Grandparents have a role to play, too, in children’s screen time (14 February 2025)
"Many parents would have heard about the health risks of their children watching digital devices. They would have also read about the updated guidelines from the Ministry of Health and dutifully limited screen use by children from 18 months to six years old to less than an hour a day outside school.
But the responsibility to safeguard children from these issues doesn’t just rest on parents. It involves an entire network of caregivers."
S’pore’s pursuit of excellence needs open meritocracy, a broader definition of success: Chan Chun Sing (14 February 2025)
"This year, we commemorate SG60, MOE70 and NIE75. It is timely for us to look back on how our education system came to be, and look ahead to envision how it will need to be.
Phase 1 – Foundations: Fragmentation to unification
Singapore achieved independence in 1965. But our survival was not a given. Our education system would be key for Singapore’s success and survival as a nation.
The pioneers of Singapore were convinced that we needed a unified education system, that would achieve three goals – ensure our people had the skills to find jobs, build a nascent Singaporean identity, and foster cohesion amidst simmering racial tensions."
New ITE course allows cabin crew to earn diploma while flying around the world (14 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Ms Nur Nadhrah Musa has set her sights on a career in the aviation industry, following in her parents’ footsteps.
Not only is the 21-year-old Institute of Technical Education student about to complete the Higher Nitec course in passenger services, she is also currently interning as a cabin crew member at low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia.
And, to upskill herself as she embarks on her career, Ms Nadhrah has applied for a place in ITE’s new Work-Study Diploma (WSDip) in Customer Experience Management (Cabin Services) programme.
The 2½-year course was launched on Feb 14 at ITE’s first aviation symposium. It is the first work-study diploma programme aimed at equipping those interested in becoming cabin crew members. There are more than 100 applications for it."
Total Defence exercise: 150,000 ready-to-eat meals for schools, active ageing centres (15 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – The meals do not require reheating before consumption, can be stored for months and 150,000 of them will be distributed to schools and active ageing centres during the 2025 Total Defence exercise.
More than 100,000 students and teachers at over 90 schools and three Institute of Technical Education colleges, along with around 8,000 senior citizens from 111 active ageing centres, will be able to sample the meals."
‘Mum, what’s the meaning of life?’ How to talk about philosophy with little kids (15 February 2025)
"If your young child asks “What’s the meaning of life?”, you might laugh it off (how cute!) or freeze in panic (where do I even begin?).
It’s tempting to dismiss these big questions as too advanced for kids. Plato and Aristotle both believed children weren’t ready for philosophy. In fact, they didn’t think people were ready to study philosophy until they turned 30.
But children know otherwise. They ask big questions like “Why are we here?” and “What does it mean to be fair?” and “Why do we keep feeding the cat, even though she never says thank you?”
A simple high five or a hug is how this occupational therapist measures her success (16 February 2025)
"The air at the Housing Board playground was filled with the laughter of kids having fun.
But from the corner of her eye, then eight-year-old Lim Yu Jie noticed a little girl quietly in her wheelchair with her older sister. No one else paid any attention to her.
“I think when I first saw her, I was quite scared,” admits Ms Lim, now 27. “I was very young, and it was my first time interacting with a person with disabilities.”
She didn’t know what disabilities her neighbour had, but remembers that she couldn’t speak. “I really wanted to try to bring her into our play group but I didn’t know what to do,” she says."
Fun With Kids: Animated shows Goldie, Win Or Lose; bilingual books Flying Cart Adventures (16 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Make family time all the more special with these ideas and activities.
Win Or Lose on Disney+
Pixar Animation Studios has so far produced television series that are spin-offs from its hit movies."
KKH doctors release 12 storybooks about childhood illnesses and conditions (16 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Know of any children’s books that could raise awareness about food allergies?
Concerned about her pre-school daughter’s severe allergy to cashew nuts, a mum asked Dr Chong Kok Wee, the head and senior consultant of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s (KKH) Department of Paediatrics’ Allergy Service, for storybook recommendations.
She wished to educate her daughter’s class about the seriousness and dangers of food allergies."
Asthmatic but active: How to help kids with asthma lead a healthy lifestyle (16 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – How could what seemed like a simple cough turn into a life-or-death situation for a toddler?
Isa Baobid was 22 months old in January 2021 when he had a mild but persistent cough for about five days. His mum, Madam Victoria Phua, took him to a clinic where the paediatrician detected wheezing and advised close monitoring."
Minor Issues: Start early when it comes to care planning for your special needs kid (16 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – I’ll start with my conclusion: Don’t procrastinate when it comes to future care planning for your loved ones with special needs. The earlier you read up about it and understand the options, the better.
And by that, I mean less last-minute running around to complete things because a deadline is looming. Can you tell I’m speaking from experience? An experience I’m still in the middle of, actually."
Trading hope for reality helps me parent through the climate crisis (16 February 2025)
"PORTLAND, Oregon – When I gave birth to my first child, in 2019, it seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong. He came out white and limp, his head dangling off to the side. People swarmed into the hospital room, trying to suction his lungs so he could breathe.
Hours later, my husband and I stood in the neonatal intensive care unit, looking down at this newborn baby, hooked up to wires and tubes."
Parenting without screens: My struggles, triumphs, and eventual acceptance (16 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE - The parenting battle plan was simple – two days, no screens.
Inspired by the Ministry of Health’s (MOH) new screen use guidelines for children, I resolved to go beyond them over the recent Chinese New Year holiday."
Two mental health charities merge to support more people at various stages of life (16 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Two mental health charities – one focused on youth, the other on caregivers – are joining forces in an ambitious bid to reach out to more people and journey with them as their needs change over time.
Resilience Collective (RC), which has been around since 2018, focuses on facilitating peer-to-peer support groups for youth in mental health recovery. Meanwhile, Caregivers Alliance (CAL), which was set up in 2011, focuses on supporting caregivers."
See a dolphin, dugong, shark or turtle in S’pore? Tell NUS researchers about it (17 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – In the depths of the waters surrounding Singapore roam marine creatures such as dugongs, dolphins, sharks, rays and turtles. But spotting them can be tricky, owing to the nation’s murky waters.
Every reported fleeting encounter with these animals can be valuable for marine scientists to glean information such as the animals’ preferred habitats or food types.
Now, marine scientists at NUS want to tap the public to learn more about these elusive marine megafauna, or large marine animals."
New studio at NYP gives students a chance to try Hollywoodesque media technology (18 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Nanyang Polytechnic students can now use a new studio with 24 motion capture cameras, a curved green screen cyclorama and LED volume wall for their lessons and projects.
The 2,500 sq f BeyondReality Studio – the cost of which was not revealed – was unveiled in January. It will primarily be used by students from the polytechnic’s School of Design and Media, such as those taking modules in animation, games and visual effects."
Budget 2025: $300 monthly allowance for workers on part-time training; SUSS to have new city campus (18 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE - A scheme that provides mid-career workers undergoing full-time training with a monthly allowance will be extended to include part-time training, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his Budget speech on Feb 18.
Under the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme introduced at Budget 2024, all Singaporeans aged 40 and above will receive up to $3,000 in monthly training allowance for selected full-time courses, up to a cap of $72,000 per worker. The scheme takes effect in March 2025."
Budget 2025: Families with three or more young children to receive more financial support (18 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Families with three or more young children will get more financial benefits and support, as part of new measures to encourage Singaporeans to have more children.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on Feb 18 in his Budget speech a slew of measures for large families, which will get up to $16,000 in additional support for each third and subsequent child born on or after Feb 18."
There’s one lie I will never tell my children (19 February 2025)
"Parents who claim to never lie to their children are liars. It begins with Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Then it’s yes, all kindergartners go to bed at seven o’clock and no, the chickens on the farm and the chicken on your plate are not the same kind of chicken. Most of these untruths are harmless – white lies, we call them. But there are some lies we tell as parents, however well-intentioned, that do more harm than good.
I learnt that lesson the hard way."
Sota students fall ill from ready-to-eat meals distributed during Total Defence exercise (19 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE - Some School of the Arts (Sota) students who consumed ready-to-eat (RTE) meals distributed as part of Total Defence activities have come down with food poisoning symptoms.
On Feb 19, Sota said it had received feedback that some of its students became unwell after consuming the food, and that the school is investigating the incident with the relevant authorities."
Total Defence resilience initiative suspended until Sota food poisoning probe completed (20 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – The authorities are suspending the Total Defence food resilience programme until a probe into the 20 cases of food poisoning at the School of the Arts (Sota) is completed.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Ministry of Education (MOE), Agency for Integrated Care and food solutions provider Sats, in a joint Facebook statement on Feb 20, said an investigation into the cause of the gastroenteritis cases at the school is under way."
Sota food poisoning probe: Active ageing centres, schools stop ready-to-eat meal distribution (20 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE – Active ageing centres and schools that had yet to distribute ready-to-eat (RTE) meals as part of a Total Defence exercise will not proceed with the distribution, after 20 students from School of the Arts (Sota) came down with food poisoning after consuming such meals.
This comes after the authorities suspended the Total Defence food resilience programme until a probe into the Sota food poisoning case is completed."
Students, got a nose for the news? Join ST’s revamped current affairs quiz (20 February 2025)
"If you’re a student who can tell the difference between Moo Deng and Flavo, or explain what’s causing the price of eggs to skyrocket in the United States, The Straits Times wants you – to take part in a news quiz.
The champion team will win $4,000 cash, while the other three top teams will bring home $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000."
Girl, 7, killed by minibus at Sengkang condo was waiting for her school bus with helper (20 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE - Every day, seven-year-old Nivya Rameshwar would leave home with her helper to wait for the school bus.
On the morning of Aug 15, 2024, the helper crossed the road in their Sengkang condominium first to put down Nivya’s school bags, and told the girl to wait for her.
But Nivya was hit by a minibus on the road."
Saving our old buildings from obscurity: What can young people do? (20 February 2025)
"Synopsis: The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.
Can young people rejuvenate Singapore’s old buildings? That was the question Natasha teased the audience with during the video podcast’s first live event. Held on Feb 12, the show was a part of ST Podcasts’ Live!, a series of six events this year to celebrate ST’s 180th-year anniversary."
Four more charged in relation to sexual assault of 2-year-old pre-schooler in 2023 (21 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE - Four more individuals have been charged for their roles in the alleged sexual assault of a two-year-old girl in 2023.
On Feb 21, three women and one man were charged after investigations revealed their involvement in allegedly covering up another man’s sexual assault on the child."
Junior colleges will no longer share detailed academic results with their A-level cohorts (21 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE - From 2025, junior colleges (JCs) will no longer reveal to students how their cohorts fared academically in the A-level examinations.
This combined decision by the principals of all 17 JCs and Millennia Institute offering the A Levels is meant to support the education system’s move to reduce the over-emphasis on grades, and focus on students’ holistic development, said Mr Aaron Loh, principal of Raffles Institution, in an email reply in response to queries."
Watch: What do these three Science teachers have in common? (5 December 2024)
"They break down the learning of scientific concepts using items like thread, balloons and dice, to make learning fun and accessible for their students.
By Arielene Wee
Creating light-up wristbands to learn about circuitry
At Queenstown Primary School, Mrs Chia Su Sze, Head of Department of Science, engages her students in an innovative lesson on electricity. Using LED bulbs, batteries, thread and fabric, her students apply electrical system concepts to design and create their own wearable soft circuitry that can light up.
Drawing inspiration from her personal interest in sewing, Mrs Chia developed this activity for her students as she wanted them to learn about science beyond their textbooks. By encouraging them to tinker and create their own soft circuitry, she ignites their curiosity and creativity for their learning to be enjoyable and relevant.
Blocked arteries? Let’s construct models to learn how to unclog them
Mrs Preeti Kulkarni, Subject Head of Biology at Compassvale Secondary School, excites her students to learn about coronary heart disease by involving them in designing and constructing a device that shows how blocked arteries can be unclogged through the use of materials such as balloons, plastic bottles, straws and plasticine.
Mrs Preeti highlighted that constructing these models are challenging for the students as it mirrors the complexity of a real coronary angioplasty, where there is no single, straightforward approach to unclog a blocked artery.
“Many of them use balloons to inflate the tubes and face difficulties doing that. There have been some mishaps, like when their balloons accidentally burst,” says Mrs Preeti. “By encountering these challenges, they understand the complexities that doctors face when removing plaque from a blocked artery.”
Through this activity, Mrs Preeti hopes to connect her students’ learning to real-world medical scenarios, making Science lessons more relatable to them."
Their kids have long left school so why are they still volunteering? (9 December 2024)
"Strong community spirit and a desire to sustain parental support for all students – these are just some reasons these two parents continue to serve in the Parent Support Groups of their children’s alma mater.
By Arielene Wee
‘The school feels like a second home
Mr Phua Wee Seng’s daughter was a shy and reserved child when she was much younger. When she entered Primary 1 at Kong Hwa School in 2012, Mr Phua decided to sign up for the school’s PSG, aptly named the “Very Supportive Parents”. He thought that by volunteering in her school, she would see him around more often and that would help to give her a little confidence boost.
Six years later, Mr Phua’s youngest son also enrolled in Kong Hwa. While both children have since graduated from the school, Mr Phua continues to serve as Honorary Advisor of the PSG, on the school and PSG Exco’s request.
“I wanted to be an active and involved parent,” he says. “Primary school was important for me because it was my children’s first time in a mainstream school, and it was a big transition from preschool to a much larger community. I wanted to be part of those formative years.”
By being part of the PSG and organising frequent events and activities in school, Mr Phua was able to appreciate his children’s school experiences and have more enriching conversations with them.
Aside from being able to deepen his relationship with his children, Mr Phua was also able to forge meaningful friendships with other PSG parents and even the school staff. “We grow together as a group, sharing topics from parenting tips to the challenges we face with our children,” he shares. “The school and the PSG have built strong partnerships over the years, and nurtured a school community that truly supports one another.”
DSA Entrepreneurship & Innovation: Nurturing students who have a knack for bringing new ideas to life (11 December 2024)
"Here’s how two schools design programmes to hone their students’ creative-thinking and problem-solving skills.
Secondary 2 student Kevin Chioh discovered his inclination toward entrepreneurship when he was in primary school. His first “venture”: little polymer spheres his Dad used in their garden to water plants when they go on vacation. Known as water babies, these colourful balls swell up when they soak up water, then shrink back down as they release that water slowly. They looked cute to Kevin, so he wondered if his classmates would be interested in buying them as toys rather than tools.
As it turned out, the answer was yes, and Kevin made a respectable $80 from this venture. He even paid back his Dad, who had initially gifted him his inventory. “I like seeing the potential in an idea and if it can meet a customer need,” Kevin says. Hoping to develop these skills more, he applied for Bowen Secondary School’s Direct School Admission (DSA) Entrepreneurship & Innovation programme, and talked about his experience selling water babies during his admissions interview.
His story made an impression on the interview panel because “we look beyond academic achievements and leadership skills to identify students who demonstrate passion and potential in their chosen areas of talent”, shares Mr Jason Yap, one of the teachers who steers this programme in the school.
Kevin’s sharing showed his sense of curiosity and initiative, which is what Bowen Secondary wants to see as the teachers recognise that younger students may not have extensive portfolios or prior experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. “People who have an entrepreneurial mindset tend to be resilient, adaptable and able to think out of the box, so we look out for these qualities in students’ applications,” he adds. “The ability to collaborate, persevere, and communicate confidently is also important.”
Edgefield Secondary School’s DSA Innovation programme first shortlists candidates who have participated in related competitions or demonstrated innovation potential with personal projects in their portfolios.
“We also conduct group interviews to see how they communicate in this setting,” says Ms Toh Si Qi, one of the teachers in charge of the programme at Edgefield Secondary. By directing questions to the whole group, Ms Toh says the interviewers can see their alertness to opportunity. “Are they the first to raise their hands to share, or are they a bit quieter?”
For these JC students, learning to thrive in school goes beyond just getting good grades (12 December 2024)
"Three JC students share how they have not only learnt new things in school, but also discovered more about themselves as they stepped into tertiary education.
School at the Junior College level can be tough. Having to acclimatise to a new environment, facing increased academic pressures and navigating newfound relationships can be stressful just as they can be exciting. But juggling these different aspects is not impossible, shares three students who have found their own way of managing such stresses, while learning from challenges to facilitate their personal growth.
1. Tanjim Rahman says the support from friends and teachers has been invaluable
A JC2 student at Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), Tanjim Rahman was initially drawn to the school’s strong community spirit. After entering ACJC, he has learnt to find his own equilibrium managing his studies, duties as the Debate and Oratorical Society president, and friendships.
This wouldn’t have been possible without the support of his seniors from ACJC’s Debate and Oratorical Society who extended their friendship. They “never really let him feel alone”, says Tanjim, and he came to discover his own interests and found motivation through them. “I take physics, chemistry, maths and economics – all at the H2 level – and I really love the subjects. I quite enjoy seeing logical things play out, especially in the real world,” he shares.
He admits that school is not always easy, and that the schedule can get stressful. He recalls a period where he was part of the team for a major, international debate competition organised by his school. At the same time, he was also preparing for his exams and attending H3 physics lessons. After talking to his physics teacher and H3 physics tutor, and doing a good amount of self-reflection, he decided to step back from his H3 lessons. “I think I was quite fortunate to understand what I’m able to take off my plate,” he says."
‘I picked up parenting lessons from watching Kdrama’. Jinjja? (16 December 2024)
"Bingeing on a TV show need not be a totally mindless affair. While watching her favourite Korean drama and actor, this writer had an epiphany about how to better support her children’s learning needs.
By Linda Lee
Recently, I was forced to taking a hiatus from my jogging routine due to an ankle injury. Since I could not run, I decided to watch someone else run instead.
Enter Lovely Runner, whose story revolves around a time-slipping couple repeatedly running into each other in different multiverses. With a fascinating plot, I found myself stuck in Netflix’s wormhole as well.
Apart from an intriguing storyline, lead actor Byeon Woo-Seok has a big part to play in the show’s skyrocketing popularity. Now dubbed South Korea’s “No.1 boyfriend”, Byeon stole the hearts of many as a goofy yet charming boyfriend. As it turns out, Byeon, in real life, has an inspiring backstory, from which I found myself drawing lessons in – of all things – parenting.
1. It pays to hone your passion
Although blessed with a commanding height and good looks, the model-turned actor did not just sit around and wait for lady luck to knock on his door to launch his career. Byeon took acting classes and started out by playing unmemorable roles. When Lovely Runner came along, he was ready to catapult to success.
I told myself that I too could support my children in their learning pathways by looking out for areas they may be good at and help them hone their passion.
Knowing that my elder son, who is 13, likes all things football since primary school, and is inspired by the legends and legacies of famous football clubs, I pointed out the many ways people can turn their passion for the sport into a profession or hobby beyond becoming a player per se.
Enrolling him into a football academy as a starting point gave him the exposure and agency to uncover other opportunities on his own. For instance, he could ask his coaches what it takes to become a manager like them. That’s when he discovered that there are post-secondary courses such as sports science where one may train to become an allied health practitioner in future. Football became something that offered much more."
What if my child has trouble adjusting to Primary One? (20 December 2024)
"Stepping into a new environment is not always easy – just ask a seven-year-old. For some Primary 1 students, the TRANSIT programme makes the move from pre-school smoother.
What happens if your child has trouble adjusting to Primary 1?
Stepping into a new environment might not always be easy. Challenges that some Primary 1 students face include difficulty recognising personal space, understanding the emotions of others, or remaining calm in challenging situations.
Enter the TRANSIT programme, which is designed to guide Primary 1 students through their new experiences. Short for TRANsition Support for InTegration, the TRANSIT programme helps students get acquainted with the new environment and routines of primary-school life. Launched in 2020, the programme will be progressively rolled out to all primary schools by 2026.
Here, Mdm Quek Ai Hseng, Head of Department at Yishun Primary School, answers some questions parents may have about the programme.
How will teachers know if my child needs help?
Teachers are trained to identify students who struggle with self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Students’ needs are tracked using a Skills Assessment Checklist (SAC), for example. They are assessed based on essential classroom work habits – such as retrieving learning materials, following simple instructions, getting organised, and preparing for class. With such tools and training, teachers aim to get a stronger sense of how students are adjusting to school life, especially in their first month at school and during orientation activities."
Why are my students so captivated by social media?’ (8 January 2025)
"These teachers decided it was time to dangle education content where their students like to hang out – online. Schoolbag speaks to three influencer teachers (we affectionately call them influen-chers) on Knowgets, an MOE social media channel, to understand what makes them TikTok and more.
By Lee Qing Ping
“Why are my students paying more attention to TikTok than to me?” Ms Ynez Lim, a secondary school English teacher, thought to herself.
“I felt like there’s some magic recipe about TikTok that engages teenagers,” she says. And she wanted in on it.
So, in 2020, she downloaded the app to see what made TikTok tick for her students.
Today, you could call Ms Lim a sort of ‘influen-cher’: An educator who creates curriculum-aligned content for social media to engage students.
And she’s not alone. There is a growing community of teachers cum content creators who are learning the social media game. Their goal? To interrupt students’ doom scroll with educational, curriculum-aligned content.
The following three ‘influen-chers’ are school teachers who create educational online content as part of their suite of learning resources and lesson preparation. They not only get nods of approval from their school leaders and colleagues, they are also part of an MOE initiative known as @Knowgets (short for “knowledge nuggets”), which runs a channel on education content on YouTube and Instagram. What unites them? A desire to adapt teaching methods to engage today’s digital natives, make learning accessible, and help students see the significance of their studies in their lives."
Alumni parents share their wishes for their Primary 1 child (9 January 2025)
"These Lianhua Primary parents are already familiar with the school, but they still feel the butterflies on the first day of primary school. What are their hopes and dreams for their children in this new chapter?
By Arielene Wee
"On the first day of school, Schoolbag visited Lianhua Primary School and spoke to parents of Primary 1 students about the day’s orientation programme, and what they hope their child would get out of school.
“My hope is that she enjoys learning and her teachers help her to grow”
As an alumna of Lianhua Primary School herself, Mdm Yuki Tay was excited about her daughter, Janelle, entering Primary 1. She says, “Our whole family is very excited for her. She’s been looking forward to entering primary school for a long time, because she finally gets to be in the same school as her older brother.
“My one hope for her is that she enjoys learning over the next six years, and that she has teachers around to help her grow in every area. I also hope that she’s happy in school, and will make good friends to grow up with.”
Influencer dad goes back to school – to understand teens better (10 January 2025)
"Parenting influencer Kelvin Ang is used to advising his three teens and his followers too. In this Q&A, he talks about what it’s like attending poly with his eldest child, and how his classes have changed the way he speaks to his children.
By Arielene Wee
"Not many parents can claim that they’re studying in the same school as their child, but 48-year-old dadfluencer Kelvin Ang, who goes by the social media moniker “Cheekiemonkies”, can.
He’s currently enrolled at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in a one-year Specialist Diploma in Youth Development & Mental Wellness, while his eldest of three children, Ashton, is studying for his Diploma in Tourism & Resort Management. They’ll both be graduating later this year.
Schoolbag speaks with Mr Ang to find out more about being an adult learner AND a schoolmate to your teen.
Schoolbag: Hi Mr Ang! Why did you decide to go back to school?
Mr Ang: It’s really out of interest. Twenty years ago, I started a blog to share with fellow parents on places to bring their kids. Over the years, the blog has snowballed into something bigger and more parents are coming to my social media platforms for ideas and recommendations on activities to do with their kids.
After my kids entered their teenage phase, parents started messaging me for advice on dealing with their teenagers – for example, how to get them to put their games down and spend more time with the family.
My experience is limited to my three kids, so I can only share what I’ve done with them. But I realised that a lot of parents want to better engage with their children, they just don’t know how or where to start. When I came across the Diploma on Youth Development & Mental Wellness, I thought that these were useful skills to pick up, to better engage with our youths. So I decided to sign up."
How teachers shaped these O-Level graduates’ futures (16 January 2025)
"When life threw curveballs at these O-Level graduates from Bartley Secondary School, they found strength beyond textbooks – in their teachers’ encouraging words and caring actions that gave them courage to push forward.
By Sabrina Lee
“I realised that we all have skills and values that are unique to ourselves.” – Marha Syuarah binte Muhsin
Marha, who is one of a set of triplets, felt a sense of loss and regret as she entered secondary school because her siblings went to independent and autonomous schools. “I was overwhelmed and felt a need to prove myself. But gradually, I realised that we all have skills and values that are unique to ourselves,” she says.
Marha, who found a passion for filmmaking and video-editing in school, says her teachers’ care has been invaluable to her growth.
“Mr Lee, my English teacher, guided me through my application for the Early Admissions Exercise to Temasek Polytechnic’s Digital Film & Television course. He taught me about video editing and even lent me his personal equipment for filming,” she elaborates. She secured her spot in the course, and will be joining the polytechnic soon.
She also cites her teachers’ support for helping her tide over a tough period in Secondary 3. “I was hospitalised for about a month because of a surgery, and it was near the end-of-year exams,” she says. Worried that she would fall behind in her studies, since she was missing classes, she confided in her teachers.
Marha recalls that it was what her Literature teacher, Ms Soh Cheng Wen, said that comforted her the most. “Ms Soh told me, ‘I cannot walk this journey for you, but I can walk it with you.’ It was when I realised that I have this support that has allowed me to discover my skills and walk my own path in life.”
These worked for my kids! Four language teachers share their favourite tips (16 January 2025)
"They won awards for inspiring their students in the learning of English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. What happens when they are teaching their own kids? They share the habits and tips that have been effective at home.
By Jacquelyn Ng
Some of us are good at languages, others less so. What if your parent were a language teacher? Is it like having a personal coach all the way?
We speak to teachers of English and three Mother Tongue Languages to find out what they do as parents when it comes to inculcating a love for the language at home. They share what works for them and their children!
1. We go café-hopping then library-hopping!”
Mdm Hairani Asir, Recipient of the Arif Budiman Malay Language Teacher Award 2023
There are 26 public libraries in Singapore. Mdm Hairani Asir’s family has been to all of them.
The teacher from Punggol Primary School was looking for a way to entertain her children over the weekends, spend time together, and introduce them to the joy of reading. “We started a library-hopping tradition,” says the mother of two children aged 3 and 9, “inspired by our same love for café-hopping!”
During the library visits, she would let them explore the children’s section on their own. They always come back with stacks and stacks of books they find appealing.
“These could be books with colourful covers, comic series… Sometimes even books in Mandarin or Tamil,” she laughs. They would then sit as a family, and she would read aloud to them “if the book is in a language we understand”."
‘Oops! I meddled with my child’s CCA choices’ (23 January 2025)
"With CCA season upon us, writer Linda Lee shares her look-back-and-laugh misadventures in trying to get her son to pick activities that had, well, no kick.
Throwback to 2020: “But mum, I don’t want to play ping pong. I want to join the drama club,” my then primary-school child pleaded tearfully.
“Thou shall listen to your mum and join a sport!” I hissed, staring daggers at him. “There’s a higher chance to enter a secondary school through DSA if you become good at it, you know?”
This was the level of drama in my home when I tried to steer my son in his choice of Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) back in primary school.
Looking back, I wish I had made better decisions and supported him more positively. In my defence, I interfered with the best of intentions.
Thankfully, he seems to be enjoying his Symphonic Band CCA now as a Sec 2 boy. But it took a while for him to get there. Let me share my blow-by-blow trilogy of how I butted in with regret, so that you may avoid the same pitfalls when it’s your child’s turn to pick a CCA."
Principals share insights on nurturing community and change (24 January 2025)
“Heart is what drives you,” says one principal. And this simple philosophy, which three other principals also subscribe to, has helped shape their communities – whether it’s turning school gardens into calming spaces, cultivating inclusivity through sports, or giving teachers space to innovate.
By Lim Jun Kang/ Sabrina Lee
“We aim high while staying humble.” – Mdm Yvonne Teo, Principal
Joining Bedok View Secondary School at the height of COVID-19, Mdm Teo found her greatest joy in guiding and growing with her staff. “What was most rewarding was that we didn’t just overcome challenges – we reached new heights.”
Under her leadership, the team charted new paths.
“We strengthened our partnership with APSN Katong School, extending our shared ‘fence’, joining sporting events as one team, and even taking the stage at the National Day Parade 2023 together,” she says.
Known for her genuine way of connecting with people and helping both staff and students shine, she believes every school has its own unique qualities waiting to be nurtured. Her approach starts with understanding what makes each school community special, then working alongside students, staff, and alumni to build on these strengths together.
Mdm Teo’s leadership style centres on balance. She believes that success comes from blending achievement with joy. For her, nurturing great teachers starts with genuine appreciation. “Sometimes the smallest, most sincere gestures make the biggest impact in helping teachers feel valued.”
As Catholic High School’s new Principal, Mdm Teo begins by getting to know what makes her school community special, partnering with students, staff, and alumni to grow these strengths together."
Green lessons from a teacher work attachment (31 January 2025)
"The Teacher Work Attachment Plus (TWA+) programme took this teacher from Xinmin Primary School on a journey of discovery, from the classroom to the garden. Now, she’s bringing her urban farming experience back to school to inspire her students.
When Ms Geraldine Tng embarked on a work attachment programme in 2024, little did she know it would deepen her passion for environmental education and her career as a teacher.
For 10 weeks, the Head of Department of Science at Xinmin Primary School went behind the scenes at Gardens by the Bay and local urban farm City Sprouts to learn how these local companies integrate environmental sustainability into their operations.
Under the Teacher Work Attachment Plus (TWA+) programme, Xinmin Primary partnered these companies to offer work attachment opportunities for its teachers.
Ms Tng, who also serves as advisor for the Applied Learning Programme (ALP) for Environmental Education at Xinmin Primary, shares, “The school’s vision is to prepare the students for the future, but to do that, we teachers need to have a better understanding of the world. I’ve been teaching for 31 years. It’s a good time for me to explore new ways to get students excited about learning.”
Can students engineer a high-tech school transformation? A school and an industrial automation company say yes (3 February 2025)
"Rockwell Automation employees mentored students from Beatty Secondary School over six months, guiding them in applying technology to solve school-based challenges. Read on about how this partnership has brought students, teachers and mentors alike on a journey of growth, while preparing the next generation for the future of work.
A school library overhaul enabled by cybersecurity, analytics and digital twin software. This might sound like a job for the professionals, but it might surprise you to know that it’s none other than students themselves who are at the helm of the transformation.
The reason why this exciting initiative is possible: a partnership between Beatty Secondary School and Rockwell Automation. Through a mentorship programme that ran from May 2024 to January 2025, 15 Secondary 3 students were paired with seven mentors from Rockwell Automation. Every fortnight, the students and mentors met to work on school-based challenges.
For a start, the students chose from one of three projects based on their interests. One group opted to utilise three digital twin software to optimise the library’s layout, analyse borrowing patterns and create a book location system. Another group looked into automating the borrowing system and ensuring that information is secure in the process, picking up technical tools such as encryption and hashing. Meanwhile, the third group delved into sustainability and waste management technology."
The five Cs of arts education (11 February 2025)
"What are they and how do they prepare students for the rapid changes of the 21st Century? Mr Clifford Chua, the Academy Principal of the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts (STAR), breaks it down.
Since ChatGPT and Midjourney were launched in 2022, the ways generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) might transform the world has been one of the hottest topics across industries all over the world. But for Mr Clifford Chua, the Academy Principal of the Singapore Teachers’ Academy for the aRts (STAR), the potential of GenAI is not that unfamiliar – at least from the perspective of arts education.
“AI will affect arts education just as any other technology has,” he acknowledges. “But it’s just a tool you can play with. One of the things students learn in art class is the potentialities of different materials, and their limitations. Take clay, for example. There are things clay can and cannot do.” Similarly, AI has its affordances and constraints. “So, if we give students this tool, they will experiment with it. They will learn to exploit what it can do to create fantastic things. And what it cannot do, they will have to find other ways of doing those things.”
For that reason, AI did not drive the changes in the refreshed and revised art syllabuses that were rolled out to primary, secondary and pre-university students in 2024 and 2025. Rather, art teachers are being trained by STAR to bring out students’ voices more during their classes, by encouraging them to express and clarify their perspectives during their art-making. Experimentation and exploration are now a greater focus, and process is emphasised as being more important than final product.
The goal of these changes is to hone skills and mindsets – or more snappily, the five Cs – that will better prepare students for the volatile and complex world they will face after leaving school. Mr Chua shares what exactly these five Cs are and why arts education is uniquely equipped to impart them.
1. Creativity
Over the years, the Singapore education system has helped hone certain traits, such as efficiency and diligence. These have definitely been valuable assets to students as they enter the workforce. “But there have been some observations that Singaporeans are not so independent when it comes to solving problems,” Mr Chua points out. With an overfocus on academic results, many students also lack time to pursue interests outside of their schoolwork.
While a single-minded pursuit of good grades might once have been perceived as a virtue, it can become a liability as the world evolves. Top universities increasingly look out for applicants with distinct passions, pursuits, and perspectives. “And that’s because they have found that the people who succeed later in life have a variety of interests. The key to their success is the ability to connect the dots between different disciplines,” Mr Chua elaborates.
An arts education helps foster creative thinking through experimentation and exploration. “That whole process of developing your own way of thinking, looking and listening, then interpreting and responding, instils a more creative disposition,” he says."
‘We don’t always need words to understand each other’ (13 February 2025)
"When these students from Fernvale Primary School meet their pals with special needs from MINDS Fernvale Gardens School for art sessions, they create their own language of friendship.
When two art teachers discovered they had a common love for sock puppets, they hit it off.
The result? Joint lessons between the students of their two schools, culminating in a pop-up exhibition.
Mdm Angela Lau, Acting Head of Department for Arts at MINDS Fernvale Gardens School (FGS), and Mdm Julia Bte Mohd Rahim, Subject Head of Aesthetics at Fernvale Primary School (FVPS), first got together when their schools held a networking session in 2023 to share expertise.
FVPS is a mainstream primary school while students from FGS have moderate-to-severe intellectual disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); some of them also have limited verbal communication skills.
When Mdm Julia and Mdm Lau discussed their respective art programmes, they found much common ground and ample opportunities for mutual learning.
Sharing a keen interest in soft sculptures, they planned joint art sessions for their students featuring everyday materials and sock puppets as a creative medium."
Release of 2024 Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level Examination Results and 2025 Joint Admissions Exercise (3 January 2025)
"The results of the 2024 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) examination will be released on Friday, 10 January 2025, 2.30pm."
Release of 2024 Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level Examination Results (10 January 2025)
"Candidates who sat for the 2024 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) Examination collected their results from their secondary schools today."
2025 MOE Kindergarten Open House and Registration Exercise (16 January 2025)
"The Ministry of Education (MOE) would like to invite parents to register their child for Kindergarten 1 (K1) admission in 2026 during the upcoming MOE Kindergarten (MK) Registration Exercise that will be held from 7 to 17 February 2025. 56 MKs will be participating in this year's exercise, including one new MK, MK@Pioneer, which will be opening in 2026. Parents are invited to attend the open houses of individual MKs on 8 or 15 February 2025 to learn more about their programmes and facilities, prior to registration."
Grow Well SG to Support Families in Building Healthy Habits in Children (21 January 2025)
"The Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Education (MOE) and Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) have jointly launched Grow Well SG, a new national health promotion strategy to enhance preventive care and inculcate healthier lifestyles in children and adolescents. The multi-ministry strategy is aimed at holistically addressing children's health and well-being in the digital age."
More Than 66,000 Student Athletes to Participate at National School Games 2025 (22 January 2025)
"More than 66,000 student athletes will compete across 29 sports at the National School Games (NSG) 2025. Minister for Education Mr Chan Chun Sing officiated the NSG Opening Ceremony at the Singapore Sports Hub OCBC Arena Hall today."
Posting Results for the 2025 Joint Admissions Exercise (27 January 2025)
"The posting results for the 2025 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) will be released on 4 February 2025, 9am. Applicants can obtain their posting results through the following modes:
a. Short Message Service to the Singapore mobile phone number provided by the applicant during application
b. JAE-IS, which is accessible through the JAE website (www.moe.gov.sg/jae)."
Open for Nominations: Most Inspiring Tamil Teachers' Award 2025 (3 February 2025)
"From 3 February to 4 April 2025, students, educators, parents, and members of the public are invited to nominate Tamil Language (TL) teachers for the Most Inspiring Tamil Teachers' (MITT) Award 2025."
Nominations Open for Arif Budiman Malay Language Teacher Award 2025 (3 February 2025)
"From 3 February to 4 April 2025, students, educators, parents, and members of the public are invited to nominate outstanding Malay Language teachers for the Arif Budiman Malay Language Teacher Award (AGAB) 2025."
Release of 2024 Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level Examination Results on 21 February 2025 (14 February 2025)
"The results of the 2024 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level) examination will be released on Friday, 21 February 2025, 2.30pm."
New Story Writing Competition for Students to Draw Inspiration from Late Composer's Songs (15 February 2025)
"The Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC) launched a short story writing competition that seeks to provide an opportunity for students to appreciate the late local composer Zubir Said's songs, and translate the inspiration from his music into creative works. Dr Mohamed Maliki Osman, Second Minister of Education and Chairperson of the MLLPC was the Guest of Honour at the launch event at Woodlands Regional Library today."
Release of the 2024 Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level Examination Results (21 February 2025)
"Candidates who sat for the 2024 Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level) examination received their results from their schools today."
Singapore teenagers spend nearly 8.5 hours a day on screens: CNA-IPS survey (4 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Being constantly plugged in online has become a norm for Audrey Yeap.
The 17-year-old said she spends 6 to 7 hours a day on screens, with most of that time dedicated to schoolwork.
Her habits are not unlike those of her fellow teenagers."
MOE takes serious view of bullying or violence, but vigilantism can complicate situation: Chan Chun Sing (4 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Stressing that the Ministry of Education (MOE) takes a serious view of any act of bullying or violence, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Tuesday (Feb 4) warned against vigilantism from adults in such incidents.
He was responding to parliamentary questions about the two incidents at Admiralty Secondary School that made the news, following viral Facebook posts made by relatives of the students involved.
“No one should be bullied. No one wants to be bullied. And no one should bully,” said Mr Chan in parliament on Tuesday."
MOE studying how to discourage undesirable advertising practices from tuition centres (5 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is studying how to discourage tuition centres from using undesirable advertising practices, said Minister of State for Education Gan Siow Huang on Wednesday (Feb 5).
Responding to a supplementary question in parliament from Mr Liang Eng Hwa (PAP-Bukit Panjang), Ms Gan said MOE has observed some tuition centres appealing to parents’ anxieties and their fear of missing out.
In his question, Mr Liang said he was “very troubled” to see tuition centre staff members distributing flyers to parents outside a primary school in his constituency on the first day of school earlier this year."
Commentary: Does choosing a CCA in secondary school need to be this complicated? (5 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: My younger daughter started secondary school this year, and with that comes the requirement to choose a co-curricular activity (CCA). She told me excitedly about the various CCAs she was interested in and their selection trials.
My reaction: Wait, what? There are selection trials?
I’m aware that sports and performing arts CCAs often have selection trials, but I didn’t expect this for certain clubs – certainly not for the entrepreneurship society she’s keen on."
Grow Well SG: Nurses, coaches to engage students based on lifestyle habits questionnaire filled in by parents (5 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Under a new national strategy to inculcate healthier lifestyles in children, trained nurses and coaches will engage students based on questionnaires filled in by their parents.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said this in parliament on Wednesday (Feb 5) in response to questions from Members of Parliament about the recently announced Grow Well SG programme.
The health guidelines for children will be conveyed to parents via the annual health screening programme in mainstream schools, and the process of screening and consulting with each child may take about 30 minutes, he added."
Commentary: Why we should all worry about the vaping industry targeting students on social media (7 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Scrolling through TikTok, a student in Singapore might stumble upon a clip of an influencer in Indonesia vaping inside a trendy cafe. On Instagram, sleek vape devices resembling tech gadgets pop up in posts, with captions celebrating flavours like “popcorn” and “grape ice”, posted by sellers in Malaysia.
“What’s the big deal?” they might wonder. “And why is this banned in Singapore?”
This is the power of social media marketing - subtle, pervasive, and, in the case of vaping, deliberately deceptive. Compounding the problem is that it’s not hard to find suppliers offering discreet delivery services to customers in Singapore."
'Everyone thinks they're experts': How advice overload is fuelling parents' self-doubt (7 February 2025)
"When Mr Roystonn Loh first became a parent eight years ago, he recalled facing a “pretty overwhelming” amount of advice from relatives and online sources preaching the best way to raise a child.
These run the gamut of whether or not to embark on sleep training, what to do when a child falls ill and when is the right time to teach the child to read or swim.
The 35-year-old business owner and father to three children aged eight, seven and three said: “Being a first-time parent then, we weren’t entirely sure of what the best practices were for raising a child."
The filmmaker who quit a safe teaching job to start an animation studio, winning global recognition (8 February 2025)
"For as long as he can remember, Mr Jerrold Chong, 34, wanted to be a filmmaker. The film bug bit him during his early teens and although most aspiring students might gravitate towards live-action films, he chose animation.
However, the path to giving life to his dream has been rocky.
After completing a prestigious animation course in California in 2016, he had to turn down a job at Pixar, probably the best-known large company in the world of animation."
I let my kids decide if they take enrichment classes or not. This is why (8 February 2025)
"It is a perennial debate: Are enrichment classes a must to give our child the best possible head start in life? Or are they a source of unnecessary pressure on our children?
You simply can't win this argument.
In Singapore, every parent has an opinion on enrichment classes outside of school. Do you know that we spent a gobsmacking S$1.8 billion on tuition in 2023? It is a seemingly resounding endorsement of its importance."
Singaporean teen who identified as 'East Asian supremacist' detained under ISA (10 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: An 18-year-old Singaporean student who identified as an "East Asian supremacist" and was radicalised by violent far-right extremist ideologies has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Nick Lee Xing Qiu, who is of Chinese ethnicity, had aspired to conduct attacks against Malays and Muslims in Singapore. He believed that the Chinese, Korean and Japanese ethnicities were superior, the Internal Security Department (ISD) said on Monday (Feb 10).
Lee was issued with a detention order in December last year. He is the third Singaporean youth with far-right extremist ideologies to be dealt with under the ISA."
Youth drug abuse rose in 2024; 52% newly arrested under 30 years old: CNB (12 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: While Singapore's drug situation remained under control in 2024, youth drug abuse continued to increase, according to statistics by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) on Wednesday (Feb 12).
In its annual statistics report, CNB acting director Leon Chan said the trends in youth drug abuse are "worrying", particularly the "early onset of drug abuse".
There was a 1 per cent increase in new drug abusers arrested, up from 952 in 2023 to 966 in 2024."
Beyond academics, subject-based banding cultivates respect for diverse abilities: Chan Chun Sing (13 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: One year after subject-based banding was fully implemented, Education Minister Chan Chun Sing said the initiative has helped students learn at their own pace while instilling respect for diverse abilities.
Speaking to CNA in an interview reviewing education policies from the current term of government, Mr Chan highlighted that his ministry is tracking key outcomes of subject-based banding, such as changing mindsets and nurturing a love for learning – beyond just academic performance.
In the wide-ranging interview, Mr Chan also touched on the tuition industry, the relationship between teachers and parents and how Singapore's higher education landscape needs to evolve to encourage continuous learning."
MOE working with advertising industry on code of conduct to rein in 'black sheep' of tuition industry (13 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is working with the advertising industry to establish a code of conduct to rein in marketing that guilt trips parents and creates a fear of missing out, said Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing.
In an interview with CNA looking back at educational policies during the current term of government, Mr Chan had strong words for some tuition centres – what he called the “black sheep” of the industry – for using fear-based advertising tactics.
“Those people who tout their services, they guilt trip the parents to think: ‘So many people are doing this, why are you not?’” he said, likening the situation to the marketing practices of formula milk manufacturers in previous years."
Teachers are not here to serve parents but to be partners in a child's education, says Chan Chun Sing (13 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Teachers deserve respect as partners in a child's education and should not be treated as service providers fulfilling parental demands, said Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing.
Speaking in an interview with CNA Digital in January, Mr Chan addressed the evolving expectations of teachers, noting that while most parents are cooperative and engaged, a minority overstep boundaries or make unreasonable demands.
“It is not a service-client mindset, where I expect this and you deliver it to me,” said Mr Chan, stressing that children spend more time with their families than at school. “As parents, we are all the first teachers of our children.”
Forget going back to school, make learning modules accessible and affordable for adults, says Chan Chun Sing (13 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Instead of returning to traditional classrooms, institutions of higher learning should focus on making education modules more accessible and affordable for a wider audience, said Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing.
The government has "a lot of things" it wants to do for continuous education and training, he said in an interview with CNA looking back at educational policies during the current term of government.
"Nobody is going to go back to school. But how can we make our modules much more digestible, accessible for even people who don't necessarily come back and learn. They only come back for the discussion, for the group work," he said."
A-Level results to be released on Feb 21 (14 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: The results of the 2024 GCE A-Level examinations will be released on Feb 21 at 2.30pm, with students receiving their results from their schools.
Details on the collection will be shared by the respective schools, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said in a joint release on Friday (Feb 14).
School candidates who are unable to collect their results in person can access their results online via the SEAB candidates portal from 3.15pm on the same day until 11pm on Mar 7."
‘We’re not naughty’: 3 things about Inside Crest Secondary, and its students, that’ll grab you (14 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: As a Crest Secondary student, Mah Yan Lin is all too familiar with the stigma to attending her school.
She remembers once being laughed at on her way home by other teenagers who recognised her uniform.
“People know that if you go to Crest, it means you didn’t do (so) well in primary school,” said the Secondary 4 student. “It makes me feel a bit angry. I feel that everyone has potential.”
Risk, reward and resilience: Why these Singapore parents send their kids to compete in Muay Thai overseas (14 February 2025)
"The beads of perspiration glinting under the lights of the boxing stadium threatened to sting his eyes, but an expressionless Sayyid Al-Tahneem kept focus on his Thai opponent, whom he had just watched brutally knock out another fighter in under 30 seconds.
Clad in black shorts, cobalt blue boxing gloves and neon green ankle supports, Sayyid knew the adrenaline-seeking crowd at Patong Boxing Stadium in Phuket, Thailand was eager to see how a "muay farang" (a Thai term used to describe a foreign fighter) such as him will fare against their own.
However, Sayyid, 12, did not go all the way from Singapore to be a pushover in the Muay Thai ring on Jan 28."
'Second caregiver': The ITE teacher who spends hours outside of school to help her students (15 February 2025)
"Delivering a box of colourful elastic bands at night to someone who lives a 15-minute drive away may sound like the job scope of a delivery worker.
For Ms Lynn Chua, a senior lecturer-mentor at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West, that was the situation she found herself in about four years ago when her then 19-year-old student was struggling to finish his assignment.
The student, who had special needs and was on the verge of failing a module, could not finish his assignment to build a mechanical hand because he wanted to use elastic bands of different colours but did not have enough of them."
Social media platforms must do more to protect children and act on user violations, says IMDA (17 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Social media platforms need to do more to protect children in Singapore from harmful and age-inappropriate content, according to the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in its inaugural online safety assessment report on Monday (Feb 17).
Six social media services - Facebook, HardwareZone, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X (formerly Twitter) - were evaluated on how thorough and effective their measures met the Code of Practice for Online Safety.
Under the code, the platforms are required to implement system-wide measures to minimise users’ access to harmful content, give users effective and easy solutions to report harmful content, and be transparent and accountable to users by submitting annual online safety reports for publishing on IMDA’s website."
Parents, social agencies call for review of financial aid criteria to support bigger families (17 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Some social service agencies are calling for a review of financial aid criteria to better support the needs of bigger families.
This comes as such families have been steadily spending more on daily necessities and caregiving, among other areas.
While the agencies expressed hope that this year’s Budget will see a shift in financial aid structure, they added that families should not only rely on the government but play their part by being prudent."
Budget 2025: S$300 monthly allowance for mid-career workers taking up part-time courses (18 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A SkillsFuture initiative that provides an allowance to mid-career workers aged 40 and above taking up training courses will be expanded to include part-time programmes.
Starting early next year, workers enrolled in part-time training will get a fixed allowance of S$300 (US$220) a month to help defray their learning expenses, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his annual Budget speech on Tuesday (Feb 18).
The SkillsFuture Level-Up programme, first announced at last year’s Budget, aims to support mid-career workers in upgrading their skills. The programme includes a S$4,000 credit top-up and monthly allowances for those who take time off work to pursue full-time training."
Budget 2025: Preschool fee caps to be lowered, more support for lower-income families to buy a home (18 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Parents in Singapore will get more help with preschool fees, as Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced measures to support families in his Budget speech on Tuesday (Feb 18).
The monthly childcare fees at anchor operator preschools will be capped at S$610, while that of partner operator preschools will not go above S$650.
The figures are down from a cap of S$640 and S$680 respectively – the second consecutive year that Mr Wong has lowered preschool fee caps in his Budget statement."
This child psychiatrist dedicated her life to autism and mental health research because of her special needs son (19 February 2025)
"When her toddler did not meet her gaze and lacked interest in playing with other children of his age, Dr Sung Min got anxious. Seeing her son miss milestones, Dr Sung, a senior consultant at the Department of Developmental Psychiatry at Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health (IMH), panicked.
When he was eventually diagnosed with autism, the child psychiatrist was relieved – and grieved. The gaps in understanding of the condition then also caused confusion and undue stress to her as a parent.
Autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder. It affects how a person interacts with others, in terms of how they communicate, learn, and behave in different settings and environments."
Singapore university employee installed pinhole camera in toilet to spy on others, recorded male colleague (19 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: An estate management officer at a private university in Singapore installed a pinhole camera in the ceiling of a toilet meant for the disabled, intending to spy on others in their private act.
The 26-year-old man was hoping to use the illicit footage to fulfil his sexual needs as his wife was pregnant, but only managed to record one victim - his male colleague.
The accused, a Malaysian, was sentenced to seven weeks' jail on Wednesday (Feb 19) after he pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism."
SOTA students get food poisoning after consuming ready-to-eat meals in Total Defence exercise (19 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Students from the School of the Arts (SOTA) have reported symptoms of food poisoning after consuming ready-to-eat meals distributed as part of a national preparedness exercise.
The meals were handed out on Tuesday (Feb 18) as part of Exercise SG Ready, which simulates crises such as power outages and disruptions to food supplies under the broader Total Defence exercise.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA), Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health (MOH) and food caterer SATS said in a joint statement on Wednesday night that they are investigating the gastroenteritis cases."
Total Defence food resilience programme suspended as precautionary measure due to SOTA food poisoning cases (20 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A national preparedness initiative which involves ready-to-eat meals was temporarily halted on Thursday (Feb 20), following cases of food poisoning at the School of the Arts (SOTA) arising from the meals.
In a joint statement on Thursday morning, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), together with the Ministry of Education (MOE), Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and food caterer SATS, said it “will pause the Food Resilience Preparedness Programme as a precautionary measure until investigations on the SOTA gastroenteritis cases are concluded”.
CNA first reported about the gastroenteritis cluster at SOTA on Wednesday.
A total of 20 students developed symptoms such as diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting after consuming the meals."
Coroner opens inquiry into death of girl, 7, who was hit by school bus in Sengkang condominium (20 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: A coroner's inquiry into the death of a seven-year-old girl hit by a school bus within a Sengkang condominium's premises opened on Thursday (Feb 20), with the court hearing how the driver had not seen the girl before the collision occurred.
Nivya Rameshwar, a Primary 2 student, was taken unconscious to Sengkang General Hospital after the incident at The Topiary Condominium in Fernvale on Aug 15, 2024, but was pronounced dead shortly after.
On Thursday, a Traffic Police investigation officer testified on the stand, reading details from a report into the incident, which occurred at a carpark service road near block 23 of The Topiary. The service road had no pedestrian crossing."
Four women accused of covering up for man who allegedly molested toddler at preschool (21 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: Four women were accused in court on Friday (Feb 21) of covering up for a man who allegedly molested a toddler at a preschool, with three handed charges related to reformatting a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system that captured the offence.
Details of the women, including their names and ages, were redacted from court documents.
A gag order was imposed on their identities along with the location of the alleged offence to protect the victim, who was around two years old at the time."
A-Level results: 94.2% score at least 3 H2 passes (21 February 2025)
"SINGAPORE: About 94.2 per cent of candidates scored at least three Higher 2 (H2) passes in last year's GCE A-Level examination, according to results released on Friday (Feb 21).
A total of 10,889 candidates sat for the 2024 GCE A-Level examination, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) said in a joint press release.
Of these, 10,255 students, or 94.2 per cent, got at least three H2 passes, with a pass in General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry."