Singapore Maths Tuition - University and JC

Individual and small group maths tuition in Singapore - University and Junior College

Four teachers have been presented the Caring Teacher Award and six other teachers have received the National Commendation Award

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11th October 2022

Four teachers have been presented the Caring Teacher Award for showing kindness and going beyond their duties as a teacher. The award is given to teachers for their outstanding commitment to the holistic development of their students. Six other teachers received the National Commendation Award.

About 11,000 nominations from 239 schools were submitted for the 14th Caring Teacher Awards this year. The recipients, from primary and secondary schools, and junior colleges or pre-university institutes, were selected by an external panel of judges.

Second Minister for Education Maliki Osman, who was guest of honour at the award ceremony, told teachers in his key-note speech: “All of you have shown care and concern for the holistic development of your students. Checking on the well-being of your students, and ensuring that learning continues to take place in spite of the dynamic situation has left a deep, positive impact on your students and peers. This is truly inspirational.”

Six organisations sign agreement with Institute for Adult Learning to develop workplace education

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11th October 2022

Workers in six organisations in the public and private sectors have signed an agreement with the Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), an autonomous institute within the Singapore University of Social Sciences, to help them develop their workplace learning to improve productivity.

The agreements were announced by SUSS president Cheong Hee Kiat at the Learning Enterprise Alliance Award Ceremony. The ceremony recognised 21 new members of IAL’s Learning Enterprise Alliance.

IAL executive director Lee Wing On said that the set of agreements is an extension of the institute’s efforts to advocate for and create an environment that supports using workplace learning as a tool to drive business transformation.

Prof Cheong said adult education and training helps workers build resistance to a quickly changing global environment and also reshape work and the workforce.

29-member team to represent Singapore in the WorldSkills 2022 Special Edition contest

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11th October 2022

The WorldSkills 2022 Special Edition will involve more than 1,000 competitors from 56 member countries. There will be 15 host countries and regions. Participants will be tested on 60 skill areas. The competition aims to get young participants to challenge themselves and shift their passion into a professional career.

A 29-member team from Singapore, comprising students from the five polytechnics, Institute of Technical Education, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University, will compete in skill areas such as cyber security, fashion technology and cloud computing.

The last competition – the 45th edition – was held in Kazan, Russia, in 2019. Singapore won 22 medals, including two gold, one silver and two bronze.

How tuition can help students excel in the International Baccalaureate’s Math Exploration project

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From the Editorial Team
12th September 2022

The International Baccalaureate allows students to take subjects at Higher Level (HL) or Standard Level (SL). In particular, students choosing to undertake the IB curriculum need to decide whether to take the Mathematics subject at HL or SL. A major component of the IB curriculum for Mathematics is the written report titled the “Math Exploration”.

In both the HL and SL curriculum, there is a Math Exploration which students must write. The Math Exploration consists of an original report where students must choose a topic of interest, undertake research on the topic, solve the problem presented in the thesis statement and formulate a conclusion. The Math Exploration will contain workings in a demonstration of the solving of the problem in the thesis statement and is not purely theoretical.

Furthermore, a critical aspect of the Math Exploration is an explanation as to why the student has chosen the topic. This section requires creativity as the answer that “I chose this topic to finish my Math Exploration” is unacceptable. The student must reach further and explain the underlying implications of the Math Exploration in the real world.

An example of a Math Exploration topic is the exploration of how encryption keys are created and decrypted by the recipient using a formula. A student would need to explain his/her interest in encryption keys and the current situation where hacking into personal data is becoming increasingly common. As such, more complex encryption keys are required to keep people’s data safe. The student would need to demonstrate how encryption keys are created and then decoded upon reaching the intended recipient of the data, and conclude that as time passes and computers get more and more sophisticated, more complex formulas are needed to encrypt and decrypt pieces of data.

Turning to the subject of this article, tuition could assist in the choosing of a topic and the explanation in the Math Exploration as the tutor would have a macro view of Mathematics as a whole and would be able to recommend good ideas for the student to undertake. As tutors will have a university-level knowledge of the subject, they would be able to assist the student in where to look during the research process and tidy up the workings used in the proving of the thesis statement. A tutor could help the student craft the section on why the student is interested in a particular topic by teaching the student about the real-life implications and uses of a particular formula or area of Mathematics.

As the IB curriculum requires independent research, some may wonder about the effectiveness of tutors in crafting these written assignments as tutors are usually found to help students drill with exam questions. The role of a tutor as a guide in the field of Mathematics to undertake research is perhaps, less thought of. However, IB tutors must assist students in writing such independent research assignments if they require help, as often, such writing assignments are new to students who have not experienced the Integrated Programme (IP) which prepares students for the IB programme. Students who have undertaken O Levels are accustomed to preparing for a major exam using past questions and have a lot to learn about writing a report and conducting research.

As such, tuition centres preparing their students for the IB programme ought to make the necessary arrangements for their tutors to assist their students in crafting a well-researched and succinct Math Exploration.

Fortnightly HBL days give Singapore students an opportunity to pursue self-directed learning

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12th September 2022

Singapore’s Ministry of Education introduced fortnightly HBL days, which are part of a blended learning approach of home-based and in-school activities, to secondary and junior college students a year ago.

During HBL days, students get to practise self-directed study by listening to pre-recorded lessons and catching up with their work.

While MOE provides guidelines on the frequency and structure of HBL days, it is up to the schools to customise their approach, for instance, by determining the subjects and topics to be covered. For many schools, HBL also includes a component called student-initiated learning, giving students time to pursue an interest or hobby.

MOE said it will study how students are faring before deciding whether to expand it to primary schools. For younger pupils, the concerns include whether they are ready to cope with self-learning, how much supervision they would need and whether parents would have to make special childcare arrangements on HBL days.

Singapore students perform well in top level international academic competitions

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12th September 2022

Singapore students did well in top level international academic competitions this year.

Local students placed 10th at the 34th International Olympiad in Informatics in August. They were 24th at the 63rd International Mathematical Olympiad and fifth in the 33rd International Biology Olympiad, both held in July.

Singapore teams also clinched a joint sixth place at the 54th International Chemistry Olympiad and ninth at the 52nd International Physics Olympiad.

Additionally, a group of Singapore students have come in first at the International Geography Olympiad (iGeo). The iGeo team bagged a total of three gold medals and one silver medal at the 18th iGeo held virtually from Paris and emerged first out of 54 countries and territories and a total of 209 participants.

Graduates from Singapore Institute of Technology now find it easier to secure full-time employment

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12th September 2022

Fresh graduates from the Singapore Institute of Technology are also finding it easier to secure full-time employment. In the class of 2021, 86 per cent of SIT graduates secured full-time permanent jobs. Overall, 95.6 per cent of the 2021 cohort found employment, including part-time work, within six months of graduation.

SIT graduates obtained a median gross monthly salary of $3,550 last year, compared with $3,500 in 2020.

Like in previous years, graduates from SIT’s information and communications technology (ICT) programmes commanded higher wages. SIT also observed significant recovery for graduates in the tourism and built environment sectors.

The importance of soft skills in Singapore’s education system

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From the Editorial Team
2nd September 2022

Although the Singaporean education system ranks highly among its counterparts all around the world, there are some things which are necessary in navigating the real world, but are difficult to be taught.

It is important for students to develop soft skills such as problem-solving, intellectual curiosity, and emotional intelligence. However, these aspects cannot necessarily be taught in school, in the traditional classroom setting.

The Singaporean education system has attempted to balance the need to develop soft skills by encouraging students to take up a host of Co-curricular Activities (CCA), ranging from creative arts, sports, and uniformed groups.

Furthermore, there are plenty of opportunities for students to develop their problem-solving skills and creativity in the myriad of competitions and external events schools in Singapore undoubtedly encourage their students to participate in.

By getting involved in activities outside studying, students will be able to build a diverse portfolio of experiences which bring out positive skills such as team management, coordinating their limited time and resources, and a curiosity to discover more about the world around them.

Students participating in such activities and opportunities should not merely view these events as a mandatory chore, necessary to boost their prospects for future universities or their resumes, but should strive to learn more from these experiences. The quality of curiosity is highly important in students being able to exercise their critical thinking skills, as only a curious student will have the motivation to find out why he or she is wrong or right, and how to better themselves.

In addition, parents should not view such activities as a hindrance to their schooling and development. They should encourage their children to pursue such activities as it is important for them to experience life outside academics and gain the necessary exposure to not only survive, but thrive.

Email Address

ngejaysuss@gmail.com

Handphone Number

9724-0163 (Mr Ng)

Academic Qualifications

Ph.D. in Mathematics;
B.Sc. First Class Honours in Mathematics