My City, My Home.

I personally feel that living in Singapore is a blessing and a privilege. Our nation is well developed and well taken care of in most aspects by our government and leaders.

In the article given – Vision of future Singapore by Carolyn Quek and Ang Yiying, we are aware that we indeed have a caring government when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) implemented a Concept Plan 2011 which aims to make Singapore a more inspiring, inclusive and vibrant city to live, work and play in. It states in the article, “Among the ideas are to create desirable housing for the elderly, develop a transport network that lets people get around the city easily, and allow places with distinct character to grow.”

Some of the above statement mentioned has already been in fact fulfilled, while the rest are still in the midst of “construction-in-progress”. A good example would be my grandmother who lives in Yishun, Chong Pang City to be specific. Each time I pay her a visit, I would be spending most of the time with her around the neighbourhood. In the heart of the Chong Pang neighbourhood, you can find markets and food centres selling cheap and delicious local delicacies. There are also beauty salons, Chinese physician and medical halls, pharmacies, clinics, mini-marts, furniture shops, children learning centres and many more. There is also a Chong Pang Community Club. Schools are also nearby. Transportation to Chong Pang and back home is also very convenient through bus and train too. I feel that the facilities and environment there are indeed elderly-friendly as our elderly get to enjoy transportation convenience, good food, accessibility to purchase daily necessities and goods and also involvement in great range of activities through the Community Club and neighbourhood events.

This area has been well developed to cater to our elderly and it is also seen as attractive to many young people who desire convenience and accessibility. This way, there might be a higher possibility that our senior citizens get to stay near their children and family members. It would then fulfill one of the aims that URA wants to achieve: To allow senior citizens to live next door to their children.

Another aim of the URA is to develop a transport network that lets people get around the city easily. It is now on-going in process. The Bukit Timah Line will be completed in 2015. It will be an efficient and convienient way for the people there (especially the elderly) to travel to town area or back home through this line.

In conclusion, I feel that the Government's efforts to make Singapore a better place and their constant efforts to cater to our aged population are progressing positively. In my opinion, I feel that every neighbourhood in Singapore should follow the good example of Chong Pang City - to have its surroundings and facilities improved to cater to our citizens' needs. We should also give our full support, ideas and suggestions to improve the Concept 2011 as it will ultimately, benefit our quality of life.

Commented By: Rebecca Ho Tsuey Zhen (107063N)

Sources: http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10330p.nsf/w/ShopperYishun2?OpenDocument

http://hyacinthus.wordpress.com/2009/06/07/bukit-timah-line-construction-starting-soon/

Bullying has become so common these days, that it has lead to countless teenagers committing suicides. Bullying does not just stop in schools. There are various forms of bullying like Workplace bullying, Cyber bullying, Political bullying, Military bullying and Hazing or ragging.

I agree with the statement that Judith Vessey made, a professor at the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College who has done extensive research on bullying. She said that ‘Inventions by bystanders is crucial in stopping the downward spiral in bullying cases’. There are many bullying campaigns out there but what is the use of this campaigns if people are refusing to take a step forward and landing a helping hand.

Here’s an article that I would like to share with everyone.

A year ago today, on April 6, 2009, 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover took his own life after enduring constant, daily bullying. He was called "gay," "girlie" and "fag," despite the fact that he was too young to have identified as homosexual. His death captured the nation's attention, putting a spotlight on the effects of childhood taunting.

Carl had been active in his church, taking communion on Palm Sunday just days before his death and playing one of the Wise Men in the Christmas play. He helped those in need and had participated in a black history program, according to ABC.
"That's the type of kid he was," Walker told ABC. "You could rely and count on him."






According to ABC News, the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center estimated that nearly 30 percent of American youth are either a bully or a target of bullying and researchers at the Yale School of Medicine, in a new review of studies from 13 countries, found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide.

Many people in school knew what Carls Joseph Walker-Hoover was going through but, were afraid of stepping forward. I personally feel that inventions by bystanders should be emphasized and should be greatly encouraged as it would help victims of bullying to be more confident and it will boost their self-esteem and also help them in voicing out to bullies. As they will know that there are people out there who are willing to give them a helping hand and are supporting them. Here’s a book I would strongly recommend to anyone who has an interest in the well-being of children in any capacity. The book is called ‘A Journey Out of Bullying From Despair to Hope’.

It’s an easily digested book that one mother wrote after she saved her son, a book packed with essential information that you, a worried parent or a bullied child, can use immediately because you need answers fast. A Journey Out of Bullying is a friend when you really need comfort, advice, and hope.

So therefore, I personally feel that campaigns, schools and bystanders should definitely take time and come up with new ideas or even projects that would be beneficial to the victims of bullying.

Commented by: Vandana Devi

Admin No: 105152D

Sources from:
http://www.outofbullying.com/
http://www.tonic.com/article/support-anti-bullying-act/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying#Effects_of_bullying_on_victims

Comment on “Teen Suicide puts Spotlight on High-tech Bullying”

Bullying is a kind of behaviour characterised by intentionality and hurtfulness. Bullying can include a very wide range of behaviours, some direct as in physical hitting, some verbal as in name-calling and ridicule; some indirect as in deliberate and unfair exclusion and rumour spreading; some mild, some severe. People who are bullied are not just hurt physically, but also psychologically.


Although there is no consistent evidence that bullying overall is increasing, one area of growing concern among children is high-tech bullying, especially among older students. High-tech bullying is the use of technology such as electronic mails, blogs and messages to bully one. Although some say that bullying did them good as they face challenge and became tougher for the experience, others feel bothered and angry about it.


The stress from being bullied can create problems for children at school. Students may be fearful of attending school, riding the bus, using the bathroom or being alone in the hallway. This fear and anxiety makes it difficult for the child to focus and engage in the classroom, making learning much more difficult. Bullying can cause children to experience fear, depression, loneliness, anxiety, low self-esteem, physical illness, and in some cases, even suicidal thoughts.


The problem of cyber-bullying is compounded by the very nature of its existence in the electronic world, where words can have a shelf life of months, years, and even decades.
The tradition of home as a refuge from bullies on the school playground is over. The Internet is a new playground, and there are no off hours.
-Adrianna Sgarlata, Director, Bully Police Virginia – Miss Virginia 2006-


One example of a tragedy is Eric Mohat, 17, who was harassed so mercilessly in high school that when one bully said publicly in class, "Why don't you go home and shoot yourself, no one will miss you," he did. His parents have filed a lawsuit in federal court, saying that their son endured name-calling, teasing, constant pushing and shoving and hitting in front of school officials who should have protected him. Eric was a quiet but likable boy, who was involved in theater and music. He was called "gay," "fag," "queer" and "homo" and often in front of his teachers. Most of the harassment took place in math class and the teacher -- an athletic coach -- was accused of failing to protect the boy.


Although no parent can ‘bully-proof’ a child, the risk of being bullied can be reduced by parents who are responsive to a child’s needs, employ an authoritative style of parenting and help their child to develop into a friendly and cooperative individual. If bullying occurs, it is best to be tackled by parents and teachers working together. It's important for parents to keep the lines of communication open and express their concern, support, and love to their child.


A fight with a friend might not seem like a big deal to parents in the larger scheme of things, but for a teen it can feel immense and consuming. It's important that parents do not minimize what their child is going through, as this can increase his or her sense of hopelessness. Therefore, parents should be aware of their child’s school life so that they can prevent any tragedy from happening.


Commented By: Kwek Wan Ling
Admin Number: 103503L


Credits to:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/behavior/suicide.html
http://www.kenrigby.net/
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MindMoodNews/story?id=7228335

Comment on "Teen suicide puts spotlight on high-tech bullying"

My heart goes out to the South Hadley teenager - Phoebe Prince, 15, who had taken her life in response to a three month long massive bullying in school.

In the article given, I strongly agree with Judith Vessey, a professor at the Connell School of Nursing at Boston College who has done extensive research on bullying, when she says, “Intervention by bystanders is crucial to stopping the downward spiral in bullying cases.” And “Having a statute may do little to stop bullying and could make children more wary of reporting incidents and setting themselves up for retribution.”

I feel that intervention by bystanders should be greatly emphasized and encouraged. I truly believe that having the right intervention and support would lift victims up and help them overcome. An excellent example would be this when I came across this website http://www.digizen.org/, which recognizes and deals with online hazards. It takes a balanced view of the dangers, works closely and helps children, young people and adults to recognize, prevent and respond effectively to issues like cyber-bullying and young people on social networking. Digizen works closely with Schools to inculcate right values and guidance to students about bullying, and also have counselling sessions for troubled victims. Digizen works closely with Childnet too (http://www.childnet.com/). They have recently created intervention awareness in the United Kingdom (U.K) by producing this awesome film.

This shows us that intervention and support can result in positive outcomes. It helps victims rise up to become positive and stronger individuals knowing that there are people out there to lend them a helping hand and provide real support.

Pheobe Prince's case has "helped catapult Senate anti-bullying legislation into the forefront." says an article called Cyber-bullying Lesgislastion and Pheobe Prince's Case in www.allvoices.com. The Law has been taken into effect since 1 January 2009, Thursday. In the article called, "IN SEVERAL STATES, A PUSH TO STEM CYBER-BULLYING" found in THE WASHINGTON POST writes, "This week, California becomes the latest state to tackle the issue. Starting today, California schools may suspend or expel students who commit cyber-bullying. The law also singles out such harassment as a subject to be addressed by school officials."
I am glad that this statute is being carried out as this would definately make bulliers think twice because of the serious consequences they will have to face.

In conclusion, i feel that schools, parents and supporting organizations against bullying should work closely together and teach right values to our younger ones. It is sad that Pheobe Prince's closed ones and even teachers knew something but had failed to take practical actions and measures against the bully case. Hopefully, this will teach all of us an important lesson.

R.I.P Prince.

COMMENTED BY: Rebecca Ho Tsuey Zhen (107063N)

Sources from: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/5509397-cyberbullying-legislation-and-phoebe-prince-case-is-it-necessary

http://www.digizen.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dubA2vhIlrg&feature=related

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/31/AR2008123103067.html

Comment on "Teen suicide puts spotlight on high tech bullying"

Bullying is common in schools among teenagers. Bullying can lead to fatal consequences of the victims such as suicide. A term that was created due to such a consequence is called “Bullycide”.Bullying does not only come in forms of physical injuries but also mental injuries. An example of an mental injury is depression. “ Bullying by school peers may lead to teenage depression, according to an extensive study conducted by the Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute. The study also found that students with a history of victimisation were far more likely to report symptoms of depression and anxiety, even when other social factors were taken into account.” Depression may cause people to have suicidal thoughts. Victims of bullying are often the unpopular and timid students who are incapable of protecting themselves from attacks. This is because they feel socially inferior to the more popular students. Bullies tend to pick on them as they realize that their victims are weaker than them which makes it easier as targets to pick on.

Victims often feel helpless and lonely when they are being bullied and they develop suicidal thoughts when the bullying gets worse and they want the sufferings to stop. Referring to a specific case, A tragic suicide incident of an 11 year old boy, Jaheem Herrera. He told his mother, Masika Bermudez , “Mom they keep telling me this ... this gay word, this gay, gay, gay. I'm tired of hearing it, they're telling me the same thing over and over." "He told me, but he just got to the point where he didn't want me to get involved anymore because nothing was done." "He was a nice little boy," Bermudez said through her tears. "He loved to dance. He loved to have fun. He loved to make friends. And all he made [at school] were enemies."

It is very heartbreaking for his family and close friends to accept that the lovable boy was out of their life. He was only a normal boy who wants friends and love .Unfortunately, no one could ease his sufferings and pain at such a young age. "He [said he was] tired of complaining, tired of these guys messing with him," Bermudez said, recalling the conversation with Jaheem's best friend. "Tired of talking, I think to his teachers, counsellors and nobody is doing anything -- and the best way out is death."

Less than a month before Jaheem's death, a boy in Massachusetts killed himself after being bullied, harassed and called "gay." This goes to show how vulnerable a person can be just by receiving hurtful and harsh comments . Even an 11 year old can develop suicidal thoughts because he was bullied, it proves the fatal consequence of bullying. "My baby, that's my only boy, and I lost him now," says Bermudez. "He was my first child and ... to lose him 11 years after, he didn't live his life." We will never be able to understand the pain the victim himself had to go through, as well as his family and friends who were genuine to him.

I think that family plays a big part in preventing victims of bullying from committing suicide. Family is the only people they can turn to in times of difficulties, to provide them with emotional support. However, the school must also cooperate with the parents to stop the bullying acts. In most cases, the schools and parents often neglect the seriousness of bullying which is why the victims feel helpless on who to turn to.

Suicide is definitely not the way out to solve problems but for some people, especially the younger teenagers, is more emotionally vulnerable and tends to seek the easiest way to stop their sufferings. Parents need to be more alert on their child’s school life, to take preventions before the bullying becomes worse.

If they do not save their child, who else will?

Commented by: Edena Tay

Admin no. :101867P

References adapted from:

http://www.mcri.edu.au/pages/news-events/media/media-release.asp?rid=4&y=2001

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/04/23/bullying.suicide/

http://www.bullycide.org/

Upon reading the article, I strongly agree with the decision that the Government has made of not wanting to make mother languages any less important in Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Mother Tongue Language is important to every individual as we have histories, we have heritages and it is our identity.

It is an important part of us which defines us and at the same time links us to the world we live in. There is no dispute that English should be the dominant language here. But that does not mean that we should forget where are our roots from. What we want is to preserve our languages and cultures. There is more to life than just materialistic gains from mastering a language.

Mother Tongue Language is equally important to all Singaporeans and to the country's future from the social, cultural and economic point of view as well. So therefore, I feel that Mother language should definitely be continued in the coming years.

As quoted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong

“The Government shares the same goals as many of those who have spoken up - to maintain a strong emphasis on Mother Tongue languages, to keep our bilingualism alive and ultimately to create the best environment to give our students and our children the best head start in life.”

with reference

http://news.xin.msn.com/en/singapore/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4081747

Commented by: Vandana Devi
Admin Number: 105152D

Comment On 'No Dilution Of Mother Tongue'

I support the decision on maintaining the weightage of mother tongue language.


In today’s society, competition is strong. Even westerners have started to pick up languages other than their native language. Since our country does not have our own language, all the more we should learn our mother tongue so as to stay strong in competition and also remember our roots.


In today’s economy, China and India market is expanding. Thus people would see it as an opportunity to invest in these countries. However, one must master the language in order to overcome the language barrier. Hence, it is important for us to learn our mother tongue well to stay competitive.


This is also essential, given the increasing use of English as the preferred medium of communication in today’s families. Moreover, when children continue to develop their abilities in two or more languages throughout their primary school years, they gain a deeper understanding of the language and learn how to use it effectively.


More than 150 research studies conducted during the past 35 years strongly support what Goethe, the German philosopher, once said: The person who knows only one language does not truly know that language. The research suggests that bilingual children may also develop more flexibility in their thinking as a result of processing information through two different languages.


Reducing the weightage so that their child can do “better” is not a solution. By lowering the weightage, I fear that in the long term, the standard of second hand language may decline irreversibly, emaciated by the lack of passion and disinterest. Furthermore, this is only advantageous to English-speaking families. Those who speak their mother tongue language at home in fact, have to work doubly hard at English, in order to master three subjects. We should learn by overcoming barriers, not lowering them. Our education system prides itself on meritocracy. Reducing the weightage will go against this spirit.


In addition, learning mother tongue language reminds us of our culture. Language is a mean of transmitting cultural traditions of ethnic groups to the younger generations. For instance, Chinese idioms usually have stories which depicts how it was originated. Certain idioms are related to the Chinese history. Hence, by learning the language, one is in touch with the Chinese history and can learn from our ancestors’ mistakes. Therefore, learning mother tongue language will help to prevent the total disappearance of languages and cultures in the world.


In conclusion, learning mother tongue language is important as it constantly remind us of our roots. Fortunately, the ministry of Education did not embark on a policy that would do more harm than good in the long run.


Commented By: Kwek Wan Ling
103503L

Credits to:
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100507-214751/2.html
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100507-214751.html
http://iteachilearn.com/cummins/mother.htm

Comment on "No dilution of Mother Tongue"

I support the decision on not reducing the weightage of mother tongue. I think having bilingual skills is important in the society as of right now. As the society does not focus mainly on English now, it is advisable to have knowledge and skills of another language, especially the individuals own mother tongue language. Given that some families are English speaking, the children brought up in the family tend to neglect their own mother tongue language.

As quoted by PM Lee Hsien Loong , “the underlying problem is that pupils today have such diverse backgrounds and aptitudes in Chinese, Malay and Tamil, and reducing the weighting for these subjects at the PSLE is not the best way of resolving the problem” Thus when the english speaking parents requested for a lower weightage, it is in fact is not beneficial to the students themselves as they score well in other subjects but they’re mother tongue will deprove further.

As a matter of fact, every mother tongue language is as equally important to different individuals. Some may be fluent in English, some in Chinese, some in Malay and some in Tamil, . Reducing the weightage of the language may be a sensitive issue to some people who is particular about their mother tongue languages.

One important point to take note is that the students who have always fared well in their mother tongue languages have worked hard to achieve such good scores, reducing the weightage for subject does not do justice to the hard work they have put in.

I feel that it just takes a little more effort and time to nurture young children into students who are good in their mother tongue. It should never be an issue that the subject’s weightage be reduced because of the disadvantages of the other students weak in it.


Commented by: Edena Tay
Admin number: 101867P


With reference to : http://www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/mother.htm

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20100511- 215458.html

No dilution of Mother Tongue's importance & exam weightage?

I agree and support the Government’s decision of making no dilution to the Mother Tongue language’s importance. By giving the subject an equal weightage as other subjects, is a wise move I feel. Even though the issue of reducing the Mother Tongue’s weightage was first aroused by a potential group of English-speaking parents, who argued the penalization to pupils who excel in all subjects but Mother Tongue, but still the idea of reducing its weightage is definitely not the solution to the nation’s struggle with Mother Tongue and it does not benefit the nation too.

Bilingualism is vital and essential as our competence in it will enable us to gain advantage in the 21st century globalized world economy today and also gives the people an identity.
MR. THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION emphasized on this when he gave a speech on Saturday, 27 August 2005 at the SPH NEWS CENTRE saying “Bilingualism confers on us a special advantage, both as an economy and as a people. The economic advantages are well known. But it is not just functional competency in a language that we aim to achieve. Bilingualism allows us to retain our distinctiveness as a people - our sense of identity and pride in who we are. Bilingualism will help us keep our competitive edge, as well as help us remain cohesive and confident as a society.”

In an article called “A NEW WORLD ECONOMY” from BUSINESS WEEK.COM, shows that China and India are becoming the next leading Asian giants that will integrate with the rest of the world. It states, “China and India, by contrast, possess the weight and dynamism to transform the 21st-century global economy. The closest parallel to their emergence is the saga of 19th-century America, a huge continental economy with a young, driven workforce that grabbed the lead in agriculture, apparel, and the high technologies of the era, such as steam engines, the telegraph, and electric lights. Also, given their young populations, high savings, and the sheer amount of catching up they still have to do, most economists figure China and India possess the fundamentals to keep growing in the 7%-to-8% range for decades.” These statements shows us how huge the opportunity that our people have with cooperating with these two nations. Therefore, learning and mastering our own Mother Tongue language and encouraging our younger generations to do so is definitely a need.


Besides the importance of how Bilingualism can help us be all-rounded, the reason why I agree to the no dilution in Mother tongue language is also because I feel that many people are actually concerned about the problem and ultimately does not want to resort to lowering the weightage.
In an article "MOTHER TONGUE, THE WAY FORWARD" in TODAY ONLINE, PRIME MINISTER LEE HSIEN LOONG had mentioned, "I see a positive side in the public responses. There has been agitation and there has been fear and I think we need to calm this down. But there has also been strong support for the Mother Tongues languages which in fact reflects the success of our bilingual policy." Deep down, many Singaporeans actually wants postive and effective solution to this problem.

In conclusion, i feel that the importance and standards of Mother Tongue should never be lowered. It not only gives us the advantage in the globalized world but also tells us our real identity and roots. Both factors are equally important to make us a better individual. I strongly feel that lowering the weightage of the subject is a sign of escape from the problem. We should all the more support the Government's plans of making new educational implements, changes and approaches to the language and strive for a better attitude to learn and master our Mother Tongue.

COMMENTED BY: REBECCA HO TSUEY ZHEN (107063N)

Sources from:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2005/sp20050827.htm http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_34/b3948401.htm http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC100512-0000151/Mother-Tongue,-the-way-forward

No dilution of Mother Tongue

No dilution of MT's importance: Eng Hen

Education ministry 'emphasised that bilingualism has served Singapore well and will continue to be a cornerstone of our education system'. -ST

Wed, May 12, 2010
The Straits Times

By Rachel Lin

THE Education Ministry has no intention whatsoever of making mother tongue languages less important at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE).

That was the assurance given by Education Minister Ng Eng Hen in a meeting on Saturday morning with three leading figures in the Chinese cultural community.

The trio are behind a petition which expresses concern about possible tweaks to the weighting of mother tongue at the PSLE.

In a statement issued after the meeting for the trio to disseminate, the Education Ministry said that Dr Ng 'emphasised that bilingualism has served Singapore well and will continue to be a cornerstone of our education system'.

Dr Ng also said that he and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong would meet the media tomorrow and shed more light on the issue.

News of the meeting and Dr Ng's remarks were published on the blog of Ngee Ann Polytechnic lecturer and former DJ Danny Yeo, one of the three at the morning meeting.

The other two were Ms Lim Sau Hoong, chairman of the Promote Mandarin Council, and Mr Kok Heng Leun, artistic director of Mandarin theatre company Drama Box.

Mr Yeo wrote in his blog that Dr Ng's statements had given them a sense of relief.

He also said the group informed Dr Ng of their plan to gather signatures for a petition.

This was done at Hong Lim Park yesterday evening. The petition called for all mother tongue languages - whether Chinese, Malay, Tamil or English - to be given equal respect.

Some 2,400 signatures were collected in a little over two hours from individuals of all ages, the overwhelming majority of whom were Chinese.

Mr Kok said the group hopes to be able to hand over the petition to Dr Ng by tomorrow.

The event had been publicised through Mr Yeo's blog, mobile phone text messages, e-mail, Facebook and news articles.