Singapore Maths Tuition - University and JC

27 April 2018

An survey of 80 private school students and recent graduates was recently conducted to find out more about the Singaporeans who take the private school route.

About seven in ten private school students are from the polytechnics. They opted for private schools as they could not land a place in the public universities despite the expansion of places and courses offered specifically for polytechnic upgraders.

A small number of students had enrolled in private schools after they had failed to land a polytechnic place after their O levels. Typically such students would take a bridging programme first before formally embarking on a degree course.

Private schools offer generous exemptions to polytechnic diploma holders, which means they can complete a degree in as short a time as 18 months.

26 April 2018

Students from 13 Singapore schools have been learning what it takes to run a social entrepreneurship through a Singapore National Cooperative Federation (SNCF) initiative.

In the last four years, SNCF has worked with the schools to set up coop clubs where its trainers conduct lessons on finance and marketing for students and teachers. Tours are organized for students to cooperatives to help them understand the benefits of bulk purchases and value packs, and how to pass on savings to customers.

The SNCF, which leads the cooperative movement in Singapore, hopes to set up three to five more clubs in schools by the end of the year.

Students decide what they want to sell and turn up with business plans, with help from their teachers. Proceeds from sales go towards social causes or to school funds.

25 April 2018

The Ministry of Education has clarified that although Hwa Chong Institution teachers can use a professional development fund set up by their school to pay for their parking charges, such in-kind benefits are still part of their remuneration package and are therefore subject to income tax.

Unlike government and government-aided schools, which will deduct parking charges directly from teachers’ salaries, independent schools like HCI can decide how such fees are collected.

HCI has agreed to deduct parking fees from the teachers’ individual accounts in a fund that HCI has established for their professional development. The fund is part of their flexi-benefit accounts in their remuneration package.

HCI hires most of its own teachers instead of getting them from MOE. However, all its teachers will have to pay for parking as their salaries are paid for with MOE funds.

24 March 2018

In order to be able to adapt to the rapidly changing technological landscape and the evolving job market, students need to learn lifelong skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving, as well as values such as resilience and empathy.

By becoming better equipped to adapt to new jobs and more readily acquire the new skills needed to succeed, these intrinsic values help students withstand the waves of disruption.

One of the most effective ways to inculcate lifelong competencies and values is to incorporate current affairs in education. Teachers can infuse current affairs into classroom discussions, and help students hone their media literacy and critical thinking skills.

Being adept at current affairs also helps students with their academic subjects. For instance, knowledge of local and global issues helps students craft strong arguments in their English-language essays and oral communication examinations.

Becoming competent and updated in current affairs should be regarded as part of the lifelong learning experience of every student.

23 April 2018

A recently released survey by Singapore’s private education regulator, the Committee for Private Education, revealed that less than half of private school graduates got full-time work six months after finishing their studies. However, such figures have not dampened demand at major private schools such as the Singapore Institute of Management, Kaplan, Management Development Institute of Singapore, James Cook University and PSB Academy.

Many private school students continue to believe that a degree is the key to job mobility and promotions. Experts agree that although private degree-holders start on a lower footing, a degree can help break through some glass ceilings.

Mr Ong Ye Kung, Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills), has stressed the importance of being armed with the relevant skills to find jobs in the current age of disruption, instead of chasing degrees.

Nonetheless, the perception is that degrees, not skills, matter more in the civil service.

“If young people continue to have the mindset that a degree offers a better job prospect, then it will lead to an oversupply of graduates,” says Mr Zainal, an assistant secretary-general with the National Trades Union Congress.

22 April 2018

Diploma students at Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts will now be required to complete either an internship or an industry or community project as part of their graduation requirements.

This requirement is part of the compulsory Industry-Based Learning (IBL) component which aims to expose students to real working environments and enhance their employability.

Students from dance and management courses will be required to fulfil this requirement from this year onwards. Other students will be required to fulfil this requirement from next year onwards.

To identify students with strong leadership potential, a new Nafa Talent Development Programme was also launched this year. Students will undergo a series of workshops to further develop their qualities.

21 April 2018

A recent survey conducted by the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, in partnership with Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute, showed that there remains a very small percentage of graduates in Singapore who remain severely underemployed, earning less than S$2,000 per month despite working full-time.

It was found that the underemployed graduates are typically female and have a median age of 35 years. They came largely from the health and social services sectors, followed by financial services, transport and education sectors.

Being underemployed over a longer term can also lead to a vicious cycle because these workers may lose the drive and confidence to update their skills and remain relevant to the job market. Over time, they may feel trapped in their current jobs and become increasingly pessimistic.

To find a solution to the problem, a targeted approach that combines career counselling for these underemployed, encouragement to look for better jobs matching their skills and qualifications, and initiatives to get employers to look past age and gender in their hiring practices are needed.

The government should also find ways to provide more assistance to those who health has affected their work to the extent of them becoming underemployed.

20 April 2018

The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao are organising the second edition of the SPH Education Symposium to be held on April 26.

This year, the Symposium aims to foster meaningful dialogue concerning the infusion of contemporary issues into education.

Introducing current affairs and contemporary topics to Singapore’s students is especially relevant today.

More and more school teachers are looking to external teaching materials such as published news sources to hone lifelong skills in their students, and getting their students up to speed with the latest news and gossip.

The recent spotlight on misinformation and disinformation in the online space is another apt reminder of the importance of such media literacy and analytical skills.

The Symposium panel will explore issues such as how educators can be further supported to use contemporary issues in their classrooms.