Mental health

[LITTLEREDDOT]

China bars for-profit tutoring in core school subjects​

Aim is to reduce burden on family finances, students; news sparks sell-off in shares of tutoring firms​

Students leaving a school in Wuhan after finishing the National College Entrance Examination last month. China's for-profit education sector has been under scrutiny as part of Beijing's push to ease pressure on school children and reduce a cost burden on parents that has contributed to a drop in birth rates.PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

JUL 25, 2021

SHANGHAI • China is barring tutoring for profit in core school subjects to ease financial pressures on families that have contributed to low birth rates, news that sent shock waves through its vast private education sector and share prices plunging.
The policy change, which also restricts foreign investment in a sector that had become essential to success in Chinese school exams, was contained in a government document widely circulated on Friday. The news was confirmed by Xinhua news agency yesterday, citing a State Council notice.
The move threatens to decimate China's US$120 billion (S$163 billion) private tutoring industry and triggered a heavy sell-off in shares of tutoring firms traded in Hong Kong and New York, including New Oriental Education and Technology Group and Koolearn Technology Holding.
All institutions offering tutoring on the school curriculum will be registered as non-profit organisations, and no new licences will be granted, according to the document, which says it was distributed by China's State Council, or Cabinet, to local governments and is dated July 19.
More than 75 per cent of students aged from around six to 18 in China attended after-school tutoring classes in 2016, according to the most recent figures from the Chinese Society of Education, and anecdotal evidence suggests that percentage has risen.
China International Capital Corp said the rules are "tougher than market expectations, and we expect material impact on future business and capital market activities".

The pressure for children to succeed in an increasingly competitive society has given rise to the term Jiwa, or "chicken baby", which refers to children pumped with extra-curricular classes and energy-boosting "chicken blood" by anxious parents.
Existing online tutoring firms will be subject to extra scrutiny and after-school tutoring will be prohibited during weekends, public holidays and school vacations, the document said.
Curriculum-based tutoring institutions would be barred from raising money through listings or other capital-related activities, while listed companies would be banned from investing in such institutions, according to the document.
China's for-profit education sector has been under scrutiny as part of Beijing's push to ease pressure on school children and reduce a cost burden on parents that has contributed to a drop in birth rates. In May, China said it would allow couples to have up to three children, from two previously.

The policy aims to reduce burdens on students and family finances "effectively" within one year and "significantly" within three, the document said.

• > 75%​

  Proportion of students aged from around six to 18 in China who attended after-school tutoring classes in 2016, according to the most recent figures from the Chinese Society of Education, and anecdotal evidence suggests that percentage has risen.

The move threatens to decimate China's US$120 billion (S$163 billion) private tutoring industry and triggered a heavy sell-off in shares of tutoring firms traded in Hong Kong and New York.
Three sources told Reuters last month that the crackdown is being driven from the top. Last month, Xinhua quoted President Xi Jinping as saying schools, rather than tutoring firms, should be responsible for student learning.
The new policy would also bar foreign investors from investing in China's curriculum-based tutoring businesses through mergers and acquisitions, franchises, or variable interest entity (VIE) arrangements, according to the document.
VIEs are a commonly used structure to circumvent rules restricting foreign investment in certain industries. Those that have already violated the rules must make corrective measures, it added.
The policy change slammed US-listed Chinese Internet stocks, with Alibaba and Baidu each down about 4 per cent as investors worried about increased regulation by China's government.
The rules threaten the listing ambitions of numerous venture capital-backed education firms, including Alibaba-backed Zuoyebang, and online education platforms Yuanfudao and Classin, both backed by Tencent.
A broad crackdown on China's massive Internet sector has already rattled investors and saw Beijing launch a data-related cyber security investigation into ride-hailing giant Didi Global just two days after it raised US$4.4 billion in a New York initial public offering.
REUTERS

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Should China's curbs on tuition be looked at here?​

July 29, 2021

I read with delight that China is barring tutoring for profit in core school subjects (China bars for-profit tutoring in core school subjects, July 25).
For many years, young students in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan have been subjected to unrelenting pressure to do well in an increasingly competitive society.
South Korean students are known to attend extra-curricular classes right after school and return home only late at night.
This inevitably causes anxiety for them and is a financial burden for their parents.
China is now worrying that the situation might also contribute to its plunging fertility rates.
Tuition school operators in places such as Hong Kong reportedly became billionaires by taking advantage of the mentality of parents who want their children to excel.

Should the Singapore Government be taking a close look at tuition schools as well?
We should not allow our kiasu mentality to affect the mental and physical health of our younger generation.

Wong Kai Sang (Dr)

 

[nayr69sg]

Forum: Should China's curbs on tuition be looked at here?​

July 29, 2021

I read with delight that China is barring tutoring for profit in core school subjects (China bars for-profit tutoring in core school subjects, July 25).
For many years, young students in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan have been subjected to unrelenting pressure to do well in an increasingly competitive society.
South Korean students are known to attend extra-curricular classes right after school and return home only late at night.
This inevitably causes anxiety for them and is a financial burden for their parents.
China is now worrying that the situation might also contribute to its plunging fertility rates.
Tuition school operators in places such as Hong Kong reportedly became billionaires by taking advantage of the mentality of parents who want their children to excel.

Should the Singapore Government be taking a close look at tuition schools as well?
We should not allow our kiasu mentality to affect the mental and physical health of our younger generation.

Wong Kai Sang (Dr)

If Singapore stop tuition, the education standard will drop tremendously. And the local Singaporean would not be able to compete with the ones from China and India.

Without policies to protect local Singaporeans jobs the locals will lose many many jobs to the foreigners.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

If Singapore stop tuition, the education standard will drop tremendously. And the local Singaporean would not be able to compete with the ones from China and India.

Without policies to protect local Singaporeans jobs the locals will lose many many jobs to the foreigners.

Cut down on emphasis on academic performance and the demand for tuition will drop.
It is so wrong to push Sinkie students to OVER-STUDY only to lose jobs to lesser qualified foreign workers because the foreign workers lie and cheat to get into Singapore and they can be paid less because the cost of living of their dependents back home are lower.
Reallocate govt resources to put in place anti-discriminatory employment practices against Sinkies AND the enforcement of these policies

 

[nayr69sg]

Cut down on emphasis on academic performance and the demand for tuition will drop.
Reallocate govt resources to put in place anti-discriminatory employment practices against Sinkies AND the enforcement of these policies

Somethings will need to change of course.

It can be done.

Basically Singapore would have to move towards a more inward looking culture for hiring.

Also things like trades need to be paid better eg carpenters, plumbers, electricians, mechanics.

Because often for students who are not so academically inclined they will go to the trades. And having trades people paid pittance will not do.

My question however is whether Singaporeans will be able to accept these hikes in cost for services?

Eg in Canada to hire a plumber there is a minimum call out fee of $70. And then the billing is $100-$120/hr.

Changing faucet taps will cost about $400.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Basically Singapore would have to move towards a more inward looking culture for hiring.

The stupid PAP government can't differentiate an open economy (it should be open for ECONOMIC reasons) from a job market that is less open to foreign workers to protect its own citizens.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Six months wait for first appointment. Can go mad while waiting...

Forum: Enable faster, easier access to mental health services​

Aug 4, 2021

I welcome the Ministry of Education's plan to increase the number of counsellors in schools (Steps taken to ease student stress and keep schools safe, July 28).
However, I also urge the Government to urgently increase the number of mental health professionals and improve access to related allied health services within the public healthcare systems - at child development and intervention clinics at public hospitals.
Having teachers and counsellors who are adequately trained in mental health literacy will help schools to more effectively identify students at risk of mental health challenges and make timely referrals to qualified professionals for more comprehensive care.
An individual with mental health challenges very often requires more than one type of professional support. For example, he may need support from both a psychiatrist and an allied health professional such as a psychologist, family therapist or medical social worker.
Therefore, the Government should also examine how the public healthcare systems are funded, resourced and equipped, to provide timely, easier and regular access to mental health services.
It must also ensure that mental health professionals are not overworked and that their own mental well-being is cared for. Access to regular counselling, therapy and other forms of mental healthcare should feature as part of basic staff welfare.

I am an educational therapist and learning coach, and from my experience in supporting parents, the wait time for a child or teen who requires access to professional support for mental health issues - with no immediate risk of self-harm - via the subsidised route is about six months for the first appointment. There can also be a long wait time of more than a month between therapy sessions.
Our public healthcare system is overloaded because the demand for services outpaces the number of healthcare professionals.
As with physical illness, timely access to the right professionals for mental health conditions can be a critical factor in improving outcomes for the individuals concerned and their families.
Improved access to comprehensive mental health support needs to go beyond schools to include public healthcare systems.
Other than looking at how to boost manpower at public hospitals, the Government could also consider expanding the Community Health Assist Scheme to include more allied health services and service providers for mental healthcare. This could enable individuals to access the mental health services they need at private clinics faster and at subsidised rates.

Sarah Lee-Wong Mayfern

 

[mojito]

Who can Chiu call?

Ghost busters!

 

[dredd]

I agree. Sinkees suffer from mental health problems. Just look at the number of nut cases in this forum and you can gauge how huge a problem this is.

 

[nayr69sg]

I agree. Sinkees suffer from mental health problems. Just look at the number of nut cases in this forum and you can gauge how huge a problem this is.

I think Canada has a much bigger mental health epidemic than Singapore does.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Religion linked to better mental health, says study done in Singapore​

Mr Ibrahim Sharul feels that his religion, Islam, has helped him make sense of challenges he has gone through.ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

AUG 3, 2021

SINGAPORE - A new local study has found that people with a religion enjoy better mental health.
The study, done by a team from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, set out to build upon limited research on the mental health benefits of religion, especially in the context of multicultural Asian populations like Singapore's.
"Our intent was to establish the relationships between religious affiliation, positive mental health (PMH) and mental disorders in Singapore," says lead researcher Janhavi Vaingankar, 45.
She says PMH generally refers to "a person's attitudes towards themselves, ability to handle life's surprises and ability to reach their true potential and resist stress".
Published in the International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health in March, the study is part of the 2016 Singapore Mental Health Study led by IMH to examine the state of mental health here.
Information on participants' presence or absence of religious affiliations, mental disorders and PMH scores was collected that year.

The study, which analysed data from 2,270 participants, measured six aspects of PMH: general coping, emotional support, spirituality, interpersonal skills, personal growth and autonomy, and global affect, which is the experience of positive moods such as being calm and happy.
People with a religion were found to have a higher total PMH score, faring better in spirituality, emotional support and general coping.
As spirituality includes practices like prayer and religious beliefs such as trust in a higher being, it was not surprising that people with a religion had stronger spirituality, says Ms Vaingankar.
That people with a religion had stronger emotional support indicates that "interpersonal aspects of PMH are stronger among people with religious affiliations than those without".
The study, which did not find any evidence to suggest that mental disorders were more common in people without religious affiliations, comes as more Singaporeans report having no religion. According to Census 2020, the percentage of Singapore residents aged 15 and above who had no religious affiliation rose to 20 per cent last year from 17 per cent a decade ago.
For Nanyang Technological University philosophy student Amanda Choo, 24, her Catholic faith has given her a sense of hope and purpose, with friends in church providing comfort and support.
She often worries about her future. "I feel a lot of pressure to make the 'right' choice because I fear failure," she says.
However, she believes her faith helps her recognise the "purpose of a challenging situation", making her less likely to fall into despair.

Mr Ibrahim Sharul, 23, an information security student at the National University of Singapore, also feels that his religion, Islam, has helped him make sense of challenges he has gone through.
He struggled to make friends when lessons went online last year and his self-esteem took a blow. But a self-discovery programme helped him regain his confidence and he started to view experiences as learning opportunities.
"This paradigm shift brought out by the ways God has tested me showed me my true potential and made me more grateful for everything," he says.
The study's findings have implications for national mental health promotion efforts, though the paper states that more studies can be done to assess the effects of religion on mental health.
The paper's authors wrote that mental health promotion can be targeted towards people without any religion given the "likely low overall PMH" of this group. "This could involve providing avenues for building social networks where they could develop positive and supportive relationships," says Ms Vaingankar.
Things that provide a person with a sense of identity, purpose and hope can also contribute to PMH, she says. These include developing a high self-esteem, having a positive outlook and keeping a healthy lifestyle, she adds.

​

Mr Vijay, who is in his 30s and declined to give his full name, believes that non-religious spirituality helped him cope with his mental disorder the most.
He used to experience hallucinations and delusions and has largely recovered. In his darkest moments, he felt as if strangers could monitor his actions and read his mind. His condition often made him feel helpless and overwhelmed with anger, sadness and embarrassment.
But spiritual meditation helped him with healing. "Meditation calms me down and shifts my thinking, helping me learn to be thankful," says Mr Vijay, who is a Hindu.
Ultimately, having positive mental health is important, notes Ms Vaingankar. "It provides Singaporeans with the ability to deal with ups and downs in life, feel good about themselves and their life, and build close relationships."

---

Getting help​

National Care Hotline: 1800-202-6868 (8am - 12am)

Mental well-being​

Fei Yue’s Online Counselling Service: eC2.sg website (Mon to Fri, 10am to 12pm, 2pm to 5pm)
Institute of Mental Health’s Mental Health Helpline: 6389-2222 (24 hours)
Samaritans of Singapore: 1800-221-4444 (24 hours) /1-767 (24 hours)
Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
Silver Ribbon Singapore: 6386-1928/6509-0271 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
Tinkle Friend: 1800-274-4788 (Mon to Fri, 2.30pm to 5pm)/ Tinkle Friend website (Mon to Thu, 2.30pm to 7pm and Fri, 2.30pm to 5pm)

Counselling​

TOUCHline (Counselling): 1800-377-2252 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm)
Care Corner Counselling Centre (Mandarin): 1800-353-5800 (Daily, 10am to 10pm)

 

[Leongsam]

Cut down on emphasis on academic performance and the demand for tuition will drop.
It is so wrong to push Sinkie students to OVER-STUDY only to lose jobs to lesser qualified foreign workers because the foreign workers lie and cheat to get into Singapore and they can be paid less because the cost of living of their dependents back home are lower.
Reallocate govt resources to put in place anti-discriminatory employment practices against Sinkies AND the enforcement of these policies

Yeah let's go the way of the West where everyone in school is a winner regardless of how dumb they are.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

CNB launches internal investigation after death of teen charged with drug trafficking​

1 of 2

Justin Lee died on Sept 16 from a fall from height. He had been charged with drug trafficking in June.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Jean Iau and Samuel Devaraj

Oct 13, 2021

SINGAPORE - An internal investigation by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) is under way following the death of a 17-year-old boy after he was arrested by its officers.
Justin Lee, who had been charged with drug trafficking on June 24, died on Sept 16 from a fall from height.
His mother, Ms Cecilia Ow, 51, on Tuesday (Oct 12) posted a letter addressed to Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam on her Instagram page, describing her son's experience of being arrested and his history with depression.
The CNB said on its Facebook on Wednesday: "Some statements have been made publicly about how Justin was arrested and questioned. CNB has been investigating the circumstances of his arrest."
The bureau added that the investigations are expected to be completed before the end of the month, and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will make the findings public.
"The allegations are being fully investigated," it said, adding that MHA will also take further steps if necessary.

CNB said it arrested Justin after it conducted investigations into a person who was suspected of trafficking a Class A controlled drug online. Drugs in this category include heroin and LSD.

Outlining some of the details of her son's arrest on Feb 3, Ms Ow, a senior lecturer at a polytechnic, told The Straits Times on Wednesday that she was not able to speak to her son, even while officers searched his room with him at their home in Hougang.
She spoke to him only when she bailed him out on Feb 4 night.
In her letter to Mr Shanmugam on Oct 1, she referenced the case of Benjamin Lim, 14, whose death was ruled a suicide after he was found dead at the foot of his block in Yishun in January 2016.

He had been questioned at Ang Mo Kio police division hours earlier for the alleged molestation of an 11-year-old girl in a lift.
Ms Ow told ST: "Things really need to change."
She called for a separate unit within the police force with training in handling young people with mental health issues to be formed to deal with offenders under the age of 18.
"I hope the Government reflects on this and puts in sincere effort to overhaul this system. I've given them a suggestion but I'm sure there are other ways of doing this better," she said.

The CNB said on Wednesday that senior officials have been speaking to Ms Ow since Sept 20, when they heard of her son's death, and last met her on Oct 8.
"CNB assured her that there would be full investigations and provided her with the timeframe required for the investigations. She was also told that the findings will be shared with her," said the bureau in its post.
It added that Mr Shanmugam contacted Ms Ow the same day she sent her letter to assure her that a thorough review into her son's arrest and investigations will be conducted.
She was also given the contact details of Mr Shanmugam and Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, and told that she could contact the ministers at any time, said CNB.
It added that it arranged for psychological support to be provided to her.
"CNB understands Justin's mother's grief and will continue to render assistance to her," said the bureau.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

The Benjamin Lim case: A timeline of what happened​

1 of 2

Benjamin Lim's bedroom in his family's Yishun HDB flat on the 14th floor. PHOTO: THE NEW PAPER FILE

Seow Bei Yi
Business Correspondent

MAR 3, 2016


SINGAPORE - On Jan 26, a 14-year-old Secondary 3 schoolboy was found dead at the foot of a block of flats in Yishun. He had lived on the 14th floor with his family.
The boy, Benjamin Lim, had earlier been questioned by the police in connection with an allegation involving outrage of modesty.
In Parliament on Tuesday (March 1), Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam laid out the facts of the case. Here is a summary:

Jan 25: In the lift​

• Benjamin makes a detour to another block on his way home from school

• He allegedly follows an 11-year-old girl into a lift at the ground floor
• What happens in the lift is caught on CCTV; Benjamin later admits to touching a part of the girl's body

• He steps out of the lift at the 13th floor
• The pair have a brief exchange, but she does not follow him
• He gets into the lift at the 12th floor and goes to the ground floor
• The girl tells her father what happened, and they go to the police

• From CCTV footage, police identify the boy's school from his uniform

Jan 26: At Benjamin's school​

• Police retrieve relevant CCTV footage and identify a boy in school uniform as the suspect
• Five plainclothes officers go to North View Secondary School in unmarked cars

North View Secondary School.. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

• Benjamin is identified by school officials after seeing a screenshot of the footage
• A school staff member goes to the canteen to look for Benjamin, and takes him to the principal's office

• The principal tells him that a police officer wants to speak to him, and that staff will stay with him
• An officer speaks with Benjamin about the incident in the presence of staff
• The other four police officers are not in the room
• Benjamin is advised by the principal to call his mother, and he does so
• An officer tells Benjamin's mother that he would be taken to Ang Mo Kio Police Station to give his statement
• Benjamin is taken to the police station in an unmarked car by three officers. One officer alights along the way
• Benjamin's mother and elder sister arrive at school around 11am, but he has already left
• Principal tells a school counsellor to call Benjamin's mother later to check on his well-being

Jan 26: At the police station​

• An officer takes Benjamin's statement at his workstation in an open plan office

• Benjamin is not handcuffed at any time, and is cooperative

• His written statement is taken at 12.15pm
• He is offered food and drink after the interview, which he declines
• He is placed in a temporary holding room alone
• Police record a statement from Benjamin's mother
• Benjamin is released on bail around 2.50pm, after around 3½ hours on the station. He leaves with his family

Jan 26: At his home​

The HDB block in Yishun where Benjamin Lim and his family lived. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

• Benjamin has lunch, then plays games on his handphone
• Around 4.15pm, his mother receives a call from a school counsellor

• The counsellor discusses with Benjamin's mother if it would be better for him to remain with his family during this period
• His mother agrees and it was decided he would not attend the Secondary 3 school camp
• She tells Benjamin he will not be going to camp the next day
• At 4.20pm, Benjamin is found dead at the foot of block where his family lives

 

[Johnrambo]

Parent whose son jumped to his death after being arrested by CNB officers writes to Law Minister K. Shanmugam

https://www.domainofexperts.com/2021/10/parent-whose-son-jumped-to-his-death.html

People Are Forgetting Something Important In Benjamin Lim’s Suicide

https://www.domainofexperts.com/2016/03/people-are-forgetting-something.html

Should there be a legal age to be questioned by the Police?

https://www.domainofexperts.com/2016/02/should-there-be-legal-age-to-be.html

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Don't ignore mental health of unvaccinated, especially youngsters​

Oct 15, 2021

Straits Times senior health correspondent Salma Khalik said vaccination and booster jabs are viable ways to delay the spread of Covid-19 and reduce hospitalisations and deaths to hasten a return to normalcy for Singapore (Why it makes sense to sharpen differentiation, based on vaccination status, Oct 11).
As measures are tightened for unvaccinated people who are disallowed from dining out or entering shopping malls, the social cost of alienating a section of our society must be considered.
This group includes individuals with an allergic reaction to the vaccine and those with health conditions who are genuinely concerned about the side effects of vaccination, as well as teenagers whose parents are worried about reports of heart inflammation that may arise from mRNA vaccines.
These concerns are valid and should not be brushed off. Low risk does not mean no risk.
In the unlikely event of a mishap, the cost for individuals affected and for parents of teenagers is real.
My youngest child, 12, and second youngest, 16, were scheduled for their second non-mRNA vaccination jab next week.

However, we were informed recently by the clinic that it is no longer administering these vaccinations for young people.
My children have just sat their PSLE and GCE N-level exam and were very much looking forward to some normalcy after many months of intensive home-based exam preparation.
For my adolescents and me now, we cannot even look forward to an occasional visit to the mall's supermarket, the occasional movie or a hawker centre meal.
In the fervour to resume normalcy in the quickest possible time through differentiated policies, society's cohesion and the mental health of those who are unvaccinated should not be ignored.

Tan Sek Jen

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

"You die, your business. You poor, your business. You go mad, your business/"

Forum: Current approach to tackling mental health does not benefit the lower-income​

Oct 20, 2021

The Covid-19 outbreak has brought mental well-being to the forefront, with numerous resources being shared online on how to maintain a healthy state of mind.
Such resources help to raise awareness of the various ways to maintain our mental health, and encourage people to seek the help that they need. However, our approach to tackling such issues generally does not benefit the lower-income members of society.
Caring for our mental health, such as talking to a therapist or taking up a new hobby, requires plenty of time and resources, which many lower-income citizens do not have.
Instead, they would be spending their time working to support their family or helping to care for their family members.
Furthermore, the stress of having to put food on the table and meet the basic needs of the family would cause one’s mental health to deteriorate considerably.
Although there are schemes that subsidise treatment for mental health issues, it would still be relatively costly for the lower-income and they would tend to use that time to work rather than to seek help.

An expansion of assistance schemes for the lower-income would, among other benefits, reduce the toll on their mental health.
Nipping the problem in the bud, or at least weakening it, will help to boost the happiness of more Singaporeans and reduce the weighty emotional and mental burdens faced by them.

Christian Wong Kai En

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

More needs to be done to help families struggling with stress​

JAN 25, 2022

The Covid-19 pandemic has probably brought about more stressors to the family system than one can imagine.
We need to start taking concrete measures to support families better.
As a start, one way is for society to be more understanding of families dealing with stressful matters. Society needs to be more empathetic and less judgmental, and give people the space they need to open up and seek help when they start to experience familial stress.
Society still harbours negative perceptions of individuals and families going through therapy and counselling. If we do not start confronting the difficult issues faced by families, we cannot be a healthy society.
People faced with difficulties at home will constantly feel the need to act like they are doing fine when they are actually not.
It takes more than counselling to overcome the challenges and difficulties experienced by individuals and families.
It starts with our own extended family, neighbours and our colleagues. It calls for the community to be more understanding towards those facing family issues.

Workplaces could consider policies that give individuals the flexibility to devote time to their family and for themselves when they are going through challenges at home.
We can also take heart that over the years, the Ministry of Social and Family Development has rolled out several initiatives to support families better.
There are regional centres that work with schools to offer free parenting support programmes and counselling services to support couples and families (10 regional centres to work with schools to offer free parenting support programmes, Nov 13, 2019; 10 family service centres to offer support services and counselling for relationship issues, Nov 9, 2021).
There is no easy and straightforward solution when it comes to strengthening the
family, but as a society, we need to start considering what more can be done for families struggling with stressors.

Yeow Beng Zhen

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Twin boys found dead in Upper Bukit Timah canal: Father charged with murder​

The bodies of the twin boys were found in a canal near the Greenridge Crescent playground in Upper Bukit Timah. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Jean Iau

JAN 24, 2022

SINGAPORE - The father of the 11-year-old twin boys who were found dead in a canal in Upper Bukit Timah has been charged with murder.
On Monday (Jan 24), Xavier Yap Jung Houn, 48, appeared before a district court via video link to have one charge read out to him.
He is accused of murdering Ethan Yap E Chern at the covered canal in Greenridge Crescent playground on Friday (Jan 21) between 4.23pm and 6.25pm.
Yap wore a white polo shirt, a blue disposable mask and had his hair combed back as he listened to proceedings without expression.
The police prosecutor asked for Yap to be remanded for one week with permission to be taken out for investigations, including scene visits.
Only one charge was tendered in court on Monday morning.
The offence of murder carries the death penalty.

Yap's lawyer, Mr Anil Singh Sandhu, told the court the family was grieving the loss of the two young children.
He said: “The media is present this morning in court and the victims here are two young children aged 11. (Over) the past few days, the media has been quite active in reporting this matter, but I’m sincerely urging the media to give the family some space and privacy to deal with the loss of two young children.”
On Saturday, the police said it had received a call at about 6.25pm on Friday from a man asking for help at the playground.
When officers arrived, the man's two sons were found lying motionless nearby.
They were pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic.


It is understood the bodies were found in a large and deep canal that cuts across the playground in a corner of the quiet and leafy private housing estate of terrace and semi-detached houses.
When The Straits Times arrived at the scene on Saturday afternoon, officers from the Gurkha contingent were spotted walking inside the canal, a segment of which was littered with what appeared to be cushions, and combing the forested area behind the playground.
The twins, Ethan and Aston, were said to have special needs and were believed to be students of a school in the Eng Kong estate area.
Yap’s case will be mentioned in court again on Jan 31.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Boy jump off building in front of his father​

Police in Ha Dong district, Hanoi City are clarifying the cause of a male high school student jumping from the 28th floor of V1 building, Van Phu Victoria apartment building to the ground, leading to his death.

Accordingly, around 3:37 a.m. on April 1, the police of Phu La Ward received a report from the building management about the discovery of the body of a teenager in the lobby of the Van Phu Victoria apartment complex, suspected of falling from a high floor. .

Soon after, the police of Phu La ward were present to blockade the scene, coordinate with the Ha Dong District Police to examine and investigate the incident.

At that time, the child LNNM stepped out onto the balcony and jumped from a high floor, but did not survive. The cause is believed to be due to academic pressure. During the investigation, the authorities determined that the victim is a child of LNNM (SN 2006) who is a major student at a famous high school in Hanoi.