EDUCATION ARTICLES FROM ASIAONE 2009

Topics: Singapores Education System vs Other Countries Pg 1 Education Upgrading for Adults Pg 18 English Language in Singapore Pg 20 Being Different Career Choices Pg 29 Languages and Dialects Their Demise Pg 33

Singapores Education System vs Other Countries

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sun, Jul 19, 2009 The Straits Times

$5.5m boost for technology in schools

By Leow Si Wan TABLET personal computers are now ubiquitous in many schools here, thanks to BackPack.NET, an initiative to push the use of technology in education. Launched in 2003, the five-year programme has been successful in developing and introducing various technologies to schools. Yesterday, the people behind it - the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) of Singapore and Microsoft Singapore - announced plans to invest another $5.5 million to bring it to the next level, which will develop teachers and equip them with teaching strategies to accompany technological developments. Unveiling the next four-year phase, BackPackLive!, at the National Institute of Education (NIE), Microsoft Singapore managing director Jessica Tan, who is also a Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC, said: 'Riding on the success of BackPack.NET, this renewed collaboration with MOE and IDA will help nurture the innovative effort of teachers and give students the foundation to learn, collaborate and be equipped for the knowledge economy.' BackPack.NET, a $20 million project, first introduced the concept of a Classroom Of The Future in which technology would transform teaching and allow students to

learn anywhere. Over the past five years, a series of pilot tests and trials were conducted in schools such as River Valley High and Crescent Girls' School for students to attend lessons, do their homework and take tests using tablet PCs. Pupils in other schools such as Nan Chiau Primary were given personal digital assistants which, like the tablet PCs, could be used at wireless hot spots around the island for free and provide easy access to the Internet. Under the initiative, teachers were also encouraged to use technology in their lessons. From 2004 to last year, 26 teachers received the Microsoft-Ministry of Education Professional Development Award (MMPDA) for their effective and innovative use of technology to support learning. Winners were sponsored on trips for regional competitions. Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) teacher Matthew Ong, the distinction award winner in 2007, for instance, created a game to teach National Education, which transported students to a virtual island where they had to devise attack or defence plans based on historical information provided in their files. The recognition of teachers remains an important pillar in BackPackLive! The call for entries for MMPDA 2009 is open and will close on Aug 11. Under the new programme, Microsoft will bring in recognised international advisers as consultants for teachers. Besides the teaching community, software companies here can obtain greater support to develop educational products and advance their inventions overseas. The promotion of cyber-security and knowledge of intellectual property rights is another important focus. Said Associate Professor Philip Wong, who is the associate dean, Pedagogical Development & Innovations, at the NIE and a Microsoft international adviser: 'It is now not so much about the power of technology, but how we use the technology to make sure our students pick up the correct learning skills, such as evaluating appropriate information and constructing knowledge.' This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jul 18, 2009 The New Paper

$6,000 for hard-to-find subject teachers

By Santokh Singh and Liew Hanqing SOME senior teachers are cynically calling it a 'hardship grant' - paid to newbies to study and teach subjects for which there is a short supply of teachers. Officially, it is known as a 'study grant'. But it's not for all who're studying to become teachers. The scheme, launched by the Ministry of Education (MOE), is to reward only new teachers who have opted to study and teach certain subjects in secondary schools and junior colleges. The subjects facing a shortage of teachers were not revealed by the ministry. The one-time grant is a tidy sum of $6,000, that several new teachers have started to enjoy barely months into their careers. Does it smack of the type of sign-on fee used in the private sector? A ministry spokesman told The New Paper that teachers getting the grant are those who have been selected and assigned curriculum subjects in disciplines where there is a greater need for teachers. Said the spokesman: 'This grant is similar to the $6,000 study grant under the MOE Teaching Award, which is open to A-Level and polytechnic graduates, as well as local undergraduates who are pursuing a local degree in a teaching subject.' Only the cream of the crop will be selected for the study grant. The spokesman added that the grant is open to teaching applicants who have already graduated or are graduating from university. 'These are outstanding candidates who would have been eligible for the MOE Teaching Awards had they applied for them earlier,' she said. The ministry did not disclose how much has been disbursed so far. A history teacher, who recently started work at a junior college, told The New Paper that

he would receive the grant in two stages. We are not naming the teachers as they need prior approval from their principals to speak with the press. The first half, he said, was paid two months after he signed with MOE, and the rest will be paid after he finishes his one-year National Institute of Education course. He said he was not aware of the grant when he signed up to become a teacher. 'I only found out about the bonus when I accepted the job offer - it wasn't something that was publicised,' he said. He added that he was aware that the grant was being offered only to teachers of certain subjects. 'When I was applying to become a teacher, MOE was actively recruiting history and economics teachers. I assumed we were getting the grant because there was a shortage of teachers for these subjects.' 'Pleasant surprise' Another teacher, who received the grant, said it came as a 'pleasant surprise' but that it did not figure in her decision to join the teaching force. She said: 'The money is not that important. In the long term, you still have to be committed to the job for the right reasons.' Some experienced teachers, however, are speaking out against it. A teacher, who has been teaching history in a JC for 15 years, said she was concerned that offering a monetary reward for signing up as a teacher would attract the 'wrong type' of applicants. She said: 'I believe teaching is a noble profession; teachers should have the right kind of values. Any reward should only be given for work that has been done. It should not be used as a carrot.' She added, however, that she was not surprised that the grant was being offered. 'Losing battle' 'We're fighting a losing battle here. It's a new world, and the job market is such that people job-hop a lot more now. Perhaps you do need to offer a monetary reward if you want people to stay.' Another teacher with more than 20years of experience added that offering a grant could attract candidates who do not consider teaching their first-choice job.

He said: 'It's fair to reward a teacher for good performance, but a job-seeker should not be applying only for the money.' He added that older teachers, handling subjects facing a short supply of teachers, should also be compensated for their hard work. This was only fair, he said. As one senior teacher, who has been teaching English and history for more than 20 years in a neighbourhood school, put it: 'I believe that we taught the subjects because we were competent in them. We loved the subjects and we cared for our pupils just as much as the new teachers do. 'I do not think that it is right to offer monetary benefits to attract teachers to this profession. Worse still, it is a signal to us, that teaching, say, English or the humanities, is a hardship that deserves extra compensation.' But not all were against the move. A school head of department for over a decade felt that the MOE was trying to attract the numbers now to make it easier for those in the profession. She said: 'I think we would all have a lighter workload if there were more teachers. When I look at the science and maths teachers in my school, and how they can break up into smaller classes because they have the numbers, I am rather envious. 'In the end, it is the students who will benefit from these measures and that is what education is about.' This article was first published in The New Paper.
>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jul 18, 2009 The Straits Times

Govt has done an excellent job in education

I REFER to the July 8 report, 'How the S'pore education system is upgraded'. The Government has done an excellent job with the education system in order to equip students with skills for a fast-changing future. One example of this is the direct school admission exercise for secondary schools.

This exercise differs from the regular Secondary 1 posting exercise by allowing students to highlight co-curricular talents in a wider range of areas - from dance to robotics and niche sports. It also gives schools greater flexibility in selecting students, as the latter are judged on both their academic and non-academic talents. I am glad that the Singapore's education system is focused on developing well-rounded individuals and that the Government remains committed to improving the system to equip students with the best tools to take on future challenges. Ng Yi Shen This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Fri, Jul 10, 2009 The Straits Times

How the S'pore education system is upgraded

By Goh Chin Lian THE recession has caused some European governments to cut their education budgets, some by as much as 25 per cent. Others, like Norway, have not done so as they take a long-term view of the value of education and have set aside funds to continue investing in it. Such a level of commitment to education by a country's political leadership is evident in Singapore, noted Mr Chris Harrison, president of the European School Heads Association, which has members from 36 European countries. 'There's a good balance between recognising the cost of education and the value of it,' he said yesterday on the sidelines of the 9th World Convention of the International Confederation of Principals. He was commenting on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's speech at the opening of the convention, in which Mr Lee spoke of the importance of political leadership in driving improvements to the education system here. Singapore's leaders not only placed heavy emphasis on education - providing the funds for it and

garnering parents' support - but also shielded it from politics. 'Teachers can do what they need to do and not have their work disrupted or confused by extraneous political considerations which are educationally unsound,' he said to applause from 1,500 principals and teachers from 40 countries who were at the opening. Other key factors accounting for the success of Singapore's education system were: having capable principals backed by competent teachers; giving schools the means to customise programmes to students' needs; and providing strong, but not too heavy-handed central support and guidance. Mr Lee spent the bulk of his speech laying out Singapore's experience in reforming its education sector - underscored by what educators see as a managed, but responsive approach - as well as taking stock of what the changes had achieved. When Singapore gained self-governance in 1959, it focused on ramping up school places for the growing population. Attention later turned to dealing with standards and high drop-out rates, as the first wave of reforms in 1979 introduced streaming and a national curriculum that emphasised basic skills like reading, writing and arithmetic. To keep up with the changing times and Singapore's evolving needs, a second wave of reforms in the late 1990s focused on raising the standards of teachers and principals, and giving schools more authority to innovate. Mr Lee said the reforms, particularly the second wave, took a long time and required persistent efforts to take effect. But they have borne fruit. Schools are developing their own identities and expertise, there is a high standard across the board in all schools, and a number of outstanding schools and many models of success have emerged. Students are also well-educated, employable and have a sense of social responsibility. Efforts to improve the system will continue, Mr Lee said. These include recruiting more teachers, who must be graduates, from 2015; having a stronger body to champion professional development; rebalancing the curriculum to emphasise 'soft' skills; and creating more pathways to success. Mr Andrew Blair, president of the International Confederation of Principals, feels Singapore can go further down the decentralisation path by giving schools even more say in determining curriculum, such as in Finland. Singapore's advantages lie in its stable political environment and willingness to take a long-term view of education policy, he said. 'A great weakness of education across the world is 'short-termism' - when you try to turn around performance in a very short time to meet political cycles. Actually, the cycle should be put aside and national interest should be the key driver for education reform,' he said. Speaking later, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen and his counterparts from six other countries, including the United States, Sweden and Australia, said their priorities at this meeting were to discuss how education systems could improve in order to equip students with skills for a fastchanging future.

They agreed that to achieve this goal, education systems have to focus on attracting teachers with the right attitude and aptitude. They must also be given the best tools such as information and communication technologies. Additional reporting by Amelia Tan This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Fri, Jul 10, 2009 The Business Times

Educational reforms key to S'pore: PM

By CHUANG PECK MING SINGAPORE'S educational reforms have led to a system that's helping to produce competent and creative citizens who are literate, well-socialised and have the makings of leaders of tomorrow, according to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Sharing Singapore's experience in improving its educational system at an international conference of principals yesterday, he said that the overhaul of the school system here in the 1990s - focusing on school leaders and teachers - has achieved its main goal. The revamp has produced schools that develop their own identities and expertise; a high standard across all schools; a good number of outstanding schools; many models of success; and students who are well-educated, employable and socially responsible. Mr Lee said that the key move Singapore made was in devolving promotions in schools to personnel boards made up of senior management in the education system. This was in tandem with developments in the entire public service. 'The move may seem like an operational matter, but it was in fact critical to all the changes,' Mr Lee said. Some of these changes include putting more resources in education, building new schools and deploying technology in teaching. They also include strengthening the education ministry headquarters, beefing up pay and career prospects of teachers and principals, creating more training opportunities for them and more advancement possibilities.

Much of the focus was on what could really make a difference - encouraging enthusiastic and dedicated teachers led by resourceful and passionate principals, who are backed by high quality staff at the HQ. 'We advanced young and promising officers to become heads of departments and principals,' Mr Lee said. He said that school leaders, especially principals, are critical to school performance. 'With a good principal, the whole school blossoms. With a bad one, keen, idealistic young teachers quickly lose their enthusiasm and 'switch off'.' Mr Lee noted that up to 1980, only 60 per cent of each cohort completed secondary school. Today, the figure is 99 per cent and, eventually, nearly half of the cohort obtain degrees. He said that education is the only sustainable basis for prosperity and progress - and the key priority for all nations must be to improve their educational systems. To improve, Mr Lee said that Singapore is putting more stress now on soft skills and less attention on exams without giving up attention to results. Teachers must be more competent - and thus there will be a stronger body to champion professional development among teachers, he said. 'Given our limited natural resources, our human capital is of paramount importance,' Mr Lee said. 'We have to ensure that we teach our people the best we can. Wherever they graduate from, (our) students receive a solid grounding and education, and gain valuable skills for life.' This article was first published in The Business Times.

I agree that the Singapore educational system is one of the best and most competent in the world, having living overseas for more than 10 years now. However it also has its flaws- to much foucs on results has resulted in pressure in defined targets from schools, teachers and pupils. Worst it become a cruel system that pupils who are bad in academic are not wanted and asked to move to other schools without too much help, imagin you are treated in this way, it was never like this during my study time in the 80s (we are the main economic drivers now and we did our country proud, don't we?), pupils now grown up more selfish, self-center and resulted-oriented, and this is already seen slowly shaping up our new generations. Kids who follow parents overseas can't even find themselves accepted back in their home country, for schools worry they Posted by: Posted at Sun Jul 12 11:32:47 SGT 2009 Dear AsiaOne I don't mean to throw cold water and be dismissive of the excellence of our educaitonal system. At the same time, to only focused on the excellence and not looked at some of the imperfection or cracks in our world class educational system, it will be a betrayal of loyalty to my country. School principals athat re motivated by promotions and teachers by incentives cannot be a sustainable model for good educational system. A few things we can do better: 1. why are there a thriving Private Tuition industry in Singapore if the school system is so good? that the late bloomers are still given a chance to bloom?; 2. why are teachers so stressed and are so focused on finishing the syllabus on time or ahead of time so that they can REALLY work on getting the students to practice the 10-year series examination papers?; 3. why ..... Posted by: Posted at Sun Jul 12 11:31:12 SGT 2009 Singapore is not short of well-educated citizens, we desparately need more entrepreneurs and competent business leaders that can take us to the global markets; Don't just focus on study and good results, encourage our young people to participate in team sports, and to build networking with people in the regions; Singaporeans should have big plans and be more independent and business savvy; No point to produce so many qualified managers and professionals if they is no entrepreneurs to employ or engage them;Failing this, we may have no choice but to consider expanding the already very big government to absorb these potentially excess labours in the future with tax payers' money; I doubt we can afford it. Sengkangblog Posted by: Posted at Sun Jul 12 11:30:53 SGT 2009

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

More university spots go to poor

Fri, Jul 17, 2009 China Daily/Asia News Network

By Tan Yingzi High school students in the less-developed middle and western regions of China will have a better chance to get into universities this year. The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new preferential enrollment policies to help boost education in those regions, as well as to narrow the widening gap between east and west China. New quotas call for more students from the middle and west regions to be accepted into Chinese universities. The total number of students enrolled for the coming fall semester from the middle region will increase by 6.5 percent, while the western region will see a 7.3 percent jump, both higher than the country's average growth rate of 5 percent, according to a press release on the ministry's website. The middle and western regions of China are home to nearly 30 percent of the country's 1.3 billion population. Those areas are also home to most of the country's ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, Inner Mongolians and Uygurs. The education quality in these areas lags far behind the wealthy eastern region because of historic underdevelopment in their economies, complicated geographic situations and harsh living conditions. As a result, students from those areas get fewer opportunities into higher education. Fourteen provinces with better education resources will provide 60,000 university spots for students from six less developed provinces, such as Anhui, Henan and Guizhou. The top universities directly under the ministry will recruit more students from the western region, 2.7 percent more than last year. They will also cut the enrollment quota of students from their own city and give 40,000 of those spots to students from the middle and western provinces. Also, six normal universities will educate more than 7,000 teachers-to-be for free, in return for their agreement to go back to their home regions and teach for a minimum of three years. About 10.2 million high school students took part in the annual national college entrance exam in early June. Nearly two thirds can successfully make it into universities and colleges thanks to the expansion

of the Chinese higher education system since 1999. But the West remains the poorest region in the country, despite the efforts of the Go West Campaign in the last decade, the latest Blue Book on the Western Region of China shows. The Go West campaign, begun in 1999, includes many incentives for the western region, including preferential tax rates, policies and governmental investments. "The major challenge in the Chinese education system is education equity, especially in the education resources allocation to west and east China," vice education minister Hao Ping told China Daily last week at the International Education Roundtable in Singapore. The western region has less education investment in school facilities and teaching force, he said. "We must ensure students there enjoy equal access to quality education," Hao said. Over the past 10 years, the central and local governments have poured more than 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) into west China's nine-year compulsory education program. By the end of 2007, the free education project had covered the entire region, according to the Blue Book. But the shortage of qualified teachers and limited school facilities result in poor education quality, a high dropout rate in the senior high schools and a low rate of students entering higher education, it says. "And most of the college graduates from West China are reluctant to go back to their hometowns because of harsh working conditions," said the report. Experts suggest that the government should invest more into the schools in the less-developed regions as well as explore other financial channels to help the western and middle regions. For example, "a special education fund for ethnic minority groups should be set up to reward those who make great contribution in this regard," said professor Ji Zhilai from Shaanxi province's Xianyang Normal College.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Doing chores can breed independence in kids

Fri, Jul 17, 2009 my paper

THE report, 'Students get set to serve President' (my paper, July 16), was an eye-opener. The training programme which some Victoria Junior College students underwent at Jumbo seafood restaurant is a good opportunity for them to experience physical labour. More importantly, it provides them with an insight into a situation where they have to serve instead

of being served. Most of our young are fortunate as they do not have to cook, clear the table, wash the crockery or even make their beds, unlike some of their counterparts elsewhere, who have to work to support their families. Children should be accustomed to doing household chores as this will help them develop a sense of independence and confidence in adulthood. Parents should not give in to their children by satisfying all their needs and whims. Mr Jeffrey Law Lee Beng

For more my paper stories click here.

No, I was not pampered when I was a kid. I do not have the luxury that the kids enjoyed these days. I was not borned with a silver spoon. My parent were poor. My mon was a housewife studied up to primary level. My dad was the sole breadwinner, earning very little. We lived in a rented room then and remembered moving 2 or 3 times during my childhood eventually into a rented 2 room HDB flat when I was just 12 yrs old. I remembered that we had only a piece of bread spread with the cheapest butter brand 'Fernleaf' or margarine or just plain bread for breakfast, sometime not even a piece of bread for breakfast. My father had TB when I was 13 years and my mon was ill for a period soon after. Posted by: Goldmine at Sun Jul 19 13:47:13 SGT 2009 you guys must have been pamper when you were young, have anyone ever thought about why is it that we become parents? those ever lived throught hard times won't want that for their child, anyone remember walking a few clicks to & from school? having to share food with your brothers & sisters? not having new books, uniform or shoes every years? what we did maybe a little over bearing toward our kids but hey that's just us (parents). we slog 9,10 even more hours than that everyday to make ends meet, would anyone like to come back to a mesy house after that? maid is alright if you don't overload their work, alot of people expect that their helper is top notch but are you? and yes, mind you i have two boys........... Posted by: OutSider at Sun Jul 19 12:26:19 SGT 2009 Great idea...eradicate 3 problems at once: a) No more maid social issues eg prostitution, crowded malls on sundays. unwanted pregnancies. b) No more maids abuse. c) Domestically trained children. Posted by: Born2bWild at Sun Jul 19 11:53:20 SGT 2009

View all (6) comments

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Thu, Jul 16, 2009 my paper

Students get set to serve President

By Joy Fang HE HAS never touched housework before but 17-year-old Lim Kai Liang now has to learn how to set tables and serve tea, among other things. The first-year student was one of 200 Victoria Junior College (VJC) students who were trained in food-and-beverage service by Jumbo Seafood at its East Coast outlet on Tuesday. They will serve guests at the VJC 25th Anniversary Homecoming Dinner on July 25. From among the 200, 30 students will be selected to serve 30 VIP guests, including President S R Nathan. Mr Lim said he had always left everything at home to his mother. He said: "I had never even put things on the table. It was my mum who did everything. Now I'll be more understanding about how it's like... I can finally see how hard it is. "Maybe now I can help her out at home." Jumbo Seafood will be sponsoring $31,000 for the cost of the Homecoming Dinner, as well as $10,000 for the students' training allowance, as part of its community-outreach efforts. Mrs Jacqueline Ang, the assistant general manager of Jumbo Group of Restaurants, said the company chose to hire VJC students because it wanted to give students who have yet to enter the workforce the opportunity to learn an important life skill "of being in service to others". "It'll be more meaningful to get students to serve their old Victorians, too," she added. For Miss Annabelle Tee, another first-year student, the experience of training as a waitress was quite an eye-opener. "I used to think it was quite easy and wonder why the waiters were so slow during wedding dinners," she said with a laugh. "Now I realise it is actually quite tough. There's a sequence to follow (in laying tables), and you

need to align all the utensils," said the 17-year-old. Agreeing, Mr Lim said: "It was a brand-new experience. You get to take a peek into the service industry and see what it's really like." Another student, Miss Chen Jiali, 17, said the experience would help her in future should she seek a part-time job. "There's a higher chance of my being hired because I have experience as a waitress," she said. joyfang@sph.com.sg

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sun, Jul 19, 2009 The Straits Times

It's the teachers, not the language

By Cheong Suk-Wai, Senior Writer IT IS hard being a child in Malaysia these days. Take 12-year-old Hazwan Arif, who was among the first students to learn maths and science in English. That was in 2004, after then premier Mahathir Mohamad ordered the switch in medium of instruction from the Malay language. This September, Hazwan will take the Primary School Evaluation Test's (UPSR) maths and science papers in English. By 2014, however, he will have to take the school-leaving examinations in Malay. He will also have to cope with more English classes as the government wants to improve the people's fluency in it. That is the quandary Malaysia's five million schoolchildren find themselves in, after the government reversed last week the six-year-old teaching policy which had cost RM40 million (S$16.2 million) a year to run. Deputy Premier Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Education Minister, said the switch was necessary now that the latest Trends In International Mathematics And Science report showed that between 2003 and 2007, Malaysia's proficiency in maths plunged from 10th to 26th place. Among the 59 countries studied, its science placing slid from 20th to 28th. Singapore was No. 3 in maths and No. 1 in science.

Dr Mahathir has since responded to the government's volte face by polling Malaysians on whether they agreed with the change. So far, 86 per cent of the 86,000 or so who voted were against the switch. But language hindering classroom learning is not really the crux of the issue. Many Malaysians, even those in kampungs, have ample access to the Internet and satellite TV channels with English-language programming, science shows included. It is not even about playing politics in the schoolyard by debating whether Malay or English is more effective in uniting Malaysia. Its education system is already fragmented into four different types of public schools: national (Malay), Chinese, Tamil and religious. The real issue is the poor quality of its teachers. But this is a politically prickly poser since the 300,000 or so teachers who make up the bulk of its civil service are mostly ethnic Malays. Madam Cheong Chin Yoke, 62, who trained maths and science teachers to teach in English in anticipation of the 2003 change, said the training programme consisted of intensive cramming of all that the teachers had to learn into all of three weeks. Madam Cheong, who taught in a teachers' training college between 1983 and 2003, added: 'Teaching involves impromptu interaction. So it is very taxing on teachers who are weak in English because they are not sure if they are getting their message across with the words they may be using. They've to search for the right words in English all the time.' Dr Hannah Pillay, a Malaysian educationist, once pointed out that teachers learnt best from fellow teachers. For many Malaysians, however, having to ask for help is seen as humiliating, and being made to feel small is anathema. 'It's a vicious circle,' Madam Cheong agreed. Teaching used to be a well-respected profession in a country where teachers shaped political thought and political parties. But in the boom years between 1990 and 1997, the country's brightest graduates eschewed teaching for banking and law. To stem the exodus, the government lowered the bar for entry into teaching to the lowest credit one can get in school-leaving exams. Then came the 1997 Asian financial crisis, which left more than 600,000 graduates jobless, most of them of Malay ethnicity. The government then aggressively recruited them for teaching. Today, the profession has become a job of last resort. Teachers are still poorly paid and often given short shrift by parents of the children they teach when things do not go well. On their part, some teachers have been known to not be above hurling racist slurs at students. Things got to such a head that, late last month, the ministry finally made a move to tighten the screws on the quality of teachers. It will soon issue a blueprint for professionalism called, well, Malaysian Teacher Standards. To be sure, attitude is not a blueprint or budget consideration, especially not when the government already spends 25 per cent of its yearly budget (up from 6.6 per cent in 1999) on

education now, to little effect. As Madam Cheong pointed out, non-Malay teachers like her who were made to teach in Malay from 1970 just dove into the deep end as it was a matter of putting food on the table. She mused: 'Maybe teachers today are just not trying hard enough.' They will need to try harder. As Dr Pillay once noted, it is pointless to talk about the Malay language as a means of uniting the various racial groups when they are already riven apart anyway by unequal career opportunities simply because some were taught well and most were not. This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jul 18, 2009 The New Paper

They eat, sleep, breathe S'pore for 6 weeks

MANY things can happen in six weeks. Like finding the direction in which to take your future career. Or coming out of your shell and jetsetting with a group of new friends. These experiences were what international students Shozo Yamamoto and Yavuz Ziddioglu cherished the most after a heady six weeks in Singapore. They were two of the 23 participants in the 2009 summer intake of SIM Global Education's (SIM GE) Asian Business Study Abroad programme in Singapore. This programme started in 2005 in partnership with the University at Buffalo (UB), the State University of New York. Mr Ziddioglu, 20, is a third-year BSc in Accounting student at UB. UB, in turn, has an exchange programme with Konan University in Japan. Mr Yamamoto, 21, a final-year economics and business administration student at Konan University, joined the Singapore programme after spending a year at UB.

SIM's Study Abroad programme features visits for students to companies in Singapore. Mr Yamamoto said the insights from these visits have helped him decide on his 'future direction' career-wise. He said: 'In Japan, all the multi-national companies want to expand to the West. 'I'd rather work for companies that want to expand to South-east Asia because I think that's where the global economy will develop in future.' The company visits complement the programme's anchor course: Asian Business and Global Economy. All students have to take the course, which focuses on doing business in key markets in Asia, like China, India and Singapore, as well as the role Asia plays in the global economy. Mr Neo Beng Tong, Chair of SIM's Education Abroad Programme, said: 'We ask the company representatives, who are often senior management, to explain to the students how they expanded overseas, and also to highlight the factors to consider and the challenges involved. 'For example, Eu Yan Sang CEO Richard Eu talked about working with the regulatory framework in China.' Students visited six companies in total, including Sun Microsystems, Citibank Singapore and the National Library Board. Mr Yamamoto said he found the visit to Frasers Hospitality, which manages serviced apartments globally, an eye-opener. He said: 'We have similar serviced apartments in Japan, but I never had the chance to visit one. 'It's a unique concept that combines the good points of a hotel and a residence.' Informative visit For Mr Ziddioglu, the Eu Yan Sang visit proved particularly informative. He said: 'I was surprised to hear that the current recession has helped in taking the company to the US. 'Mr Eu said with many stores closing down there, Eu Yan Sang was able to get the best store locations in the malls.' The course culminates in a final project where students work in teams to develop a business plan for a company that is interested in entering an Asian market. The structured programme consists of seminars, consultations and project work. In the final week, students will have to present their final project and take tests.

In addition to the compulsory module, students can choose a second module from a variety of courses, including human resource management, organisational behaviour and basic business Mandarin. Mr Ziddioglu took up HR management while MrYamamoto learnt Mandarin. 'I've many opportunities to speak Chinese outside of class, like when ordering food,' said Mr Yamamoto. Mr Ziddioglu said: 'The best part of the programme was always being with 23 people as it forced me to be more social. 'The more outgoing people would drag me out. We visited places, like Little India, Clarke Quay and Chinatown.' They also flew to nearby countries, like Thailand and Malaysia, for weekend trips. Mr Ziddioglu, who was born in Turkey but raised in Bahrain, said he was struck by how locals of different ethnic backgrounds all identify as Singaporeans. He said: 'I never think to tell people that I'm Bahraini even though I grew up there all my life.' Mr Yamamoto too shared a similar observation about Singapore's society. He said: 'In Japan, we've only one language and race. I was surprised by the multi-racial society in the US. It's the same here, but Singaporeans live together very well. 'Being in the programme let me see Singapore from the inside. If I'd come as a tourist, I'd only have seen Singapore from the outside.' This article was first published in The New Paper.

Education Upgrading for Adults

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Wed, Jul 08, 2009 The Straits Times

It's back to school in times of downturn

By Michelle Tay IT IS oft said by business leaders that there are many opportunities in a downturn - and this seems true even in education. As the economy slows, senior executives and managers in companies may be feeling the urge to go back to school. Enter the Executive Master of Business Administration, or EMBA. The programme is seeing a surge in popularity as managers try to upgrade themselves on the company payroll. Most EMBA applicants are partly, if not fully, sponsored by their companies. There are two opposing forces at work, say business schools here. While a slowdown in the economy translates to a smaller training budget, it also means there is more time to get the training done. Although companies are cutting costs, 'counteracting that is upper and middle management who want to do the EMBA programme while they still have job security', said Dr Nilanjan Sen, associate dean of Nanyang Executive Education at Nanyang Technological University's Nanyang Business School. He added: 'They couldn't come earlier because of lack of time. Now that things are slower, they have more opportunity.' Dr Sen said applications for Nanyang's EMBA programmes have surged by around 25 per cent this year. In particular, the EMBA with a focus on entrepreneurship that is part-sponsored by enterprise agency Spring Singapore 'is picking up steam'. He said: 'This year saw the highest intake of 18 students for that track.' Mr Edward Buckingham, director of EMBA programmes at French business school Insead, which has a campus in Singapore, agreed: 'There are counter-cyclical elements that manifest themselves in different ways. 'More people are self-sponsored, and using this quiet period to reposition their skills over the next 18 months.' Mr Buckingham said that enrolment for the Tsinghua-Insead EMBA programme - which combines international business education with a focus on Asia - is up 50 per cent from last year. The programme's first batch of students graduated in January this year. 'These are relatively new programmes in East Asia so there is a natural uptick, which is quite common for new products in any market.' A spokesman for the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School's EMBA programme

said: 'In general, applications have risen. However, the past year since the financial crisis struck has also been a challenge, since EMBAs are considered 'luxury goods' and companies have cut back on training.' An EMBA programme can take about 15 to 21 months, depending on the school you go to, and can take you around the world. For example, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business' programme is taught in Chicago, London and Singapore, while Insead's programme is taught in Singapore, Fontainebleau and Abu Dhabi. The programme is also a 'modular one', meaning that students would not need to spend all their time on campus and would therefore not need to quit their jobs to study. Every six to eight weeks, they take about one week off work to attend class. Then they head back to the office to immediately try out some of the concepts they have learnt. 'We call it sandwich learning, where your work is your laboratory,' said Mr Buckingham. Classes are also intimately sized, and are typically made up of middle to upper management employees of both large and small companies, and entrepreneurs. Said Mr Bill Kooser, associate dean at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business: 'Our executive students are significantly older, with more experience than our full-time students. 'They are now reaching a point in their careers where they are required to take on broad, general management responsibilities (and) need exposure to all facets of business, from strategy to marketing to operations and finance.' NUS said its EMBA students need to have worked for at least 10 years. Added Dr Sen: 'They've already proved themselves in their respective functional roles, and now they want to move into general management or leadership roles. Everything is more focused.' And don't forget the invaluable network one could gain during the course. 'Our executive programme...makes for a very cohesive group and outstanding networking opportunities. Students forge very strong bonds that last throughout their careers,' said Mr Kooser. This article was first published in The Straits Times.

English Language in Singapore

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jul 18, 2009 The Straits Times

S'pore is her home because of multiracial and religious harmony - and English
I REFER to Tuesday's letters on the emphasis on Mandarin by Mr Mak Sek Hung ('Why not?') and Mr Kelvin Yang ('Unity, that's why'). I am of Chinese-Indian descent and migrated from Malaysia when I was 14 years old. My father, who is Indian, speaks English, Hokkien and Malay. My mother speaks Mandarin, Hokkien and Cantonese although she is of Fuchian descent. I speak English, Malay and a smattering of French; my sister speaks English and Malay and is now learning German in Switzerland. Both of us are not well-versed in Mandarin and Tamil because we converse mainly in English. I made Singapore my home because this is where I feel I belong. Here is a place where people of all races, nationalities and religions exist in harmony because we embrace people's differences and understand each other through one language - English. It does not matter what China does, or if English is the most popular language in the world. What matters is the importance of national inclusion. I agree with Mr Yang that unity is the reason why English should remain our main spoken language. We are Singaporeans and are proud of it because we are well-educated and hardworking and a multicultural nation. Learn another language - be it Mandarin, Hindi, Spanish or Japanese. But no language should have predominance over another here as no one race is superior over another. We are all Singaporeans, so be proud in that knowledge and let us walk the talk - in English. Sharmala Huey Yuen Bala Raju (Ms) This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Thu, Jul 16, 2009 The Straits Times

Keeping Singapore bilingual

Why not? 'What is wrong if Chinese becomes the dominant language instead?' 'I remember before independence when most Singaporeans did not speak English and most shop signs were in Chinese. We were not poor because we did not master English. There was no racial conflict because of lack of communication in English. Many spoke Chinese dialects and lived in harmony. Mandarin is spoken and written in China and East Asia. It will be stronger and more popular in Asia and eventually the world. If Singaporeans do not take the opportunity to master Chinese in a conducive environment like Singapore, they will lose out, whatever their language and cultural background. In the future, English may not be the language of commerce and communication in this part of the world. What is wrong if Chinese becomes the dominant language instead?'

Related links:

MR MAK SEK HUNG

Survival in the balance

No motivation for Mandarin speakers to learn English

No excessive emphasis on learning Mandarin

Unity, that's why 'English binds the races. Improve Mandarin, but not at the expense of English.' 'Let us not forget that English is a linguistic compromise that binds the races and ethnicities in Singapore. We agree to see ourselves as Singaporeans first, and Chinese, Malay or Indian second.

English has become ingrained in the identity of Singapore, and to subvert its place as Singapore's most important language is to put at risk the cherished notion that every Singaporean can communicate effectively with his countrymen, regardless of race or ethnicity. Singaporeans should try to improve their advantage in Mandarin over other countries, but not at the expense of their advantage in English. Mandarin should not have a more exalted status in Singapore simply because of the rise of China. If a trade or commercial advantage can be maintained only by compromising our identity, it is an advantage Singapore can do without.'

MR KELVIN YANG

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

Anyway, it's still better for English to remain as the dominant language over here. Just that one should also be proficient in their own mother tongues so as to retain their own cultures/roots lor. Posted by: sugoku01 at Mon Jul 20 09:30:28 SGT 2009 Many immigrants choose singapore because it is a westernized society that retains some chinese characteristics, and it is an english-speaking country where chinese can be used if one is not proficent in english. many send their kids here to have english immersion, to live in a country where english is the dominant language where one is able to fall back on chinese in emergencies. by making chinese the dominant language, all those advantages that singapore now enjoys as an english speaking country will be lost. I predict less economic prosperity not more if you have your way. by the way, good chinese results used to be required for kids to enroll in local universities. not any more. enough said. government obviously does not agree with you. Posted by: stalingrad at Mon Jul 20 08:21:10 SGT 2009

The Way I See It: The above writer's view is misleading and it hold no values, as our local history has shown us if they only talk when making suggestion to emphasize the Eastern value. If you do it, they will lock you up. Hence, Rraymond is making a hoharher. :D Posted by: ILostMyBall at Sun Jul 19 22:12:56 SGT 2009

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jul 18, 2009 The Straits Times

English has an economic advantage too

I REFER to Tuesday's letter by Mr Kelvin Yang, 'Unity, that's why'. I fully agree with Mr Yang that English binds the races and ethnicity in Singapore, and would like to take it one step further - it is a major 'marker' that makes us Singaporeans. For this reason alone, let us keep English as the lingua franca. For those who advocate the 'economic value' of Mandarin, kindly allow me to share this. In the course of my work, I have had the opportunity to engage with senior management personnel in various multinational corporations and all things being equal, more than a few have expressed their preference for hiring Singaporeans to run key positions in their Asian operations simply because we straddle Asian and Western cultures well. So, in terms of economic value, let us not shoot ourselves in the foot and forgo this competitive advantage. Ronnie Lee This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Mon, Jul 13, 2009 The Straits Times

No motivation for Mandarin speakers to learn English

PERHAPS the 'us and them' schism ('Crossing the 'us versus them' barrier', July 2) between what the writer described as residents and non-residents has been propagated by what many see as our leaders' expectations that Singaporeans should make a greater effort to integrate with foreign residents. Take language, for example. Our leaders' emphasis on the need to speak Mandarin could be perceived as a clear signal to encourage those of mainland China origin, one of the largest groups here, to choose to continue in their monolingual state. Too bad for non-Mandarin-speaking or non-Chinese Singapore residents - let them integrate. Where is the motivation for foreign residents from China to learn English or another official language?

Geylang used to be a mixed multilingual area. Now, almost all new shop signs are in Chinese only, fast turning this into a Chinese enclave, a comfortable outpost of China for new residents from that country flooding the district. Is this something to be encouraged in multilingual Singapore, supposedly proud of our four official languages? We ignore the early beginnings of a disturbing trend to our detriment, running the risk of what has happened in Western countries, with festering resentment against whole neighbourhoods taken over by foreign residents and altered beyond recognition. Let us not have mixed messages from our leaders and those in authority - integration efforts must be mutual. Mr Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim's letter last Saturday ('Not a mindset issue') urges that barriers to Malays' progress be identified and removed. I suspect one reason for the decline in the percentage of Malay PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians), particularly in the services sector in 2005, may be the lack of Mandarin language skill. Is Singapore regressing from being a country known for the English fluency of its multilingual population to one where Mandarin is becoming the de facto national language? Amy Loh (Ms) This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Wed, Jul 15, 2009 The Straits Times

No excessive emphasis on learning Mandarin

I READ with interest last Saturday's letter by Ms Amy Loh, 'No motivation for Mandarin speakers to learn English'. I think Ms Loh has misunderstood or misinterpreted what our political leaders said about the need to speak Mandarin, deeming it an excessive emphasis on a particular language. Also unfounded is her assumption that one reason for the decline in the percentage of Malay PMETs (professionals, managers, executives and technicians), particularly in the services sector in 2005,

may be their lack of Mandarin language skills. Moreover, she also asked if Singapore is regressing from being a country known for the English fluency of its multilingual population to one where Mandarin is becoming the de facto national language. It is undeniable that China is emerging as a powerful economy. And as Singapore positions itself as a strategic, global, export-driven country, it has no choice but to capitalise and ride on the vast economic opportunities in China and other Asian countries. When Singaporeans do business with their Chinese counterparts, Mandarin is the effective language they use to settle deals. It is coincidental that an influx of Chinese immigrants and foreign workers choose to live in Geylang, where there are also more Chinese Singaporeans. Naturally, most of the shop signs there are in Chinese. Nevertheless, English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil will remain the four official languages used in all government organisations and educational institutions. With its historical background and the critical requirements of trade and industry, Singapore will continue to use English as a powerful communication tool, and Singaporeans will continue to be proud of their fluency in English. Teo Kueh Liang This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jun 06, 2009 The Straits Times

Language Arts Festival a hit

By Amanda Tan

DANIEL Tan, 12, breezed through the spelling of 'colossus' and 'indemnity', emerging as champion at the second National Spelling Championships (NSC). He took two hours to bag top spot yesterday, during one event of the third annual Language Arts Festival. The Primary 6 pupil from Nan Hua Primary School beat 23 others from 21 schools, and credited his win to 'hard work' - that is, spending two hours a week for the past three months memorising more than 20 pages of words used in a previous competition, which he culled from the Internet. Associate Editor of The Straits Times Bertha Henson, who was the guest of honour at the NSC, was impressed. 'I thought they were quite good,' she said. 'A lot of the words were quite tough. I wouldn't think a primary school kid would be able to grapple with that.' Other highlights at the festival, organised by the Ministry of Education's Gifted Education Branch, included game booths and workshops on storytelling, poetry and creative writing. There was also an essay writing competition called INKPressions! and an Inter-school Debate Championship, as well as a media literacy workshop conducted by The Straits Times' Little Red Dot journalist Malini Kaseenathan. The session gave pupils an insight into the interviewing and writing techniques used in newspaper reporting. Marcus Choo, 10, a Henry Park Primary School pupil, said he had found it 'fun'. 'It was very interesting learning the basics on how to become a journalist,' he said. The day-long event, aimed mainly at Primary 4 pupils who are exceptionally proficient in English, this year drew an estimated 1,200 pupils from more than 140 schools. Madam Elaine Yee, a gifted education officer, said that through the event, pupils could 'learn from the professionals in the field'. Parents interested in getting their children's schools to subscribe to Little Red Dot or IN should direct teachers to call Candy Chew on 6319-2306 or e-mail cirschool@sph.com.sg for more information. This article was first published in The Straits Times.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Wed, May 20, 2009 The Straits Times

Aussie students shun Asian languages

By Jonathan Pearlman, For The Straits Times CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA: - After living for two years in Beijing, where his father had a work contract, 12-year-old Kane Weber returned home to Melbourne, Australia, and made an unusual decision: He wanted to learn Chinese. His parents found a school that offered Chinese. Typically, however, most of his classmates chose to learn Italian. While Kane found Chinese 'more fun' to learn, his mother, Ms Melinda Smith, had other reasons for supporting his choice. 'If he can master the language, he can master the culture,' she said. 'For travel or work, he will have a level of cultural understanding that he would not get otherwise.' Yet, in Australian schools, students such as Kane are a rarity. To the growing dismay of the country's business and political leaders, rates of study of second languages such as Chinese, Indonesian and Korean are among the lowest in the developed world. The slump has continued for decades, despite Australia's increasing trade and cultural ties with its Asian neighbours. Almost 95 per cent of the 87,000 or so Australian high school students who learn Chinese drop it before their final year. Of the remaining 5 per cent, the majority are from a Mandarin-speaking background. The slump extends to universities, where the number of languages offered dropped from 66 in 1997 to just 29 in 2007. The finding from a 2007 report, titled Languages In Crisis, by the country's top eight universities, noted that nearly 40 per cent of students completed a language for their final-year exams in the 1970s. But after language study was dropped as a prerequisite for university entrance, the figure fell to 13 per cent. The decline in Asian language skills has alarmed the leaders of some of Australia's biggest companies, which have formed a group, the Business Alliance for Asia Literacy, to promote the study of Asian languages and culture. Members include the Commonwealth Bank, IBM Australia, Singapore Airlines, Qantas and 11 international business councils, including the Australia-Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The alliance was launched this month by the head of the Australian Industry Group, Ms Heather

Ridout, who said the global financial crisis had made it even more pressing for schools and education departments to promote Asian studies. 'Understanding Asia, knowing the languages, cultures and traditions, and teaching our children about our near neighbours, is clearly essential for our future prosperity,' she added. 'Once we come out of this economic downturn, Australia will be looking to Asia as a core driver of our own recovery. Now is the time to be preparing.' Ms Kathy Kirby, executive director of the Asia Education Foundation, a government-funded organisation that promotes Asian studies, said one of the main reasons for the low demand for Chinese is that it takes an English speaker almost four times as long to learn it, compared to the time taken to learn a European language. The United States Foreign Service Institute has estimated that an English speaker needs about 2,200 hours to develop proficiency in Chinese, compared with 600 hours for French. The business alliance has called for incentives and scholarships to encourage students to take up Asian studies, and funding to assist the training and recruitment of teachers. One model for potential success is the relatively high take-up of Japanese. Ms Kirby said this was partly due to the Japanese government's support by helping young Japanese come to Australia for a gap year as teachers. 'Modern Japanese is also a much more simplified, character-based language than Chinese,' she said. 'Across the world, we are only just starting to grapple with how to teach Chinese.' Efforts to promote Asian language literacy have been bolstered by the election in 2007 of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who is fluent in Chinese. During a visit to Singapore last year, he said he wanted to make Australia 'the most Asia-literate country in the collective West'. Since then, the government has launched a A$62 million (S$68.4 million) plan to double the number of final-year students fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian or Korean within a decade. The funds will be used to train teachers, improve classroom and online learning materials, and provide grants to schools and Asian community groups that develop initiatives to promote literacy. Back in Melbourne, Kane said his class has learnt almost 50 characters in its first six months. He has no plans to drop his studies. 'It is a totally different language,' he said. 'There is no alphabet. I just like learning the strokes of the characters and how to speak it.' This article was first published in The Straits

Being Different Career Choices

ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Fri, Jul 17, 2009 tabla!

An experiment that worked

BY PRADEEP PAUL WHEN Gopinath Govindaraj was doing his BSc in bio-chemistry in Coimbatore, India, he didn't spend too much time worrying about where he was headed. After all, his life revolved around the Tamil Nadu city. He lived there with his parents and his younger brother G. Karthick. He studied at Karthagam Arts and Science College, delving into the reactions taking place in the human body. And he had many friends. Then he met an education agent who recommended Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) for his next step in education. Enticed by the agent's pitch, Gopinath did some research and discovered that MDIS 'has a good reputation all over the world'. He decided to give it a try. A bank loan and some tearful mummy hugs later, he landed in Singapore in October last year with a suitcase full of clothes and a heart full of aspirations. And he wasn't disappointed. He finds MDIS' Stirling Road campus 'fantastic' with four labs devoted to life sciences and a very modern ambience. And he's made many friends from the cosmopolitan bunch of students there too. But, being an academic at heart, it's the quality of the education that has truly impressed him. 'I am really happy with the BSc Honours course in bio-medical sciences that I am currently doing,' says Gopinath, 21. 'The lecturers are very good. They have a lot of experience in the industry and are able to explain things clearly and in detail if we have trouble understanding things, especially when it comes to complicated experiments.' He is also happy that his previous qualifications were recognised by the University of Bradford (MDIS' university partner): 'I got an advance standing into the 2nd year of the degree programme.' As his classes run from 2 to 10pm, he tends to get to the campus early to spend some time with his books in the library. He also has the luxury of being part of MDIS' Journal Club which encourages students to take part in extra curricular activities that are science related, including debates on current cutting-edge research matters. In his spare time, he is getting to know Singapore. Having set up home in Little India - the

choice of location was tactical as he confesses that he can't do without his daily dose of south Indian food - he hasn't done much sightseeing yet, but plans to do so soon. He does manage to find the time to stay in touch with his friends in India. 'I have a lot of friends back in Coimbatore and I chat with them quite often via Skype,' he says. Once he's done with the two-year course at MDIS, Gopinath plans to continue on the academic path with an MSc and eventually work in the field of bio-medical research. 'I like Singapore and I can see myself staying here for my further studies and even working here,' he says. This desire could be helped by MDIS' mission of helping its graduates find jobs and opportunities for further study. It recently assisted one of them gain admission into Imperial College, London. And just to prove how much he likes the country and the institution he's studying at, he's become an 'unofficial ambassador'. 'Whenever I call my pals in Coimbatore, I tell them about MDIS and encourage them to come here for their studies. In fact, I'm hopeful that my brother can come here to get a second degree after he completes his BSc course,' says Gopinath.

>> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Jul 18, 2009 The New Paper

Airforce man gives up bombs and fighter planes to teach

By Desmond Ng BACK in the airforce, he was a weapons specialist tasked with loading bombs and missiles onto F16 fighter jets. It is, to the young, one of the most exciting and 'cool' jobs out there, noted Mr Ivan Ng, a former airforce regular. But after 10 years of dealing with demolitions, Mr Ng, 34, decided that he should create bright sparks in schools instead by teaching. While some may argue that being a teacher is less glamorous than being a weapons

specialist, Mr Ng would tell you otherwise. He gave up one dream job to pursue another. And he readily agrees that making a mid-career switch is never easy - especially when it means studying something totally unrelated. For this new father, the arrival of his first child made it doubly difficult. He said: 'It was a difficult decision. I took a paycut of about 30 per cent to venture into something quite unknown. But I wanted a change of environment, and I realised that after 10 years in the airforce, I can't do that (being a weapons specialist) for good.' The former staff sergeant then enrolled for a two-year diploma in education programme with the National Institute of Education (NIE) in 2007. He was paid about $2,000 a month while studying, and will be bonded with the Ministry of Education for three years. His initial fears about not being able to juggle family commitments and studies proved unfounded. He beat about 650 students to emerge the valedictorian in a graduation ceremony on Tuesday. He also picked up the Dr Shila Fernandez Prize for the best performance in the Diploma in Education programme ( communication skills for teachers and the English language). Some 1,900 newly-qualified teachers received their NIE diplomas earlier this week. Mr Ng, who is married to a leasing manager, has a one-year-old son. His wife, Madam Yvonne Tham, 34, said she had some reservations when her husband wanted to be a teacher. She said: 'It was tough taking the pay cut. When he was a relief teacher for the first six months, he had to plan the lessons, teach, mark assignments, and he often returned home late. The workload was tiring. 'But I saw that he has a passion for teaching and he should pursue that.' For Mr Ng, hitting the books was the toughest part because he was never academically inclined, he said. Pushed himself 'I am not the studying type. I am a very technical person and I prefer a hands-on approach instead. But I had to push myself if I wanted to be teacher,' he said. Mr Ng graduated with a diploma in mechatronics from Singapore Polytechnic in 1995.

He also completed his part-time bachelor of science degree programme with the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) four years ago. When he started the course at NIE, he had to constantly juggle his responsibilities as a husband, a new father and meeting deadlines for course assignments. There were the late-night feedings for the baby, the diaper changes, lessons to attend during the day and readings to do at night. He said: 'I was the oldest student in my tutorial classes and initially I felt out of place with my classmates, who were in their early 20s. 'I also faced distractions from family issues, my wife (yes, wives can be pleasant distractions), and most recently, the arrival of my son, Ian, a year ago.' But he learnt to manage his time and resources to cope with the rigorous demands of school. He admitted that teaching is not a cushy profession but said that the interaction with students from diverse backgrounds and making a difference to their lives will more than make up for his personal sacrifice. He has since been posted to a neighbourhood primary school where he'll teach English, Mathematics and Science. In his valedictory speech, Mr Ng said: 'While we will sometimes feel deflated and tired, the flame in us that fires our passion must never die. 'If that happens, one of my tutors quoted, 'Please leave the profession, for you are doing more harm than good'. 'A jaded teacher who doesn't care will not be able to polish the raw diamonds that are our students.' This article was first published in The New Paper.

Languages and Dialects: Their Demise >> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sun, Mar 08, 2009 The Straits Times

One generation - that's all it takes 'for a language to die' LANGUAGE experts estimate that about half of the 6,500 known languages currently in use worldwide will be extinct by 2050. Nanyang Technological University (NTU) held a two-day Language and Diversity Symposium to promote the preservation of dying languages of the world. The event, which was launched Thursday, was hosted by NTU's Centre for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies. Dr Ng Bee Chin, acting head of the division, said: 'Although Singaporeans are still multilingual, 40 years ago, we were even more multilingual. Young children are not speaking some of these languages at all any more.' 'All it takes is one generation for a language to die,' she added. While many languages are in danger of dying, there is still hope that efforts can be made to preserve existent languages, and to create new ones. In line with the symposium was the premiere of an art installation piece named Singapore's Voices, a marrying of linguistics, art and technology to make language a tangible item through photographs and sound. The piece features interactive images of speakers whose languages are becoming obsolete here, such as the Chinese dialects Hakka and Teochew and the Indian languages of Malayalam and Telugu. Professor Li Wei from the University of London, an active researcher in the field of bilingualism, said: 'One way to promote and protect linguistics is to allow

contact among different cultures and people. New languages are created through such contact.' JALELAH ABU BAKER >> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Sat, Mar 07, 2009 The Straits Times

Foolish to advocate the learning of dialects I REFER to yesterday's article by Ms Jalelah Abu Baker ('One generation - that's all it takes 'for a language to die'). It mentioned a quote from Dr Ng Bee Chin, acting head of Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies: 'Although Singaporeans are still multilingual, 40 years ago, we were even more multilingual. Young children are not speaking some of these languages at all any more.' To keep a language alive, it has to be used regularly. Using one language more frequently means less time for other languages. Hence, the more languages a person learns, the greater the difficulties of retaining them at a high level of fluency. There are linguistically gifted individuals who can handle multiple languages, but Singapore's experience over 50 years of implementing the bilingual education policy has shown that most people find it extremely difficult to cope with two languages when they are as diverse as English and Mandarin. This is why we have discouraged the use of dialects. It interferes with the learning of Mandarin and English. Singaporeans have to master English. It is our common working language and the language which connects us with the world. We also emphasised the learning of Mandarin, to make it the mother tongue for all Chinese Singaporeans, regardless of their dialect groups. This is the common language of the 1.3 billion people in China. To engage China, overseas Chinese

and foreigners are learning Mandarin and not the dialects of the different Chinese provinces. We have achieved progress with our bilingual education in the past few decades. Many Singaporeans are now fluent in both English and Mandarin. It would be stupid for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects, which must be at the expense of English and Mandarin. That was the reason the Government stopped all dialect programmes on radio and television after 1979. Not to give conflicting signals, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew also stopped making speeches in Hokkien, which he had become fluent in after frequent use since 1961. Chee Hong Tat Principal Private Secretary to the Minister Mentor >> ASIAONE / NEWS / EDUCATION / STORY

Fri, Mar 20, 2009 The Straits Times

Create love of languages WHATEVER hub Singapore aims to be, it must be a language hub. If this fails, all others will not succeed. To this end, English and Mandarin are certainly necessary but definitely insufficient. Singapore must be an international city where these and many other languages flourish. This is a resource which we can and must develop. Having said this, let us remember that something that is imperative may not be pleasurable: for example, visits to dentists or mothers-in-law. Languages enable us to communicate not only with our immediate neighbours, but also with foreigners whether here or abroad. They enable us to tap into the

immense store of knowledge and wisdom of the greats, whether past or present, oriental or occidental. All these are within easy reach because of the Internet. Much information on myriads of topics is available with a click of the mouse. Even the poor can have immense collections of libraries and entertainment resources on his desk, but the key to these treasures is linguistic capability. Ee Teck Ee