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NUS, my first university, is ranked 1st in Asia! 25th in the world!
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21 June 2016
JUST IN: NUS, NTU claim top two spots in Asian university rankings http://bit.ly/28JiRLQ
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SINGAPORE — Two Singaporean universities, the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), clinched the top two spots in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2016 released on Tuesday (June 21).
NUS emerged number one in Asia, while NTU was ranked in second place jointly with China’s Peking University. This is the first time in four years that two Singaporean universities have topped the list. The ranking included 200 universities across 22 countries, up from 14 last year.
Mr Phil Baty, rankings editor at Times Higher Education magazine, pointed out that the results were “even more impressive” given that NUS had entered the top 25 in the traditional World University Rankings for the first time last year, while NTU rose more than 100 places in the same list in four years.
“Singapore’s rankings success follows substantial and sustained higher education funding from the Government … and focused strategies to attract top international scholars on behalf of universities,” he said. “This ranking cements Singapore as a prime case study of how to challenge elite Western institutions and become a rising university star.”
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5 January 2016
More than half of Singapore Sports School’s first IB cohort score at least 40 out of 45
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SINGAPORE – Athletes from the Singapore Sports School (SSP) are not only winningmedals but also scoring in their studies.
More than half of the school’s first batch of International Baccalaureate (IB) graduates – 13 out of 19 – attained at least 40 points out of a maximum of 45.
Its cohort of student-athletes achieved a 100 per cent pass rate, slightly higher than the national pass rate of 98 per cent.
SSP principal Tan Teck Hock said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 6) that the school is delighted with the results.
“Our student-athletes and teachers worked very hard to deliver on our promise that, at the Sports School, it is possible to combine regular sport training and academic studies, and achieve quality results,” he said.
Unlike mainstream schools, the SSP, which had its first intake in 2004, allows for the academic curriculum to be tailored around a student-athlete’s training.
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Singapore Sports School is a Specialised Independent School under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY). It is the only school in Singapore that offers select youths an integrated academic and sports programme in a world-class environment and offers scholarships to the best athletes. It was officially opened on 2 April 2004 by Mr Goh Chok Tong, Singapore’s second Prime Minister.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Sports_School
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4 January 2016
97.7% pass IB diploma exams in Singapore, with 48 attaining perfect scores
How did the countries with the most candidates in the Nov 2015 IB exams fare? http://bit.ly/1RYAB6e
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The average total points score in Singapore was 38.5, compared to the global average of 30.98. A total of 81 students worldwide got perfect scores. The results will be released “in the coming days”, says the International Baccalaureate foundation.
Posted 04 Jan 2016 09:09
SINGAPORE: Of the 1,640 students who took the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma examinations in Singapore in November 2015, 97.7 per cent passed, with 48 scoring the maximum possible 45 points, according to the IB foundation.
Students will receive their results “over the coming days”, said the IB.
For the whole of 2015, more than 580,780 examination papers were processed in 79 languages, making it the largest number of exams conducted at the IB since the introduction of the Diploma Programme in 1968.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/97-7-pass-ib-diploma/2396188.html?cid=twtcna
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15 December 2015
Stunning undergrads show off their toned physiques at the SIM-UOL SRC pageant beach photoshoot
The gorgeous contestants of the SIM-UOL SRC Pageant showed off their toned physiques and charming personalities in their recent beach photoshoot.
The contestants’ looked amazing in beachwear provided by The Swim Clan and Havaianas and amazing photos taken at Hard Rock Hotel at Resorts World Sentosa provided the perfect backdrop for the stunning babes and hunks.
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9 December 2015
IT IS NOT CHEAP TO STUDY IN SINGAPORE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A FOREIGNER (READ: MALAYSIAN).
Polytechnics, ITEs to raise school fees for new students
The fee hike will apply to those entering polytechnics and the Institutes of Technical Education in the 2016 academic year.
- Posted 09 Dec 2015 09:28
How much will tuition fees for polytechnic and ITE students increase next year? http://bit.ly/1IT5fWz
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SINGAPORE: Students entering polytechnics next year will have to pay at least S$100 more in annual tuition fees, while those entering the Institutes of Technical Education (ITEs) will pay S$10 more.
The new fees, which have been posted on the schools’ websites, will apply to those enrolling in the 2016 academic year.
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The fees exclude other costs such as supplementary and examination fees.
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Even after the increases, the Government continues to heavily subsidise the cost of polytechnic and ITE education. A wide range of financial assistance schemes – bursaries, loans and work-study schemes – is also available to students, the spokesperson said.
“MOE, together with the institutions, will also ensure that financial assistance is available to students and that no deserving student is denied a polytechnic or ITE education due to financial difficulties,” she added.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/polytechnics-ites-to/2331332.html
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Singapore methods help UK pupils improve maths skills http://tdy.sg/1LoBPRW
SINGAPORE — By learning mathematics under the same approach used in Singapore, pupils in England fared better in the subject, a study has found.
Assessing the performance of more than 10,000 pupils in England who, for a year, were taught the subject using methods similar to those adopted by Singapore schools, researchers found that the students had made progress equivalent to that after undergoing an additional month of classes.
These students were from 90 English primary schools and 50 secondary schools, aged between five and six, or 11 and 12. They were part of two field experiments designed to estimate the causal effect of being exposed to the Singapore-inspired Mathematics Mastery approach of teaching for one year.
According to the study’s authors, University of London’s John Jerrim and Cambridge’s Anna Vignoles, the essence of the approach lies in the coverage of fewer topics but in greater depth. Every child is also expected to attain a certain proficiency before the class progresses to the next part of the syllabus.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-methods-help-uk-pupils-improve-maths-skills
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Singapore’s education system has come out top in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) biggest global school rankings to date.
Top 5 countries in the ranking are from Asia. No, it doesn’t include Malaysia.
Singapore tops OECD’s global education ranking http://tdy.sg/1zYik1v
SINGAPORE — Singapore’s education system has come out top in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) biggest global school rankings to date, reported the BBC today (May 13).
The Republic was placed ahead of Hong Kong and South Korea, which ranked second and third place respectively. Japan and Taiwan were both ranked fourth. Vietnam was the next highest ranked Asian country at 12th place, ahead of Germany and Australia. The United Kingdom was ranked 20th, while the United States was ranked 28th.
The study’s findings, based on maths and science scores of 15-year-olds, will only be formally presented at the World Education Forum in South Korea next week, reported the BBC. The OECD examined 76 countries for the study, 11 more than the last PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) test it conducted in 2012.
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TOP 10 COUNTRIES RANKED ON MATHS AND SCIENCE
1. Singapore
2. Hong Kong
3. South Korea
4. Japan (joint)
4. Taiwan (joint)
6. Finland7. Estonia
8. Switzerland
9. Netherlands
10. Canada
Source: BBC
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-tops-oecds-global-education-ranking?page=1
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ONLY IN SINGAPORE?
Kids have “too much work” so parents hire tutors to do it — for a price you won’t believe http://goo.gl/DpGude
The New Paper,
Monday, Apr 13, 2015
Some parents are paying up to $250 an hour for a tutor to come to their homes. It is not for tuition lessons. Instead, it is for the tutors to do their children’s homework. For these parents, it is something that cannot be helped, they say.
Their children are inundated with so much tuition, co-curricular activities and school assignments that they are struggling to cope. Some tutors are even hired to complete primary school-level homework set by elite tuition centres.
Think of these tutors as homework elves. While the children sleep, these teachers do the assignments that need to be handed up the next day. The rates are usually $200 an hour if the tutor travels to the child’s home before midnight, and $250 if it is later.
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Housewife Wendy Zeng, 40, feels that her 15-year-old daughter’s assignments “serve no purpose”. When quizzed, she names project-based work that has no direct relevance to the subjects her daughter is studying, for instance a project on volunteerism, where the students had to dissect the pros and cons of being a volunteer.
“But they still have to hand in their homework. I prefer to get her to focus on what is more important. It is not like her grades have dropped or anything.” Madam Zeng spends about $800 a month on such services by tutors. It is a lot to fork out, but it seems the high fees do not deter parents.
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Letter to parents: Here’s what you should be doing instead of stressing your kid out http://bit.ly/1wLxoYe
A Facebook user’s advice may come in useful for all parents in Singapore.
Jalynn Jcchampionscreator’s post that was put up on the PSLE Parents – 2015 Facebook group has been shared over 1,000 times.
She wrote: “Parents, if you are feeling stressed or even frustrated and unhappy… may i advise you this: please be mindful of what you are doing and saying to your younger ones every single day.”
She said that as an educator for nearly 20 years, she has heard pupils constantly sharing with her their high level of stress faced not only in school, but at home.
She has this to say to parents: “Love your children as much as you can but stop seeing yourself as the authoritative figure, trying to control their lives.
“Guide them well, step by step… commune with them as good friends do… be there always no matter what kind of results they get… The roads are theirs… you cannot dictate them to walk the paths you want them to… even though you may think yours are better ways…”
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More universities training students in ‘soft skills’
Universities in Singapore upgrade their curriculum to pay more attention to soft skills http://cna.asia/1wWv861
SINGAPORE: In a globalised environment, soft skills – such as ambition and the willingness to learn – may be the distinguishing factor between candidates when it come to hiring. With Singapore being an open economy, such skills have become even more critical for the local workforce.
Tertiary institutions in Singapore are paying attention, with universities are upgrading their curriculum in response to market needs. The Singapore Management University (SMU) has tweaked its Finishing Touch Programme to become a series of workshops for students. Meanwhile, the National University of Singapore (NUS) introduced new modules in 2012, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) established its Margaret Lien Centre for Professional Success last year.
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Associate Professor Susanna Leong, vice-dean of graduate studies at NUS Business School, said that curriculum involving soft skills is regularly revised and updated: “We constantly review our programme, enhance our curriculum to help our students meet industry needs.
“For example, in the NUS MBA programme we have launched the management communication module, and it is a compulsory module for all full-time and part-time students. This is a module that goes beyond merely presentations and speaking skills, it also covers important topics such as leadership influence.”
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/more-universities/1520556.html?cid=TWTCNA
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Kate Mayberry Astonishing amount spent on tuition in #Singapore each year. Some tutors are millionaires. #Education
Top story in today’s ST: Singapore‘s tuition industry is now worth more than a billion dollars
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The Real Singapore
TUITION IN SINGAPORE IS NOW A BILLION-DOLLAR INDUSTRY
From ‘$1 billion spent on tuition in 1 year’, 9 Nov 2014, article by Theresa Tan, Sunday Times
Singapore’s tuition industry is now worth more than a billion dollars. The latest Household Expenditure Survey found that families spent $1.1 billion a year on tuition – almost double the $650 million spent a decade ago and a third more than the $820 million spent just five years ago.
The Department of Statistics, which polled more than 11,000 households between October 2012 and September last year, released the latest survey in September. The average household spending on tuition rose from $54.70 a month 10 years ago, to $79.90 in the latest survey.
The department told The Sunday Times that along with spending more, there were also more households in the latest study – 1.2 million compared with 993,000 a decade ago.
Some parents are known to pump in almost $6K a month on tuition for their kids. That’s more than what the average household spends on food ($1188/mth), transport($811), clothes/shoes ( $156) and recreation, including holidays, ($292) COMBINED in 2012-2013 (12 interesting trends about Singapore household income and spending, Sep 18, 2014, ST). Now a billion dollar industry that has naturally spawned copycats and scammers, this amount speaks volumes about how tuition has taken precedence even over some of the bare necessities of life for some Singaporeans. We are no longer just a Tuition Nation. We are tuition JUNKIES.
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Poser: Should gifted pupils go for tuition? http://goo.gl/k9U8bo
The rising trend of pupils in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) attending supplementary lessons outside of school has sparked a new debate on the 30-year-old programme.
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The rising trend of pupils in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) attending supplementary lessons outside of school has sparked a new debate on the 30-year-old programme.
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