Singaporeans asked to chew on their manners

In sociology, manners are the unenforced standards of conduct which show the actor that you are proper, polite, and refined. They are like laws in that they codify or set a standard for human behavior, but they are unlike laws in that there is no formal system for punishing transgressions, other than social disapproval.

Mannerism should be inculcated by the family as ones’ manners is greatly intertwined with his/her upbringing. It is a very sad to see that now, the government has to intervene and come up with campaigns such as ''Kindness rocks'' and ''Be a smile champion'' to improve Singaporeans’ consideration. I am not saying that (all) Singaporeans do not have good manners but many have further room for improvements.

One instance is the crowding at the entrance of the train doors. Some commuters make it difficult for others to exit as they crowd at the doors when the train arrives, hoping to rush in quickly to grab a seat. This is being inconsiderate even if they are rushing for time as the other commuters may also be in a hurry.

Another example is the giving up of seats in trains and buses. The Singapore government has put up posters, to remind us of social etiquette and mannerism. One such recent campaign that was launched by the SMRT is posters featuring the reknown local comedian, Phua Chu Kang to remind commuters of their mannerism while taking public transportation. In the past, plain posters of giving up seats to the needy, elderly and pregnant are placed in the trains. However, the situation probably escalated to a worsen state that now, there are reserved seats in the trains specially for the needy, elderly and pregnant.

Based on the above, I did be lying should I say that all Singaporeans are well mannered. However, it is also unfair to say that all Singaporeans are ill-mannered.

I have witnessed young teens giving up their seats for the elderly on many occasions. One incident left a deep impression on me. I was on the train on my way to school. Midway of my journey, a middle-aged man told a foreign worker to give up his seat to an elderly man, who was holding a walking stick on one hand and a carrier on the other. The foreign worker appears to be asleep but the man woke him up and told him not to pretend to be sleeping. Although I do not know if the foreign worker was really sleeping or not, I admired the middle-aged man who was willing to stand up for the elderly man. He was not afraid of speaking up for the elderly man even though it does not concern himself. It doesn't take big leaps to be kind, we should all take a little step at a time.

Everyone has different opinions and we should respect them. However, I feel that one should not make judgements based on only their encounters. Of course, Singaporeans has still room for improvements but I do not believe that all Singaporeans are ill-mannered.


Done By: Kwek Wan Ling
Admin No.: 103503L

Singaporeans asked to chew on their manners.

I do agree that a number of Singaporeans are rude and inconsiderate. Singaporeans bad behaviour has reached to such a point that tourist have started to write about it in articles. The most recent article would be by a writer named Tamara Thiessen from Sydney, entitled “Singaporeans asked to chew on their manners”. I agree to a certain extent with what she has commented about Singaporeans, as I myself have experienced it.

For example, last week when I was out with my friends at one of the retail stores in Orchard road, we were served by a very rude sales person. We had to repeatedly ask her for our sizes regardless the store being empty and her response

was very unfriendly too. Another incident would be when you are boarding the MRT, I am sure many of us must have experienced it. People rushing to get a seat even if it requires them to push or hit on someone. All they care about is getting a seat, and if getting a seat is not enough, they even refuse to give up their seats for the needy by pretending to be a sleep or by just not being bothered. Here's an example.

The reason why Singaporeans have been called names like rude, inconsiderate, arrogant, it’s because of how they behave in public and how they portray themselves to others. Being A Singaporean myself, it hurts to be labelled as one.

Our government has come up with many Campaigns trying to help fellow Singaporeans to improve on their behaviours. But sadly, there has not been much improvement. I personally feel that Singaporeans should take all this criticisms as positive remarks and try to make a difference in their behaviour and prove those critics wrong. Government should try and raise up more awareness and promote more effective campaigns in educating and inculcating kindness & consideration in local citizens.

In conclusion, we Singaporeans are not so bad after all, there are a number of us who are well-manned and have basic courtesy. I feel that we just have to be a little more considerate towards the people around us and have initiative towards helping them.

source:

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/ugly_commuters/386258/foreigners_have_bad_manners_look_how_this_sporean.html

Commented by: Vandana Devi

Admin No: 105152D

Singaporeans asked to chew on their manners

I agree that certain Singaporeans have rude behaviour and attitude. However, it is unfair to depict that “Singaporeans are rude” just because of certain encounters the interviewed the Australian has experienced. There are different definitions of being rude, especially for greetings. Here in Singapore we just greet each other with a simple ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’ whereas in other countries they greet each other by “How’s your day?” It is due to the different culture in each country. Not responding well to greetings may be a turn off to foreigners and they may think that we are rude. Of course, there are Singaporeans who do not even respond to greetings, that I will agree that is rude of them to ignore.

"They are the rudest f---ing people I have ever seen; they need some basic training in civic awareness," said Paul Stapleton, an IT manager from Sydney.’ As quoted from the article, the man does not even have courtesy in criticising people from another country. Using a general point of view, He used vulgarity in an interview and he does not even have the basic courtesy to leave some respect for Singaporeans. What is courtesy to him? "They don't feel that anyone else exists outside this tiny island." I can’t help but feel a little offended by the way he describes Singapore. I do not think it is right for him to judge every single individual in Singapore just by the rude encounters he experienced.

I have to agree that some Singaporeans are rude and obnoxious. However, does that mean other countries; including Australia does not have rude people? I have travelled to different countries and have experienced encounters with rude people.

No doubt that there are Singaporeans who are kind and courteous, I have seen young people giving up seats to the needy on the MRT and buses. It is a matter of bringing the bad acts good acts of people. I always find articles of people posting how rude people are, why aren’t there videos or pictures of people showing their kindness act? One example showing the kindness of Singaporeans; television programs like the ‘President Star Charity’, if Singaporeans are just rude and demanding people, there would have been no donations contributed at all. Yes, we display rude acts but we have compassion and sympathy in us. It is plain simple, being rude is part of human nature and also the upbringing of the person.

There are all kinds of people out there, the kind, the rude, the good and bad people, etc. Singapore still has a long way to go to become a city of courteous people.

Reference: http://www.moxon.net/australia/australian_greetings.html

Done by: Edena Tay

Admission no.:101867P

Singaporeans asked to chew on manners?

I agree only to a certain extend that Singaporeans are rude or bad mannered. I feel that it is inaccurate and judgmental of the Australian journalist to conclude Singaporeans as a whole to be ill mannered based on just one time personal experiences and what it seems like on the surface. It is not right to stereotype the whole nation just because you have had a few rude encounters. I do not believe Singaporeans as a whole are rude people nor are we all considered as ill mannered. There is always a black sheep among the flock.

I am a Singaporean and one of the most common impolite scenes that I see and experience daily is when MRT commuters still stand on yellow lines and arrows causing it really hard for commuters inside the train to alight.

Indeed, this is considered rude and inconsiderate of us. But i feel that this is also inevitable. We live in such a fast paced and hectic society that it causes us to be self centered and constantly rushing and hurrying up. It builds anxiety and a certain fear or worry in us (e.g. being afraid to miss the train and be late for school and work) and therefore, the above scenario happens everyday. In fact, i believe the above scenario not only happens in Singapore, but in anywhere around the world too. Let's take a look at Tokyo, Japan for example.



I then read up on Japanese train mannerism and this is what i have found. "Waiting for and Boarding Trains: When waiting for a train (or bus), line up and wait in an orderly fashion. Once the train arrives, first wait for those getting off the train, and then board without pushing past those in front of you." (http://www.essential-japan-guide.com/japanese-manners.html ) Do the Japanese above actually follow and abide these mannerism? Not really. Even though they are actually a nation who takes mannerism very seriously, but when it comes to situations like peak hours, it is really inevitable. Does it mean that the people in Japan should be labelled as rude people? No. I strongly do not think so.

Recently, i read in the papers about a renowned Swiss national, possibly with other accomplices including a Briton broke into the Changi MRT depot and spent at least 20 minutes vandalising the exterior of a MRT train with their signature graffiti artworks. He was arrested and pressed with two charges.

I feel that this should be considered more like a rude act as compared to commuters crowding around the train platform. At least these commuters has a psychological reason behind the way they act, but for this swiss national, he was just being plain disrecpectful when he decides to have fun by vandalizing and ruining our country's property. But even so, does this one-time event makes Switzerland as a whole a rude nation? No it does not.

In conclusion, i feel that we should never stereotype. Rude people exist everywhere. So do polite and considerate people. We are human afterall and we have our own flaws and ugly side. Therefore, i only agree to a certain extent that Singaporeans are ill mannered.

Commented by: Rebecca Ho Tsuey Zhen (107063N)

Sources: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/3552/107754/325686

http://www.essential-japan-guide.com/japanese-manners.html

http://www.youtube.com/watchv=1CV4JYKBEQo&feature=PlayList&p=FAD5DEC306F1BC30&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=28

Comment On Robot Teachers

Robot teachers are advantageous as they do not discriminate against any students. According to sociological research, it has been proven that students tend to perform poorly should the teacher be biased against them. This is known as “self-fulfilling prophecy”. Hence, such prejudice can be avoided by employing robot teachers as they objectively impart knowledge to students – void of emotions and sarcastic remarks.

In addition, robot teachers are good as they can serve as a substitute should the teacher be on medical leave. This ensures that lessons can go on as usual and would not result in a delay in the lesson plan. Furthermore, robot teachers are “inhuman” – they do not “fall sick” or require medical leave. As such, they prove to be more cost-effective as a workforce.

Having mentioned the benefits of robot teachers may lead us to think that these machines are failure-proof -- it is a fallacy to think so. Robot teachers are after all invented by humans whom are intrinsically born to err. Hence, robot teachers also have their downsides despite its advantages.

Since robot teachers are machines, they lacked emotions and thus cannot express care and concern for the students. In this sense, they are inferior compared to human teachers who are able to empathize with the students and attend not only to their intellectual needs but also cater to their emotional well-being.

After weighing the pros and cons of robot teachers, I am against the idea of having robot teachers. This is because the aim of education is not to only impart knowledge, but also provide students with a holistic and wholesome cultivation of their character. Hence, in order to achieve this aim, a human teacher, not a robot one, has the capability of nurturing the students’ character and cultivate them into good citizens.


Done By: Kwek Wan Ling
Admin Number: 103503L

Robots to replace Human teachers?

Robot teachers are definitely interesting inventions introduced to the modern education world. No doubt those robot teachers are a hit in South Korea’s elementary schools as they help to boost the education in the country. These robots increase the level of children’s curiosity and interest in learning considering the fact that it is not common for teachers to be robots.

For students, education and character are the basic foundations and it is laid by teachers as well as parents. They tend to instil values, attitudes and behaviours in children when they’re still young. One thing that students like about these robots In south Korea is that they will not get angry or make sarcastic remarks. In other words, students like it that they wouldn’t be reprimanded for any mistakes.

However, having these robot teachers may not be as comparable to real human teachers. Firstly, these robots are not humans and they do not acquire life skills or moral values that can be taught to the students. Even if they have the technology to teach students these moral values and life skills, they do not have any personal experiences to share with the students. Teachers are supposedly students’ role models, in other words, students are actually looking up to robots as their role models who actually don’t apply these life skills and moral values to their lives.

Teachers must be able to understand students’ needs so that the students will not feel lost, be it in their school work or personal life where they face problems. Teachers should not only care for the physical safety and social and emotional needs of their students, but also play their part in moulding characters.

Another problem about these robots is that they do not get angry and is unable to place discipline on the students. Students may not regard their teachers as “adults” but just robots that are in school to teach them.

Teachers play a big part as role models in students’ life, they not only teach but are also providers of social and emotional support to them

Done By: Edena Tay

Admission no.: 101867P

Sources:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/the-importance-of-teacher-in-students-life.html

http://www.plasticpals.com/?p=21283

Robot teachers a hit in South Korea. Is't a good idea?

The invention of a robotic teacher is an innovative and interesting idea. However, I strongly feel that robots should never replace a real life teacher. They may act as an effective assisting tool in a classroom, but our next generation of children should not be entirely taught by them.

Although in the given article, it states, “Elementary school children responded favourably to the robotic teachers… and helped raised interest in the language and boosted confidence of pupils.”, but for how long can these pupils stay interested and be confident if their only form of interaction and learning is with a lifeless and emotionless robot? A robot lacks the “human-touch” which is very vital in truly motivating a person. It cannot truly motivate a person until it is able to understand our devious and complex minds.Definitely learning is still able to take place through a robot, but the level of a meaningful learning experience will surely be reduced. Humans are relational beings - we will learn best when we interact and relate to each other. I read about the importance of human touch in an article called THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL TOUCH found in http://www.teachingexpertise.com/ . It states, “in order to connect with a person emotionally there needs to be physical contact in the form of appropriate touch - and I believe for a child to learn and for a teacher to teach there needs to be a connection between them. Touch is the one sense that develops us on a mental, physical and emotional level - the other 4 senses are supported by touch. It is the most basic and essential form of communication.” It also states in another article called ROBOTS COULD REPLACE TEACHERS in http://www.livescience.com/ ,"Scientists found that social interaction with a live human being is crucial for learning to take place in children."




I also fear that our younger generation would grow up to be people that have no moral ethics and feelings if schools were to really allow robots to teach them entirely. I do not believe a robot that has no sense of moral and ethics is able to teach us moral and ethics. We have discussed the importance of human/physical touch earlier, and if these robots are not able to do so, people are likely going to become less compassionate and more emotionally isolated, which isn't healthy at all. A human is still needed to teach and influence meaningful values and morals.
In closing, i would like to say that every individual in this world is made different and we need each other to complement and motivate each other. Take for example an autism kid. He/she will definately need another human being to guide and give him support. The human touch, care, love and support given to the child is something that a robot can never be able to do so. We still need real live teachers as they are going to be the ones who inspires and motivate when they pass on their life experiences and knowledge to us.

Commented by: Rebecca Ho Tsuey Zhen (107063N)

Sources: http://www.livescience.com/technology/090716-human-learning.html
http://www.teachingexpertise.com/articles/the-importance-of-physical-touch-1628

Robot teachers. Good or Bad??

No doubt technology has advanced during the past hundred years, but inventing a robot teacher is something that I personally feel is unrealistic. Firstly, a robot can’t think on its own, it has to be programmed. A teacher can differentiate between right and wrong and inculcate discipline among students, whereas a robot would fail to do so. But most importantly, robots will fail at detecting and reacting to human emotions. Students feed off of emotions to learn how to behave in life and in public around strangers and teachers. Robots would leave a void in this area and it could never be replaced.

Secondly, students might see it as a joke and not take learning seriously and this might affect them academically.

Technology can certainly play a role. Kids will get excited and captivated by the robot, but we have to keep in mind that every kid is different, some might not need personal guidance in their studies whereas some might and that’s where teachers come in as role models to motivate and encourage these kids. Robots will not be able to provide this emotional/physical touch as they are merely sentinels that are programmed to carry out a task, that’s where the old fundamentals still apply. Students rely on compassionate teachers to guide, to tutor, to listen, to laugh and to cry with them. Teachers provide the most important link in the educational process.






In an article by the South Korean government stated that “The government will invest 1 billion KRW ($8.69 million USD) in 2011 to expand the system to 500 preschools."

I personally feel that instead of investing billions of dollars in inventing a robot teacher, the government should invest the money on providing better facilities for the kids in school and making the school a better environment for them.

Commented by: Vandana Devi
Admin No: 105152D

Sources by:
http://www.plasticpals.com/?p=21283

My City, My Home

Singapore has one of the world’s fastest ageing populations. Hence, proper measures have to be taken to take care of the elderly as they have spent a lifetime working hard to build Singapore up.

The Singapore government has come up with policies to provide assistance to the elderly. One instance is the decision to increase its 5% Goods and Services tax (GST) to 7%. This is an added blow to Singaporeans, especially the elderly, low-income or retirees group. To mitigate the impact, the government has offered GST credits of up to S$1,000 to all Singaporeans over 21 years old who meet their terms and conditions.

In addition, Singapore citizens over 55years old are given discounts for public transport and entertainment places such as movie theatres and Sentosa. Public transport is an adjunct to accessibility. HDB is working together with the Land Transport Authority to create an integrated barrier-free environment in which the barrier-free routes at the neighbourhood and precinct levels are linked up to transportation facilities such as the Light Rail Transport and the Mass Rapid Transport systems.

Most elderly live in public housing apartments. Thus, the government ensures that the Housing Development Board (HDB) flats are barrier-free to the elderly. HDB blocks now have a network of barrier-free and vehicular-free walkways for safe and easy access to the commercial and recreational facilities within the neighbourhood. The HDB blocks also have paved surface car parking lots specifically for the disabled and ramps leading to the block. Moreover, the walk ways are well-equipped with handrails. In the past, the block designs had allowed for lift to stop only at intermediate floors. Now, the design has been improved, providing lift stops at every floor for the new public housing blocks, lower lift call buttons and doors wide enough for wheelchairs. These provide much convenience to the elderly.


We can all contribute to create an environmentally friendly Singapore by playing our own part of keeping the environment clean and green. We should also often practice the “3 Rs”, that is reduce, reuse and recycle. One example that Singapore has practice the “3Rs” is the “Bring Your Own Bag” (BYOB) Day. Supermarkets such as Cold Storage and FairPrice has practice the following - bring your own bag or donate 10cents when you shop for groceries on BYOB Day. However, this strategy was not widely accepted and effective as people simply avoided grocery shopping on that day. Hence, I feel that the government should further reinforce on the importance of being environmentally friendly.

If we don't protect our home, who will?


Done By: Kwek Wan Ling
Admin Number: 103503L


Credits to:
Edena Tay
http://www.bca.gov.sg/BarrierFree/others/HDB.pdf
http://www.littlespeck.com/content/people/CTrendsPeople-070304.htm

My City My Home

As Singapore continues to develop over the years, it will be increasingly important to ensure that we grow in a sustainable manner and be a global city in the heart of Asia. Singapore has different population segments such as youths, elderly, working adults, families and foreign population. So therefore, in order to meet the diverse lifestyle needs of this people, Singapore has to maintain the equality of living equally in order to satisfy the different population segments, which I personally feel that the Government has been doing well so far.

Singapore has been able to provide us with all the necessary facilities such as shopping centers, transportation, Community Clubs, Hospitals, Neighbourhood Schools and many more. But I feel that art in Singapore is not as well known as it is in other Countries. The younger generation today have tremendous amount of talent in them but the facilities to help them pursue their talent is lacking. So therefore, I feel that the Government should emphasize more on local talents by building more arts schools whereby they will be encourage and given the opportunity to go future in the arts industry. Through this, Singapore will not just grow in the business industry but also in the arts industry as well.












As the ageing population in Singapore is relatively high, I feel that the Government should provide for more public spaces within housing
estates and neighbourhood parks for seniors to interact and socialize,
such as ensuring that every recreational area in estates is suitable for
the whole family, including seniors. The elderly people will feel much more happier spending more quality time with their loved ones and also having a active lifestyle.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is embarking on the ‘The Concept Plan 2011 (CP2011) ‘ where Singaporeans can take a look into Singapore's future in terms of the economic development opportunities, good quality living environment, an inclusive society where the needs of the population are taken care of and a sustainable Singapore that balances growth with responsible environmental management. In order to have a better quality of living, I feel that all Singaporeans should give suggestion and ideas to the government through this website http://spring.ura.gov.sg/conceptplan2011/ in order to have a better future.

In conclusion, I truly feel that the government has been able to provide us with all the necessary facilities that we need and it is truly a blessing to be a Singaporean.

Commented by : Vandana Devi
Admin no: 105152D

Sources by:

http://spring.ura.gov.sg/conceptplan2011/consultation.cfm

My City, My Home

My City, My Home

It is important to maintain a balance our living standards and qualities of life even as we continue to plan for future growth. This is because people tend to neglect their current life issues as they focus on their future most of the time.

One way to plan for future growth is financial planning. People worry a lot that they have not enough finance to support their families in the future and they tend to save and scrimp lot in their present lives. They leave a huge amount of assets that they saved and realize that they do not require such an amount of assets in their retiring life. Although it is good to save for the future, to enhance their quality of lives, they should also try to enjoy the various lifestyles.

In Singapore, we adopt the ‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach whereby everyone plays a role in managing the ageing population. This includes every individual in Singapore. The ageing population requires more healthcare services as the elderly tend to contract certain diseases as their health deteriorates as they grow older. Even the healthy ageing population require frequent health checkups to prevent any illnesses.

Singapore is a multi ethnic society, we consist mainly of the Chinese, Malay , Tamil and Eurasians. This is what makes Singapore unique as we are multi racial. Every individual has it’s own race they belong to and we can bond with different races.

Singapore is known as a ‘Garden City’ because we maintain our environment to be clean and green. To maintain our cleanliness in the country, every citizen must play a part in protecting the environment. The reason for pollution in the country is due to man. Singaporeans should learn to keep the environment clean and not litter and spit everywhere. Schools and community centres often have trips to the beaches or places that are frequently land polluted , volunteers and students will clean up the area. cleaning up the litter is an act of protecting the environment.

Every individual In singapore plays a role in Singapore's well-being. We are the ones who are in charge of our own lives and our motherland.

Done by: Edena Tay
Admin no. : 101867P