News and Announcements | Singapore Maths Tuition

Singapore’s six government-funded universities are increasing the number of available slots for prospective students

July 10, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

10 July 2020

Singapore’s six government-funded universities are offering around 2,000 more places to prospective students this year.

Some of the offers will go to Singaporeans whose overseas study plans have to be put on hold because of the global human malware situation. Local universities held a second admissions exercise in May to cater to this group of students.

Other spots have also been allocated to polytechnic diploma holders who had previously intended to join the workforce but are now opting to further their studies because of the weak job market.

Because of the additional effort made their year to increase the number of university places, the Ministry of Education said it expects the cohort participation rate (CPR) to increase slightly this year, by up to 2 percentage points, from the originally planned 40 per cent.

The MOE said that Singaporean students who are midway through their degree studies overseas, but who now wish to switch to studying locally, can write directly to the autonomous universities. Their applications will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. This includes a review of whether credit transfers can be granted.

Some students have indicated that they are planning to defer their studies by three to six months. They can sign up for continuing education and training modular courses offered by the universities during this period.

Home based learning to be a permanent feature of Singapore’s educational landscape

July 1, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

01 July 2020

E-learning in Singapore has picked up speed in recent months. Each secondary school student will get a personal learning device by the end of next year. The Ministry of Education has also instituted plans to bringing the National Digital Literacy Programme forward.

But Mr Ong Ye Kung, Education Minister, has also highlighted the challenge of the digital divide. He said that many students did not have devices to participate in home-based learning, which led to schools loaning out over 20,000 digital devices to students, and more than 1,600 dongles.

Mr Ong is now of the opinon that online learning will become fundamental in our education landscape. He said that MOE has plans to make home-based learning part and parcel of the curriculum. We could, for instance, start with once a fortnight secondary schools.

One beneficial outcome of HBL is the cultivation of independent learning.

But Mr Ong cautioned that while online learning is useful, we can’t do away or substitute classroom learning altogether. The sensible thing to do is to complement classroom teaching with HBL, and make HBL a permanent and regular feature of education.

NUS students to be given more flexibility in pursuing different disciplines in an integrated framework

June 30, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

30 June 2020

National University of Singapore students will be given greater flexibility in pursuing academic programmes across multiple disciplines in an integrated framework.

Starting in August 2021, NUS plans to to offer 10 cross-disciplinary degree programmes, or CDPs. Under a CDP, complementary disciplines across different faculties can be paired. Examples include economics and data science, computing and project management, or engineering and business.

NUS said that the CDPs aim to leverage synergies between complementary disciplines.

To graduate, a student will need to complete 160 modular credits, the same requirement as that for a four-year Bachelor with Honours degree programme.

NUS senior deputy president and provost Ho Teck Hua said: “The world is changing at an unprecedented rate. There is no better time for NUS to make a bold move to ensure that our students benefit from the expertise we have on our campuses.”

While students taking up double degrees acquire in-depth knowledge in two distinct disciplines, these CDPs aim to break down the boundaries between two distinct disciplines, and focus on integrating those disciplines.

Examine how inequality can affect students outside school

June 7, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

07 June 2020

The implementation of home-based learning has illustrated how inequality can affect students outside school.

At home, some students may face issues such as poverty, jobless parents and lack of motivation. Singaporeans tend to think of our education system as a uniform system, where all schools are well-staffed and have ample resources. But educational outcomes still vary considerably from student to student and family to family.

It is therefore time to look at not just providing a world-class education, which Singapore has already achieved, but also fine-tuning an educational system that takes into consideration the fact that the well-being and success of students depend on a lot more than just what happens inside school.

The Ministry of Education can begin by ensuring that family service centres and voluntary welfare organisations are well-resourced to coordinate and work hand in hand with schools.

Nominated MP Anthea Ong has called for Internet access to be provided as a public utility. For example, she has proposed that the Government’s free Wi-Fi service be extended to cover all rental flats.

In the meantime, many schools have rallied together to remain open so that children who depend on the subsidised school meal programme can continue to go to school and not go hungry at home, while others who lacked a conducive environment for learning at home can also go back to their schools to study. These measures can go a long way for some groups of students.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung: It is an appropriate time to reopen schools

June 4, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

04 June 2020

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung has said that it is an appropriate time to reopen schools, as extended school closure would have a tremendous impact on students not just in academic terms, but also emotionally and socially.

Mr Ong said, “We must remember, education is really not just about taking exams or getting good grades. It is (also) about the character and socio-emotional development.”

The Education Ministry will be reviewing ways to blend classroom and digital learning. While self-directed learning can never be a complete substitute for in-class learning, it can give students the time and space to explore and study at their own pace.

In Singapore, schools will reopen for daily face-to-face classes for graduating cohorts. Students from non-graduating cohorts will attend classes that are rotated weekly. These students will therefore alternate between between home-based learning and having lessons on-site.

At school, students will have to stay within their respective class groupings, and obey fixed exam-style seating as well as appropriate distancing. There will also be staggered recess times and dismissal times.

Government cannot make attendance at school voluntary

May 28, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

28 May 2020

The Government cannot make attendance at school voluntary because that would not be good for the morale of both students and teachers, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung.

Mr Ong said in a Facebook post that that exceptions to compulsory school attendance can only be made for concerns arising from medical conditions.

From June, graduating students will resume classes on weekdays. Students in other cohorts will rotate weekly between home-based learning and returning to school for lessons.

A voluntary system would only serve to segregate students according to those whose families are able to provide care for them at home, and those who are not, Mr Ong said.

Teachers will end up having to juggle between classroom teaching and facilitating home-based learning for every lesson, which is not sustainable.

Fewer tangible measures in this year’s Direct School Admission exercise

May 26, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

26 May 2020

Schools participating in the Direct School Admission exercise this year will do all interviews and selection for shortlisted candidates via electronic modes (e-modes). This policy has raised concerns whether the exercise will remain fair.

Schools will strive to select students with potential, “exemplary character and desirable personal qualities, such as the ability to thrive amidst adversity”, even without competition placements, said a Ministry of Education spokesman.

A total of 146 secondary schools and 20 junior colleges are taking part in this year’s exercise, which started on May 12.

To ensure fairness in the selection process, the e-modes will be conducted at the applicants’ schools. School staff will also be present to provide technical support where necessary.

All schools look at a range of skills and attributes when shortlisting students. Schools will continue to reach out to students from less advantaged backgrounds, including those with little or no prior training or formal certification, to ensure that they are aware of the support available, and encourage those with talent and potential to apply for suitable DSA schools.

National University of Singapore will reopen its campus for the new academic year

May 25, 2020 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

25 May 2020

The National University of Singapore will reopen its campus for the new academic year on Aug 10. Some classes will be conducted on campus, whilst others will be held online.

NUS intends to divide its campuses into different zones, in a manner such that students and faculty will keep within their designated zones for all activities, including attending classes and eating at canteens.

Students taking cross-faculty modules that require them to step outside their designated zones will take the courses online.

Additionally, NUS’s seven student halls, five residential colleges and two student residences, will also be split up into zones. If students share a zone on campus, they will also share a zone in the residences.

NUS is committed to giving students at least a partial on-campus experience as far as possible, even as it avails online learning to students where appropriate and necessary. The university firmly believes in an on-campus, student-centred education for all.