Online users express anger towards Chan Chun Sing over his remarks of calling people “idiots” and “disgraceful”

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Keechiu stresses the importance of Total Defence.

Chan Chun Sing​

5 hrs ·
20 years ago on this day, I remember watching footage of the hijacked plane crashing into the New York World Trade Centre.
I was the Army Attaché to Indonesia then.
Indonesia was navigating the post-Soeharto era, with then-President Megawati having just taken over from President Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur. The already uncertain regional environment was compounded by the new terrorism threat worldwide.
Our region and country have also experienced our fair share of terrorist incidents and attempts since then.
Counter-Terrorism became a reality of daily life. Beyond keeping ourselves physically safe, we had to ensure that our social fabric would not be torn apart by mutual suspicion and distrust.
Our security agencies had to anticipate the next terrorist tactic, staying ahead of potential threats.
We have weathered many challenges to our security and social cohesion. Credit goes to our security agencies and socio-civic organisations. Without their hard work, and deep sense of mutual trust, we would not be enjoying the peace and stability in Singapore today.
This is not something we take for granted. This is always a work in progress. As one of our previous Chief of Defence Force reminded us - we will have to get it right first time, every time, all the time. While the terrorist just needs to get it right one time, some time, any time.
Let us remember the importance of Total Defence, and keep one another safe as One People and One Singapore. CCS

 

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from straitstimes.com:

Eight Chinese-language teachers honoured for exemplary effort in teaching​

SINGAPORE - During the Covid-19 pandemic, teachers had to adjust to moving their lessons online and finding ways to engage students in a virtual classroom.

At the same time, Chinese-language teachers face another challenge, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Saturday (Sept 11).

In the age of the Internet, younger Singaporeans consume media and information primarily in English, with Mandarin taking a backseat in daily conversation, said Mr Chan.

"When there are fewer opportunities to be exposed to Chinese in your daily life, it will require more effort to learn Chinese. Some students may even be afraid and refuse to learn," he said in Mandarin.

He was speaking at an award ceremony for eight teachers who have made an exemplary effort in the teaching of the Chinese language and culture amid these challenges.

On Saturday, the eight teachers received the Distinguished Chinese Language Teachers Award at a ceremony at Singapore Press Holdings' News Centre in Toa Payoh.

The awards, in their 24th edition, also acknowledge teachers who cultivate students' interest in Chinese language and culture through creative teaching methods or co-curricular activities.

The awards are organised by Lianhe Zaobao and ZBSchools.sg, and co-organised by Singapore Centre for Chinese Language, the Society of Chinese Education Singapore, Singapore Chinese Teachers Union and Singapore Middle School Chinese Teachers Association.

The eight award winners each received a trophy and a cash prize of $1,500.

They were selected from a pool of about 340 teachers from 163 schools. All Chinese-language teachers, except past winners, from primary and secondary schools, pre-university and junior colleges were eligible for nomination by schools, parents or students.

Award winner Jiang Yan Yan, 40, a Singaporean, said she has made use of technology to make her Chinese lessons more interesting for students.

For example, the Princess Elizabeth Primary School teacher uses TikTok videos to teach students new vocabulary, such as "chuang yi", which means "creativity".

"The computer seems to have a kind of magic - the learning tasks need only be linked to the Internet for students to do them willingly and enthusiastically," Ms Jiang said in Mandarin.

Technology has fundamentally changed the way people learn, she added.

She recalled how some of her students, who were learning Chinese at a foundational level, used Google Translate to write her a card on Teacher's Day this year.

"It's good. It shows they are willing to try. Even if they were copying the words off Google Translate, that is a starting point for them to learn - without technology, if they didn't know the words, they would just be stuck. At the end of the day, everyone's learning process is different," said Ms Jiang, who has been teaching for 13 years.

Dr Liang Yong, 53, who teaches the college section in Hwa Chong Institution, also received the award. He has a doctorate in China studies and has been teaching for 14 years.

Dr Liang, also a Singaporean, said he tries to make learning Chinese fun and hands-on for students.

For example, when news about environmental issues in China was trending, he asked his students to participate in a mock televised debate in Chinese.

"Students were divided into several groups, playing the roles of central leaders, local officials, entrepreneurs, urban residents, migrant workers and non-governmental organisation representatives, to discuss how to control pollution. This real-world application stimulated their curiosity and interest in learning Chinese," he said in Mandarin.

 

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Keechiu announces 4 pronged approach.

Chan Chun Sing​

2 hrs ·
With schools reopening after the September holidays, we must step up our efforts to keep our children, teachers and staff safe in the face of an increase in #COVID19 community cases.
We will adopt a 4-pronged approach:
, . In the first week of Term 4, all Primary School children will be issued with 3 Antigen Rapid Test (ART) kits. We encourage all families to familiarise themselves with the use by helping our students do a self-test at home this week. This will also serve as a one-time sweep to assure one another that our children are safe. In time to come, we may also request for additional self-tests to be done. This would strengthen our efforts to further reduce the risks of transmission in our schools. That’s the use of the other 2 ART kits for future contingencies, which we will replenish as necessary.
, . We thank everyone for your cooperation.
, , mask-wearing and good personal hygiene, which have thus far helped us to minimise the risks of transmission within schools. CCAs for primary schools will remain suspended.
, to minimise transmission risks and disruption to the rest of the students, staff and families. This sustainable approach will allow our children to continue learning safely.
While the children who have contracted Covid-19 thus far have relatively mild symptoms, we must remain vigilant.
We also urge everyone to encourage family and friends to be vaccinated to minimise the risks to our children who cannot be vaccinated yet. It will take the collective efforts of our community to keep our children safe. CCS

 

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Keechiu encourages students to wash their hands frequently.

 

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Keechiu asks students to check in.

 

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Keechiu asks students to wear masks.

 

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Keechiu helps kid to cross the road.

Chan Chun Sing​

11 September at 20:31 ·
With family and friends, together we’ll stand. And in the end, hand in hand, we will get there.
Have a good Sunday! CCS
My Buona Vista

 

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Keechiu encourages teachers who teach the mother tongue languages.

Chan Chun Sing​

11 hrs ·
With all other subjects being taught in English, encouraging the mastery of our mother tongue languages can sometimes be an uphill task.
But our mother tongue language teachers have continually upskilled and adapted their teaching methods to engage our students. This includes the use of technology and other innovative and relatable ways to increase exposure to the languages and nurturing interest in language learning.
The 8 recipients of the 24th Distinguished Chinese Language Teacher Awards on Saturday personify some of the best pedagogical practices, and as importantly – our teachers’ care for our students.
In response to her students’ request for a laksa treat, Ms Tan Hwee Noi from the Singapore Sports School agreed to do so on the condition that they create a video introducing local food in their Chinese mother tongue. Not only did the students do an excellent job, they had fun in the process and earned themselves a lunch treat!
To engage her students and encourage them to speak up in Mandarin in class, Ms Lim Lily from Holy Innocents' Primary School shares personal stories which are reflective and thought-provoking. This has nurtured her students’ interest in the subject, and also instills values that will guide them in life.
Organised by Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报, Thumbs Up 拇指家族, Singapore Centre for Chinese Language - SCCL, The Society of Chinese Education Singapore, Singapore Chinese Teachers’ Union and Singapore Middle School Chinese Teachers’ Association, the Awards extend well-deserved recognition to our teachers from primary and secondary schools, as well as junior colleges and Millennia Institute.
Congratulations to all the award winners, and thank you for your hard work and efforts!
学而不厌，诲人不倦 -- 感谢老师们为华文教学注入生命力，让学生们从中获得乐趣与启发，终身受益！
See the teachers in action in the classrooms here:
https://fb.watch/7YcXtvMwzJ/

 

[Giant]

So when he ask any questions, the audience must kee chiu first?

 

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Keechiu with the award recipients.

 

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Keechiu chatting with award recipients.

 

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So when he ask any questions, the audience must kee chiu first?

It is common courtesy to keechiu before answering a question.

 

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Keechiu encourages public service officers.

Chan Chun Sing​

11 hrs ·
Almost two years of putting in the good fight; many uncertainties remain. We do not know how the Covid-19 situation will continue to unfold, or end.
Throughout this period, our public officers have been working tirelessly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Singaporeans. We are grateful for their hard work and dedication.
Recently, four of our officers - Andrea, Ashraf, Azuan and Jean - recorded their rendition of this year’s NDP theme song “The Road Ahead” as an encouragement to their colleagues across the Public Service. Great singing by all of them! It’s a tough fight but our public officers remain at the forefront. Thank you!
We did it before. And we will do it again. CCS
PSD Singapore

 

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from yahoo.com:

Yale-NUS students, staff not consulted on closure due to 'sensitive' issues: Chan Chun Sing​

SINGAPORE — Yale-NUS College (YNC) students and staff were not consulted on YNC's forthcoming closure due to "sensitive issues" of strategy and finances, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing in Parliament on Monday (13 September)

Instead, Chan told the House the decision came about during discussions of these issues between the senior leadership of the two universities, and with their respective boards.

The minister was responding to questions from more than a dozen fellow Members of Parliament (MPs) on the controversial decision to close YNC in 2025, which was announced on 26 August. The National University of Singapore (NUS) is merging the University Scholars Programme (USP) and YNC into a new college, which has yet to be officially named.

Among others, MPs wanted to know the reasons for the closure, and how the interests of the existing cohort of YNC students would be safeguarded.

Chan noted that YNC was established in 2011 with the aim of establishing a new and unique education model that drew on the best traditions of both the East and West, with a multidisciplinary curriculum. YNC has an intake of about 250 students each year, and more than 800 students have graduated from YNC thus far.

"This decade-long partnership with Yale University has given NUS valuable insights into interdisciplinary liberal arts education, and its defining features such as the integration of residential living and learning."

Discussions began in early June​

Chan revealed that NUS initiated discussions with Yale University on the closure in early July, with the YNC leadership informed in the same month. The NUS Board of Trustees endorsed the decision in early August, and the YNC Governing Board endorsed the transition plans in late-August.

And while the partnership would only end in 2025, both parties felt that the responsible thing to do was to announce it early rather than hold back, said the minister. "It would have been bad faith to delay the announcement and continue to admit students who would not be able to complete their education in YNC, or to continue to hire faculty, beyond this juncture."

The YNC Governing Board, comprising NUS and Yale University leadership, will continue to steward the College until its transition in 2025.

Cost a factor​

Chan also echoed NUS president Professor Tan Eng Chye's point, expressed in a Straits Times commentary on Saturday, that Yale-NUS had not met endowment targets and was expensive to run.

YNC had hoped to raise over $300 million to reach an endowment fund size of around $1 billion with government matching and investment returns. This would then have reduced the burden on the annual operating income of fees and government subsidies.

"YNC has done its utmost in raising funds, but through no fault of its own has not reached its target," said Chan. He noted that the cost of educating a YNC student today is more than double that of a Humanities or Sciences student in NUS. Likewise, both tuition fees and government funding are more than double.

"But we accepted this because we saw value in having a liberal arts college in our tertiary education system. Transitioning to the New College will give us economies of scale, and reduce costs to some extent. This will be an important consideration, but not the main motivation for the change."

Academic freedom not affected​

Chan also insisted that the YNC closure would not affected academic freedom. "It is perhaps ironic and a testimony to NUS and YNC’s efforts all these years, that YNC is now seen as a paragon of academic freedom in Singapore," he claimed.

YNC’s current policies on academic freedom were in fact framed by taking reference from NUS’s practices relating to academic freedom, and these practices have remained unchanged since.

The faculties of arts and social sciences in NUS and other autonomous universities also have had a long history of teaching and research, said Chan, including on potentially sensitive and difficult topics, long before the establishment of YNC.

"It would be grossly unfair to faculty members in NUS and other AUs (Autonomous Universities) to suggest that their teaching or research is in any way less rigorous, or of lower quality or less free than that of YNC faculty."

 

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Keechiu takes selfie of himself with a friend.

 

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Keechiu takes selfie of himself with a house and a tree.

 

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Keechiu at Singapore Institute Of Technology.

 

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Keechiu sits while speaking at SIT.

 

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Keechiu listening to SITizens.

 

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Keechiu interested in fishcakes.