On tertiary educational facilities

I wanted to lift quotes, but was afraid I might misquote, so I've attached the entire article below. The writer talks about how the Institute of Technical Education has much better facilities than that of Junior Colleges. This issue is of concern because it insinuates that ITE students (and implicitly, less academically-inclined students) cannot appreciate good facilities; if the government doesn't give the better students in Singapore better facilities, the lesser off students shouldn't have it either. The writer is right on his facts, but a little knowledge is often a dangerous thing. This article is also of concern because the writer has adopted a very biased stance, with his viewpoint of an ex-JC student, and failed to consider opinions of the other side. This is also the reason why Humanities is important - it teaches one how to construct persuasive and therefore powerful arguments. What are my thoughts?

1. Renovation always strives for progress
Many years back, ITEs were in horrendous shape, because Singapore was more rightist (and meritocratic) back in those days. Junior Colleges were under renovation about a decade to two decades ago. The government cannot be renovating JCs all the time, and thus started to pay more attention to the forgotten sector of the society. Wasn't that what all we Singaporeans wanted, to "ensure no one gets left behind"? Even communism couldn't ensure no one gets left behind, let alone capitalism infused with Confucian teaching (work hard, work harder, study hard, respect the educated).

It depends on many factors too. Apparently Raffles Junior College and Hwa Chong Institution are beautiful in every way (common perception). Even Jurong Junior College (a mid-range neighbourhood junior college) has a synthetic field and fully air-conditioned classrooms. When VJC is finally renovated, it probably looks pretty spectacular as well. So yes. It's commonsense. You can't renovate JCs, nor ITEs, every year. It's their turn now.

2. It's Technical training, not academic training
Across the world, science and engineering schools are always better funded than humanities schools. They need labs, equipment, etc. Whatever you call it. That's partly the reason why most funding are necessary. It's actually understandable that JCs don't get so much funding, because they aren't that necessary. You don't need 10 computer labs, 10 commercial kitchens, operation theatrettes, etc.

Students who graduate from ITE actually find jobs, and while university students think that a crap degree doesn't bring us anywhere (it's a Singaporean mentality), there are sectors who need the support of ITE grads. This is the sector which has seen a huge influx of foreign labour, having more to offer and asking for less [pay]. Another thorny issue here. They need training as JC students do.
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A more significant point raised is that the facilities are vandalised. While I'm not so sure whether VJC/RJC/HCI ever got vandalised with enigmatic, philosophical quotes on tables or sticky notes around the school inspiring dissent or love, I know even NUS tables are vandalised. Vandalism is a crime that should be condemned everywhere, and the point that they vandalised and therefore they don't deserve the facilities doesn't seem valid. Students are students, be they from the top or bottom. While NUS students cringe at vandalism, ITE students also frown at vandalism. If vandalism equates to undeserving, schools should be built like mental hospitals (no offense, but these hospitals are vandalism-proof to a large extent).

I do wonder if there's a political statement to be made by the fact that ITE students are given pretty lavish facilities. The fact remains that ITE campuses are used to a greater extent, by the public too, when they attend courses to upgrade their skills, like Mr Tan whom I met, who went for N Levels English Course at the age of 55.

Let he who has no money to afford the best private tutors, enrichment courses, or the most nutritious foods, and yet made it to the top, cast the first stone. Money allows one to avoid getting into ITEs, to a large extent. Money allows you to get to where you really set your heart on very often. Let's be more gracious, yes, our educational facilities across the country is good. There isn't any leaking roof on a daily basis, or excessive flooding. Check this post by Yee Jen Jong, a socio-political blogger and educator.

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Disparity in tertiary education facilities

by Kwek Jian Qiang (a JC student)

04:45 AM Dec 26, 2011

Singapore has often been accorded the honour of having one of the best education systems. Our students rank high in their scores, from mathematics to other subjects. There are, though, significant disparities in the quality of learning environments.

When my grandmother visited Singapore this year, one of her most striking comments was when she saw a sparkling, shiny Institute of Technical Education (ITE) "skyscraper" campus.

Her first impression was that, in such a quality school environment, the students would be the best and brightest in Singapore. It took me a while to convince her otherwise and her look of dismay was apparent.

Indeed, a question should be raised: In a system where people are rewarded according to merit, why are our best and brightest not getting the best learning environments?

I once attended a seminar at ITE College East. The interior was like a plush hotel: Sleek floors, plush lecture theatre chairs, high-quality tables - quality exceeding that found in our polytechnics and junior colleges (JC).

From the exterior, with an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a stadium stand, it looked like it was made for the Youth Olympics.

What saddened me, though, was the graffiti on the tables and chairs. Apparently, the students do not cherish what they have. Should any JC or polytechnic student have access to such quality facilities, I have no doubt they would appreciate it better.

There is a need to equalise government spending on school facilities. Campuses such as Anderson JC's and Victoria JC's pale in comparison to ITE College East's.

Our brightest students, who will become Singapore's future leaders, should get the best facilities in order to excel and grow. We should reward according to merit.

On military history

As Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan noted, “… defeat cries aloud for explanation; whereas success, like charity, covers a multitude of sins." That was the Battle of Hong Kong, a battle in which it was an almost clear victory for the Japanese, and a bloody loss for the British, but how ironic. They went ahead with the fighting.

And many battles are fought despite it being an obvious defeat on one side. In ancient times, war was fought with sticks and stones. Those were the times where giants (2.4m, maybe) were useful as military possessions. Samson and Goliath were such extraordinary giants.

Sticks and stones. When Albert Einstein was interviewed on how the Third World War would look like, he replied, "I don't know, but I know what the Fourth World War would look like. It would be fought with sticks and stones." [For people who are still blur, it means that the Third World War would have wiped out civilization.]

In military history, we learn about big guns, tanks, strategies, tactics, and while some evaluate the "how" (how did the defeat/battle happen), others examine the why. I came across a quote which says that morale is the most important thing in war. Some like Thayer Mahan of course prefer big guns and big ships (Mahan propagated the big surface fleet theory: humongous battleships as necessary to win naval wars). Some prefer strategies, like the Jeune Ecole (aka the Young School), which prefers submarines (cheap, stealthy and strategic, with aim to destroy shipment and cut supply). Of course, the Bushido spirit is what some scholars would suggest of the Japanese in the Pacific War. To date, I haven't confirmed if the bushido spirit is an imagined creation of an academic, or if it really exists. But yes, like a samurai, nobody surrenders. Fight to the last drop of blood.

Military history is also something where I closely examined black swan events (M.H. Murfett) and the imponderables. In the past, torpedoes failed to fire at the crux of the moment, or they bounced off the hull and u-turn! {oh my god!} Secrets leak out despite being encrypted in the best technology. Double spies, even triple spies, exist - people who help all sides and get paid by all, but has a higher risk of never living to a ripe old age, or always being on the run. Even alcohol and dinner parties made soldiers divulge TOP-SEC (top secret). Scharnhorst and Gneisenau (battleships) escaped right under their enemies' nose, and Prince of Wales and Repulse (that's right, the two battleships that were supposed to have safeguarded Singapore from its fall to Japan) sank. It therefore isn't too much to say that planning isn't all helpful.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

This is right though. However, there were cases in military history which planned to fail. Yamato (battleship) was one such instance. Fight a fleet of battleships in the Battle of Okinawa. It was designed to be unsinkable! And yes, the Japanese had not enough fuel to fight the enemy, so to be prudent, the fuel was only enough for a one-way trip. The question was why the best battleship which had existed wasn't used to defend. Its guns were really huge (72,800 tonnes at full load and armed with nine 46 cm (18.1 inch) main guns) and powerful, able to punch holes in other battleships. Of course, in many instances, the failure to plan results in failure. But planning isn't ever enough. Coming back to the Battle of Hong Kong. Did the Canadians and British plan properly before sending troops to Hong Kong? If they didn't, that's lamb to the slaughter. But it wasn't. But neither was it well-planned. Administrators were lousy, British did not warn the Canadians adequately, the Canadians thought the United States would enter the war and Japan would be defeated in no time. Best still, the sending of C-force could perhaps make the Japanese wet their pants and run away. Obviously they didn't. The battle lasted only from 8th to 25th December, and yes, while today is Christmas, let's take time to think about the surrender on Christmas Day.

Christmas. Island. When I googled Christmas Island, touring sites popped up. But no! What I had in mind was the testing of nuclear bombs at Christmas Island; how could there be humans, let alone tourists?! It was also a place where Britain had to make concessions to the United States because the latter was the superpower, and Britain, which owned the island and promised to ban nuclear tests, had to concede to the USA and allow nuclear tests.

To those who taught me military history, a big thank you. You know I haven't an idea what a breachloader was, or how a fleet carrier differs from an aircraft carrier, what T-34s were.

Lessons learnt

This post talks about the things I've learnt and wish to transmit to my future students

1. The bell-curve: Singapore compares you to others, always
I knew I was getting an A-, how did it become a B+? It just wasn't possible! Admittedly I'm a new addition to the History community, and to say I'm here because of my interest is to say that Santa Claus wears black, is a transsexual, and steals from your house . I'm in this course not because I aspire to be a teacher, but yes, I do love the course now. However, I'm not educated, nor gifted in History. I just happen to be much worse at Psychology. And that was because others were much smarter. The bell-curve ranked me as not so good compared to others. How is it possible to create an environment for Singapore students to embrace learning and education when it's always about the A, always about fighting against the extremely many foreign student and doing much worse because they're much better? Because they score 100 marks, 90 becomes the cut-off for A. That's Singapore, and there's nothing I can do about it, except to join in any campaign to scrap the bell-curve.

2. The "A" grade: it doesn't matter whether you're kindhearted, diligent, totally gifted in communications, or have a flair for something irrelevant
Because the truth is, "A "students are also gifted in all of the above. They've a long list of accomplishments. If say there was a guy with all As but nothing to offer, a B student stand a chance in getting a job. This is seldom the case. Because meritocracy is a system one can triumph with money and resources, the A students are generally from the top 5 JCs, the chairperson/president of clubs, and are able to afford socializing and getting help to do better. Students like to think that grades don't really matter, but it does matter, unless you're extremely exceptional and if you aren't born in Singapore. Improvements/progress aren't applauded either.

3. Happy and successful? Unlikely.
It's very difficult to be happy and successful in Singapore because to be successful one feels that one has to give up a lot. Psychologists have shown that meaningful human interactions make a person happy. I gave up lots of family and friends time just to study, and I don't do very well. The poor people in Singapore never have enough money to spend. Inflation will increase to 3.1% next year. Sign. Median income is at 1,500.

Paint

Paint is such a strange thing. There are so many kinds of it. Water colours, acrylic paint, oil paints. Of course, when we (as adults OR young adults) think about paint, it's usually that smelly sticky stuff you smear either on your whatever, or people smear on your car, etc.

Being the craziest in the family, I recently sparked off a chain of painting craze.

It must have been 4 years ago since my father started chanting that he wanted to paint the house. Every year, he said we would paint in December. Every year December passed by quickly, sometimes in a chilly, busy manner. Too cold, too busy, too lazy. This year, I happened to know of a boy who prefers staying home, and so I thought of painting my room, as a project to do together. Of course, the yellow patches in my room was already driving me nuts. The place looked old and dirty, and inhabitable. My light buzzed when I switched it on. And dust was piling up.

"Pa, I want to paint my room. Can I?" "Paint lah! Aiyah, why ask? We will buy the paint now. Let's go."

It was decidedly whitish blue. Instead of yellow, which my father had something against.

Cut the long story short, I invited the boy over to paint my room. And my family fed him lots, and thanked him for helping all of us. The black-swan event (a totally unexpected event) was my closest aunt visiting. That aunt invited the boy for dinner at her house once, 5 months ago. And she saw us painting. She exclaimed, "Wah, I also want to paint my house. Ask him over to help leh!" I just smiled.

It did happened (unfortunately). He was summoned to paint. And all my brothers went over too. The house which I grew up in, as it was around since my birth, had not been painted for 18 years. He very nicely took leave off his job just to paint my aunt's house. The deal was the living room. It extended to her bedroom, then her bedroom door, then her bedroom toilet door, then another room door, then another room door. I felt bad asking the boy over to do so much manual labour, but his cheery disposition made me less guilt-stricken.
*I did give him a choice. I didn't drag him by the collar to paint.

Anyway, he was fed lots of food, and he found the dynamics of my family (this time, extended family) fascinating. I thought it was also a good time where he and I saw each other in front of many other people. He was quieter, I was chatty like I always was, obviously because I know them. I'm really thankful, and glad he rendered his service.

This morning, my father was talking about painting the living room. My brother booked me last week for painting his room this Tuesday. And I found out my father has never painted (well, not very much, except the toilet ceiling).

The boy had become the master painter during the second painting job. He was also encouraging towards my brothers, which I was pleased about. Very pleased. Extremely pleased. (I love my brothers lots, in a kind of band-of-brothers love.)

My mother often tells me to ask him over for meals. Last night, she mentioned that the boy reminds her of my father when she was dating. Oh my. Is that a kind of hint??!

I started painting because that boy didn't embrace adventures like myself, to roam, travel, climb, explore, sweat, as much. (He isn't the strawberry generation, he's just the home-keeper of sorts.)

I do wonder how things would turn out. Or if I would take after my mother. Or if I've taken after my father. But whatever. If I get a baby anytime in the next 18 years (which is a long time), he/she would see that coat of paint, and a story behind it lays.

The boy was also very sincere, ernest, helpful, polite, and modest. And of course, skilled, by now. Ziyang, Zijie, Tze-nien, Zhihao can all set up a company to paint. $200-$250 per person. Hey, that's not bad a deal! Cheaper than market rate.

The MRT (or SMRT, if you prefer)

What's the big deal: Thousands were held up and delayed. Thousands were trapped in dark cabins without lights, or ventilation. Evacuation wasn't properly done. They sent a notification to cab drivers alluding to "income opportunity", and showed no sense of remorse. No explanation was given for the breakdown.

So? Well, some call it that Singaporeans complain too much. Some say we are expecting too much from the meagre fares we pay. The point is that the fares were raised very recently and SMRT hasn't been breaking down in the 1990s to such an extent. Of course everyone is upset. We pride ourselves as the efficient city, the ultra modern city with mix of East and West.

Uh.

his girl- a poem

I don't need your money
I only hope you'll care
I don't need the bling bling
But want you as my bear

You don't need to be brave always
Or protect me from the rain
It'll be nice if you had umbrella
Or walk with me in the rain

I don't need you to please me
Or impress me all the time
It'll be nice to sing to me
and have ice cream for a dime

I hope that you will stay very safe
Don't worry, cuz I am
I fly to the highest star and back
And we will have Honey and jam

I am frustrated now because I have
Nothing to work my brain
It'll be nice if you can give
something easy teasy for it again

I wish I could have more surprises
To see you fret and think
Because you look so cute when you
try get me something Pink

Although I know this place much more
It pleases me that you try
To bring me very far away
To get me to smile and cry

I don't have very much to give
But here is what I have
I have a brain, which moves very fast
And a soul for the world to share

I have a pair of hands to make
Artefacts for us to keep
A stack of unread papers so that
We can read them and fall asleep

I like a big mess of myself
To drip coffee around my desk
I know you hate it but hate to say
I'm a monster and a pesk

I'm sorry I've bee straightforward
Or blunt as they might call
I don't think much of errors made
So don't fret if you fall

I hate disrespect and excuses
Because I feel inadequate
On the one hand I feel really small
On the other I feel awkward

On some days I prefer books
And yes, please let me be
On some days I prefer girls
And I hope you let me be

On some days I love to fly
And stressful this may be
But to me, I love to move very fast
I hope you'll not blame me

I know your flaws as you know mine
So don't be fast and grumbly
I'd much rather you stay home
and take care of my Honey

I don't expect you to move with me
But I hope you won't tie me down
We can all be happy and slack
Wear a different kind of crown

I love you for who you are
So be that, don't be me
Cuz I won't slow down and be like you
That's not what love is

On common grounds we are the same
Quiet in front of others
But with each other we find solace
and yak like all our mothers

One thing I ask of you is that
You'll let me be who I am
For that I promise, I'll give you all
To love and to understand

Once again I say thank you
for being all I need
Please don't do more or people'd say
I've kept you for my greed

The workaholic has to go
To get brain stimulus
The counsellor will stop sneezing and
Stop stressing and make thy blur

bhaiya, mujhe tumseh pyar kathi hooh.

Social media: I thought we were friends?!

Facebook has changed social relationships. Taken it to the next level. I have come across at least 3 instances through 2011 where I wasn't friends with a person I'm close to, all of a sudden. Recently I thought I came across another case; but fortunately it turned out to be a mistake.

1. Unfriended, for life
There are people whom you can unfriend and block. My first case was as such; it was extremely painful, but there wasn't anything I could do.

2. Hacked
Another friend got hacked and unfriended me. I was sad, of course, until I realised that the account was hacked. It made me realise how scary social media is. An extra tool for mischief.

3. I've left Facebook
There's another friend of mine who left Facebook to take a break. She was such an avid Facebook user, and her sudden disappearance invoked lots of paranoia in me.

I've just checked out HER blog, after a long time. She seems very happy. I feel very sad that it all had ended like that.