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

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Keechiu looking forward to his lunch.

 

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from straitstimes.com:

Top hospitality business school EHL to work with ITE to develop new course​

SINGAPORE - Students keen on pursuing a career in the hospitality industry can look forward to a new qualification being jointly developed by one of the world's most prestigious hospitality schools and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL) Hospitality Business School - the leading university in hospitality education, according to rankings - inked an agreement earlier this month with ITE to work on a new technical diploma in hospitality and hotel management.

Announcing this on Monday (March 21), Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said: "This technical diploma will provide a new pathway for those keen to pursue a career in the hospitality industry, and will leverage both the Swiss hospitality education excellence and the distinctive applied learning approach of ITE.

"Graduates of the course will be equipped with skills in supply chain and facilities management, and new in-demand skills such as business analytics and sustainability hospitality practices."

He added that these abilities will prepare students to work in a range of settings in the hospitality and service sectors.

No further details on when the diploma course will be ready or how many students it will take in were given.

The new course is an example of how EHL is playing an active role in Singapore's higher education, said Mr Chan, who was speaking at the official opening ceremony of EHL's first international campus here.


The famed hospitality business school has more than 4,000 students enrolled across its three campuses, Lausanne, Passugg, which are both in Switzerland, and now Singapore.

Mr Chan said EHL can tap the links local institutions have with local and regional businesses to explore joint programmes, and share best practices and teaching methods, such as catering to adult learners.

This comes as SkillsFuture Singapore has been encouraging private education institutions to do more in adult learning, he said.

"I am glad to hear that EHL plans to offer online certificates and short courses for adult learners," he said.

He added that these will expand upskilling opportunities and broaden career options for those already in the hospitality and service industry, and help them stay relevant and competitive.

Students at the EHL Campus (Singapore) take the same internationally recognised Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality that is also offered at the main Lausanne campus.

They begin with a preparatory year in Lausanne followed by three years of study in Singapore.

The campus here also offers shorter courses for executives in areas such as luxury brand management, designing hotel and restaurant concepts, and people analytics.

It took in its first intake of about 170 students from 30 nationalities from February last year. This includes 49 Singaporeans.

The new campus is located in Lady Hill Road, near Orchard Road, in the former Kinloss House that was once a boarding school for the children of British soldiers.

The 2,400 sq m building, set on 1.9ha of land, houses classrooms, meeting rooms and a large multi-purpose hall, among other spaces for students.

In a speech at Monday's event, Mr Michel Rochat, EHL Group's chief executive, said the future ahead for the hospitality industry is "exciting", despite the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Certainly, the pandemic has been tough in many ways. But it also presents an unprecedented opportunity. We are entering a new world. The hospitality industry is learning afresh the all-important question of how to connect with people," he said.

 

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Keechiu is concerned about students' well being.

Chan Chun Sing​

Yesterday at 12:41 ·
During my school visits, many teachers have shared the difficulties of teaching languages to young children with masks on.
For instance, students are unable to directly observe how complex words are pronounced, and teachers face limitations in terms of using visual and verbal cues. This is particularly challenging when teaching students a language that is not commonly spoken in their homes, or students with higher learning needs.
Mask wearing has been a key strategy in our national efforts against COVID-19, but we recognise that it has a significant impact on teaching and learning, and may potentially inhibit students’ social and emotional development in schools.
Given the high vaccination coverage amongst our staff and students, it is timely for us to take a small yet significant step to further support specific groups of students in their learning.
At the MTF press conference today, I shared that Ministry of Education, Singapore and ECDA will adopt a phased approach from 29 March onwards, to offer selected teachers and students the flexibility to remove their masks during language and literacy lessons. We would like to reassure parents that Safe Management Measures will be in place to ensure the safety of our staff and students – these include wipe down routines, safe distancing when masks are off, and ensuring that masks are worn beyond these class hours.
(More details on the announcement here: https://go.gov.sg/6a9wq3)
Beyond academic learning, we will continue to look out for our students’ physical and socio-emotional well-being, and provide opportunities for them to connect and interact with one another, and peers from overseas.
The schooling years are critical for the growth of our students. Let us support their holistic development, while working together to mitigate the risks from the pandemic.

 

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Keechiu promotes Parent Support Groups. (PSG)

Chan Chun Sing​

7 hrs ·
Very often, it takes fellow parents to fully understand what a parent is going through.
This is why the Parent Support Group (PSG) in our schools is one of our key partners in supporting both students and parents, and fulfilling our vision for education.
Met with more than 700 parents from PSG and school representatives this morning, and had a good exchange of views on parenting and jointly building a community of care.
Ministry of Education, Singapore is committed to further building up the capabilities of our Parent Support Groups – this includes providing them with more resources such as the PSG Handy Guide launched today that documents the experiences, tips and learning points from 25 frontrunner PSGs; and making available experts that they can call upon based on their needs.
The parenting journey is one of the most fulfilling experiences in life. But there are also tough moments, and we need not be alone when facing these challenges.

 

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Keechiu happy to support PSG.

 

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Many participants from the PSG.

 

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from straitstimes.com:

Peer support for parents, children can destigmatise seeking help for mental health: Chan Chun Sing​

SINGAPORE - Stress now is a way of life, and having more open, supportive conversations about mental health can help remove the stigma of seeking help for children or parents who are struggling to cope, said Education Minister Chan Chun Sing.

Speaking to parents and school staff over videoconferencing platform Zoom on Saturday (March 26), the minister said: "I think we all understand that the demands of a fast-paced, fast-evolving, fast-changing world are tremendous on all of us. The demands have increased, the expectations have increased.

"It's actually not possible... and not realistic for us to expect that we will live in a no-stress environment."

He called for parent support groups (PSGs) to help drive the conversation on mental health by sharing their own experiences and offer support to fellow parents, in the same way that students can rely on a peer support system.

PSGs are groups of parent volunteers who wish to take a more active role in their children's education. Each school has its own dedicated support group.

Mr Chan was speaking during an engagement session with more than 700 leaders of PSGs and school representatives from primary and secondary schools as well as junior colleges.

The minister said that it was important not to think about mental health in binary terms.


"There is no such thing as, 'I'm absolutely not okay', 'I'm absolutely okay' - we are all just in between the two extreme states...

He urged the mindset: "If I'm not okay today, I can seek help. I can perhaps strengthen myself through various self-coping mechanisms that I have learnt, then tomorrow will be better."

Minister of State for Education, and for Social and Family Development Sun Xueling, who also attended the session, reassured parents who might be concerned over whether their children would tarnish their record if they came forward to talk about mental health issues with a counsellor or psychiatrist.

"We will take the concerns of the student into consideration and see how we involve parents in the process."

At the session, the Ministry of Education (MOE) also launched a PSG guide compiling the experiences, tips and learning points from 25 PSGs, alongside a list of experts that parent volunteers can call depending on their needs.

She added that the Health Promotion Board's ongoing mental health campaign, It's Okay To Reach Out, seeks to assure all segments of the population that there are help channels available.

"What is important is that you reach out and there are appropriate channels to seek help on," Ms Sun said.

Mr Chan said: "The question is: How do we navigate this more stressful environment, both for our children and our parents... so that we can all grow together?

"I would just take a step aside and remind ourselves to think about and reflect: What does it mean for us to define success for our children, and perhaps even for ourselves?"

Mr Chan added that parents could help students understand and realise their potential, inculcate a lifelong attitude to keep surpassing themselves as well as for students to be globally connected, relevant and ready.

This view was echoed by Mr Lee Hoi Leong, a parent and PSG leader at Blangah Rise Primary who said that he was in favour of MOE's recent decision to remove mid-year examinations as well as promoting lifelong learning in schools.

Ms Priyata Nandi, a PSG leader at Bedok Green Primary, raised the question of how parent groups could help convince parents to speak to school counsellors in order to seek help.

She cited feedback from some parents on how they were more comfortable seeking help at private institutions rather than counsellors based in schools, as they were not sure that their data would be kept protected in the school setting.

Mr Chan responded that MOE does not keep any sensitive data about a student's medical or mental health.

He said: "If they (parents and students) really need to seek professional help, then I think the professionals and the clinicians will have a code of conduct as to how they manage the data so that it preserves the privacy of the individual without stigmatising them."

 

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Keechiu is glad to join Malay Youth Literary Association 4PM for the launch of Ramadan on Wheels 2022.

Chan Chun Sing added 3 new photos.​

10 hrs ·
In social work, our measure of success is not how many people we have helped, but rather how many people do not need to be helped - this means support is extended upstream to prevent people from getting into challenging situations.
Glad to join Malay Youth Literary Association 4PM for the launch of Ramadan on Wheels 2022, their flagship community outreach programme that aims to uplift the community and reach out to socially disadvantaged families and elderly in need. Since its inception more than 20 years ago, “Ramadan on Wheels” has grown from a food distribution initiative to a holistic support programme that has benefitted more than 3,500 families of different races and religions.
Importantly, beyond the frontline work of 4PM, they have groomed generations of students and volunteers to create a culture of helping others, who then pay it forward by doing the same.
Community organisations like 4PM exemplify what makes Singapore special. While we may not all share the same ancestry, race, language, or religion, we are forging a common future and culture based on a set of shared values, and strengthening communal bonds by helping one another – because we are proudly Singaporeans.
[

: 4PM]

 

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Keechiu asks if he is the favourite to be PM.

 

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Keechiu admires workers working hard.

 

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Keechiu inspects the work of the workers.

 

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Keechiu visits Nan Chiau High School canteen.

Chan Chun Sing​

13 hrs ·
Teriyaki chicken don, chawanmushi, chicken kaarage maki.
This scrumptious meal is not from a Japanese cafe — it’s actually found in the canteen of Nan Chiau High School 南侨中学!
Auntie Lily, Auntie Chen and Auntie Dong are the formidable trio who whip up an impressive range of Japanese food for the students every weekday.
Temaki (sushi handrolls) are freshly made upon order because “This way, the seaweed is still crisp when the students eat it, more delicious” Auntie Chen explained.
Care is also taken to ensure each dish is nutritionally balanced for the teenage students.
Being camera-shy, they only wanted photos of the food taken — “That is what is most important lah

”. But they generously agreed to show how the delicious maki rolls are made.
Always impressed by how much heart goes into the food cooked by our canteen vendors

.
#OurCanteenFood
#OurSchoolStories

 

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Keechiu is ready for lunch.

 

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Keechiu gives advice to kids.

Chan Chun Sing​

11 hrs ·
#wisdomofkids
Read about the act that unwittingly stole the spotlight at the Academy Awards yesterday…
Young children often ask me what they should do when others make fun of them or their family members. Others wondered how they should respond to bullying.
It surely hurts. There is often the temptation to retaliate.
I remember a very good response from a child whom I spoke with - always remind ourselves that if one needs to make fun of others to feel good about themselves, then that unkind act itself is a reflection of the perpetrator’s insecurity and lack of confidence, rather than any inadequacies on the part of the victim.
Indeed, by not allowing ourselves to be victimised and saddened by such unkind words or deeds, we counter the perpetrators’ attempts to create misery in others for their purposes. CCS

 

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Keechiu praises LKY.

Chan Chun Sing​

4 hrs ·
“The second language is very important, otherwise you lose your confidence. Because however well you speak in English, you are not an Englishman.”
These words of candour from Mr Lee Kuan Yew sum up the significance of our Mother Tongue Languages (MTLs) in grounding us in our heritage and culture. And in an increasingly globalised world, bilingualism offers Singapore a competitive advantage and uncovers more opportunities for our people.
Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Ms Ho Peng, Professor Eddie Kuo and Mr R Rajaram are founding Board members of the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism, which has played an important role in fostering an embedded culture of speaking 2 languages.
For over a decade, they have dedicated themselves to supporting the Fund to promote bilingual learning in English and MTLs among young children in Singapore. Their passion in promoting the MTLs and unwavering support to the Fund has helped the Fund reach out to forge wider collaboration with diverse stakeholders who include community partners, preschool educators and parents.
To date, the Fund has supported a steady pipeline of quality, age-appropriate resources and programmes to foster bilingualism in young children, and continues its steadfast mission to promote bilingualism as a lifelong endeavour.
I would like to extend my appreciation to the founding members for their tremendous contributions as they pass the baton on to the next generation of members.

 

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Keechiu poses with 3 oldmen and 1 oldwoman.

 

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Keechiu wants students to be interested in their Mother Tongue.

Chan Chun Sing added 5 new photos.​

10 hrs ·
How can we nurture students who are bilingual and have a strong interest in Mother Tongue Languages?
We hope to make further strides in this, by providing all secondary school students with access to news and interesting student publications in Mandarin, Malay and Tamil anytime, anywhere on their personal learning devices.
Was pleased to witness the Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony between Ministry of Education, Singapore, The Ngee Ann Kongsi and SPH Media Trust. The Ngee Ann Kongsi is donating $2.5 million annually over the period of 2022 to 2027, which will be used to provide digital access to SPH Media Trust’s newspapers and student publications for secondary school students in their respective Mother Tongues. Teachers will also be able to tap into these digital resources to make classroom learning more interesting and engaging.
Took the chance to interact with some of the students at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School as well – they shared their views on learning Mother Tongue Languages, and provided great ideas on digital content that would appeal to them and their peers.
Enabling our students to use their Mother Tongue confidently not only connects them to our local culture and heritage – it provides them with a competitive advantage when they enter the workplace, particularly in an increasingly globalised world. I would like to thank The Ngee Ann Kongsi and SPH Media Trust for embarking on this meaningful journey together with us.

 

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Keechiu helps to carry a big cheque.

 

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Keechiu makes an important speech.

 

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Keechiu visits Crest Secondary School.

Chan Chun Sing added 10 new photos.​

10 hrs ·
Faced with the unprecedented stresses of the Circuit Breaker in 2020, the students of Crest Secondary School bravely chose to create joy and beauty through art.
Sharing their personal perspectives of a universal experience, the students documented their daily lives during Circuit Breaker in a life-sized graphic novel. They also designed beautiful masks with distinct local motifs, which added vibrant colour to Safe Management Measures.
I can see the same ingenuity and uplifting spirit in their wonderful culinary creations in the kitchen – ably guided by Ms Chang, a former chef, they were confident and entirely in their element. And I was lucky enough to taste some of the delicious dishes by these talented students

.
From technology to cooking and the arts, the warmth and care from the teachers was evident in enabling each student to do their best, and embrace their curiosity and creativity in learning. This in turn instils the self-belief to pursue their talents and ride out adversity – including finding positivity during the pandemic. Truly outstanding work by our teachers.
#ourschoolstories