Mom, I Graduated Today!

Today, I caught a friend online and chatted with her for a while. She has been ‘missing’ for quite a while and I was just wondering what happened to her. I gave her a buzz and asked how she was doing. She said she was tired as she just got home and her eyes felt heavy. The last time I had spoken to her, she was telling me that she had some projects going on and that why she was busy and did not come online. And so I thought she has just gotten home from work too.

“Janus graduated today! And he got 3 awards for best in Science and being word smart and nature smart! I am so proud of him!” I can almost see the excitement in her face. It was like hearing her ‘screaming’ through the instant messages. “I’m proud of him too. Janus is so smart!” I ‘shouted’ back through the instant message’s window. What can I say, positive energy sure is contagious!

They had just gotten back from a simple celebration. I saw the personalize message alongside with her nick that said ‘upset’ and I asked her, “What’s wrong? Why are you upset?” She told me that she cried today because she was sharing her story. Up to now, you might be saying, “So it’s a graduation. What is the big deal?” Janus is a special child; meaning a child with special needs. Children with special needs may have mild learning disabilities or profound mental retardation; food allergies or terminal illness; developmental delays that catch up quickly or remain entrenched; occasional panic attacks or serious psychiatric problems.

According to my friend, Janus has gotten motor skill challenges (I am not too sure if this is a correct term to use) which means that he has some challenges in movement. For example, it is difficult for him to stand for too long. Besides that, he has challenge in speaking normally too. In so speaking, Janus has to go through therapy program everyday to help him to cope with his daily life. Other than that, he is just like any other kids who has his dreams too. He loves car of any kinds and drew numerous picture of cars. And his mother told me that he is a ‘cupboard monster,’ who sometimes messes up the cupboard. I have to agree with that as I had personally seen him doing that.

I asked my friend why she cried when she shared her story? She said that in her speech to the other parents, she told them that even though Janus is a special child, she has never felt ashamed or embarrass whenever she was out with Janus. She has always been proud of him. Come to think of it, throughout the period that I have known her, I have never never heard her complaining or saying a bad things about Janus before; when she spoke of Janus, she is always excited and proud. She shared in the speech that there were times when they were in the mall and people would just tease Janus or poke fun at him or laugh at him and some of them would even follow them just to see Janus’s movements. She said, “Despite that, I am still proud of Janus and I have never thought of hiding him up.” To that, she thanked the people in the school for accepting Janus for who he is and nothing less.

“Janus is really special to me and I know that someday he will achieve what he wants. He has one thing that the others don’t have.” She said. I waited for her to carry on. “Janus is willing to make it better. Although he has challenges in movement, he never failed to practice everyday.” She proudly said. And she told me that she must congratulate her son too because one of Janus’s dreams was to be promoted to Grade 1. She shared that last year Janus was not able to make it because he had challenge in writing. She is thankful that he is alright now.

At this point, she was already crying and on seeing that, Janus said through the microphone, “I love you, Mami.” There were a moment of silence in the hall and she could see some people were crying too. And do you know why she is so proud with Janus? Although Janus has difficulty standing, he stood throughout the whole period when she was speaking! He made it!

And just a moment ago while I was chatting with her, she asked Janus, “Why didn’t you cry just now?” Guess what he said? “Because I controlled my emotion.” Was it my vision failing me or was it raining …

I must say, I am not only proud of Janus, but I am also very proud of my friend! Truly a classic example of unconditional love.

Contributed by: Symphony of Love.

Link: http://www.symphonyoflove.net/blog/131/mom-i-graduated-today.html

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Singapore’s ACE launches USD12.3M Entrepreneurship Education Program for Schools

ACE

Minister-of-State Teo Ser Luck listens as students pitch their idea to him. Photo: Terence Lee

ACE, a private-public organization promoting entrepreneurship in Singapore, has unveiled recommendations for a structured entrepreneurial education program in schools. It will be implemented in secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics, and Institute of Technical Education (ITEs) colleges.

Broadly speaking, the new program, which will cost the government SGD15M (USD12.3M), combines theory with mentorship and hands-on experience. Internships will be a big part of it too.

The program will be implemented within 6 to 9 months’ time in nine secondary schools. These institutions were picked because they were either a part of YES! Schools, or already have entrepreneurial programs in place. The program will then be extended to junior colleges, polytechnics and ITEs later on.

The new set of initiatives was hammered out by a task force, consisting of entrepreneurs, educators, and civil servants from the Ministry of Education (MOE). It addresses the negative feedback about existing entrepreneurial programs. The new recommendations will replace YES! Schools, an existing government initiative which struggled with limited industry exposure and inconsistencies in implementation.

Existing entrepreneurship programs in schools were also found to be too ad-hoc, receiving little recognition and interest from students.

Teo Ser Luck, Minister-of-State for Trade and Industry and also the minister in charge of entrepreneurship, unveiled these recommendations today after an ACE event in Singapore geared towards students, who set up booths in a shopping mall to pitch their inventions to the public.

“We want to inculcate the value of taking risk, the value of trying something new and believing in your passion, and also at the same time understand about embracing failure,” said Minister Teo at the press conference.

Secondary Schools and Junior Colleges

Pilot schools
Broadrick Secondary School
Hwa Chong Institution
Northbrooks Secondary School
Outram Secondary School
School of Science and Technology
Singapore Chinese Girl’s School
Woodgrove Secondary School
Yuying Secondary School
Zhonghua Secondary School

Consisting of students 12 to 18 years old, this segment of the program will be carried out in entrepreneurship clubs which students can opt into. It will be run as Co-Curricular Activities, and will involve a structured 3-year curriculum consisting of learning modules, projects, workshops, competitions, internships, and company visits.

Every school involved will come under an ‘Entrepreneur-Adopt-a-School’ initiative, which attaches any number of entrepreneurs to an educational institution. Home-grown enterprises that have already come on board include interactive digital publisher Koobits, F&B brands Ya Kun International, Soyato, and Sakae Holdings, interior design firm Goodrich Global, and board game publisher Red Tin Bot.

The companies involved are a mix of growth companies and startups, although it is more likely that established firms will participate since younger companies are more concerned about survival and getting a steady stream of revenue.

Each school involved will be given a SGD20k (USD16.3k) grant a year to carry out their activities. Schools will have to match 10% of the grant. Overall, ACE aims to fund 30 schools with a budget of SGD2M over 3 years.

Polytechnics and ITEs

The bulk of the funding for ACE’s new program will go to this group. Students will be given internship opportunities, where they can gain insights into real-world business issues and work closely with senior management or even shadow the CEO.

Participants can also apply for a small project fund to test and validate their business ideas. Each person can receive up to SGD10k, but they’ll have to match 15% of the grant. ACE aims to help 600 student projects in 3 years.

Beyond money, the organization plans to have startup launchpads, which will launch in mid-2013, where students can learn the basics of selling a business proposition to investors. It also wants to set up incubators in five polytechnics and three ITEs for students and alumni to access work space, mentorship, events, and workshops.

Educators Network

The initiatives involve close coordination between ACE and MOE, where entrepreneurs are working with educators to come up with a set of guidelines for curriculum and internships. Schools though will handle much of the implementation.

To ensure that both parties understand each other, ACE will organize an Educators Network to give educators and entrepreneurs a chance to meet and share about their experiences.

Contributed by: Terence Lee

Link: http://sgentrepreneurs.com/2012/11/09/singapores-ace-launches-sgd15m-entrepreneurship-education-program-for-schools/

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ACE and MOE announce S$15M 3-year Plan to Grow Student Entrepreneurs

ACE and MOE is working together to develop student entrepreneurship, by bringing enterprises into schools.

The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is working with the Ministry of Education (MOE) to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among students and support those with good ideas to start their own business, by bringing enterprises into schools.

ACE Chairman Mr Teo Ser Luck, who is also the Minister of State for Trade & Industry, announced this at the opening of the ACE Entrepreneurship Week today. He said the ACE Entrepreneurship Education task force has completed its review and put forward recommendations for a more structured approach towards entrepreneurship learning among students. The recommendations, which will cost S$15 million to implement, will make an impact on more than 1,000 students and support 750 student ideas over the next three years.

The task force was set up in May this year to review entrepreneurship education and propose new ways to get youths in Singapore to become more entrepreneurial. The task force comprises educators and entrepreneurs, and is led by MOE’s Director of Student Development and Curriculum, Mdm Liew Wei Li, and SPRING Singapore’s Assistant Chief Executive for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Ms Chew Mok Lee.

The task force is proposing recommendations to target two groups of students: secondary schools and junior colleges (JCs), and polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Colleges. 10 pilot schools will be part of these programme, including Broadrick Secondary School, Hwa Chong Institution, Northbrooks Secondary School, Outram Secondary School, School of Science and Technology, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, Woodgrove Secondary School, Yuying Secondary School as well as Zhonghua Secondary School.

Cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset

To cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and expose them to entrepreneurship as a career, the task force is proposing a structured, three-year Entrepreneurship Programme which includes a new ‘Entrepreneur-Adopt-a-School’ initiative. The focus of the Entrepreneurship Programme is on ‘learning by doing’, which exposes students to real-world, industry exposure by bringing enterprises into the schools.

Entrepreneurship Programme

The three-year Entrepreneurship Programme comprises learning modules, workshops and competitions, which will be developed to help students gain hands-on experience and get exposure to the real world of business. The programme is designed with age-appropriate learning outcomes to ensure that the students pick up the necessary skills and mindset akin to that of a successful entrepreneur. For a start, nine secondary schools have been identified to pilot the Entrepreneurship Programme. Each school will be given up to $20,000 a year and will have to match 10 per cent of the grant. ACE hopes to support 30 schools through the Entrepreneurship Programme over the next three years. The projected budget requirement is $2 million over three years.

Entrepreneur-Adopt-a-School

To help the students apply what they have learnt through the curriculum, the pilot schools will be ‘adopted’ by local enterprises and entrepreneurships under an ‘Entrepreneur-Adopt-a-School’ initiative. Through this initiative, at least one entrepreneur will be attached to each school. So far, several local enterprises including Ya Kun International, Sakae Holdings, and Goodrich Global, as well as start-ups such as KooBits, Soyato, and Red Tin Bot have indicated their interest to ‘adopt’ a school. The entrepreneurs behind these successful companies have committed to guide and engage the students through regular talks and events, and provide opportunities for the students to be exposed to the real-world of business through company visits, internships and project mentorship.

For the this programme, the 10 pilot schools will be paired with one or two companies and/or entrepreneurs, or 30 schools over the next three years.

Turning ideas into businesses

According to a recent survey, eight in ten tertiary students have thought about becoming an entrepreneur. In fact, students from the polytechnics and ITE Colleges expressed their desire to experience industry, hands-on projects, so as to accumulate the necessary experience to start their own business. However, despite their interest, the conversion rate remained low, at an average of 1.1 percent. For this group of students, the task force is proposing a holistic approach to propel the students from the ideation to commercialisation stage to help them convert their ideas into businesses. The projected budget requirement is S$13 million over three years.

Internship opportunities with entrepreneurial companies

First, the students will be offered internship opportunities with entrepreneurial companies, which will give them insights into real-world business issues and an opportunity to work closely with the entrepreneur or senior management. The right companies will be identified to provide the students internships that will immerse them in an enterprise or start-up environment so they get first-hand experience of the entrepreneurial journey, and not just limited exposure to a single job function.
Small Project Fund

Second, recognising that experimentation and trial-and-error is a necessary process in the development of a consumer-ready product or service, a ‘small project fund’ will be set up to encourage students to test and validate their business ideas. Each student can get up to S$10,000 in funding by matching just 15 per cent of the grant. ACE targets to fund up to 200 student projects a year, or 600 student projects over three years.

There will be 75 internships to be supported per year to provide more learning opportunities with entrepreneurial companies.

Start-up Launch Pad

A dedicated start-up launch pad will be set up to help the students learn how to pitch their ideas through workshops and boot camps, with guidance from mentors through the process. The start-up launch pad is not just a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to meet and swap ideas, but also a valuable training ground for them to get a taste of what it is like to shape and sell a business proposition to external parties, for example, investors. This process accelerates the students’ learning and prepares them for the launch of their first business. ACE hopes to support 50 teams a year or 150 teams over three years through the start-up launch pad.

Incubators

Finally, students who have started up will find further support through incubators, which will be set up in all five polytechnics and three ITE Colleges. These incubators will provide their student and alumni access to resources such as work space, mentoring, support services, events and workshops.

Mr Song Nay Hay, Director of Industry Services, Singapore Polytechnic, contributed to the Entrepreneurship Education Task Force as a member. He said, “The task force worked on the recommendations for an intense but fruitful six months, and I am glad to have been part of it. More than just broadening their minds and equipping them with soft skills, entrepreneurship education will create another pathway to success for polytechnic students. I’m sure the students, especially those who previously did not have access to resources for starting up, will feel better-prepared and well-positioned to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions.”

Educators’ Network

Besides the recommendations for the students, the task force also proposed to set up an informal network for educators, incubation managers, and entrepreneurs to interact and exchange best practices on entrepreneurship learning. Through this Educators’ Network, educators will be able to build up their entrepreneurship knowledge and hone their pedagogy skills in entrepreneurship education.

About Action Community for Entrepreneurship
The Action Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) is a public-private sector collaboration which aims to create a more entrepreneurial Singapore. ACE works with partners to promote a pro-enterprise environment; foster an entrepreneurial culture and mindset; and facilitate networking and learning among entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.ace.sg.

Contributed by: Jacky Yap, e27

Link: http://e27.sg/2012/11/09/ace-and-moe-announce-s15m-3-year-plan-to-grow-student-entrepreneurs/

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Thinkers ‘should Join Conversation’

Former top civil servant Ngiam urges academics to ‘help the State ask the right questions’

SINGAPORE – Known for speaking his mind on national policies after his retirement from the Civil Service, former Permanent Secretary Ngiam Tong Dow yesterday called on academics in tertiary institutions here to join the fray on public discourse.

Speaking at the 3rd China-India-Singapore dialogue on higher education hosted by the National University of Singapore (NUS), the NUS Pro-Chancellor challenged the Singapore-based academics among the 160-strong audience – which included academics from overseas institutions – to “help the State to ask the right questions”.

Mr Ngiam, 75, argued that this is key to the Republic achieving sustainable economic growth.

Rather than boosting population numbers, what Singapore needs to do is to increase its knowledge base – and, in that regard, universities have to do more than just teach “skills and technical knowledge”.

Urging university faculty members to offer views on national issues, Mr Ngiam noted that “unlike the Civil Service, university dons are detached from the Executive”.

Said Mr Ngiam: “By elucidating different dimensions of a national problem, our thinkers in ivory towers can indeed enlighten the legislature to make (better) decisions for Singapore.”

Speaking to reporters later, Mr Ngiam reiterated that with academics participating in the national discourse, the process could eventually lead to a “more sensible conclusion”.

While he acknowledged that some academics may be worried about speaking out on national policies, he stressed that “there is a difference between critiquing and criticising” – the former means looking at things in a different way, he said.

Citing the example of Shanghai, where top brains across disciplines come together to study a local issue, Mr Ngiam said universities here should not research for its own sake.

Citing Singapore’s family planning challenges, Mr Ngiam suggested that apart from sociologists, other thought leaders could provide their views, possibly resulting in an inter-disciplinary solution.

University professors TODAY spoke to agreed with Mr Ngiam that academia has a role to play in spurring public discussion.

Nanyang Technological University sociologist Kwok Kian Woon reiterated that faculty members can raise wider and deeper questions, and contribute informed and non-partisan views.

Singapore Management University (SMU) law lecturer Eugene Tan, who has commented extensively on public issues, cited the fear factor as a possible deterrent for academics to speak out.

But, he pointed out: “Precisely because tax-payers contribute substantively to the funding of the autonomous universities here, there is the need for universities and academics not to be stuck in the proverbial ivory towers.”

Also, some academics would be uncomfortable with putting forward their views when they do not have all the facts and figures, Asst Prof Tan said. At the same time, some senior faculty “frown upon their colleagues being involved”, he said. “They regard such involvement as purely non-academic and not in keeping with the academic norms,” he added.

NUS transport analyst Lee Der-Horng, who has also spoken out regularly on transport issues, said he found it strange that compared to other countries, academics here are not necessarily thought leaders who drive discussion on public issues.

Dr Lee, who is born in Taiwan, said he did not feel that his status as a foreigner hampered his ability to contribute to Singapore’s national discourse. “People have posted nasty comments online … but I say what I feel and think before I make the comment,” he said.

SMU political science lecturer Bridget Welsh felt that “there has not been enough signals that there is acceptance of different points of view”.

She suggested that the Ministry of Education assess universities based on their contributions to policies, and facilitate more exchanges between faculty members and bureaucrats.

Contributed by: Ng Jing Yng

Link: http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC121109-0000057/Thinkers-should-join-conversation

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Cambrige Assessment Sets Up in Singapore

SINGAPORE – Cambridge Assessment, the division of University of Cambridge that provides the A and O levels, officially announced the opening of its new Asia Pacific office in Singapore on Thursday, Nov 8.

The operation of Cambridge Assessment Singapore will be led by Dr Ben Schmidt, Regional Director, Asia Pacific, Cambridge International Examinations.

It is the world’s largest provider of international education programmes and qualifications for 5 to 19 year olds.

Cambridge Assessment Singapore aims to support programmes in countries in the region through a wide range of education events and activities in Asia Pacific – from expert debates on key education issues, educational leadership seminars for principals and streamed events online, to a comprehensive professional development programmes for teachers and a major educational conference for Cambridge schools in September 2013.

Neil Turrell, Headmaster of Tanglin Trust School in Singapore said: “Cambridge Assessment Singapore will add value to teachers and learners in schools across the region.

“It will give schools like mine the opportunity to meet with other schools from across the region, share best practice and help our learners be the very best they can be.” abrahamr@sph.com.sg

Contributed by: AsiaOne, Thursday, Nov 08, 2012

Link: http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Edvantage/Story/A1Story20121108-382305.html

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Singapore Adopts Israeli-style Education

The “Excellence 2000″ program, developed by The Israel Center for Excellence through Education, was purchased by the education ministry in Singapore • It is currently employed in 300 Israeli schools and 150 schools in the U.S.

 
Students at an elementary school in Singapore. The country has adopted an advanced Israeli educational program.
Photo credit: Reuters

Despite local criticism of Israel’s educational system, for the past three years Singapore has been running an Israeli educational program in 30 elementary schools throughout the country. The program, known as “Excellence 2000,” was developed by The Israel Center for Excellence through Education and Singapore purchased rights to the program for NIS 1.5 million ($387,000).

In light of the program’s success in Israel, Singapore’s Ministry of Education decided to implement it in junior high schools as well.

The program is meant for students who excel and involves the development of special materials and teacher training courses, with the aim being to encourage independent thought, motivation and creativity among the gifted students.

Singapore also signed two additional agreements with the center for a multi-year expansion of the program, which will eventually be implemented in all elementary schools in the country.

The “Excellence 2000″ program is currently operating in close to 300 schools throughout Israel and around 150 schools in the U.S. It is also undergoing a trial run in several schools in India.

Arnon Ikan, director-general of The Israel Center for Excellence through Education, said “The success of the program in Singapore is proof of our ability to contribute.”

Contributed by: Yael Branovsky

Link: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=6331

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Different Ways To Recognise An Outstanding Childcare Singapore

Choosing a child proper care center is among the quintessential fundamental decisions a using father or mother is likely to make to assist ensure that typically the health, your safety, as well as all-around well being of their child when they needs to be beyond these products. With numerous Childcare centers through Singapore : providing some dizzying array from price point policies, services as well as facilities for the purpose of children : choosing the best Childcare Singapore can be described as tricky chore, of course. Fortunately, there are certainly a number of effective tools available to make suggestions on in making your choice, delivering independent, studied advice towards upper extremity most people through your search for the purpose of excellence through childcare Singapore.

Typically the parents’ duty will be to come across reputable institutions or individuals which will supply typically the proper childcare that typically the children needs. There are really safeguards that are able to be arrive at ensure that a child will be properly taken care of when a father or mother has reached give good results. Following are really some of this techniques to look for the best childcare for the purpose of your son or daughter.

1). Check to ascertain whether they are generally licensed by your california’s childcare licensing department to operate some childcare center.

2). Your expense plan definitely will play a giant character through which solution most people choose. Being familiar with what you really can afford or are really willing to pay at the initiating from the procedure are able to eliminate work at your element in that most people won’t hang around hunting at methods that are out of your price point range.

3). Check to ascertain that personnel has been coached on circulation borne pathogens, be sure childcare personnel constantly wear plastic hand protection when varying diapers as well as administering first aid, as well as that hand protection as well as diapers are really disposed of wearing a separate trash containers named bodily fluids’.

4). Ask for a list of father or mother records out of your childcare center or provider. Follow-up as well as label typically the parents. You can ask whether they are generally happy with typically the childcare center. Truly does his or her’s child enjoy it? Will be child contented there? You can ask specifics really as just what exactly they like or you shouldn’t like.

5). Manage a tour from the center that includes shelling out time in your daughter’s or son’s class. This unique will provide a chance to watch just how typically the childcare providers as well as other children connect with the child.

6). When typically the child has been enrollment, parents have to remain very careful. Talk in the personnel, as well as be watchful from abrupt alters through your daughter’s or son’s personality towards the center. A couple unannounced potential buyers are really even healthier, because these are able to be the the vast majority of showing.

Soon after such methods can help you towards form of filtration downwards a couple from childcare centers to enroll your son or daughter through. Every different childcare centers seems to have their particular pros and cons as well as vary through price point. Buying knowledgable about such methods can help you select the best childcare services.

Contributed by: Allen

Link: http://www.articlesbase.com/childhood-education-articles/different-ways-to-recognise-an-outstanding-childcare-singapore-6285516.html

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An Amazing Journey!

When I boarded the plane to Phnom Penh, I really wanted to know if the city I visited ten years ago had changed. Yes, I always wanted to practise social responsibility, wanted to bring my students to learn how other children lived, and to experience their way of life. I wanted their parents to be there and together, bond over a campfire while cooking dinner …. I wanted to go back to the simple life.

But STA Travel’s Dan, who was my guide for this recce trip, did not prepare me for a homestay that gave me an honest-to-goodness feel of Cambodian hospitality.

A two-hour ride from the city brought me to the countryside of Chambok. The Homestay Information Pack of the Chambok Community-based Eco-Tourism read: “Experience the real country life of a Cambodian family and community. You will see how we live and interact with each other. You will see how we earn a living to support our family. If you want, you can even learn a bit about the Khmer language.”

I was met by Thy (pronounced “Tea”), a 26-year-old villager who spoke pretty good English. Unlike others who left for the city, Thy stayed behind to coach and teach English to the village kids and was the official village guide. With him was Cham, whose house I was going to stay in. I climbed the wooden steps, and lo and behold, a room which could accommodate at least 10 people.

I was sold! The air was pristinely unpolluted, the people were friendly, and would you believe it, if you look at the night sky, you will be able to see thousands of stars! Stare long enough, and you’ll be able to catch a shooting star!

The next morning, I climbed a hill to the only school in the village, where 100 or more children from 7 to 16 were there to meet us. Staring at their enthusiastic faces as I asked them to count from 1 to 10, and the looks of gratitude as I distributed Oreos and chocolate coins, tugged at my heartstrings. It made me wonder about our children who think nothing of consuming MacDonald’s and Starbucks, and these children, with their hungry waif-like innocent faces, where fast food is unheard-of. Where everything they eat come from their backyard…

We returned to Phnom Penh the next morning to visit the People’s Improvement Organization (PIO), founded in 2002 by a spritely, brave Cambodian UN worker, Phymean Noun, who had been featured in CNN Heroes.

Her vision: to improve the living conditions of under-privileged people, especially girls, women and street children by offering education and vocational skill training. All PIO schools offer children free access to the public school curriculum from kindergarten to Grade 9. Dan brought us to the Stung Meanchey Education Center. Its claim to fame was its location next to the city garbage dump. Now it serves 415 children and their families who were forced to scavenge from the dump.

I spoke to Sok Seda, 16, who came to PIO five years ago. Motherless when young, she and her 10 siblings had to forage in the rubbish dump for tins, bottles or any scrap that could be salvaged and sold. When Sok first attended school, she always fell asleep in class. Why? She attended classes from 7.30am to 4.30pm and then it was off to the rubbish dump to work from 18:00 to 04:00 the next morning. Her father decided Sok would do better if she had education so after six months, he allowed her to stay in the school’s orphanage. And her favourite subject? English. Her dream? To become a classical Apsara dancer and to teach English to children like her.

I decided I had to come back again to visit her and her many classmates, most of them orphans, who were given a chance for a better future. Hope came in the form of a lady who picked them up from the rubbish dump and believed in them.

But most importantly, I intend to bring along the people I’ve worked with: my students, their parents, my friends, my daughters, for this experience. Experience and to write their very own travelogue of their own amazing journey of giving and sharing. A travelogue that they will remember, as there is nothing so powerful or moving as giving from the heart.

Contributed by Catherine Khoo:
Creator, Young Author Scheme
Founder, Young Author Club
Managing Director, Janus Education
Publisher, Experiences & Experiments Books

Travel with Catherine. Publish Your Own Travelogue.

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It’s Okay to Come Back Again

During my trip to Nepal last December to trek the Himalayas, I had a physically exhausting time trekking the mountains. Though it was tiring where I had to trek for 5 to 8 hours a day up steep inclines, it was mentally rejuvenating and on a whole, the experience was something I treasured.

I have always been fascinated with the mountains, and been so close to Everest was surreal. Having read books of heroic and inspirational figures in the past who have reached the summit of Everest, I was inspired to do that one day.

Climbing a mountain and reaching the summit is as clear an analogy of life as any. In NUS, I sat in one of a sessions organized by the University to listen to the Singapore team’s tale of conquest of different mountains and that day as I listened to them, they shared how they had to turn back from the summit of K2. That was an expedition that lost a few lives in the team.

As I was trekking with my guide, he shared with me how there were Korean mountaineers a few years ago who have set off on an expedition up Machapuchare, also known as Fish tail and have not been seen again. their loss was the final straw as the Nepali government banned expedition up the mountain after a few other teams before them has failed to return. Staring into the distance at the ice capped mountain when I was on the Annurpurna trail to Annurpurna Base Camp, I wondered what went through the minds of the mountaineers as they fought their last breath. As avalanches were quite prominent in the Himalayas, especially at high altitude, they could have perished from such forces of nature.

The interesting thing about climbing is that climbers are taught and conditioned to say ‘no’ and turn back. Sitting in the room that day and listening to the Singapore men’s team, one of them menetioned that they decided to turn away from K2 because they could always come back to climb a second time. Looking at the weather conditions, they could have died if they had continued with the climb.

Being in a condition as raw as 7000m above sea level, where frost bite is common and altitude mountain sickness hits even the fittest of them, things are put back into perspective and we realize what matters in life in those instance.

Society has taught us to pursue after success relentlessly but are these pursuits at the expense of other things? Despite the importance of success in life, there are other values and mindsets that are crucial to the overall development of a healthy, emotionally sound and holistic person as well.

A couple of my friends went trekking after I came back from Nepal and they had to turn back this time around due to a blizzard. The trial was slippery and someone ahead of them actually slip and fell and had to be evacuated by helicopter. The same guide that I had told my friends that the wise thing to do was to turn back and continue the next time.

In life, there are times when you might be hindered from your success, when you are met with oppositions that will stop you from getting to where you want to go. It is okay to turn back. It is okay to be delayed. But remember, come back again to do it a second time. And that is not failure.

Contributed by: Shane Hong, entrepreneur, fitness enthusiast, success speaker who has a desire and vision to help and empower individuals transform their lives which led to the birth of Insid3 Out. He is an avid reader, loves solo-travelling and has been to far-flung places around the world.

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What is Quality Tuition?

The process of searching for the suitable tutor can become a headache for parents. The first thing that comes to a parent’s mind when looking for a tutor is usually home tuition. There are many tutors out there in Singapore who have registered themselves with tuition agencies and essentially you get what you pay for. If you are looking at qualification and experience, you would be paying the rates accordingly.

Parents look for a tutor for various reasons, the main one being to accelerate his improvements when he is no longer able to make progress in school on his own under the teacher’s tutelage. As such, the ability of a tutor is important in aiding the child in doing better in his exams and he should be able to experience the transformation fast.

The headache comes when parents are dissatisfied with the tutor’s ability to deliver. Often, these tutors are part-timers or are not trained adequately for the service they are providing.  When a parent’s budget is limited, they might not be able to hire an ex-MOE teacher or someone in the education industry.

Therefore the best way to ensure that quality is regulated is to go for a tuition centre where most tutors are trained to address parents and students’ concerns with a clear overview of the methodology that will be enforced during the duration that the student will be under tutelage.

Yet, not all tuition centres are the same, some are focused on delivering results, some focus more on the experience while others on technology. The similarity is that regardless of the methodology used, parents are still concerned with one thing at the end of the day – Results.

Where home tuition has a more free reign when it comes to selection of tutors for your child, tutors in tuition centres would usually go through a stringent selection process before getting hired. And in most centres, these tutors are constantly put through upgrading programmes to improve their pedagogy and ability to deliver.

If you are looking for quality tuition, feel free to contact EdValue for education programmes that will bring a spark to your child’s eyes.

Email: info@edvalue.com Contact: 6684 5232

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