07 October 2021

A ruckus has been raised yet again over difficult PSLE math questions.

The new PSLE scoring system with the use of bands rather than absolute scores is designed to reduce the tendency of the PSLE to over-discriminate and over-classify the academic ability of our children. The new scoring system is designed to reduce the impact of, for instance, leaving one or two questions blank or incompletely answered.

One message that we can tell our math PSLE hopefuls is that they should not feel discouraged if they cannot answer a couple of questions, as long as they have put in their best effort and have attempted the rest of the questions to the best of their ability.

Nonetheless, we should take the feelings of these young kids into account, as they may not be able to understand the rationale of being posed such challenging questions.

After all, the vast majority of students are not competing for some prestigious scholarship or a spot in some highly exclusive educational institution. It is more important to have a variety of questions that test different skill sets rather than one or two extraordinary tough questions.

07 October 2021

Local universities have moved more classes online this academic semester.

The National University of Singapore said online lessons are now strongly encouraged, but some face-to-face classes will still continue.

The Singapore Institute of Technology said that all lectures, seminars and tutorials would be conducted online, with students returning only for practical and laboratory lessons. SIT added that all student development programmes, physical training and activities on campus will be held online until Oct 24.

At the Singapore University of Technology and Design, lessons for first-year students will continue to be in-person, while the rest of its lessons will move online.

28 September 2021

Written by Dr Ng E-Jay, originally for the Math Lab

Firstly, the topics in H2 Further Mathematics taught are highly relevant to courses such as the physical sciences and data analytics at university level.

The current Further Math syllabus include important topics like linear algebra, mathematical induction, second order differential equations, and two sample hypothesis testing in statistics. These topics are usually covered in first year engineering, physical sciences, and data analytics courses, as well as also relevant to subjects like econometrics, business analytics, and sociology. Further Math is thus a good preparatory course for these university subjects.

Secondly, studying Further Math will help students strengthen their mathematical foundations and gain a broader appreciation of mathematics. The skills and problem-solving techniques gained during the Further Math course will often help students tackle difficult questions in the usual H2 Math exam papers. The Ministry of Education has also been constantly updating the syllabus so that there is greater emphasis on applications rather than on simply posing tough questions. Compared to the old syllabus Further Math prior to 2007, students are exposed to a wider variety of topics, many of which are applicable to degree courses in the physical sciences or in computer science.

Thirdly, students applying to study mathematics or the physical sciences in overseas universities, especially the most prestigious universities in the US or UK, may find that a good grade in Further Math is looked upon favourably by university administrators. In fact, the Cambridge University and the University of Warwick uses the Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP) as a way of differentiating students of exceptionally high mathematical ability.

28 September 2021

A total of $457 million has been set aside to strengthen social science and humanities research in Singapore. This is an initiative spearheaded by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC).

The funds will help to boost support for young Singaporean researchers with promising careers and efforts to build a vibrant social science and humanities research ecosystem in Singapore.

There will also be a new SSRC graduate research fellowship targeted at Singaporeans pursuing their PhDs or post-doctorate stints overseas. This initiative offers a boost to those Singaporeans who have made the move to embark on a research career on their own, and are interested in working with established researchers in Singapore. The fellowship will provide a grant of up to $10,000 for PhD students, and $20,000 for post-doctorate fellows.

23 September 2021

Although the Yale-NUS College provided a good liberal arts education, its tuition fees were very high.

At Yale-NUS, Singaporean students paid $20,500 a year for tuition on their own, while the government subsidised the remaining $70,300 a year.

In contrast, a Singaporean student enrolled this year in the newly set up College of Humanities and Sciences (CHS) at the National University of Singapore will pay $8,200 in tuition fees yearly and receive a tuition grant of $22,300 from the government.

Hence, the government subsidy for Yale-NUS College students amounts to about three times the subsidy given to a student taking up an arts or science degree at CHS.

Parents interviewed by the media have stated that Yale-NUS was not affordable for the average Singaporean family.