Singapore Maths Tuition - University and JC

31 March 2018

In order to strengthen the ability of Singapore’s workforce to take on a wider variety of occupations and better leverage on rapidly evolving technology, there is a need to increase the proportion of Singaporeans with post-secondary, non-tertiary education.

These views were articulated recently by Monetary Authority of Singapore managing director Ravi Menon, who opined that this group could be better trained to transform the nature of many mid-level jobs, as well as raise standards and productivity.

Singapore can professionalise rank-and-file jobs. This will lead to a stronger economy and also provide more opportunities for Singapore to increase wages, and by so doing, broaden the middle class.

There is also scope to increase productivity and efficiency in many domestic services jobs.

Mr Menon cited the examples of four occupations: Childcare worker, baker, security guard and plasterer. In Singapore, the typical pay for these occupations is between 30 and 60 per cent of the median wage. Mr Menon said: “There is scope to further professionalise these jobs in Singapore. In particular, to increase the skills content, leverage on technology, and improve business processes, and raise the quality of output”.

29 March 2018

According to a recently-conducted survey, the third batch of graduates from the Singapore University of Technology and Design earned higher starting salaries compared to their peers from other public universities.

The survey found that the median gross monthly salary of its graduates was $3,700 in 2017, compared with $3,650 in 2016.

Additionally, it the survey found that over 90 percent of SUTD fresh graduates were employed within six months of completing their final examinations.

The top hiring sectors were information and communications, finance and insurance, and scientific research and development.

28 March 2018

Singapore Management University president Arnoud De Meyer has said that the debate in varsity education should not be about “degrees versus skills”, but about “both” degrees “and” skills.

In his opinion, a good university education adds not just knowledge, but also hard skills as well as work and life skills, including the inculcation of traits such as flexibility, cultural literacy, and the ability to innovate.

Singapore Management University has made at least one overseas stint compulsory as part of its graduation requirements.

SMU students are also expected to put in at least 80 hours of community service during their course of study.

According to Prof De Meyer, many SMU undergraduates continue to serve even after meeting the minimum requirement.

Prof De Meyer, 63, is the fourth president of Singapore Management University. He was previously director of Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge.

More universities are giving their students full flexibility to mix and match their courses and co-curricular activities, as well as work and study opportunities. SMU offers more than 300 combinations of 44 majors and specialisation tracks across six disciplines. It also offers 15 double-degree combinations.

27 March 2018

According to a study conducted by a group of economists at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, graduates from Singapore’s autonomous universities (public universities) managed to secure salaries that were 28 per cent higher than their counterparts from the private education institutions.

This percentage takes into consideration the difference in academic abilities, demographic profile, and socioeconomic status of both groups of university graduates.

The largest pay gap was in the humanities, where graduates of autonomous universities earned as much as 39 percent more.

The study also took into account relevant data such as the student’s year of enrolment and graduation, whether they studied part-time or full-time, their L1B4 score, and which school they attended.

The study suggested that the wage gap could stem from differences in institutional and course quality, as well as employers’ perceptions of the degrees.

Most private schools emphasize that salary is just one measure of comparison between both groups of graduates. Other factors such as career progression and personal development can also be considered.

26 March 2018

The audience at the recently-held Straits Times Education Forum were unable to decide whether acquiring a degree or mastering skills was more important for success in life.

The Straits Times Education Forum was organized in partnership with the Singapore Management University. The topic of discussion was entitled “You don’t need a degree to succeed in life”.

Mr Andreas Schleicher, director for education and skills at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and SkillsFuture Singapore chief executive Ng Cher Pong argued for the motion, while SMU president Arnoud De Meyer and the university’s law dean Goh Yihan stood against.

Mr Andreas Schleicherr singled out successful people who were university dropouts and “unsuccessful in formal education”, such as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates, but Professor De Meyer pointed out that the group of people who are successful without a degree was extremely small, or infinitesimal, as he put it. He added that every member on the debate panel held a degree, and questioned if they would be there if they did not.

Prof Goh Yihan said a degree builds upon years of learning soft skills such as building one’s confidence, finding one’s passion and honing one’s leadership abilities.

26 March 2018

Students enrolling in the Singapore Management University from this August will need overseas experience to graduate. This could include exchange programmes, internships, or cultural exchanges.

To ensure that no one misses out on such opportunities, SMU said it has a range of university-funded and donor-supported assistance schemes to help students in financial need.

The Singapore University of Social Sciences made overseas experience a graduation requirement in 2014.

24 March 2018

Singapore’s universities are getting very serious about putting lifelong learning of their agenda.

The Singapore University of Technology and Design will be increasing the number of continuing education and training (CET) courses that it offers under the SkillsFuture Series from 20 to 60 over the next several years.

Nanyang Technological University, on the other hand, has opened its 169 CET courses in its College of Professional and Continuing Education to all of its alumni, who are now eligible to enrol at any point in their careers, and even after retirement.

And over at Singapore Management University, a new lifelong learning unit called the SMU Academy, was launched recently and currently offers 160 courses in areas such as financial services, technology and intelligent systems.

With more lifelong learning programmes and CET courses open to graduates, working adults, and even retirees, it is hoped that all Singaporeans will embrace the pursuit of knowledge as a worthwhile endeavour long after they are done with formal education.