing a complementary role, have been actively taking measures to prevent them from taking part in illegal activities, he said in his written reply to a parliamentary question from Ms Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio GRC).
Ms Lee had asked how the ministry prevents youths from becoming runners for loan sharks.
Replying, Dr Ng stressed that parents must be responsible for monitoring their children's after- school activities, and the company they keep.
'The reasons for school children being lured into working for such activities are complex,' he said.
'Even as we reiterate the responsibility of parents to mould their children's character, schools can play a complementary reinforcing role in this respect.'
Dr Ng said schools raise awareness of illegal activities through formal curriculum, and hold programmes to help students discern right from wrong.
When necessary, counselling and support are offered, while disciplinary action is taken as a last resort.
Other efforts include keeping parents informed of their children's needs and collaborating with relevant agencies to guide students on the right path.
He cited how his ministry works with the police to raise awareness by giving advice, including at roadshows.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Packing too much talent
review drama
TALENTIME (M18)
120 minutes/Opens tomorrow/ *** 1/2
The story: A Malaysian school holds a talentime contest, and participants and organisers get involved with one another as they work towards putting on their best performance for the finals.
Malaysian writer- director Yasmin Ahmad's sixth and last film encompasses many of the themes her earlier movies had touched on, but tries to do a little too much. Still, her skill in bringing out poignancy and concocting perfect movie moments is very much evident here.
Like in most talent shows, there are some high points and some off-key moments. There are also a few scenes of pure comedy, such as the requisite bad auditions as well as humour provided by two bumbling teachers.
The talent show premise is an old chestnut often used to highlight differences in a community and a perfect platform for the director, who died from a brain haemorrhage in July.
Her earlier films have boldly explored Malaysia, often examining interracial relationships within the community. This time around, the ensemble cast is sprawling and there is too little time to fully explore the characters.
Most of Yasmin's earlier films have concentrated on one main relationship, giving her more time to explore it fully.
Talentime has too many to juggle and some become underdeveloped and even hurried. Nevertheless, she is still capable of divulging quiet, humane moments.
The main focus is on student contestants Hafiz (Syafie Naswip), Melur (Pamela Chong) and Kahoe (Howard Hon Kahoe) and Mahesh (Mahesh Jugal Kishor), a mute Indian boy assigned by the school to take Melur to rehearsals.
The most poignant relationship here is between Hafiz and his ailing mother (Mislina Mustafa). Their relationship is explored with a delicate, tender touch.
Syafie, who was also in Yasmin's film Mukhsin (2006), deservedly won an award at the Malaysian Film Festival for his performance here.
There is also an interracial relationship between modern-day Muslim Melur and Mahesh, as they ride to and from rehearsals on his motorcycle (one of the forgivable contrivances of the film).
Their romance sets off fireworks, particularly from Mahesh's protective mother, who does not want him to marry outside his faith.
Due to the large cast, many of them remain ciphers. Melur's grandmother, who comes from England and has a thick accent, seems to be just there to prove a point about the multiracial composition of Malaysia.
The rivalry between Hafiz and Kahoe, a Chinese student who accuses Hafiz of cheating, is also too sparsely sketched to draw any real poignancy.
The music and songs, composed by Malaysian composer Pete Teo, is one of the best things of the film. The editing is fairly choppy and there are few surreal moments that are rather out of place.
Talentime is more polished than Yasmin's early works. But like a talent show with too many contestants, the movie tries to pack in too much.
While it might not be her best work, it certainly is an entertaining film that showcases her concerns and beliefs, which reverberate long after the final note is sung.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Monday, October 19, 2009
Accreditation body for corporate governance?
IT DOESN'T exactly roll off the tongue but an accreditation body for corporate governance just could be the next big thing.
Outgoing Singapore Exchange chief executive Hsieh Fu Hua raised the idea earlier this month, suggesting companies could voluntarily seek independent accreditation of their corporate governance processes and framework from such a body.
Mr Hsieh likened this seal of approval to the voluntary ISO standards that many Singapore companies pursue.
An accreditation body for corporate governance is certainly a novel idea; no country seems to have introduced such a feature, say market observers.
Corporate governance expert Mak Yuen Teen is all for it.
Associate Professor Mak said: 'If there is a need for an external auditor to issue an independent opinion on the financial numbers reported by management, there would seem to be a similar need for an external party to provide an independent opinion on the representations about corporate governance made by the company.'
Retail investors might find a general overall stamp of quality helpful as it alleviates the need for them to wade through the byzantine codes of corporate governance used here.
Mr Hsieh said investors can get a better idea of the strength of each company and make better investment decisions which will eventually enhance the overall quality of the marketplace.
Certainly, the general notion of getting various industries to be certified as a means of raising standards seems to be gaining ground.
Some months ago, the setting up of an accreditation body for tax experts was announced.
Even for pre-schools, there will soon be a voluntary quality assurance and accreditation framework to gauge standards.
Two weeks ago, the Ministry of National Development suggested in a consultation paper that there should be an accreditation body for property agents.
As for the idea of an accreditation body for governance, that could gain traction among corporate Singapore eventually.
Wong Partnership partners Joy Tan and Annabelle Yip, who head the firm's local corporate governance practice, believe an accreditation body would have a positive effect on the governance culture in Singapore.
Still, Ms Yip pointed out: 'Companies can already appoint external consultants such as one of the Big Four accounting firms or law firms to identify areas of improvement. Many companies also have an internal audit function which helps perform this process as well.'
If it is going to mirror the ISO certification, Ms Yip said this may be an expensive and even intrusive process. After the accreditation is received, reviews and updates will need to be done annually, for example.
Management time and accreditation costs are just two of the key issues.
Another is how effective the body will be in raising corporate governance standards.
Blue chips already have much higher levels of corporate governance than smaller companies. It is possible that having an accreditation body will just reinforce that divide - blue chips get the certification easily while the ones which do need to pull up their socks sit back and do nothing.
Another concern is that investors will start relying on the certification and be lulled into complacency and fail to do their homework.
All it takes is for one bad egg to appear and investors will complain that the accreditation process is a failure.
If a scandal occurs and investors lose large sums of money, it will still be for the regulatory authorities - the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Exchange - to step in.
At the end of the day, an accreditation body may just add layers to the upholding of corporate governance standards without significantly improving the end result.
Companies already get detailed guidance from the code of corporate governance. Investors would be better served if companies followed the code in letter and in spirit rather than be distracted by other processes as well.
Cai Jin runs every Monday and covers financial matters and corporate governance issues that can affect investors. The two Chinese characters marry wealth with good fortune - the two crucial factors that any investor needs to prosper.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Teachers and trainers are happiest: Poll
IF YOU want to be happy at work, become a teacher or work in the service sector.
That is the key message that emerges from an online poll of 5,460 working adults conducted by JobsCentral. The job network portal asked respondents across Singapore how satisfied they were with
various aspects of their jobs to produce an overall 'happiness' score, with 100 signifying 'very happy' and 50 'neutral'.
Employees in education and training emerged the happiest of all, with a score of 59.8, followed closely by those in public relations who scored 58.8.
Individuals who work to ensure companies comply with regulations seem to be the least happy with their jobs, with an average score of only 52.9.
The survey found that employees working for the Government are happier than those in the private sector.
From an industry perspective, employees in services - arts, entertainment, recreation and other services - are the most pleased with their jobs with a score of 69, while industries with low scores include the manufacturing sector.
JobsCentral chief executive Lim Der Shing said people who work in the arts and entertainment industry, as well as teachers, have passion for their work.
'On the other hand, layoffs in certain manufacturing industries and poor company performance this year could be a reason for manufacturing's lower scores,' he said.
Ms Annie Yap, founder of human resource consultancy AYP Associates, agreed: 'In the educational and training sector, very often, they teach for passion, a strong interest to pass on their knowledge to the next generation.'
Mr Renny Yeo, president of the Singapore Manufacturers' Federation (SMa), admitted the manufacturing sector had been the hardest hit by the recent economic downturn, and that this could have been a key factor in employees feeling less optimistic and secure about their jobs.
However, he remained confident that most SMa employers fostered active staff engagement through various team-building activities. 'This encourages better teamwork and productivity, as well as the establishment of a conducive and satisfying work environment,' he said.
Individuals contacted by The Straits Times seemed to support the poll's findings.
Mr Pierre Fong, 34, who left the engineering profession three years ago to become a full-time teacher, does not regret his career change. He recounts his experiences with children at Geylang Methodist School (Primary) with a sparkle in his eyes.
'I remember that I had this particular child in class who was very sloppy and lazy in his work,' said the English and science teacher, who admits he is unlikely to return to engineering. 'After a year, you see the gradual change. He is now so much more interested in doing his work and, as cliched as it sounds, it's really heart warming to know that you had a part to play in making that happen.'
Mr Tan Soo Jin, a director at executive search firm Amrop Hever Group and a former internal auditor, suggested that internal auditors who derived satisfaction from the job sometimes felt 'guilty' uncovering wrongdoers because they were usually sacked.
'Compliance is like policing. It can be tedious and time-consuming, so I wouldn't say many people would rate this important role to be an enjoyable one,' Mr Tan said.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Training programme helps the disabled find jobs
WHEELCHAIR-BOUND Lee Pei Ling used to sit at home and play computer games because the challenge of finding a job she could do seemed impossible.
But the 30-year-old is now gainfully employed as a graphic designer after undergoing a programme by the Infocomm Accessibility Centre. The centre is managed by the Society for the Physically Disabled.
The IT Apprenticeship Programme (ITAP) provides training and internships in corporate services, multimedia or music and video production for people with disabilities.
The programme, which started about a year ago, has 34 enrollees. Twenty others have completed the course and received their certificates recently at a ceremony. Of them, seven have found jobs.
Ms Lee, who became wheelchair-bound at age 18 after a failed operation, started on ITAP's multimedia programme last year. Since last December, she has worked from home for an education consultancy company, producing designs for items such as posters and murals.
'Every piece of work that is accepted makes me happy. It's a sense of satisfaction,' she said.
Another graduate who has found a job is Mr Desmond Hou, 53, who lost a leg to bone cancer in 1995 and was retrenched in 2007. He is the main breadwinner of the family with two school-age children.
He studied corporate services earlier this year and found a job as a part-time telebet assistant.
'It helped a lot. I was basically very scared of the computer but after ITAP, I got to know better how the computer works,' he said.
Employment for the disabled has been given a push in recent years due to greater awareness and government support such as the Open Door Fund, said Dr Ow Chee Chung, executive director of the Society for the Physically Disabled.
The fund was launched in May 2007 to disburse grants to encourage employers to redesign jobs, modify workplaces and train the disabled.
One such employer is Mr Alvin Nathan, 45, director of Eureka Call Centre Systems. He has hired eight visually impaired or physically handicapped staff and finds that some of them make more calls than regular telemarketers.
At the recent ceremony, three scholarship awards, funded by Microsoft, were also given for the first time. The awards were given to students with disabilities who are studying IT-related courses in local universities and polytechnics.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
