Oops... found my account :celebrate:
Latest posts made by Daddy D
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RE: Cedar Girls Secondary School
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RE: Cedar Girls Secondary School
syen27:
Should be the LMS url under the student’s tab.Hi,
May I check what is the URL for the ONE Cedar Portal? I can't seem to find the icon on the parents page.
Select login as parent.
There is a parent’s guide showing the login details.
FYI, SA1 schedule is out. -
RE: Cedar Girls Secondary School
I just asked my DD for the slip to activate her school email... :faint:
Should be https://accounts.google.com
There’s space for the default password.
Just change password after activate.
For laptop, it was mentioned at the registration briefing.
Basic specs with MS Office.
If you already have a laptop at home, just use that.
Heard they need to bring laptop to school this week. -
RE: Cedar Girls Secondary School
Dropping in to say hi to Sec1 parents.
A big jump from Pri sch, I must say.
Long days... after school activities... homework...
My DD says her class WhatsApp group is full of panicking classmates, including herself.
I am trying not to panic with her. :faint:
All the best to us all.
:rahrah: -
RE: The Big Caning Poll
Good post for below.
Gentle reminder on how we parents should manage caning.
:goodpost:Bovul:
Just to add my two cents worth after reading through the previous posts.
The first thing to remember is every child is different. A style that works on one child may not work on another. There are, however, certain rules that can be applied to every child.
There must be a balance of positive and negative reinforcement. Praising your child for correct actions will encourage them to go the right way while punishing them for wrong actions will deter them from repeating the said action again. Remember that children are learning the rules of the world as they grow up and will constantly 'test water'. It is important to send the right message to them when they do. One of the earlier posts mentioned a child who was constantly caned but still grew up to be a delinquent. This was likely due to an over application of negative reinforcement. Our minister called the current generation 'strawberries', all created by an over application of positive reinforcement.
The ultimate goal of disciplining the child is not to vent our anger but to steer them to the right path. That means that by the end of the punishment, the child must understand:
#1 - That he is wrong and WHY he is wrong
#2 - There are consequences for his actions
#3 - There is an acceptable alternative to his actions
#4 - He will be forgiven if he follows the rules
#5 - Develop the ability to use his moral compass
#1 means that caning your child without explanation will not work. For example, how often have we explained to children WHY exactly it is bad for them to overplay their computer games? Tons of people around the world play on their computers for hours at a time without visible side effects and your child knows it. This is when we could explain priorities such as homework and chores need to be completed first or we could show them real world articles of how over-gaming has negatively affected people, even leading to death. You will be surprised that some children do not realize why stealing and bullying others is bad until you ask them how they would feel if the tables were turned. As a teacher, I always ask my students why I was punishing them and 90% of the time the answer would be a variation of \"Because you are angry with me\". I would then follow up with a proper explanation of why their action was wrong and the consequences of it. Eg. You could have burnt yourself by playing with fire. or How would you feel if another person did that to you? This step is key because the child needs to realize the action is wrong and he shouldn't do it when you aren't looking.
#2 means that there has to be some form of deterrent. Consider this: If a child is caught shoplifting, and his punishment is to say sorry and return the item, what would the child have learnt? I have seen students who reasoned it as such. Possibility A: I get caught, I return the item, fake an apology, and no harm no foul. Possibility B: I don't get caught, I got myself something free. Combined together, it means its a no-loss situation and I should continue with the action. And now some of you are thinking that there is no way a child would be capable of such high level reasoning. Sorry to disappoint, but remember what I said earlier about testing water. The children are learning social norms EVERY DAY by using this logic pattern, even if they aren't aware of it themselves. Is the action worth the cost? I am in no-way endorsing what happened during WWII, but the fact is when the Japanese enforced the penalty of death for every little thing, the crime rate dropped because the crimes were no longer worth the penalty (except in the case of starving people who would have died anyway, but I'm digressing). Another parent said that all they do is just counsel the child. But remember that the child may already know the action is wrong and intentionally chose to take it anyway. Counselling (discussed in #1) only lets the child know why their actions are wrong. It doesn't deter them from choosing the 'dark side'. Eg. I know that drawing on the wall would mean the maid would have to painstakingly clean it later. I, however, lose nothing by doing this so I do it anyway. Taking away privileges is one way to show the children you mean business. Another is Judge Judy style of punishment should match the crime. Child vandalized the wall? Make him clean it. Child stole something? Make him work it off.
#3 - So now your child knows which path he shouldn't take, it doesn't necessarily mean he knows which path is right. Imagine you knock on the wrong door, are embarrassed because you disturbed a complete stranger and know you shouldn't knock on that door again but you STILL don't know which is your friend's house. That's how your child feels if you skip #3. Eg. We punish him for stealing, but the fact remains he wanted the item. Discuss with your child what other possible actions are available. Eg. Could he go to you and ask you for money? My own mum gave me 'jobs' around the house to do to earn the cash or showed me how to save my pocket money for it. Don't leave your child confused as they likely chose that action for lack of other options.
#4 - Sun Tzu said this. If you corner an enemy, leave a way out. A cornered mouse with only one option will fight with all its power against the cat. I'm not saying your child is the enemy but do remember not to make him feel as such. Praise him for good actions. Encourage his efforts to do the right thing. Sometimes, as adults, we may take certain actions for granted when we should. Does your child help his younger sibling or with chores around the house? Too often we rely on punishments and forget that this will alienate your child. Put yourself in the child's shoes. Normal society constantly punishes you and makes you feel horrible about yourself, where as gangsters and other ah bengs welcome and accept you. Which side would you choose? Another important point here is that we have to explicitly make it known to the child they are forgiven. Make sure they are aware the door is always open for them.
#5 - Remember life is filled with grey areas and your child will need to make decisions that no one has prepared him for. Avoid always spoon-feeding the correct answers and let them speculate once in a while. That is why in #3 I used the word 'discuss'. Ask your child what the right alternatives are. Let them practice reasoning out how their actions could have hurt themselves or others and what alternative solutions are possible. It is impossible for us to tell them whether every action they do is right or wrong and it is important for them to have the ability to discern by themselves.
So back to the question on whether to cane or not. I would say it depends on the situation, your understanding of your own child, and what message you want to send. My vote goes to 'cane' because I view 'the rod' as metaphorical for punishment. -
RE: 8 Junior Colleges are Merging? Rumors or Reality?
A more recent 2017 article.
Will having lesser local graduates stop this global trend of increasing graduates? I'm afraid not.
I hope we don't find overseas Chinese graduates coming to steal our lunches.
Instead, I hope to see Singapore graduates (local or overseas) with the right skills to go out and \"steal other people’s lunches.\" (PM Lee)
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/04/higher-education-in-china-has-boomed-in-the-last-decade
[quoted from article]
China now produces twice as many graduates a year as the US
A record-breaking 8m students will graduate from Chinese universities in 2017. This figure is nearly ten times higher than it was in 1997 and is more than double the number of students who will graduate this year in the US.
Underemployment
In 2013, Chinese citizens started blogging about the “hardest job hunting season in history” – and each year it seems to get harder for Chinese graduates. In 2017 there will be 1m more new graduates than there were in 2013. And yet, the graduate unemployment rate has remained relatively stable – according to MyCOS Research Institute, only 8% of students who graduated in 2015 were unemployed six months after graduating.
But if you delve a little deeper it’s clear that unemployment rates mask the more subtle issue of “underemployment”. While most graduates eventually find work, too many end up in part-time, low-paid jobs.
Wrong types of skills
Despite the rapid increase in the number of university graduates, Chinese companies complain of not being able to find the high-skilled graduates they need. The main deficit is in so-called “soft skills” such as strong communication, analytical and managerial skills. According to research by McKinsey, there is a short supply of graduates with these assets.
Two types of graduates
It seems then that the problem is not the rising number of students attending university, but that there is a mismatch between the skill composition of graduates and the skills employers need.
Demand for graduates with technical or quantitative skills has in fact risen faster than supply, resulting in attractive employment opportunities for graduates with these skills.
But for the rest, their education leaves them badly prepared for the jobs that are available. Until this changes, the polarisation in the graduate job market is likely to continue. -
RE: 8 Junior Colleges are Merging? Rumors or Reality?
Year 2015 article, what has changed since then?
Lesser JCs, lesser chances of entry to local university, lesser local graduates.
But many parents will still continue to pay extra $$ for tuitions or overseas degrees.
Whether our kids belong to the 30% local graduates or the 70% who are not, it is not up to the policy makers to decide their future path.
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/singapore-wants-kids-skip-university-good-luck?page=1
[quoted from article]
Singapore wants kids to skip university: Good luck with that
Singapore’s Tiger mums are becoming a headache for Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is trying to persuade the population that they don’t need to go to university to have a good career. After a clampdown on immigration and a slowdown in the economy, he needs fewer graduates and more workers to fill the shipyards, factory floors and hotel desks that keep the country going.
There is a clear international trend in the developed world to make vocational education a true choice for more young people,” said Professor Pasi Sahlberg, a visiting professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Yet, many still see it as a “secondary choice”, especially in Asia, where parents tend to believe that “higher education would be the only key to prosperity and success”.
Singapore already has a system that sorts children into different subject-based bands at school after testing starting at age 10. They’re later placed into junior colleges or technical institutes based on exams at 16 or 17. Those going to junior college have a higher chance of entry into a local university.
“We can’t become a Germany, but what we can do is adapt some of the very strong points for certain sectors and certain types of skills,” Mr S Iswaran, second minister for trade, said in an interview on Feb 24. (earn-and-learn program)
Persuading Singaporeans to go down the same route will be an uphill task after decades of extolling the importance of education. Singapore households spent S$1.1 billion on tutors outside school in the year ended September 2013, according to the most-recent survey by the statistics department.
Many Singaporeans who don’t get into a local college go abroad. Four in 10 graduates in the resident labour force last year got their degrees overseas.
“The government shouldn’t tell people not to go to university unless they can promise the same job opportunities as graduates,” said Mr Kenneth Chen, 26, whose parents spent more than S$170,000 on a sports science degree in Brisbane, Australia, after he graduated with a biotechnology diploma in Singapore. “But obviously that’s not going to happen.” BLOOMBERG -
RE: 8 Junior Colleges are Merging? Rumors or Reality?
Don't care 3, 7 , 21...
:imcool:http://mothership.sg/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/LKY-majulah-singapura-3.jpg\">
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RE: 8 Junior Colleges are Merging? Rumors or Reality?
No wonder they say Internet is serious business.
You all should chill a bit. -
RE: 8 Junior Colleges are Merging? Rumors or Reality?
Our minister should walk the talk and close/merge most of the foreign/private/affiliated Universities.
Why do we have so many of them?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_and_colleges_in_Singapore