Bilingual policy re-affirmed The Straits Times Dec 30, 2009 EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen on Tuesday spent much time re-affirming Singapore's bilingual policy, especially the teaching of the Chinese language, the subject of much discussion in recent months. The policy remains relevant for economic and cultural reasons, as bilingual skills will benefit the children given the rise of Asia, he said. But it has to be re-calibrated to cope with what he called an 'inexorable change' in the language environment in homes, with six in 10 Primary 1 Chinese students speaking English at home now, he noted. Six in 10 Indian pupils and 3.5 in 10 Malay pupils are also using English predominantly with family members. He made it clear that those who can excel in the Chinese language will have the opportunity to do so. If more students want this, he would even add a new Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school to the present 25 which teach the language at a higher level. But accepting change also means that for the rest of the students, expectations, teaching methods and even tests have to be re-calibrated to keep the language alive and useful. Education Minister Ng Eng Hen made it clear that those who can excel in the Chinese language will have the opportunity to do so. -- ST PHOTO: CHRISTOPHER LOH NJ
Two new academies set up to enhance professional development of teachers Channel NewsAsia 29 December 2009 1711 hrs By S Ramesh, SINGAPORE : Singapore's Ministry of Education (MOE) will set up two new academies to enhance the professional development of teachers in the areas of physical education and the arts. Speaking at the annual principals appointment ceremony on Tuesday, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen announced the setting up of the Physical Education and Sports Teachers Academy (PESTA) and the Singapore Teachers' Academy for the Arts (STAR). The principals appointment ceremony is not just about the awarding of their letters of appointment. The event also saw a group of principals sharing their thoughts and feelings about their role in a song. And music and the arts are expected to get a further boost when STAR is set up. It will leverage on master teachers as well as other local and international practitioners to conduct training modules and master classes. It will also provide customised programmes, and overseas attachment opportunities for teachers. Dr Ng said: "Through more art, dance and drama, our students can learn to see the world through different lenses, develop their creativity and better express themselves." Meanwhile, PESTA will have workshops and courses in the areas of teaching methods, games concepts, assessment, and coaching skills. It will also link up with other international institutions to provide opportunities for physical education teachers to learn from other systems. - CNA/ms
This is like rich towkays cheating hapkess slaves. In reality this never happens because one is boss the other has no redress. Why can't the Employment Act include the one day off in a week for domestic workers, and in the Act a section can be included for that exchange of compensation in lieu of the day off subject to the domestic worker's agreement. Like all workers, their day off should be a legal entitlement and if they choose they can exchange it for cash. It must be emphasised that such a right to "trade" is the prerogative of the domestic worker, not the boss. This way, through law, there will be no hanky panky. Why is it that difficult?
Marina Bay New Year countdown party to see lots of fringe activities Channel NewsAsia 29 December 2009 2328 hrs Marina Bay New Year countdown party to see lots of fringe activities By Hoe Yeen Nie SINGAPORE: Thousands are expected to throng the Marina Bay area to celebrate New Year's Eve on Thursday. Organisers said there will be lots to do and see, with plenty of fringe activities at the Esplanade. This year, the night will be alight with pyrotechnics choreographed to music specially composed by Cultural Medallion winner Iskandar Ismail. The music will be simultaneously broadcast over MediaCorp Radio's Y.E.S. 93.3FM. With everyone out to get a good view, the Esplanade Bridge, Waterfront Promenade, and Merlion Park will be popular spots. And with huge crowds expected, police will limit the number of people allowed in those areas at any one time. Moreover, the footway along Benjamin Sheares Bridge will be closed to pedestrians due to safety concerns - from 6pm on December 31 to 1am on January 1. It is better to leave the car at home, as several roads will be closed on New Year's Eve. These include Esplanade Drive - from 8pm to 2am, parts of Fullerton Road, Collyer Quay and Marina Boulevard - from 9pm to 2am, and parts of Raffles Avenue, between Temasek Avenue and Raffles Boulevard - from 5pm onwards. Motorists planning to use Nicoll Highway to get to the east are advised to use the East Coast Parkway (ECP) entrance at Maxwell Road. And those heading west, should use Republic Avenue onto Ophir Road to get onto the ECP. Lau Peet Meng, commander, Central Police Division said: "We would like to encourage the public to come by public transport. We have actually worked with the train operators to extend the train hours to 2am. "So, they don't have to rush back after the countdown. They can enjoy some of the events that have been planned for them." The events include plenty of fringe activities from 5pm onwards. "There will be roving performances, such as mime acts, and a percussion group will be playing to entertain the crowds at Esplanade Park," said Fun Siew Leng, group director, Urban Planning and Design, Urban Redevelopment Authority. The number of wishing spheres have also been doubled to 20,000, which can hold an estimated half a million wishes. The spheres - a tradition for the past five years - carry with them the hopes of the community for the New Year. Wishing spheres float on Marina Bay water.
No such thing because there is a rather high GST. Besides, The Singapore government takes a bite up front too, in the form of monthly levies, cash security deposit, a rather large insurance requirement. There is also no long service payment. Cooler, just imagine after working 50 years and upon retirement, you don't get a dime. I think you will burn down the office building. In the same vein some domestic workers put urine in their employers' food/soup/drinks.
Sophia Pang becomes first S'porean woman to reach South Pole Channel NewsAsia 30 December 2009 1929 hrs By Imelda Saad, SINGAPORE: Singaporean Sophia Pang, a mother of three, has become the first woman here to reach the South Pole. She joined six other participants from Commonwealth countries - Cyprus, Ghana, India, Brunei, New Zealand, and United Kingdom - to complete the gruelling journey. The group had set off from the Antarctic coast on November 19. They met their target to reach the South Pole on New Year's Day. The triumphant team faced biting temperatures of up to minus 40 degrees Celsius, as they skied 900 kilometres to the South Pole. The expedition marks the 60th anniversary of the Commonwealth.
S'pore develops mobile phone that acts as ECG monitor Channel NewsAsia 30 December 2009 1819 hrs By Lynda Hong, SINGAPORE: Over the years, the mobile phone has integrated many functions. Now it can contain one more feature that could help save your life. The ePhone Life Mobile (EPI Life) acts as a personal electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor. According to its developer, the device can monitor a wide range of heart conditions and can help reduce sudden deaths. Dr Michael Lim, a cardiologist and developer of EPI Life, said: "The commonest cause of sudden death in those under 35 is actually due to an abnormal heart rhythm in patients with a condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, which is the abnormal thickening of the heart. For those 35 years old and above, the commonest cause of sudden death is heart attack. "In a heart attack, you die because either the heart gets damaged until you cannot pump, or because you have an abnormal heart rhythm called ventricular fibrillation." Someone with symptoms of chest pains or palpitations can record his ECG instantly, by placing a finger on the screen of the mobile phone. The ECG reading will be sent to a 24-hour centre via GPRS, where a team of 30 doctors and nurses can quickly determine if there is a life threatening problem within minutes. Mobile phone charges will apply. Dr Lim added: "If it is a life threatening problem, if you are near a defibrillator - or what you call an AED device - you can use it to save the person. "If you don't have it, then you can speak to the cardiologist, she can give you instructions on how to best save the person." Doctors said this device allows users to have peace of mind, especially when they are on the road. Dr Chong Yeh Woei, physician, Singapore Medical Specialists Centre said: "You are going out of Singapore to the surrounding regions - to China, to India, and other countries - and you want to connect to your doctors. "You can take an ECG when you have some symptoms and you can transmit it to doctors, and you can have an instant feedback on what this ECG is all about." The device is also available in the region, in countries like Malaysia.
Wednesday December 30, 2009 Singaporeans okay with fuel rule By FARIK ZOLKEPLI JOHOR BARU: Singaporeans who frequent Johor Baru say the ruling that allows foreigners to buy only 20 litres of petrol within 50km of the border is not a problem for them. Businessman Toh Peng Ting, 66, said 20 litres of petrol was more than enough for him to travel around Johor Baru and its surrounding areas. “Singaporeans are required to have three quarters of their petrol tank full before entering Johor anyway. “I use an average of four litres to travel to Skudai and I will still have a full tank after filling 18 litres of petrol,” Toh, who comes to Malaysia three times a week, told The Star here yesterday. The former Singapore Airlines technician said Singaporeans who travelled to Malacca or Kuala Lumpur could still fill up their petrol tanks as they are beyond the 50km radius. “I accept and respect the ruling as it has not caused any inconvenience,” he said, adding that he was baffled by all the fuss over the ruling. Meanwhile, 66-year-old Indonesian Janti Susanto, who is a Singaporean Permanent Resident, agreed that the ruling was not a hassle for Singaporeans. “Personally, I feel that the ruling does not cause problems for Singaporeans. “I enter Malaysia at least two times per week. Even with the fuel cap, the amount of petrol was still more than enough,” she said. Meanwhile, Johor Baru MCA Public Complaints Bureau deputy chief Michael Tay said the ruling was never meant to inconvenience the foreigners, especially Singaporeans. “They can still use the Shell’s V-Power as it is exempted.” Johor Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism department director Che Halim Abd Rahman said that the department had not received any report of errant petrol station operators. “So far, all petrol station operators are abiding by the ruling,” he said. from: The Star first, i thought Singaporean will get angry as they have been enjoying much much cheaper petrol from Malaysia. years of sucking our subsidized fuel from our "pocket money". that is part of our hard earn money and pay tax. seem that Singaporean is okay with the limit set by Malaysia. Singapore Also Can!
Really I don't understand why you kept on singling out Spore as a bad boy. If indeed this is the case, Spore would not be able to attract maids to its shores. Then maids will go to those countries that they think will serve their interest best. It is a free market. Yet more maids, about 190,000 as reported, work in tiny Spore. There are specialists involved in the maid market who should know the business better and the foreign embassies are there to look after their maid citizens' interest. If there are abuses, not only will such bodies demand attention, the Spore law will not permit it either. It is not as though Spore is not making headway as highlighted in the Editorial. As someone here has said, which country that employs maids is perfect without maid abuse? Please also remember that some maids abuse their employers too. Why don't you take up the challenge to eradicate maid abuse in all forms in your own country or the country you are residing in since you are so adamant. Or your own country is so perfect that there is no need to do so? But I thought you confessed once that you detested the way your own relative (brother ?) treated his maid, yet you were powerless to change his old ways!
The positive part is when Singaporeans travel north they spend and keep your shops busy. But to think that what they can save on petrol, they now have to be more careful not to let JB's car wash handle their car keys without making sure that the keys will not be given to someone else who may drive off with their cars. It happened the other day when one Sporean businessman lost his Mercedes this way. He thought he could trust the car wash to return his keys while he enjoyed a cup of coffee with his friend. But the car wash gave the keys to a person who claimed to be the businessman's friend! A very expensive and inconvenient trip to JB for him indeed.
I have had many domestic workers working for me for the past 30 years in Hong Kong. I have always paid them fairly, given all of them one day in a week off, paid them overtimes for overtime work, and I have also paid their long service entitlements after they chose to return home. It is a law in Hong Kong that entitles a domestic worker to day in a week off, long service payments, overtime pay, severence pay, etc. That is why it works. The fact that Indonesian domestic workers come in droves to work in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc is not a good guide to how well the host countries treat them. They come because they are impoverished. We shouldn't take advantage of their sorry plight and desperation to earn money for their families by say exploiting them the way it is done in both Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore is no longer a third world economy. It is in fact a first world economy as Loh wants the world to know. In view of this, I think its treatment of its foreign domestic workers is very third world. Herein lies the inconsistency. I think it would be nice if Loh were to take up their cause.
I have been hearing a lot of bragging from you and much negative criticism too. There is no reason for me to take up any cause on your behalf and if you continue to be disappointed, take up the cause yourself or keep your peace. And please don't use the excuse that Spore is no longer a third world economy therefore it has to do everything first world. There are lots of first world countries which are not doing the 'right' things, it is up to their people and jurisdictions to sort out their own problems over time. Conversely there are so-called third world countries which are doing the right things. So please don't try to force issues on others when you are not in a position to put things right yourself. Would you dare claim to be perfect yourself? If not, why not examine your own weaknesses and make a new year resolution to rectify them instead of trying to be at fault with others?
i always tell people that there are no absolute definites, however, i absolutely and definitively agree with mr. tan here on the subject matter regarding treatment of domestic helpers, drivers or any kind of help (desk job employees as well) for that matter. yes, we pay them fair as required by law but we also have to take into consideration their plight and the dire circumstances these people have to endure as humans. bill gates (yes, microsoft bill) said it doesn't matter if one flips burger for a living...''none of us are above them nor are they below us'' in absolute terms. my father used to employ workers that started as a young man and woman until they retired. they have always been paid accordingly and with gratitude (thus, generous gratuities are paid out). 25 years of service is very common in my fathers time and domain. then comes a time when the workers children comes to ask to work for my father and my father would refuse, telling them and insisting that they continue schooling and get that university degree (usually their parent's long service payment would be sufficient to send them off to university without having to study as a working student..and they are always welcomed to seek help as the need arises), go out and see the world and then decide if they still want to come back and work the workman's job. years later, the workmen's children from time to time drops by my father's place and thank him for steering them into brighter prospects. in that sense, i understood completely what it meant to not take advantage but instead take into consideration the workers well-being (who've done the hard work for us so that we get to live in relative comfort) so that their children and their children's children and their children's children's children might prosper, learn and ingrained in their minds the true meaning of humanity. MetalOrange
Singapore's only indoor Segway circuit opens at Changi Airport Channel NewsAsia 30 December 2009 1802 hrs By Imelda Saad, SINGAPORE: Segway personal transporters have made their way among the check-in rows of Changi Airport's Terminal 3, establishing Singapore's only indoor Segway circuit. The ride was introduced as part of ongoing efforts by Changi to create buzz and excitement for travellers passing through the airport. Three rounds on the circuit cost S$10. But airport visitors need to pay only S$5 for two rounds, for every S$20 spent at Changi in a single receipt. Visitors and travellers have only until February to zip around these futuristic-looking two-wheelers. Segway personal transporters are already available at Sentosa.
A global, vibrant Singapore The Straits Times Thu, Dec 31, 2009 By Zakir Hussain THIS evening, tens of thousands of revellers will congregate at the Marina Bay and downtown to usher in a new decade, against a skyline and a setting that has changed beyond recognition. Today, the Esplanade plays host to world- class performances embodying Singapore's dream of being a renaissance city. The Singapore Flyer is spinning around as the world's largest observation wheel. The mammoth integrated resorts - Marina Bay Sands and Genting Singapore's Resorts World Sentosa - are looming into view. Taking shape is a new downtown at Marina Bay which will accommodate the burgeoning financial services sector.
Loh, let us be objective and either agree or disagree. Surely, it is better this way than going bonkers with a personal bent when you are faced with tough questions. Surely, you must appreciate that these are some of the areas Singapore or even you, as a fair-minded human being, would want to redress. Otherwise, the exploited ones will always carry with them this feeling of being exploited or even a feeling of having every penny squeezed from them when they can least afford it. I am surprised and in a way very disappointed at your utter lack of interest to show some sympathy for them let alone do something for them. At least I am trying to highlight this area. I would expect the least you could have done is to be fair-minded but instead you choose to sweep this under the carpet and swamp us with only the goodies.
loh is just staying in topic by posting what Singapore Also Can. What Singapore Can't would be off topic I'm taking no sides, I'm just a 3rd party observer here Cooler is just absorbing the SW Asia cultures as he never been around that area before...
Cooler, what Singapore can means both ways, the good and the not so good. Like everyone, we can do good and we can do bad. Showing only the good and shutting out people who bring out the not so good or bad is one-sided or propaganda.
