1. "Tutors' role in society often overlooked - The Straits Times 28 May 2016
As a tutor, I read the letters painting the industry in a negative light with much concern ("Time for conversation on broader role of tuition" by Mr Dhevarajan Devadas, and "What makes a 'super tutor' super?" by Mr Kevin Lim Fung Ming"; both published on Thursday).
This industry supports students who have fallen through the cracks of a stressful education system. It represents a second chance for students who may have slacked off, been poor planners or used the wrong study methods.
While not all students can afford one-on-one tutoring, they can join groups and pay lower fees to teachers who possess the passion for teaching but not for office politicking or administrative duties."
This is a fair self-defence by a tutor. It is his or her livelihood being threatened if tutoring is make illegal or banned as MoE rammed up its teachers intake and increase the teacher to students ratio to 1:20 0r 1:16.
This means the tutors will then be employed by MoE instead of being a tutor. In this way, the tutor still get to make a living though the money will not be so good and the working hours so short!
This is the irony! When properly, and hopefully better, trained MoE teachers have to work longer hours and getting lower paid by a tutor who might not have to go through any MoE sanctioned 'teaching qualification'! Of course, I am not advocating the type of 'oligopolistic' practice of the medical doctors, accountants, lawyers and engineers where they make sure only 'some qualified' persons can practice their trades without the need to explain why one of them is better than the other ones!!
If schools are doing their jobs, the kids with varying learning abilities would have been sorted out and given different attention and resources to help them learn in a 'as-far-as-possible' level playing field.
So, tutoring is an unnatural industry. An industry where the MoE, the rightful owner of educating our kids and future generation right allows to flourish as MoE had failed. Yes?
'Every school is a good school' and 'Learning to learn' is the focus. Why can't MoE schools be having the latest and best learning technologies than the tutor or tutoring schools?
2. "Obama wraps up historic Asia trip - CNA 28 May 2016
US President Barack Obama wrapped up a historic trip to Asia, where he sought to deepen US involvement by boosting ties to former adversaries in the region.
He paid tribute to victims of the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima on Friday, the first American leader to visit the city devastated by the bomb that helped end World War II.
He also took part in a G7 summit in Japan, where he raised concern over escalating tensions with North Korea following a series of nuclear tests by Pyongyang.
Obama arrived there from Vietnam, where he formally reset the relationship with Washington's former foe by lifting an arms embargo, four decades after the US withdrew its last troops from the country. He also appealed to its leaders to lift authoritarianism.
His visit came as China is rattling countries in the region with a series of reclamation and construction projects -- including airstrips -- on reefs and islets in disputed waters in the South China Sea."
Good of him to visit these few countries and places. He is doing his bid and creating history.
China's puzzling hard-line stand in the South China Sea, especially with members of Asean does not play well with the general people in Asean! It has a very weak position to insist on using its own interpretation of territorial rights with zero regards for international law! It has won few friends and lost itself a lot of credibility of its 'friendliness' to its neighbours!
As for the need for an apology for the terrifying and most devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and later, Nagasaki, he is right to say that: he will not apologize.
Actually, he did not have to say that there will be no apology. The truth is it was part of a plot to showcase a weapon so powerfully that led to the dropping of the 2 bombs. Of course, the refusal of the Japanese WWII cabinet at that time did not make things easier.
Most had passed away and soon there will be no survivor from the Hiroshima atomic bombing to share the horrifying tales. YET, we, the human kind, must never forget that such tragedies can be repeated many more times IF we continue to allow crazed dictators to run certain countries that defy 'human decency' and 'universal tolerance'. So, most democratically elected governments will not use nuclear weapons that they have. It is the rogue terrorists and the uniquely dictatorial regimes of Russia may do this. So, watch out, and as President Obama said in his speech: "Let's not be complacent.'
As a tutor, I read the letters painting the industry in a negative light with much concern ("Time for conversation on broader role of tuition" by Mr Dhevarajan Devadas, and "What makes a 'super tutor' super?" by Mr Kevin Lim Fung Ming"; both published on Thursday).
This industry supports students who have fallen through the cracks of a stressful education system. It represents a second chance for students who may have slacked off, been poor planners or used the wrong study methods.
While not all students can afford one-on-one tutoring, they can join groups and pay lower fees to teachers who possess the passion for teaching but not for office politicking or administrative duties."
This is a fair self-defence by a tutor. It is his or her livelihood being threatened if tutoring is make illegal or banned as MoE rammed up its teachers intake and increase the teacher to students ratio to 1:20 0r 1:16.
This means the tutors will then be employed by MoE instead of being a tutor. In this way, the tutor still get to make a living though the money will not be so good and the working hours so short!
This is the irony! When properly, and hopefully better, trained MoE teachers have to work longer hours and getting lower paid by a tutor who might not have to go through any MoE sanctioned 'teaching qualification'! Of course, I am not advocating the type of 'oligopolistic' practice of the medical doctors, accountants, lawyers and engineers where they make sure only 'some qualified' persons can practice their trades without the need to explain why one of them is better than the other ones!!
If schools are doing their jobs, the kids with varying learning abilities would have been sorted out and given different attention and resources to help them learn in a 'as-far-as-possible' level playing field.
So, tutoring is an unnatural industry. An industry where the MoE, the rightful owner of educating our kids and future generation right allows to flourish as MoE had failed. Yes?
'Every school is a good school' and 'Learning to learn' is the focus. Why can't MoE schools be having the latest and best learning technologies than the tutor or tutoring schools?
2. "Obama wraps up historic Asia trip - CNA 28 May 2016
US President Barack Obama wrapped up a historic trip to Asia, where he sought to deepen US involvement by boosting ties to former adversaries in the region.
He paid tribute to victims of the first atomic bomb in Hiroshima on Friday, the first American leader to visit the city devastated by the bomb that helped end World War II.
He also took part in a G7 summit in Japan, where he raised concern over escalating tensions with North Korea following a series of nuclear tests by Pyongyang.
Obama arrived there from Vietnam, where he formally reset the relationship with Washington's former foe by lifting an arms embargo, four decades after the US withdrew its last troops from the country. He also appealed to its leaders to lift authoritarianism.
His visit came as China is rattling countries in the region with a series of reclamation and construction projects -- including airstrips -- on reefs and islets in disputed waters in the South China Sea."
Good of him to visit these few countries and places. He is doing his bid and creating history.
China's puzzling hard-line stand in the South China Sea, especially with members of Asean does not play well with the general people in Asean! It has a very weak position to insist on using its own interpretation of territorial rights with zero regards for international law! It has won few friends and lost itself a lot of credibility of its 'friendliness' to its neighbours!
As for the need for an apology for the terrifying and most devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and later, Nagasaki, he is right to say that: he will not apologize.
Actually, he did not have to say that there will be no apology. The truth is it was part of a plot to showcase a weapon so powerfully that led to the dropping of the 2 bombs. Of course, the refusal of the Japanese WWII cabinet at that time did not make things easier.
Most had passed away and soon there will be no survivor from the Hiroshima atomic bombing to share the horrifying tales. YET, we, the human kind, must never forget that such tragedies can be repeated many more times IF we continue to allow crazed dictators to run certain countries that defy 'human decency' and 'universal tolerance'. So, most democratically elected governments will not use nuclear weapons that they have. It is the rogue terrorists and the uniquely dictatorial regimes of Russia may do this. So, watch out, and as President Obama said in his speech: "Let's not be complacent.'
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