Singapore Maths Tuition - University and JC

26 April 2020

Some of Singapore’s universities have allowed some students to go back to campus to study or sit for online exams if they lack computing devices or Internet access at home.

Nanyang Technological University is allowing these students to stay in residential halls, while other universities have set aside study rooms for them.

The National University of Singapore has arranged for a small group of students to study at designated spaces within the Kent Ridge and the Bukit Timah campuses.

SIT has been exploring solutions with each student. A helpdesk hotline is available for help with technical problems. Students residing in the halls must not gather in groups and they may leave their rooms only for essential needs.

The Singapore University of Technology and Design said that it provides information technology device support on a case-by-case basis. It has, for instance, lent devices to architecture and sustainable-design students to complete project work.

The Singapore University of Social Sciences said there are limited study spaces on their campus, and as such, requests will be assessed carefully on a case-by-case basis and provided only to students with critical needs. These students must key in their arrival and departure times and take their temperatures twice daily. They will also not be allowed to mingle with others.

SUSS is also providing online counselling sessions for students. Those facing sudden or immediate financial hardship arising from unexpected family and life situations can apply for help from the SUSS student-care fund.

23 April 2020

The Singapore University of Technology and Design has announced that the start of its academic year will be pushed to Sept 14 instead of May 18, starting from this year.

Students in the 2020 cohort will still be required to undertake eight terms of undergraduate coursework, and will graduate in May 2024 instead of September 2023 as originally planned.

The university will also offer incoming students the opportunity to take up a Special Summer Programme before September at no additional cost. The summer programme will comprise of e-learning classes, bridging programmes and research activities.

With the latest change in academic calendar, the SUTD has now aligned its course schedule with Singapore’s other autonomous universities.

Additionally, SUTD will extend its admissions exercise this year and reopen the applications portal from May 4 to 17.

20 April 2020

Steps have been taken to ensure that students are fairly assessed after the implementation of full home-based learning.

The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) will be making adjustments in some GCE-level coursework submission deadlines and examination dates for A-level H3 subjects.

Coursework that cannot be done at home as it requires physical supervision by teachers or the use of school facilities and equipment include music, food and nutrition, design and technology, as well as exercise and sports science subjects.

In total, 12 subjects will have their coursework submission deadlines extended by two weeks.

SEAB will also consider reducing task requirements where appropriate, as long as such adjustments do not compromise the validity of assessment. It will also “accept evidence of learning from the schools and apply special consideration” in grading candidates.

For A-level H3 subjects taught by the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Management University, national exams scheduled to take place this month and early next month will be postponed to May 28. Students will take the exams at their respective junior colleges or at Millennia Institute. The schools will implement the necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all students and examination personnel.

17 April 2020

Fresh graduates might find it more difficult this year to enter the job market, as the global economic environment is likely to enter a malaise lasting well into next year.

Those looking for work are being asked to take on short-term contract offers and also to lower their job and salary expectations.

Nominated MP Walter Theseira, who is also Singapore University of Social Sciences’ associate professor of economics, said the economic disruption may last longer than the global financial crisis of 2008-2009.

Some help, though, is on the way for job seekers. Financial institutions will receive $2,000 every month for each Singaporean fresh graduate or Singaporean worker from other sectors they hire, as part of a Monetary Authority of Singapore talent development initiative.

Still, companies are holding back on hiring, and internships for students may also be deferred or rescinded. The recruitment process could be shortened, as interviews and meetings with job applicants move online.

National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University have tried engaging employers and curating job openings for graduating students. NUS is expecting about 7,000 final-year undergraduates while NTU has 5,700. Virtual career fairs were held last month for students to interact with potential employers and apply for jobs online. NTU will hold a second virtual recruitment event next month.

14 April 2020

The Ministry of Education suspended the use of Zoom by teachers when security on the Zoom platform was recently breached.

But Zoom is not the only platform where this could happen. All commercial video call platforms are also at risk. Businesses that moved into “work from home” in a hurry are now realising that their employees are connecting office laptops into poorly secured home networks.

Work from home, home-based learning, video calls and online purchasing, to name a few, are all useful tools that help us carry on with life without leaving home. We have to take additional steps to ensure that everyone is safe. This requires educating ourselves on safety measures.

The need for good cyber hygiene applies not only to schools and students, but also to businesses, employees, their families, and everyone who is using info-communication technology.

Schools can consider engaging volunteer teaching assistants to help teachers in monitoring online classes. They could look out for strangers, and also for undesirable behaviour between students, such as cyber bullying.

13 April 2020

Full home-based learning in Singapore has started, and will last until the 4th of May.

Students have been given varying amounts of work on the Singapore Student Learning Space (SLS) platform. Some have received detailed checklists, while others were given just a few assignments.

According to the Ministry of Education, schools and teachers have the autonomy to decide on the sequencing of topics, and pace of coverage and pedagogy to be applied.

Schools will be required to provide broad guidance to teachers, including how to ensure continuity of learning in the planned curriculum and how to calibrate the appropriate learning load for students.

Teachers will also provide adequate and appropriate opportunities (for example, quizzes, practice papers, performance tasks) to assess students’ ability to apply their learning across a range of topics or subjects.

While school-based exams will undergo review and adjustment according to the circumstances, national examinations will proceed as far as possible so that graduating students are not disadvantaged.

While some students will experience disruption and feel worried, or may also feel a loss of freedom and miss interacting with their friends, teachers will contact them regularly to check in on them. They will refer students to school counsellors when more support is needed.