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.

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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.

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"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

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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.
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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?
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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.

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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.