PHOTO: SMRT staff caught drinking inside train

A commuter spotted a SMRT staff drinking inside the train and wondered why passengers are not allowed to do so.

Photo by Mark Chua:

Please help to look for Mr Brown’s daughter at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station

Prominent Singapore blogger Lee Kin Mun, better known as ‘Mr Brown’ just lost his daughter Faith at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station minutes ago.

In his latest tweet, Mr Brown urged members of the public to take her to the control station if they see her:

Below is a photo of Faith:

Dr Tan Cheng Bock: I can understand Low Thia Kiang’s ‘outburst’ on the mainstream media

Former PAP MP and presidential candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock has lent his support to WP Chief Low Thia Kiang’s ongoing battle with the Singapore media.

Mr Low had earlier criticized the mainstream media for being used as a ‘tool’ to smear his party and candidate during the campaign for the Hougang by-election, a charge which was fiercely denied by SPH journalists.

In a post on his Facebook yesterday, Dr Tan wrote he can understand Mr Low’s ‘outburst’ as he shared similar experience as him during his presidential campaign last year:

“I can understand Low Thia Khiang’s outburst on the main press media for not being fair to the opposition because my team too felt the coverage of my Presidential election was also biased towards the government choice candidate.”

Dr Tan added that he decided to win support through the new media instead as result:

“There is nothing that those who opt to differ can do anything about what the main media writes. So l decided to win support through the alternative media. It was an uphill task for me but l had to do it because I believed in my cause.”

Dr Tan lost narrowly in the election to eventual winner Dr Tony Tan by only 0.34 percent of the votes. Had the mainstream media been more fair and balanced, the result might be different.

 

Enquiry to MOE on why certain polytechnic courses are not open to ITE students

Enquiry to MOE:

I have a question/suggestion that I would like to make regarding why some of the courses in polytechnic are not eligible for ITE students. It seems that ITE students are only allow taking those courses prior to what they have studied back in their ITE.

We could have given a chance to enroll a different course but all the courses are only eligible for O level holders. Since that O level holders have just graduated from their secondary schools, they will also be totally new/fresh with diploma education; they have no knowledge about IT, engineering, psychology and etc as compare to ITE education system.

Why are all courses not open for enrollment to ITE students, when their good grades are eligible for them to enroll into respective polytechnic? How can we be fair to the ITE students? Perhaps, MOE could allow ITE students to switch to a completely different course within their interest whereby they have finished their Higher Nitec and not just post a constraint to choose courses prior to what they have studied back in ITE . I appreciate your time spent to read my point of views and suggestion.

TAN KAH KIAT

Replied from MOE:

2. A NITEC or Higher NITEC qualification is higher and more specialised than an O’level qualification. Hence, applicants seeking a polytechnic education who do not meet the Minimum Entry Requirements (MER) for admission into a polytechnic course may first obtain a Higher NITEC or NITEC from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), if they meet the MER for the latter. Upon obtaining a Higher NITEC or NITEC, eligibility to be considered for admission into a polytechnic course would depend on the relevance of the ITE qualification to the course, and subject to the applicants meeting the minimum Grade Point Average entry requirement. This helps to ensure that applicants have the sufficient foundation to cope with the rigour of the polytechnic course.

3. Similarly, not all O’ level applicants are eligible to be considered for all polytechnic courses. The courses applicants are eligible to be considered for would depend on the subjects for which they sat for the O’levels. Applicants who wish to gain admission into any polytechnic course must also meet the MER for the course. The MER for O’level applicants include their ELR2B2 scores, that is, the minimum grades for English, two relevant subjects for the course applied for, and best two other subjects excluding CCA. This also ensures that applicants have sufficient academic foundation to cope with the rigour of the course.

4. Nevertheless, we note your feedback and suggestion.

CNA: Time to promote ‘integration’ programmes with foreigners at workplace too

With more than one third of Singapore’s workforce made up of foreigners, it is time to promote and expand integration programmes at workplaces to integrate locals with them, declared state-run Channel News Asia.

Some industries are advocating structured HR policies to promote cross-cultural awareness and understanding between native Singaporeans and foreigners who form the majority in some companies.

In Standard Chartered Bank where a quarter of the staff are foreigners (excluding PRs), workplace integration programmes range from three days paid leave for staff to participate in community projects, to encouraging cross-cultural exchanges.

Among the programmes are an online cultural awareness training resource which helps employees learn not only about their own cultural perspective, but also other cultures, and an International Dress Day for staff.

While large companies like Standard Chartered Bank have the resources to promote ‘integration’ between Singaporeans and foreigners, small and medium enterprises which also employed many foreigners do not have the means to do so.

Experts interviewed by CNA said it is critical for such sectors to seriously think about implementing workplaces integration policies with more foreigners flocking to find work in Singapore.