Oral Quiz Link

Here's the link for ORAL Quiz - pls fill in with a different color by Saturday night.
red-Ziying
Blue-Qiwei
Green-Kaykiat
Purple- brandon

World's Worst Toxic Dump

In China, pollution is everywhere. After a chemical factory exploded and polluted the Songhua River.
The citizens of Harbin waited for tanker trucks to deliver water to them as about 100 tons of toxic chemicals have been floating down the Songhua River ever since an explosion in Jilin which released highly toxic compounds which would kill more than 10 million people downstream in Russia. The communist party responds using the same old Stalinist approach. In Harbin, as with the SARS crisis two years ago, authorities initially tried to downplay the true scope of the disaster.

Other rivers in China are turning into sewers, toxic soup splashes through the country's waterways, while people living along the banks die from cancer at above-average rates. This is a result of industrialization. According to official statistics, 350 Chinese die each day in industrial accidents, but the unofficial figure is likely to be much higher. This shows another problem as people are making use of the revenue for their own usage like cars and villas and not on workers safety. China would soon surpass the United States as the world's largest producer of greenhouse gases as about 400,000 people die prematurely each year because of the polluted air they breathe.

After reading this article, i felt that China is really having a serious problems with the environment." Polluted" is the only word to describe their water sources and air. I also remembered reading the article on the Chinese government asking workers to spray the grass green just to beautify the country as pollution has caused the plants to wither. The Chinese government should really start reflecting on how to deal with pollution correctly and stop fooling both the citizens and the world. Take for example the chemical factory explosion. I am glad that the Chinese government did actually do something about it and helped the citizens. Instead of really thinking of ways to stop future explosions and telling citizens the ways, they actually made use of this opportunity to actually garner the support citizens by giving water. To further trick the world and their citizens that the country is great, they actually downplayed the true scope of the disaster.

 I feel that the government should actually also educate the people as some of them are corrupted. Like what the article had  stated; some of the people actually used the companies revenue for their own "wants" and "needs" . China is reach in tradition and they believe in Confucianism; and yet they do not even practice what Confucius had said. All in all, i just think that China's government should think of ways to reduce the pollution and stop in a sense " corruption" within companies.

JUNE ARTICLES

Please use these 20 articles for your April-May-June Blogs (links inserted)

World's Worst Toxic Dump
Why Chinese Mothers are better

Singapore's Instant Noodle Generation

Strawberry Generation in Singapore

Little Emperor in China 

Overpampered children in Europe

Social media 'exposes girls to sexual abuse'

Teachers blame parents for class chaos 

Get back to basics of education: Heng Swee Keat
UK Prince visits Singapore
Teenager sells his app for $18 million

Poverty creeps up on elderly South Koreans

threats to EARTH: Global Warming  and Climate Change 

Threats to Earth : deforestation

Threats to Earth : over fishing & poaching

Threats to Earth : Pollution

Threats to Earth : Water Shortage

Dying alone becomes the norm in Japan

China officials caught dyeing grass!!

Gifted or Well Prepared ?

Comparing the Singapore and Finnish education system

Lifelong learning 

Poverty creeps up on elderly South Koreans

An average of 43 people commit suicide on any given day in south korea, making it the most suicide-prone country in the developed world. South Korea’s suicide rate has been rising dramatically, jumping by 101.8% from 2000 to 2010. The rate is twice as high among the elderly.the elderly population is in some ways a by-product of the country’s economic transformation that turned South Korea into one of the richest nations in the world. Elderly citizens, who are generally perceived as less productive, are therefore seen as less valuable. the government started the Basic Old-Age Pension System for people who meet income and asset requirements; roughly 70% of the elderly receive benefits under this scheme. Even so, the amount they receive sometimes falls short of the elderly living costs recommended by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The Korean government needs to invest more money to promote the well-being of senior citizens as more jobs would be created to help alleviate old-age poverty and loneliness.

After reading this article, i felt that the Korean government are trying very hard to help this crisis;a crisis whereby these senior citizens commit suicide as they felt that they are a heavy burden to society and are unwanted. This is actually like what the article had said, a result of development. I agree with what the government is planning to do, to invest more money to promote the well-being of senior citizens as this would let other age groups to know the "value" of  these people. The young generation would also learn and know that the elderly were the ones who actually helped Korea to develop and are to be respected.

China officials caught spray-painting grass green in Chengdu

In Chengdu, China, officials hit upon an easy solution to cheer up their city's appearance: specifically, a chemical solution called Top Green Turf Greening Agent. Chinese reporters filmed workers from Chengdu's municipal landscaping department dying the grass green with green spray. A salesman from the company told  the China Daily newspaper that it is not toxic. A number of people are unhappy and wished that the government would use the money to build schools and make "The skies blue", making china free from pollution.

After reading this article, i was shocked that the department of landscaping in china actually made use of this method just to beautify the city; and at the same time not amazed by what they had done. We all know that China is heavily polluted as industries are booming in it. It is because of the pollution that vegetation there are literally dying. Instead of having campaigns or finding ways to decrease such heavy pollution, they actually sprayed the dying plants green instead to make citizens feel as though the land IS green and the plants are healthy. The pollution might therefore worsen as people who does not know about the spraying of the grass would feel that the pollution is not harming the environment as the plants are still healthy, hence continue to pollute the air. Spraying the grass may make the country appear "cleaner" and green, but it is not solving or improving the air pollution in China. I hope that the chinese government would look into ways of improving the air quality and not just thinking of development and beautifying the country. Affecting the lives of plants is indirectly affecting the lives of people. Plants are the giver of oxygen.

Singapore's 'instant-noodle generation'

This article basically talks about Singapore's new generation of people who are basically born into rich families with a silver spoon in their mouth. Parent and government officials are concern with a trend whereby more and more families are employing maids just to take care of their child. This as a result causes more and more children these rich families to be pampered and become less self reliant but over dependent on the maid. Then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong railed against children who "grew up with a silver spoon in their mouth, a maid at their beck and call, and a car to bring them around". Singaporean youth, he said, must "rediscover some of the self-reliant spirit of earlier generations".

After reading this article, i think this is actually not a problem but a result of Singapore's fast development from a third world to a first world nation. Although many of these kids are pampered, they are educated. Education is the basic thing that people in Singapore needs to be successful . Since they are educated, the chances of getting a high paid job would be easier. Hence, having the money, they would also likewise would be able to employ a maid to aid them. So this so called "Phenomenon" happening now is not really a problem. So what if rich people employ maids? It really does not affect any other people. Many of the less wealthy families are unhappy that wealthier families get to employ maids and otherwise, they themselves need to do all their housework by themselves; but everyone has equal opportunities. Everyone needs to go to school. If the less wealthy studies hard, they would likewise get a good job and employ a maid. If the reich does not study hard, they would soon loss all their wealth.

Why Chinese Mothers are better

All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that. The Chinese Mothers are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. In fact, its actually a misunderstanding on both sides.Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

I personally think that it is true that all parents love their kids and want them to be successful. Chinese mothers in a sense educate their child in a different way and have different mindsets. This as a result produce kids that a potentially better then any other kids. Their parent's mainly wish that their kid would be successful, and they think that the only way to do so is to do it the hard way and basically" sacrifice much more for them than Westerners". This is the reason why most chinese people are cleverer and more successful than westerners. I am not trying to be bias or prejudice against others, but this is a fact and result of having strict parents. Westerners do not practice what the Chinese mothers do so they do not produce people of high calibre(a degree of high excellence and worth). 

S’pore Pupils Top Tests, Score Higher In Reasoning. By: Soon Qi Wei

Singapore's primary and secondary school students remain world beaters in mathematics, science and reading, according to two international benchmarking studies released. The test scores showed that not only did Singapore increase its share of top performers, but the weaker students also moved up, improving their scores. And the way Singapore students approached the questions in the most recent tests indicates they are moving away from rote learning and applying higher-order thinking skills.

I believe that this is a very important news as it shows how much Singapore is progressing in our academics. I believe that it is essential as in Singapore, we lack land and manpower. Therefore, it is required for our people to make great discoveries and names worldwide in order to sustain our economic and other needs.  To read more, click here!!

Gifted or well prepared?

The New York City Education Department announced that it was changing part of its admissions exam for its gifted and talented programs last year. The Education Department said it would change one of the tests used for admission to public school gifted kindergarten and first-grade classes in order to focus more on cognitive ability and less on school readiness, which favors children who have more access to preschool and tutoring. The parents of various children prepares their child by using test prep and workbooks provided by  tutoring companies, working on skills like spatial visualization and serial reasoning, which are part of the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test, or NNAT 2, the new gifted and talented test.

After reading this, I feel that children in Singapore face similar challengers. In the Singapore education system, children at primary 3 would be eligible to take a Gifted Programme entry test. If they were to past, they would be attending classes which are catered to them, providing them a large platform to further broaden their perspective and knowledge. It is a real pity as some children are not truly gifted but are trained and prepared by their parents to be gifted so that they would be able to enter the Gifted Programme courses. Some parents even went to the extend to actually send them to tuition classes which trains and prepares them to be gifted and to ace the entry test. However, when these kids enter primary 4, they would start to suffer as they would not be able to cope with the gifted programme courses and keep up to pace with those children who are really gifted and better in learning. 

China officials caught spray-painting grass green in Chengdu. By Lim Kay Kiat

China officials have recently turned to green dyes to make the grass in the city look greener. The green dye, Top Green Turf Greening Agent, is said by its spokesman to be a non-toxic dye and it does not pollute the environment. Workers have been filmed spray painting grass patches over the city. This is not the first time the government has attempted to make the environment look nicer with artificial means in China.

In my opinion, i think the government of Chengdu should not be spending money to purchase these dyes. Instead the government should be thinking of a solution to solve the root of the problem, which is the badly polluted air in China. Studies show that the air in China contains many toxic gases which are harmful to all organism, this could be the cause for the yellow grass in China. I strongly feel that the government should use this money to build catalytic converters and air purifiers in the city rather than be using it on the grass.

For the full article click here!

Pampered Kids is the norm nowadays

Overview: Parents tend to give their children instant gratification and generally, refusal is treated as a taboo word. It is cases like this where children expect things to be served rather than to obtain it themselves. This is due to the simplicity of saying 'yes' preferably to 'no' as it makes the situation less complicated for parents to handle.In instances such as 2 working parents, they are inclined to feel more guilty in spending less time with their children so they assuage their guilt by lavishing them with extravagant accessories. As children turn into teenagers, they would see their peers as a new family and treats their parents with less loyalty and respect than they should. To avoid having a spoiled child, one should devote them with quality time rather than expensive materials. Likewise, one should also encourage them to work-learn the value of money- and teach them to appreciate what they had been given.

Link

Opinion: I completely agree with the author with his stand that most children are indulged and loaded with fancy goods such that they become pampered in everything they do.They are almost treated like royalty at home. Even at answering phone calls, they lack the proper manners to interact politely with strangers; at times they are indifferent in even picking up the house phone. Though critics can point out that parents want their children to feel loved which would make them feel confident and happy, it actually rids them of their moral core and compass; which is an unforseen problem. As an alternative to avoid having a spoiled child, parents at times should be stringent towards their children so that the latter would not get the better of their parents. These boundaries should be constantly reinforced so that they know exactly where is the thin line between good and bad.

Spain karate teacher gets 302 years for rape

A Spanish court handed a 302-year jail sentence on Friday to a karate champion for raping dozens of pupils at his martial arts school. Fernando Torres Banea told his pupils that sex would make them better at karate, raped and abused 40 children, some of them younger than 13. His wife Maria Jose Gonzalez was sentenced to 148 years and another karate teacher, Ivonne Gonzalez, to 126 years, after both were convicted of taking part in the abuse. The three will likely serve 20 years at most, the maximum penalty for the crimes under Spanish law.

After reading this, I felt disgusted due to the fact that a karate teacher actually tricked his pupils to have sex by saying they would get better at their karate skills. This would surely affect all the children he had abused in years to come as losing their virginity to a person they do not really know and for something they want but cannot be really achieve( Improving their karate skills) is horrific. This would surely damage their lives as it is something that cannot be erased. 

New trains for Singapore's Downtown Line.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has bought 15 more trains for the Down Town Line. The trains, costing about S$119 million, are expected to be delivered from 2015, in time for the operations of DTL Stage 2 in 2015.73 trains have already been bought for the 42-kilometre rail line that will run from Bukit Panjang through the Central Business District area to the Expo.  The additional trains will result in shorter waiting times for commuters. Six stations are progressing at different stages.

After reading this, I think this would really help Singapore in years to come with the population rising. During the peak hours now, stations and trains are all full of commuters, and this made many citizens really worried. Hence, by adding the new downtown line and more trains, Singapore’s transport infrastructure would surely be more effective as people would be able to get around faster.

Possible Nuclear war?

A pair of the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 stealth bombers made the least-stealthy flight in their history on Thursday, flying 13,000 miles round-trip from their Missouri base to fly over South Korea and drop inert bombs on a target range in the Yellow Sea. It was the latest in a steadily escalating war of nerves pitting the U.S. and its South Korean ally against the increasingly bellicose North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un signed off on the order at a midnight meeting of top generals to put its rocket units on standby on Friday to attack U.S. military bases in South Korea and the Pacific

This news is important as a war might break out anytime. With the North Korean’s rocket ready to be launched, a nuclear war might arise, affecting people of all aspects. For example, the people working in the economy sector will be severely affected due to the bad economy. Bankers and investors will lose tons of money. 

Juvenile Delinquency

Two high school football players from Ohio were found guilty on Sunday of raping a 16-year-old girl at a party last summer while she was in a drunken stupor in a case that gained national exposure through social media. Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, two members ofSteubenville's "Big Red" football team, were found delinquent in the sexual assault of the girl in the early morning of August 12 when witnesses said she was too drunk to move or speak. Richmond would be held in a juvenile detention facility for at least one year and Mays at least two years. The juvenile system could hold them until age 21. Both were required to register as juvenile sex offenders.

After reading this, I felt very aghast as both of the offenders were teenagers and they actually dared to sexually assault a girl without even thinking about the consequences they would face. I feel that if everyone were to be more sensitive and considerate, such a case would not even happen and everyone would live happily without feeling afraid of being a victim of such assault. Schools should educate the youths on the different laws of different countries so that when the children grow up, they would learn to control and know the consequences if they were to do illegal or repulsive acts such as raping. This would definitely reduce the number of such acts.

Learning for life, the Finnish way

No tuition, only one major exam (with six hours given per paper) and classes that mix kids of all abilities. We discover how they do it, in our two-part special report.

After reading this article i feel that it is the best to conduct our studies too. But as usual we have the advantages and the disadvantages. Firstly i shall talk about the advantages of the Finnish way. The classes have students with different abilitues guiding their friends with their knowledge. Moreover students also learn better by teaching their peers in the topics they are weak in. This will also let the classmates to bond better with their peers and have a better understanding. Schools are not just places of study, but also for children to learn how to live and work with others in society. Through this, the students will learn the values. Therefore instead of preparing for an exam every year like in Singapore in Finland it is only one major exam after their 9 years of education.
At the same time there might some disadvantges like the students may not be pushed up to their potential. The teachers helping out the students who are weaker whereas how about the students who good  but they can be better? The class will have to go at the pace of the slow ones, this will only create stress to the slower ones because the studens who are good can understand the topic better so this will make the students who cannot understand to be pressurize. Therefore there should be a banding so that it will allow the differnt students to go in different pace.


Link : http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/learning-life-finnish-way

Insights on Population White Paper

Are Singaporeans prepared for an ageing society come 2050?

Without immigration and at current birth rates. According to the Population White Paper: A Sustainable Population for a Dynamic Singapore, we will have an inverted population structure by 2050. Singapore's citizen age profile will also shift. Whereas today we have relatively few citizens aged 65 and above compared to those below 65, this will change over the years as people live longer and each successive generation decreases in size. Eventually, we will have many more older Singaporeans than younger ones. Today, families generally have a few elderly members with a larger number in the younger generations. By 2030, this family structure is likely to reverse itself with more elderly members than younger ones. By 2050, Singapore will have an inverted population structure with more in the older age groups than the younger age groups (Source: Population White Paper).

 

I feel that this has to stop. Now we have more of the working people and the young people. Just imagine that working people and the young people after 30 years they will be the old citizens and therefore there will be  more of the older people than the younger people. This will affect Singapore economic growth because since there are so few young people and working people, there will be more jobs that cannot be covered and the government has to take care of the healthcare for the elderly people. So this will allow forigen workers to take over Singaporean jobs. To put a fullstop to this we need the government to help out by lowering the cost of living in Singapore so that more of the working people will get married and have more children. Its true that the government are trying differnt ways to help by increasing the materenity leave and also coming up with the paternity leave and also increasing the baby bounus.

1. 

"Ace Your Exams" to provide free tuition for children from lower-income families- Zi Ying

Children from lower-income families will be able to get free tuition, under a project by Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Welfare Services Club and Jurong Point Shopping Centre. The project, called "Ace Your Exams", provides free one-to-one tutoring services for English and Mathematics at upper primary and lower secondary levels.

I feel that this programme is very meaningful as it will be able to help the less fortunate to cope with their studies. They might not be able to understand what the teachers are talking in school and at the same time their parents are not able to send them for tuition lessons as they might not be able to afford the fees. Therefore, this programme will be able to really benefit the less fortunate group of students. 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1261193/1/.html 

Why cyber attacks threaten our freedom- Zi Ying

Cyber security is big news right now. It seems a new high-profile breach is reported almost daily and yet this represents only the very tip of the iceberg. Backed by a highly organized black market worth billions of dollars, cybercrime has grown exponentially in scale and sophistication in recent years. In the face of this mounting threat, government and industry are manning the defences. But finding the right people to protect some of our most valuable data isn't straightforward and requires a new approach.

Cyber bully is becoming more serious. Many people are being bullied on social network as compared to previous years. Victims are attacked just because they posted things that others dislike and this led to them being insulted at. I feel that we should not attack others and even scold them online. This is a childish act and it reflects on themselves. 

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/21/opinion/cyber-threats-stephen-miller/index.html?hpt=hp_c3 

S'pore's top education issues in 2012 by Jennifer

The Ministry of Education tweaked the process for Primary One registration, giving Singaporeans absolute priority over permanent residents. Also in 2012, MOE decided not to name the top student of the Primary School Leaving Examination.In pursuit of its vision of "Every School is a Good School", the ministry has abolished secondary school banding. Only the top 10 per cent of each cohort qualify for the Integrated Programme (IP), many regard these schools as "top schools" in Singapore. To further drive home the point, MOE has committed S$55 million to help schools develop niche areas in the arts or sports. With growing demand for university places, the government has increased full-time places for applied degrees at the Singapore Institute of Technology and SIM University. There were also more educators hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons, with several charged for personal indiscretion. In 2013, MOE is also expected to release a curriculum framework for Mother Tongue for preschools, which observers say could ensure a smoother transition into primary school.

I feel that the Singapore government is doing their best to make the education in Singapore fair whereby there is no corruption among schools of different standard. The Ministry of Education is doing their best to let citizens realise that every school in Singapore is equal and that no school should be compared with another school just by looking at the cut off point of the school. It would be unfair for a school of a low cut off point as people would look down on the school. It is important that every school in Singapore is regarded as equal standard to avoid any unhappiness among residents. 

Link: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1245178/1/.html

NEW ARTICLES FROM MRS TEOH

Check out these articles
China officials caught dyeing grass!!
Gifted or Well Prepared ?
Comparing the Singapore and Finnish education system
Lifelong learning 

S’pore scores low preschool education by BRANDON

A new study by the Economist Intelligence Unit on international early childhood education ranks the nation-state just 29th out of some 45 countries across the globe. Topping the list were Nordic countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway, as well as the U.K. and Belgium, which took the first five spots respectively. Ranked at the bottom five were Asian and Southeast Asian countries including Singapore, coming in 30th out of 45. Aspects affecting quality included student-teacher ratio, average preschool teacher wages, preschool teacher training and linkages between preschool and primary school.

After reading this article, i felt that the government in Singapore have yet to focus on Preschool education. Even up till today, Preschool education for children from ages 3-6, are not even compulsory.  Otherwise, primary education in Singapore, normally starting at age seven, is a four-year foundation stage (Primary 1 to 4) and a two-year orientation stage (Primary 5 to 6), is compulsory under the Compulsory Education Act since 2003. 

Supply teachers face racism. By: Soon Qi Wei

The London Teaching Pool is complaining about inquiries from schools appearing not to want non-white teachers. Managing director Darryl Mydat says such requests are received by his firm several times each term. Head teachers' leader Brian Lightman said such discrimination by schools was "inconceivable".
The owner of another supply teachers' agency said schools might have legitimate concerns about English language skills - and that this might be misinterpreted as racism. But the managing director of another teacher recruitment agency operating in several different parts of England, who did not want to be identified, said that the issues of race and ethnicity could be confused with English language skills. "Language is the issue, not race," he said. I believe that is is a very serious issue as racism is a very bad influence, not only for the other teachers but the children as well. If this continues, the students might grow up with the mentality that racism is correct and discriminations should be held against other races

To read the full article click here!

junk food endorsed by celebrities. By Lim Kay Kiat

Research shows junk food endorsed by celebrities tend to be more popular amongst children. Three advertisements were showed to a group children from ages eight to eleven. Of the three advertisements one had a celebrity which endorsed the product while the other two did not. In the end, the product endorsed by a celebrity was more well received by the children then the other two products which were celebrity-less. Thus health advisers are advising parents to lead by example and allow children to learn to healthier eating from young.
In my opinion i feel this this is a very important finding as many commercials today are celebrity endorsed. Through this study, educators and parents will have a better idea on what to do and how to teach their children to eat more healthily. However i feel that this study could potentially be misused by huge corporations to increase the sales of their products, thus leading to an increase in the number of obese children.
For the Full Article Click Here!

Summer-born affected BY school streaming By Damien Hew

Summary: It is generally known that summer-born children are more apt to do academically worse than september-born children but recent studies shows that streaming plays a part too. Streaming is common across a level and if younger children are placed with lower ability groupings while older children in higher groupings, it can cause the younger children to be de-motivated and less confident. There are arguments that streaming should be modified so that children will be more interested if lessons are pitched at the right level. Otherwise, they might feel fatigued and inattentive if they are not grouped at their right ability.
Link
Opinion: I would agree that streaming in England should be changed as the current streaming is very prejudiced against the summer-born children. It is only right if children of the same age are put together of the same ability rather than having the summer-born to be placed together with the lower-ability groupings.

phones monitoring our health BY BRANDON

Summary: Mobiles phones in the near future may record our personal health well-being. This could reduce the pressure of an ageing society. Besides, health treatment would be more efficient as the doctors role would be more on coaching rather than initial diagnosis. The product is still under progress as people would want something simple and direct. Yet, this may affect the health insurance company. Now that we now our bodies a lot better and lowering the risk of illness, would the insurance company ultimately reward those that have a healthy lifestyle?
Link:
Opinion: Without any doubts in my head, i definitely would want this product to come on sale. This can counter many complications countries are facing - now that we have an ageing population due to the 1960 baby boom. The product can monitor their health and thus reduces any risk of prolonged illness. Also, it can be helpful in countries such as Nepal and other undeveloped countries. Accessibility of health treatment can be more adequate and efficient. Daily health problems such as cough and flu can be well managed with this new product. Some may say that there is an element of suspicion when come to handling with this product but as long as one starts to be more accustomed to it, there will be more trust to both the person and the merchandise.

Poor sleep linked to heart failure says Norwegian study. By: Soon Qi Wei

Scientists found those who suffered several nights of poor sleep were more likely to develop the condition, in which the heart fails to pump properly. Experts say further research is needed to see if a lack of sleep causes heart failure or the link is more complex. Scientists at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at more than 50,000 people aged between 20 and 89. At the beginning of the study, none of them were known to have heart failure. In this condition the muscles of the heart are often too out of shape to do their job properly - they may be too weak or too stiff to pump blood around the body at the right pressure. I believe that this is a very important discovery as this can lead to one of the ways to prevent heart failure. As there is no cure the most important thing to do now is to prevent it from actually happening in the first place.

To read the full article click here!

HIV Cure in time to come?

A baby girl has been "functionally cured" of HIV in the US. The difference it will make to her life could be huge - avoiding a lifetime of medication, social stigma and worries about whether to tell friends and family. Even in the UK, where at-risk groups are offered free regular testing - one in four people with HIV is unaware they have the virus. By the time they find out, it will be fully established - hiding away in reservoirs in the immune system that no therapy around can touch.It is also unclear how a newborn's immune system, babies still get much of their protection from their mother through breast milk, may affect treatment.

After reading this news, i feel that in time to come, the cure for the HIV virus would soon come and enable the lives of people to be more enjoyable. It first emerged in Africa in the early 20th Century and became a global health problem by the 1980s. In the early days, there was no treatment, never mind talk of a cure. The virus claimed the lives of more than 25 million people in the past three decades, according to the World Health Organization. Therefore, the cure for this "wicked" virus would definately be appreciated by people all around the world and this latest experiment on the baby is trully something that would help our scientist achieve greater heights in the future and know that nothing is impossible.

Continue reading the main It is also unclear how a newborn's immune system, babies still get much of their protection from their mother through breast milk, may affect treatment.

If we fail our children, we fail our future BY DAMIEN HEW

Summary: Should teenagers ever be caught for delinquency, should the severest justice be the best policy in this context or whether to take the necessary precaution to respond to it? Changing a child's mindset is easier than repairing an adult. Parents are the crucial role in prevention but in today's society, entertainment, peers and the environment matter and therefore it is a difficult job for the parent to govern their children. Government interference is essential but also insufficient enough to make the child see sense. Getting rough on children is not only ignorant but also dangerous. Yet, could we blame our children for everything when they go astray? With a trend in entertainment and violent gaming on the rise, it is still yet unclear who to critisize.

Link

Opinion: Internet, gaming industry, entertainment has inevitably changed children in one way or another. There does not seem to be any solution to this ever growing dispute over which ' should teenagers be punished over teenage delinquency'; there are just too many factors to be accounted for. Unless parents have an open and close relationship with their children or keep a tight reign on their schedule, they are not able to assert and oversee their actions. Besides, teenagers are at a stage where they are enjoying their new found freedom thus make it even more impossible for parents to keep a close watch over them. However, in the period before children hit the teenagers period, there is time for parents to educate their children to teach the proper moral values critical for their growth development. I thereby conclude that both parents and children have a responsiblity to take if teenagers were caught for any delinquency.

Police benefits from social media. By: Soon Qi Wei

It is found out that in many countries, police work in general and specific incidents are discussed in the social media sites by the people with the police. Examples include interviews and investigation amongst the people through facebook and twitter. The police are also using these sites to reach out to their young, taking advantage of the popularity of social media sites nowadays to interview the yonger generation. I believe that this is a very smart choice for the police forces as they are using the social media and networking craze among the people to help in their investigations. By doing so, time is saved as people can be interviewed at very fast rates through chats. Therefore, i think that the police should continue using these innovative ideas to boost their work rate and their understanding in certain cases.
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Teens tagged for life in social media posts. By Lim Kay Kiat

More companies are going online to search for future employee's backgrounds before hiring them. Governments encourage teens to display proper social media etiquette as this posts online will be with them for a life time. Schools will be educated on the dangers of sexting and the dangers of social media. Experts advise teens to use the internet with care too.

I strongly agree with what this news article has stated. I personally feel that our inappropriate actions on the internet today might make our future employers think twice before hiring us. We may think that what we post on the internet is our property and that others will not be able to see it. However this is not true as today social media has made the world a smaller and more transparent place. On the internet there is no such thing as privacy. Even top secret documents belonging to government agencies have been stolen, not to say your privacy. Hackers nowadays are getting better and better at hacking into data bases; thus we should always be very careful on what we post on the internet.

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s leadocial-media etiquette

social-media etiquette

social-media etiquette

social-media etiquette

social-media etiquette

Baillieu Government'

Baillieu Government'

Baillieu Government's

Baillieu Government's

Parenting style linked to teenage delinquency rates. By Lim Kay Kiat

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Studies show that parents who supervise children closely, but allow children to negotiate with them are more likely to avoid problem teens. Trusting a teen is essential in avoiding conflicts; however, it is important to be firm. Controlling and trying to make a teen grow up the way a parent wants them to often leads to problem teens. Research shows that it is from the age of 12 to 13 that teens begin smoking or consumption of drugs. Furthermore, teens who have been victims of crimes are also more likely to commit crimes. Impulsive and unsociable teens have a greater risk of becoming problem teens and boys are more prone to delinquency than girls.

I Strongly agree with this article as i believe it is important for parents to trust their children to do the right things. I feel that teens will be more likely to make the right decisions when parents believe that their child can make the right decisions. Furthermore, parents who try to force children to follow what they say often become rebellious kids who try to go against everything their parents say. In conclusion i believe that parents should give their children space to learn things on their own and give them the chance to experience some hardship. Only then will their child will grow up to be successful, as these children will not give up in the face of hardship and will also be less likely to succumb to temptations.

LINK FOR NEXT WK (22-24 FEB) BLOG

Here's the link reading for next week's blog : Gifted or well prepared ? NY TIMES.
from Mdm Teoh

Importance of Celebrating Tradition ( Chinese New Year) by Brandon

Chinese New Year's Eve.....the very last day of the year of the Dragon. Chinese families all around the world would be busy preparing for the new year. Be it doing cleaning the house, cooking dishes for the reunion dinner or preparing red packets for the very next day; everyone would surely be busy doing something to prepare for the year of the Snake. As the clock struck twelve, people around the world would rejoice and celebrate the arrival of the new year.

  In the morning of the first day of the Chinese lunar calender, families would start practicing old family traditions: visiting the home of their relatives. Presenting two mandarin oranges as symbols of abundance and good fortune to the owners of the house they are visiting, the married would also give single unmarried people, especially to children red packets as a form of monetary gift, symbolizing good luck and prosperity.

  In my opinion, i think it is necessary for a particular race, in this case Chinese, to maintain and continue to celebrate, practice traditions as it would enable us to remember and think of our ancestors. Indirectly, it would also enable relatives and friends to bond as the special occasion comes, creating a closer bond with them. A way to do so is having reunion dinners with your families on new years eve, which enables people to interact with one another.

The Importance of Holiday Traditions. By Lim Kay Kiat

Traditions are just like the pillars of our society and homes. However, lesser and lesser families are now practicing traditions. This could be because they have not felt the joy of practicing such traditions, or because senior members of the family have passed away and no one is interested in carrying on these traditions. Christmas for example, is a time where families get together to bond and to catch up with each other. They build the foundations of a family and help greatly in the tough transitions in life.

In my opinion, I feel that it is important we preserve and continue celebrating our traditions as they remind us of our roots and the many stories that have been passed down by our ancestors. Traditions bring a family together and encourage bonding in a family. The practice of having a meal with our family on Chinese New Year Eve creates a strong sense of belonging to the family as everyone is enjoying themselves in the festive spirit. Furthermore, it is important we know who we are and where we come from and the best way to do so is by celebrating our traditions and passing them on to the next generation.

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