Singapore appointed 2 idiots to lead the task force.

[jw5]

from yahoo.com:

Don't let gender identity issues divide Singapore's society: Lawrence Wong

SINGAPORE — Singapore should not import the culture wars of Western countries or allow issues of gender identity to divide its society, said Minister for Education Lawrence Wong in Parliament on Monday (1 February).

“Issues of gender identity have become bitterly contested sources of division in the culture wars in some Western countries and societies,” he said while responding to queries from Sengkang GRC Member of Parliament He Ting Ru.

The Workers’ Party MP had asked about the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) policies regarding students with gender dysphoria, the level of autonomy schools have in setting policies and approaches for such students, and whether the ministry would consider presenting a public report on such matters to Parliament on a regular basis. Gender dysphoria refers to the psychological distress felt by individuals whose gender identities do not align with the sex they are assigned at birth.

Wong said in reply that that MOE’s focus is on the school environment and the students involved as other areas, such as medical treatment decisions and the consent to undertake them, lie outside of the ministry’s purview.

“We have a duty of care to every student. For students with gender dysphoria, our main focus is continuing to provide them with a conducive learning environment and to support their overall wellbeing.

“Recognising that the issues are complex and that there are diverse opinions among students and their parents, we strive to deal with these situations sensitively, and with compassion,” he added.

Wong also noted that his ministry recognises that students who are diagnosed with gender dysphoria and are undergoing hormone therapy could face difficulties with certain school rules.

“Where there are valid medical grounds schools can exercise flexibility and work out, practical arrangements for the students,” he said, adding that schools will work with the different stakeholders involved, including parents and medical professionals, to put in place such arrangements.

“As each student's situation is unique, the matter must be dealt with individually. Our guiding principles are to treat these students with dignity and respect and to provide as much support as we can to help them,” said Wong.

Regarding He’s suggestion for a regular report, Wong said that the ministry’s experience in handling students with gender dysphoria found that the family members involved, “especially the parents, are “very uncomfortable with a public airing of their situation”.

“We ought to respect their requests for privacy and avoid putting out information that will compromise any student or family confidentiality,” he said.

Some background
The issue of gender dysphoria has been in the spotlight since a transgender student attending the Millennia Institute accused the school in January of barring her from attending classes on several occasions for not complying with the school’s dress code.

“Ashlee”, who prefers to be identified by she/her pronouns, claimed in a statement issued by a group of LGBTQ organisations that Millennia Institute told her she could attend classes if she cuts her hair and wears the uniform for male students. The statement also alleged that she had been facing difficulties in seeking hormone replacement therapy as a result of MOE’s interference.

MOE released a statement on 16 January, denying that it had interfered with Ashlee’s medical treatment. It later issued a separate joint statement with the Institute of Mental Health that “the school is committed to providing the education support the student needs to graduate, including via home-based learning”.

Separately, three people were arrested last Tuesday after staging a short protest outside the MOE headquarters in Buona Vista. The trio said in a statement that they were calling for Wong to end what they perceived as discrimination against LGBTQ+ students at MOE schools.

They also called on Wong to “uphold the fundamental right of all students to an education within a safe and supportive school life”.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Ministry debunks claim about staff being hired to enforce 8-people CNY visiting rules


SINGAPORE - An audio clip circulating on WhatsApp about people being hired to enforce household visit rules during Chinese New Year has been debunked by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE).

"There is no such hiring exercise being conducted by agencies involved in the enforcement of safe distancing measures and safe management measures," said the MSE on Thursday (Jan 28).

Speaking in Hokkien, the woman in the clip alleged that 5,000 individuals are being engaged to check households for breaches of the eight-person visitor limit during Chinese New Year.

She also claimed that each person will be paid $15 an hour and will be visiting homes in several housing estates.

In response to the Straits Times’ queries, the MSE said: "Agencies have deployed safe distancing ambassadors (SDAs) since the circuit breaker in 2020, and have been hiring to replace attrition."

The ministry said the number of SDAs has remained constant and there are no plans to hire an additional 5,000 of them during the Chinese New Year period.

The Government has tightened rules on household visits ahead of Chinese New Year, in a pre-emptive move to minimise the number of social interactions and prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Besides limiting every household to eight unique visitors a day, individuals are encouraged to cap their visits at two households a day.

Enforcement officers will also do random spot checks to enforce the new rule on household visits, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong last week.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic, had added that neighbours of those in breach of the rules may also contact the authorities.

But it is impossible to enforce rules on interactions that take place within a home, he had said.

People are encouraged to meet virtually rather than in person, and give electronic red packets instead.

On Thursday, the MSE said: "We urge everyone to follow the rules, do our part by being socially responsible, including during festive periods, to prevent a resurgence in community transmission and keep Singapore safe."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Use design thinking to help S’pore's young be 'innovative problem solvers', says Lawrence Wong

SINGAPORE - A group of primary school pupils who were able to think creatively were able to come up with a novel solution to solve a problem of patients at a hospital who were unmotivated to attend their physiotherapy sessions.

The pupils from Princess Elizabeth Primary School, who were part of the school's applied learning program in innovation and enterprise, came up with a simple but effective solution - they turned the physiotherapy exercises into tactile games, which was popular with patients.

Education Minister Lawrence Wong cited this example of contributing to the community through design thinking on Thursday (Feb 4).

He was speaking at the Design Education Summit, held virtually on Thursday and attended by over 600 local and international educators and industry experts.

The summit, which is in its second edition, was organised by the DesignSingapore Council - Singapore's national agency that promotes design - and the SUTD-MIT International Design Centre.

Its focus this year was on the importance of design as a strategic tool to help Singapore recover from the social and economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Design thinking is an approach to creative problem-solving that applies to businesses across sectors. The focus is on building empathy in re-framing and resolving problems.

Mr Wong said that in a post-Covid world, there is a need to prepare Singapore's young to be "adaptable, nimble and innovative problem solvers".

"And in this respect, design as a discipline and way of thinking has much to offer. Design is not just a job - it's a way of thinking. And today, we see the fingerprints of design in every sector, from banking to manufacturing and IT."

In the corporate world, design has transformed businesses, helping to solve "the company's most frustrating problems, with a lens that puts the user at the centre", he added.

He cited DBS' user experience and design team as an example.

The team researches consumer banking journeys and looks for ways to improve.

The bank noticed a surge in log ins near the end of the month, and the design team attributed this to the number of people who were logging in to check that their salaries have been deposited.

In response, the team added a new "peek balance" function to the bank app, where users can check their bank balances without having to input their log in details.

The new function was used six million times a month in 2019, said Mr Wong.

"So you can imagine the convenience it has brought to consumers and the time saved collectively."

In the span of five years, this user experience and design team in DBS has grown from two people to 60, which is indicative of the value that design as a function brings to the business, Mr Wong noted.

Mr Mark Wee, executive director of DesignSingapore Council, added: "Given the difficulties the pandemic has imposed on businesses and society at large, this summit serves as an important reminder to the efficacy of design - from providing solutions to offering new and exciting opportunities.

"Having a design mindset and its associated skills is imperative to adapting to a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (Vuca) world."

 

[jw5]

He looks so sad.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

ST Education Forum: Lawrence Wong on 3 ways in which S'pore universities can transform themselves

SINGAPORE - As Covid-19 pushes learning institutes to transform, universities in Singapore must disrupt themselves or be forced to do so.

Education Minister Lawrence Wong stressed this on Friday (Feb 5) as he laid out three areas in which Singapore universities can do better.

Even before Covid-19, there was talk that the university sector would be completely disrupted by technology. The pandemic has prompted more questions about such trends, and there are now further predictions in some countries that there will be so much disruption that some universities may have to close, said Mr Wong.


"We are not immune to these trends... But our approach has been not to allow external forces to disrupt us, but to proactively disrupt ourselves instead."

There are, therefore, three ways in which universities in Singapore can do better - in teaching and learning, embracing lifelong learning, and collaborating with industry, he noted.

He was speaking at The Straits Times Education Forum 2021 on reimagining universities post-Covid-19, held in partnership with the Singapore Management University (SMU).

The forum, held online this year, examined the ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education and the changes that it will forge.

Doing better in teaching and learning
The criticism that universities prioritise research over teaching is not new, but is not always fair, said Mr Wong.

"In my experience, some of the best researchers are also excellent and most inspiring teachers. But this criticism exists, and we are aware of it."

Globally, there are also criticisms that the university curriculum has not changed much.

"But in Singapore, we've continually been looking at ways to refresh and update the quality of teaching and learning in our universities. So the university course in Singapore today is quite different from what it was 100 years ago - even 10, five years ago," he said.

Students also get opportunities to learn outside of lectures - seminars, collaborative projects, overseas opportunities, service-based learning, internships and capstone projects.

"More recently, all our universities are looking at ways to provide more holistic learning... We are also looking at greater breadth, and more interdisciplinary and cross domain knowledge, for example, in areas like digital literacy, innovation, entrepreneurship and communication," the minister said.

Embracing lifelong learning
The model of university education everywhere, for a long time, has been about front-loading education at a young age, Mr Wong noted.

"So you have a fixed period of education, and then after that a fixed period of work.

"I think that model is no longer relevant today. We need to have a rotational model of learning where work and education are rotated over the course of your career."

This means that universities will have to cater for multiple entry points along the age distribution, rather than focusing on full-time education, he said.

This could entail looking at offering part-time degrees for working adults and modular offerings that can be stacked towards a qualification later on.

Universities must also cater for multiple entry points along the entire skills spectrum, including technical, hands-on skills, practical life skills and even social skills like relationship negotiation.

"So the university of the future needs to be plural, rather than singular. It should be more of a 'multi-versity', rather than a university."

Collaborating closely with industry
Universities can and must continue to do more in this area, said Mr Wong, adding: "When universities don't move fast enough, they become at risk of being disrupted."

This trend has been observed internationally, when large companies decide to set up their own academies, partly out of frustration that the universities in their countries are unable to produce graduates to meet their needs.

One example Mr Wong cited is the Dyson Institute, set up because of the difficulties in getting engineering graduates in Britain.

To meet this engineering skills gap, the Dyson Institute offered degrees in partnership with the University of Warwick. It has currently been granted its own degree-awarding powers, which means it has become "a university in its own right", the minister noted.

"I don't think we need to go there in Singapore, but our universities should therefore strengthen and deepen their collaboration with companies here in Singapore."

The polytechnics are doing well in getting industry inputs on school curriculum, and the universities increasingly will also have to take a leaf from the poly sector's book, Mr Wong said.

Noting the critical roles of universities to the well-being of Singapore and Singaporeans, Mr Wong said: "I hope to see universities of the future becoming centres of learning, nurturing a broad range of skills, having close collaboration with the industry, and nurturing everyone to be a lifelong learner.

"And as our universities continue to rebuild and reimagine themselves, they will play a very important role in shaping the future of our society."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

ST Education Forum: More online curriculum does not mean education costs are lower, says Lawrence Wong

SINGAPORE - The Government watches the cost of higher education "like a hawk", and the fact that more parts of the curriculum are going online does not necessarily mean costs are lower, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Feb 5).

Manpower costs for faculty and staff is a key cost component for all universities, even overseas institutions, and these staff are needed to keep things going and to provide a good learning experience for students, he added.

Speaking at The Straits Times Education Forum 2021 on Reimagining Universities, Post-Covid, Mr Wong said that keeping university fees affordable has and will continue to be a key priority for his ministry.

"There is a view that, 'So much of this is going online, surely it can be cheaper,'" he said.

"Yes, if everything is 100 per cent online, sure, but that's not the university education. You're not going to get the university education by going online and signing up to MOOCs (massive open online course) and doing it for four years.

"It will be blended, which means that faculty will still be required."

But he stressed that the Ministry of Education (MOE) will continue to ensure generous subsidies for university education in Singapore.

This has been done to prevent mounting student debt problems that are prevalent in other countries.

Beyond the subsidies, there is also a range of bursaries that MOE recently enhanced, he said.

“We have done it for not just for the lower income (group), but bursaries go up to the middle income (group). And I think that’s the right approach, because it ensures a progressive system.”

For example, those with a gross household income of $6,901- $9,000 or per capita income of $1,726-$2,250 are eligible for bursaries.

This applies to full- and part-time Institute of Technical Education Nitec and Higher Nitec students, polytechnic students and university undergraduates.

Bursary quantums have also been increased.

However, one point raised at the forum by speakers was that even with fees made more affordable, some parents may still want their children to enter the workforce early to generate income and forgo their studies.

Addressing this, Mr Wong said: "It may be so. But I think that we will then have to look at this in different ways.

"We can, for example help the families through other means, not necessarily through MOE and the universities, but rather social assistance to help the family."

The student could also consider doing work-study programmes, he said, adding that even if the student does wish to go out into the working world, he or she can continue education at a later time, he added.

A polytechnic graduate, for instance, could decide to look for a job first. "But it doesn't mean that you're foregoing your chance to get a degree," said Mr Wong. "You can do so later in life as well."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

ST Education Forum: Universities must provide industry skills, collaborate or risk disruption, says Education Minister

SINGAPORE - Universities must continue to provide industry-required skills and deepen collaboration with companies and partners, or risk disruption, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Feb 5).

To make the point, he cited the example of technology company Dyson in Britain, which set up its own Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology in 2017 to train a ready supply of engineers to tackle a shortage of such professionals in the British economy.

Speaking at The Straits Times Education Forum 2021 on Reimagining Universities, Post-Covid, Mr Wong said: "They (Dyson) set up Dyson Institute because of their difficulties in getting engineering graduates in the UK, so they had their own institute to meet this engineering skills gap.

"At the start, Dyson Institute offered degrees in partnership with the University of Warwick. Now it's been granted its own degree-awarding powers, so it doesn't need a university anymore; it's become a university in its own right."

While Mr Wong felt that such drastic measures are not currently necessary in Singapore, he urged universities here to continue to strengthen and deepen their collaboration with companies.

"Our polytechnics do very well in this regard, and the universities increasingly will also have to take a lead from the polytechnic sector in getting industry inputs to shape curriculum," he added.

Also speaking at the forum, organised in collaboration with Singapore Management University, was SMU president Lily Kong, who highlighted her university's efforts to engage with industry partners and industry-related skills.

Pointing to SMU's collaborations with technology giant Google and local healthcare group SingHealth, she said: "Work-study arrangements are now very much a part of what we do. We have programmes that are co-developed with Google Singapore, for example, in data analytics, and co-delivered by Google practitioners and we've internships with Google partners.

"We have a work-study arrangement with SingHealth in health economics and management co-created with the senior leaders in SingHealth so that even though we're not producing doctors and nurses as some of the other universities do, we produce those who can run hospitals."

SMU has two formal training programmes in partnership with SingHealth. Since 2009, SMU has offered the SMU-SingHealth Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management and Leadership, and since 2018 students at SMU have been able to take Health Economics and Management as a second major.

Mr Wong, who also co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, exhorted universities to continue to push the frontiers of knowledge and discovery, and be part of the broader ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship and enterprise within the country.

"In our fight against Covid-19, for example, we have also seen how such university-academic-industry collaboration has been most useful, for example, in developing test kits and other solutions to fight the virus," he added.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

ST Education Forum: Employers should look beyond candidates' qualifications, says Lawrence Wong

SINGAPORE - Higher education does not necessarily have to be front-loaded - meaning people may choose to start their working life first before circling back to complete their undergraduate degrees or higher degrees.

Increasingly, there are more options for Singaporeans to return to university several times to upgrade and upskill at different points of their career.

Employers should not see this as a disruption. Instead, they should look at students and graduates for who they are, their experiences and the value proposition that they bring to the workplace, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong on Friday (Feb 5).

Speaking at The Straits Times Education Forum 2021 on Reimagining Universities, Post-Covid, he said: "That will be the ultimate test - (hiring) not based on the qualifications or credentials or whether you had this experience or that experience, which somehow feels different from what I had gone through.

"Of course, it will be different, but look at the value that the student or the graduate brings to the workplace - the skills, the competencies and the contributions.

"We hope, with all that we are doing and all that the universities are doing, each batch of graduates will be able to bring more value and more contributions to the workplace and to employers."

Mr Wong, who obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, said he was reminded of how the Public Service Commission had questioned him upon his return on why he chose to take music classes at university.

"But I think mindsets have changed, and it will continue to change," he said.

The forum, which was held online this year, examined the ripple effects of the coronavirus pandemic on higher education and the changes that it will forge.

Professor Lily Kong, president of the Singapore Management University (SMU) that co-organised the forum, said that "every generation will look at the next generation and see how they're different".

She said she has heard senior leaders in companies and firms say that they have learnt new things from the new graduates.

"Each generation brings something different and something positive. The younger generation is going to bring a whole lot of technological skills that the older generation doesn't have, for example."

She added: "Of course, the senior employers and employees have the experience that younger ones don't have. So it's really about learning from one another and optimising the skill sets within a company."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Solidarity shown by WWII generation can guide Singapore in Covid-19 pandemic: Lawrence Wong

SINGAPORE - The sense of solidarity and collective responsibility that the pioneer generation embodied during the Japanese Occupation serves as a guide to how Singapore should deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Monday (Feb 15) on the anniversary of the fall of Singapore.

Drawing parallels between the pandemic and World War II, he said the pandemic can be a defining moment in Singapore's history, where Singaporeans were tested but overcame the "toughest of circumstances" with resilience and resolve.

The country's pioneers, who endured the hardships of war, were a generation who got things done, served with honour, and helped built Singapore, said Mr Wong, who also co-chairs the multi-ministry task force tackling the pandemic.

"They have taught us that there is no trouble we cannot endure; no calamity we cannot overcome as a people."

While the Japanese Occupation of Singapore lasted more than three years, said Mr Wong, it is unclear how long the pandemic will last, although "at some point, it will be over".

"At that time, I hope we can look back and say that this has been a defining moment in our history. We have been tested in this crucible, but we have overcome the toughest of circumstances together with resilience and resolve, and we have prevailed and forged a stronger sense of solidarity and unity.

"Ultimately, that's the best homage we can pay to our forefathers and our pioneers, to uphold their conviction and values of our nation, to take on the responsibility that they shouldered, and to commit to building a better Singapore together," he added.

The minister was speaking at the 54th War Memorial Service to commemorate the civilian victims of the Japanese Occupation, as well as Total Defence Day, which marks the day Singapore fell to the Japanese in 1942.

The event - organised by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry; and Nexus, the department responsible for Total Defence and National Education in the Ministry of Defence - is held annually at the War Memorial Park in Beach Road.

Mr Wong said Singapore has had to impose certain necessary, but also painful and difficult, measures to cope with the pandemic, which he added was perhaps the biggest challenge for the world since WWII.

"And we're very glad to see Singaporeans taking these measures in their stride, cooperating with them, and embodying the spirit of Total Defence during this time, sacrificing for the common good, pulling together with tremendous resilience and fortitude."

For instance, front-line workers were on duty round the clock, businesses adapted to find new ways to pursue their livelihoods, neighbours reached out to help the vulnerable, and Singaporeans adhered to safe distancing measures and passed on factual and accurate information.

"I'm hopeful and optimistic that Singapore can emerge stronger from this crisis, just as we did after the Japanese Occupation," said Mr Wong.

 

[jw5]

from nus.edu.sg:

Education Minister Lawrence Wong lays out four strategies to prepare students for the future




Maximising opportunities for disadvantaged students, allowing multiple educational pathways for students, developing soft skills beyond book knowledge, and promoting interdisciplinary learning – these will be the four major thrusts for Singapore’s education system, according to Education Minister Mr Lawrence Wong.

These will be supplemented by encouraging all Singaporeans – not just those still in school – to embrace a spirit of lifelong learning, added Mr Wong, who was speaking on 3 Dec at the inaugural session of the NUS115 Distinguished Speaker Series.

Such major changes are needed due to the unpredictable geopolitical situation worldwide and the relentless advance of the digital age.

“It will be a bumpy journey ahead with major disruptions to businesses and workers everywhere,” said Mr Wong.

What does this mean for the future of education?

There is no single way or formula for preparing the country’s young people for the new and more complex future, stressed Mr Wong, who had taken on the Education portfolio in July. But he intends to build on what his predecessors have achieved while seeking further improvements in the system.

Helping underprivileged students
The first strategy is to maximise opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and ensure that education remains an uplifting force for society.

The government will continue to invest significantly in pre-school affordability, accessibility and quality. It will strengthen its focus on students who do not do so well in school, or who come from more challenging backgrounds.

“One emerging area of focus is mental health,” said Mr Wong. “Working with our schools and Institutes of Higher Learning, we want to do more to destigmatise mental health issues, strengthen peer support, recruit more full-time counsellors and have more educators trained as para-counsellors to provide all the support we can for students who need help.”

Offering students multiple pathways to excel
Recognising that every child is unique, the Education Ministry will continue to allow multiple pathways for each of them to thrive.

Mr Wong noted that important roles played by different parts of the educational ecosystem – comprehensive universities like NUS, as well as more focused universities and applied universities. Singapore also has specialised institutions such as arts schools, and skills and vocational pathways anchored by Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education. “This diversity is a major strength, which we must continue to uphold.”

Attitudes and skills beyond the classroom
The third thrust involves developing soft skills and the correct attitude in students to allow them to thrive. This includes the ability to build relationships with one another, to collaborate and work in teams, to be able to think creatively, and to keep on learning spontaneously. “These soft skills may sound like the most natural things in the world and everyone can do that, but in fact, they ought to be practiced continuously,” said Mr Wong.

The Ministry will therefore be implementing a new character and citizenship curriculum starting next year to put greater emphasis on moral values and character, and spend more time on cyber-wellness and the discussion of contemporary issues: “Our students should feel a strong sense of duty and responsibility to their fellow citizens; and a readiness to serve and help others succeed.”

Interdisciplinary education
The fourth strategy involves promoting interdisciplinary learning to support career mobility and learning and cognitive agility, so that Singaporeans can be prepared for a more dynamic and uncertain future.

“We must nurture the ability to see the broader connection of things and to work seamlessly across different disciplines,” said Mr Wong. “We must prepare students to appreciate the realities of life, where many issues are complex and cross-cutting. Problems in the real-world cannot be solved by an engineer alone, or an architect or a scientist, or anyone from a single discipline — they really need different skillsets to come together.”

Yet, subject specialisation is also important, and Mr Wong cautioned against swinging from one extreme to the other. “The explosion of knowledge, particularly in the digital age, makes it impossible for any single person to keep up with what is happening in even a few disciplines… We should encourage students with the aptitude and passion to go as far as they can, and excel in their chosen fields.”

NUS is leading the way in this respect.

In his welcome remarks, NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye said that the University will continue to push the boundaries of disciplines, and take the lead in spearheading integrative, interdisciplinary education.

“Through interdisciplinary education, students will learn to harness and integrate knowledge, insights, skills and experiences across disciplines and environments. This expands the range of possibilities for perspectives and contributions that can come together; our students will then be able to shape richer, better and more informed solutions to complex problems,” said Prof Tan.

The University’s efforts to take the lead – not just in interdisciplinary learning, but in all aspects of research and education – were applauded by the Minister.

“NUS can lead the way in this journey of transformation. You are already doing so and you can continue being the leader. You may be our oldest university, but you are not old in your mindset and thinking; you continue to have a start-up mindset.”

A spirit of lifelong learning
While Institutes of Higher Learning and schools will play a major role, individual Singaporeans “must embrace lifelong learning as a personal habit and an integral way of life”, said Mr Wong. “Graduates will have to learn new things multiple times in their working lives.”

He cited the positive example of Mr Eric Liu, who is in his late 30s and graduated from NUS with Honours (Highest Distinction) last year with a degree in electronics engineering.

Mr Liu had started his career as a production technician. To upgrade himself, he enrolled in a part-time diploma programme from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, before pursuing a part-time degree at NUS. With his new skills, he continued to progress in his career, and has just started a new job as a digital hardware engineer in ST Engineering.

NUS115 Distinguished Speaker Series
Mr Wong was the inaugural speaker at the NUS115 Distinguished Speaker Series, which commemorates 115 years since the University was founded in 1905.

The series was supposed to have commenced in the early part of the year, but COVID-19 had thrown a spanner in the works. Nonetheless, the series could take off just in time in the final month of 2020, thanks to the stellar leadership, gumption and resolve of Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce on COVID-19 which has brought the local situation under good control, noted Prof Tan.

Lively question-and-answer session
Mr Wong also fielded questions from NUS students, staff and alumni in a lively question-and-answer session, moderated by Professor Susanna Leong, Vice Provost (Masters' Programmes & Lifelong Education) and Dean of the School of Continuing & Lifelong Education.

In response to a question on how institutions can help their students to adapt and contribute to Singapore during these unprecedented times, Mr Wong noted that Singapore’s universities are already doing a lot.

There are many graduates who are concerned about finding jobs during this period, and universities have scaled up support for students in programmes such as job matching and career counselling. The government has also stepped up with traineeship schemes. “We would like (students) to get a full-time job of course, but in a crisis like this, if indeed full-time jobs are not available, then there are funded traineeships for students.”

Mr Wong noted that this year’s employment outcomes for university graduates have been similar to pre-COVID times if traineeships are included. This is a “tremendous achievement” given the dire employment situation in other countries, he said.

Other than the immediate crisis, universities can also go beyond book knowledge and instil in students a spirit of curiosity and inquiry, as well as a spirit of excellence to continue learning through life, said Mr Wong.

This, together with the strategic thrusts of the Education Ministry, will enable young Singaporeans to thrive in the new world order.

 

[jw5]

Left to right: NUS Provost Professor Ho Teck Hua, Education Minister Mr Lawrence Wong, and NUS President Professor Tan Eng Chye at the sidelines of the event.

 

[jw5]

Education Minister Mr Lawrence Wong fielded questions at the question-and-answer session, moderated by Professor Susanna Leong.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

S'pore will continue to monitor individuals for adverse effects from Covid-19 vaccine: Gan Kim Yong


SINGAPORE - The Government will continue to observe and monitor vaccinated patients to look out for those with side effects, collect this data and refine the criteria for vaccination.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong said this on Friday (Feb 19) when asked about the 72-year-old man who suffered cardiac arrest on Tuesday night after getting his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the morning.

The patient, who was admitted to the intensive care unit at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), has a medical history of cancer, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia.

Mr Gan reiterated TTSH's initial assessment that there was no indication that the patient's cardiac arrest was due to the vaccination.

"I want to assure Singaporeans that we will continue to monitor data not only locally, but also internationally, so that it is a continuous process that will refine our processes, refine our criteria to ensure that it is safe," he said at the Jalan Besar Community Centre.

Everyone undergoing vaccination has to go through a thorough questionnaire to ensure that they do not have a contra-indication.

A contra-indication is anything, such as a medical condition or symptom, that is a reason for a person to not receive a particular treatment.

After the vaccination, everyone will be observed for 30 minutes. At the end of the half-hour period, those vaccinated will go through another round of questions to ensure that they are well.

The medical team present will also give the patients advice should they have any adverse reaction, and where to get help.

"So I want to assure Singaporeans that we do take this very seriously," Mr Gan said.

"Whether (these incidents) are related to vaccination or not, we want to know if there are any such incidents so that we can investigate in-depth and better understand the situation."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Seniors should wait for vaccination letters before registering: Gan Kim Yong


SINGAPORE - Seniors who want to get vaccinated should wait for the letters inviting them to sign up, said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong on Friday (Feb 19).

He urged patience, adding that the letters are now being sent out in batches, starting with areas where vaccination centres are already in operation.

"(People) don't need to worry," Mr Gan told reporters during a visit to a vaccination centre at Jalan Besar Community Club. "It will come, and if it doesn't come, we will contact them anyway."

After receiving their letters, people will be able to register for vaccination online. They will then get a text message with a unique Web link allowing them to book their appointment.

Those who need help booking their appointments can bring their letter to any community club or centre, where staff will be able to assist them.

The nationwide vaccination programme for seniors aged 70 and above will start on Monday (Feb 22), with Mr Gan announcing on Friday that vaccinations for people aged 60 to 69 will start around the end of March. The rest of the population is scheduled to follow suit in April.

In a statement, the Health Ministry (MOH) said Silver Generation Ambassadors and volunteers from the People's Association will conduct house visits and use grassroots events to answer queries and help seniors book appointments.

MOH will also work with other agencies to deploy mobile vaccination teams for seniors who have difficulty visiting vaccination sites due to mobility issues.

It urged people to ensure that their residential addresses are updated, as letters will be mailed out based on registered addresses.

Vaccinations for seniors started in Tanjong Pagar and Ang Mo Kio late last month under a pilot scheme.

Around 5,000 seniors living in those two areas have been vaccinated so far, Mr Gan said, urging more to get inoculated. "Probably because of the Chinese New Year festivities, some of them may have wanted to wait."

There are now 11 vaccination centres in operation, with three more in Bukit Timah, Marine Parade and Taman Jurong to be up and running by next Monday.

In total, Singapore will set up around 40 vaccination centres.

People can also get the jab at any of the 20 polyclinics or 22 public health preparedness clinics that serve as vaccination sites.

Asked how the Government would decide on the distribution of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who was also at the event, said: "There will be centres that are distributing Pfizer; there will be centres with Moderna. So, the arrangements will be made."

He stressed that there is "not much to choose" between the two vaccines, which work in a similar way and have nearly identical efficacy rates.

Mr Wong, who co-chairs the task force tackling the pandemic with Mr Gan, added that the Government is doing everything it can to encourage people to get vaccinated, including getting people to share their experiences with their friends.

"Because there's nothing like someone who has been vaccinated, who has gone through the experience and says it's okay. And then they tell their friends, and then people follow suit."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

S'pore on the lookout for more Covid-19 vaccine options: Lawrence Wong


SINGAPORE - Singapore continues to be on the lookout for more vaccine options even though shipments for the approved vaccines - Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna - are coming in now.

Having more than one approved vaccine provides the country with some sort of insurance as Singapore will not need to rely on a single supplier, Education Minister and co-chair of the Covid-19 multi-ministry task force Lawrence Wong said on Friday (Feb 19) during a visit to the Jalan Besar Community Centre.

A good supply of vaccines will largely determine the rate of the nation's vaccination programme, Mr Wong added.

"We are pushing out the vaccines as soon as we get the supplies, so the pace at which we can proceed with our vaccination programme really is contingent on our supply, more than anything else," he said.

But supply uncertainties remain given high global demand, Mr Wong cautioned. He cited an example earlier this year, where there were delays in the supplies of vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech.

"It wasn't so much because of export restrictions but because there has been a surge in global demand for these vaccines, and the company just has had to take more time to ramp up manufacturing capacity," Mr Wong said.

Supply bottlenecks could also be caused by a stoppage in the manufacturing plant, or an export restriction, or some other logistical issues, he noted.

"But we are happy now that we not only have Pfizer, we also have Moderna, so we have some diversification benefits. The supplies have come in in February, and we are expecting another supply coming through every month," Mr Wong said.

However, if something were to happen that causes not just one but even both supplies of Pfizer and Moderna to be disrupted, in the worst-case scenario, Singapore might have no choice but to either apply some brakes to the vaccine programme, or even temporarily stop it, use up all the existing supplies, and only continue when new supplies come in, Mr Wong said.

Apart from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, Singapore has also made advanced purchase agreements with China's Sinovac vaccine. However, Sinovac is yet to be approved as more data is still pending for the Health Sciences Authority to ensure it is safe because it is authorised for use, Mr Wong added.

"Beyond Sinovac, we continue to look at other options, and so that search for other vaccine options continues. We are not stopping at just three vaccines."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Stricter CNY Covid-19 measures in S'pore to remain for a few weeks after festivities end


SINGAPORE - Tighter measures introduced ahead of Chinese New Year to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in the community will remain in place until a few weeks after the festivities.

Education Minister Lawrence Wong, who is co-chair of the multi-ministry task force on Covid-19, said on Friday (Feb 19) that the Covid-19 situation has improved but cautioned against easing measures.

Noting that the virus has an "incubation time", he said: "We will monitor one, two, a few weeks after the New Year celebrations and festivities are over.


"If the situation remains stable and under control, we will review and we will consider the measures again and see whether or not there is scope for us to adjust."

He was speaking to reporters during a visit to a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Jalan Besar Community Club.

Some of the additional measures introduced last month include a cap of eight unique visitors per household per day. Individuals were also reminded to wear masks at all times when outside the home, including when visiting someone else's home.


Enforcement checks have been stepped up during this period, with strict action taken against individuals and business operators that breach safe management measures.

Mr Wong noted on Friday that restrictions had to be tightened after the Christmas and New Year break as the number of community cases rose.

In the third week of January, for instance, there were 21 new cases in the community, up from three the week before.

"We were concerned and therefore, we had tightened up the measures. Since then, the situation has improved, but it's too early to say what happens," said Mr Wong.


Events which were postponed earlier due to an increasing number of coronavirus cases in the community, such as the National School Games (NSG), may be reviewed to see when they can be held.

The NSG, which usually sees about 60,000 student-athletes competing across 29 sports, had been scheduled to begin this month.

Thanking Singaporeans for their cooperation, Mr Wong said: "By all accounts, when I meet people and ask them, everyone has had a much quieter, subdued New Year and they understand the rationale for doing this."

He added that with the cooperation of Singaporeans, he was hopeful the Republic will not have a spike in cases after the Chinese New Year period.


On Feb 2, The Straits Times reported that hundreds of shoppers thronged the wet market at Chinatown Complex to stock up on steamboat ingredients before Chinese New Year.

A new coronavirus cluster later emerged after the owner of a sundry shop at Chinatown Complex was confirmed to have Covid-19 on Feb 10. Currently, the cluster has four cases linked to it , with the wife and two sons of the Chinatown Complex stall owner testing positive too.

Long queues also formed outside popular bak kwa chain Lim Chee Guan’s Chinatown and Jewel Changi Airport outlets on Feb 9, as shoppers rushed to buy their barbecued meats before the start of the new year.

Crowds were also seen at Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple in Waterloo Street on Monday as thousands of devotees queued to enter the temple to seek blessings for Chinese New Year.

Said Mr Wong on Friday: "We ramp up the vaccine programme, we continue with all the safe distancing measures that are necessary, and I think we can get through this New Year in a much better position than before."

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

MOE flexible on students' use of learning devices after school: Lawrence Wong

SINGAPORE - Parents and students will have some flexibility in how they wish to use their learning devices after school hours, said Education Minister Lawrence Wong.

For instance, they could have the option to customise the device software settings at home, or turn off the software so that there is no monitoring of online activities.

More details will be given as schools hand out the learning devices, said Mr Wong in a written reply to Mr Patrick Tay (Pioneer) on Wednesday (Feb 24).

"The Ministry of Education's objectives are focused on the school environment and on ensuring good teaching and learning outcomes in school," he added.

Mr Tay, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, had asked the ministry what information will be tracked by the security software built into learning devices.

The devices are meant to support home-based learning, which starts from the third term of this year, for at least two days a month in all secondary schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute.

But some students had raised concerns about privacy and schools being too restrictive in implementing the device management application, a software that is meant to monitor how they use their learning devices.

In response, Mr Wong said the software "only collects information required to facilitate a conducive environment for teaching and learning, and to encourage good online practices".

This refers to basic student information such as his or her name, school and e-mail address, and does not track details like identification numbers, passwords and the location of the device, he said.

With this information, the Education Ministry and schools will be able to centrally update the devices - for instance, to install new learning applications or security patches.

Another purpose of the software is to support teachers in managing learning in classrooms, said Mr Wong. For instance, they will be able to see and support students' work on the devices during lessons.

The software will also help filter out harmful Internet content such as pornographic and gambling-related websites or those with extremist content, he added.

"In our engagements with parents, this feature of the software was something they strongly welcomed, as they were very concerned about excessive screen time and their children's access to inappropriate content online."

Mr Wong noted that any student information collected by the software is stored in secure servers managed by appointed vendors with stringent access controls.

"This is in line with the Government's personal data laws and policies to safeguard sensitive data collected by public agencies," he said.

Software helps students focus on learning

When Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) began using digital devices for learning nearly a decade ago, parents were given control of their sons' Apple MacBooks, but the school soon realised that things were getting out of hand.

Even though it had restricted students' permission to download new applications, they were turning to online sites like Facebook to play games after school.

"We had feedback from parents about their sons getting addicted to gaming," said the school's principal Mr Loo Ming Yaw.

In 2016, the school switched to using Google Chromebooks pre-installed with a device management application (DMA) that tracked students' online usage.

Initially, it took a "blacklisting" approach, restricting access to objectionable material like pornography. As the number of blacklisted sites grew, the school adopted a stricter stance. Since 2018, the boys have had access to only "whitelisted" sites and videos that are relevant to learning. Teachers have to submit the resources they need for lessons to the school's IT department for whitelisting. Students can make similar requests.


"The parents are a lot more satisfied... But of course the boys would complain," said Mr Loo, recalling a student's request to let him use Spotify to listen to music.

"But I told the boys this is a learning device and I'd rather that they use it only for learning purposes. Almost all of them have their own phones, which would already be their entertainment device."

He added: "We want to teach them there's a place and time for learning and entertainment, and you cannot mix both."

Mrs Jeannette Chan, 48, whose Secondary 3 son Christopher attends ACS (Barker Road), said: "The DMA helps him be less distracted and treat the Chromebook as a work gadget."

Mrs Chan, who works in wealth management, and her husband also use a parental control app for her son's smartphone and other devices at home.

"We both agree on the limits and explain why it is good for him in order to get his buy-in," she said.

Christopher, 14, admitted that when he was in Secondary 1, he and a few friends tried to bypass the school's restrictions to access online games and YouTube.

"We got a warning from the IT head... I didn't realise how much my learning was affected," he said. "For students, it can be annoying, but without the DMA, I guess no one will be doing his work."

Another school which is also using Google Chromebooks is Bukit View Secondary School, starting with its Secondary 1 cohort in 2017.

Said its principal Mr Kevin Ang: "We explained very clearly that the DMA is to ensure that the device is used only for learning, instead of social media, games or accessing unsavoury content."

It has added more sites including YouTube to its blacklist, especially after it noticed students playing games or surfing the Internet during lessons.

But the school is also flexible.

For instance, students can propose educational YouTube videos or channels to be made accessible.

In response to parents' feedback, the school also extended the cut-off time for students to use the devices at home, from 10pm previously to 12am.

"We know students have their own devices to use if they really want to stay up late. But setting the daily timeout helps us to communicate the importance of having enough sleep and shaping good habits," said Mr Ang.

Housewife Winnie Fong, 43, said having the DMA in her daughter Tania's learning device puts to rest fears about increased screen time or access to inappropriate content.

Tania, 14 and in Secondary 2, said: "Many websites are blocked on the personal learning device, so it keeps me more focused, as I'm limited to only websites that are relevant to my learning."

 

[jw5]

from mothership.sg:

Lawrence Wong: S'poreans should prepare for rapidly-changing future to avoid fate of Blackberry

Singapore must prepare its people to "continually rethink and relearn" to take on a rapidly changing future, Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Thursday, Feb. 25.

Rethink, unlearn and relearn


In a pre-recorded speech that was played on the third and last day of the Middle East Institute's annual conference, Wong said that in a turbulent world, the ability "to rethink, to unlearn things that we may already know because the knowledge is outdated, and to relearn" is required.


He further elaborated that this set of cognitive skills requires "agility and nimbleness of mind, as well as the humility to listen to others and to stay open to new ideas, and then continually update our thinking as circumstances change".

Wong added that while rethinking and retooling are skills that needs to be constantly practiced, the irony is that "sometimes the more successful we are, the more difficult it is to change".



Blackberry refused to change and failed to adapt


He raised the example of the mobile phone Blackberry, which was rendered obsolete in the 2000s with the entry of Apple's iPhone and several Android phones into the market.

Wong said the Blackberry was once very popular and accounted for "about half of the U.S. smartphone market" at its peak.

A major innovation for its time with a keyboard that has a "very usable interface", Blackberry developed something that was "convenient and led user needs of that time", he added.

But the company's fortunes started to turn when the first iPhone entered the market in 2007. Wong said:

"The founder of Blackberry didn't want to change and stuck to its original model and it failed to adapt, and we all know what has happened to Blackberry today."

Reiterating the importance of preparing Singapore's youths for future changes, Wong also cited "top jobs" on professional networking platform LinkedIn that "did not exist 10 years ago", like "an iOS or Android developer, a UX designer, Cloud Manager or big data architect". He said:

"Our youths are likely to be doing jobs in the future that don't exist now, and we must prepare them well for such a future."

Important to prepare Singapore's youths to face a rapidly changing future


Wong, who is also the co-chair of the Covid-19 multi-ministry task force, brought up the example of Covid-19 and its impact.

Beyond the immediate economic and societal disruptions, the pandemic has also underscored the importance of education in "preparing our students to face a rapidly changing future", he said.

He added that over the past year of fighting the pandemic, Singapore had to continually update its way of thinking.

While Singapore had experience dealing with SARS some years back, Covid-19 is "a completely new virus", and so what worked well for the country previously was "not so effective for this new virus", he said.

For instance, a person with SARS only became infectious after symptoms like fever had set in, making it easier to detect such an infectious person. But with Covid-19, the virus spreads much faster, well before the onset of symptoms.

Wong further cited the work the government had to do to contain Covid-19, such as overhauling the country's contact tracing system.

These examples, he said, illustrate the importance of "nimbleness and flexibility" to keep updating "our way of thinking with new knowledge and the development of new information.


Train students to "think laterally" and to help them achieve full potential


In addition, to help students prepare for the future, Wong said it is crucial for them to not only "develop deep expertise in their chosen fields", but also the ability to "think laterally" and draw connections across different domains.

This is why the Ministry of Education is encouraging Singapore's institutes of higher learning to make interdisciplinary learning "an integral part of their teaching", he added.

Wong added that more had to be done to help individuals to fulfil their full potential, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who were disproportionately affected by the pandemic. For example, students without a laptop at home had difficulties participating in online Home Based Learning, a disadvantage which the government is rectifying.

He concluded with a reminder that Singapore takes training "very seriously" because people are Singapore's only and "greatest" resource. This is why the education and training ecosystem needs to be constantly reviewed and updated.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Stricter CNY Covid-19 measures in S'pore to remain for a few weeks after festivities end


Long queues also formed outside popular bak kwa chain Lim Chee Guan’s Chinatown and Jewel Changi Airport outlets on Feb 9, as shoppers rushed to buy their barbecued meats before the start of the new year.

Silly sinkies queueing at Lim Chee Guan's Chinatown outlet.

 

[jw5]

from straitstimes.com:

Stricter CNY Covid-19 measures in S'pore to remain for a few weeks after festivities end

Long queues also formed outside popular bak kwa chain Lim Chee Guan’s Chinatown and Jewel Changi Airport outlets on Feb 9, as shoppers rushed to buy their barbecued meats before the start of the new year.

Silly sinkies queueing at Lim Chee Guan's Jewel Changi outlet.