The Education Ministry received 15,000 applications from would-be teachers between August 2001 and July this year, more than double the number it received in its previous recruitment cycle. Only 2,650 were chosen, 200 more than the previous year. With the addition, the teaching force is now 24,500 strong. (Straits Times 7 Dec 2002) (1)

Drama Fiesta by four primary schools in Bukit Merah vicinity

16 Nov 2002

  Xinmin Secondary School's principal, LEE Hak Boon, will become the new head of government-aided school Catholic High in two weeks. Mr LEE was accredited for turning Xinmin into an award winning school. Madam SIM Ay Nar, the school's vice-principal will take over as principal of Xinmin Secondary. (Straits Times 3 Dec 2002) (H4) 

  Six China-born pupils were among the 17 top 2002 PSLE scorers. They scored between 282 and 285, the highest score. One of them, Zou Long, was among the top three 2002 PSLE pupils. (Straits Times 29 Nov 2002) (1) 2002 PSLE Results

  A physical education teacher is being investigated for allegedly molesting at least seven primary six school boys in the school as well as in outdoor camps. Some are alleged to have taken place at the teacher's home where he is believed to have taken the victims on the pretext of giving them extra lessons. The school's principal told The Straits Times that a police report had been lodged less than two weeks ago. He added that the teacher is still with the school. (Straits Times 28 Nov 2002) (H2) 

  Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong yesterday turned history teacher to express his concern about the morale of young Singaporeans. He said that the Al-Qaeda attacks in the United States and plans for Singapore, the Bali bomb blasts, the economic slowdown and 4.8 per cent unemployment, were "a rude awakening for younger Singaporeans". "They grew up assuming that the stability and growth of the 1980s and early 1990s were the natural order of things. Therefore, when faced with the current adversity, some of them lose heart easily, believing Singapore's situation has never been worse". PM GOH said, "We have acquired the strength and skills to ride out the worst storms... We are not sitting idly by. We are remaking ourselves, to keep ahead of changes in our external environment." (Straits Times 28 Nov 2002) (1)

  The Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) is exporting its brand of education by setting up schools in Jakarta, Shanghai and Bangkok. ACS teachers here have become advisors to a private school in Jakarta called Sekolah Tiara Bangsa which will eventually take on the ACS brand name. (Straits Times 19 Nov 2002) (3)

  Former Raffles Girls' Sec School (RGS) principal Mrs Carmee LIM, 62, was recently named the first executive director of the Academy of Principals set up early this year to cater to the professional growth of principals. (Straits Times 11 Nov 2002) (H8)

  The Singapore Zoological Gardens has about 50 to 60 stuffed animals in its collection. These are kept in a room known as The Dungeon to zoo staff. The stuffed animals are taken out for a month every year to teach students about the different types of animal body coverings. (Straits Times 8 Nov 2002) (6)

  The Singapore Management University (SMU) will set up its fourth school - the school of information systems management - which will take in between 50 and 100 students from August 2003 for its four-year Bachelor of Science degree. The new school will have about 10 staff members for a start but the number is expected to go up to about 70 by 2006. (Straits Times 7 Nov 2002) (H6)

  18 students from Raffles Junior College (RJC) will embark on a three-week internship at five government ministries and five selected agencies on 18 Nov 2002. The ministries are Health, Transport, Information and the Arts, Foreign Affairs and Manpower. The Prime Minister's Office, Northeast Community Development Council, National Youth Council, Land Transport Authority and the Maritime Port Authority will also play host to these students. (Straits Times 6 Nov 2002) (H8)

  From 1 Nov 2002, foreign students enrolling in full-time undergraduate and postgraduate courses can now keep their passes for one year, instead of six months. If they maintain a good disciplinary record, they have to renew their passes only once after their first year, after which they can keep it for the rest of their course. There will also be no need for security deposits, which range from S$1,000 to S$5,000. Students from China can now submit their applications for a pass directly to Singapore Immigration and Registration (SIR) instead of doing it back home. (Straits Times 1 Nov 2002) (H8)

  From 2003, Primary 6 pupils will be allowed to pick their secondary schools after their Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) results are out. Those sitting for the PSLE next year will get their results soon after the last day of the school year, typically in mid-November. They then have four working days, instead of five, to make their decision. Pupils can still list six choices of schools and will know where they will be posted to before Christmas. (Straits Times 31 Oct 2002) (H4)

  Two 16-year-old students of Gan Eng Seng school were charged yesterday with setting fire to school property. LEE Kok Leong and TAN Peng Lai are accused of using a lighter to burn newspapers and a computer mouse, with the intention of damaging three classroom desks on which the mouse was placed. Police are currently investigating their cases. (Straits Times 25 Oct 2002) (H4)

  National University of Singapore (NUS) plans to open its own secondary school specialising in mathematics and science in January 2004 or, at the latest January, 2005. It is an idea the lecturers, tired of students who expect to be spoonfed with notes, have been toying with for some years, said NUS provost and deputy president CHONG Chi Tat yesterday. NUS was given the green light by the Ministry of Education recently to set up such an experimental school. The university has not decided if the school's students will be given preference for admission but quite a number are expected to feed into NUS. (Straits Times 24 Oct 2002) (3)

  Former national bowler Jansen CHAN Wah Hin, 47, yesterday pleaded guilty to molesting a 13-year-old girl from a secondary school team he was coaching. CHAN had held the girl's hips and slipped his hands under her bowling skirts while she was in his shop at Cathay Bowl in SAFRA clubhouse in Yishun on 16 Jul 2002. (Straits Times 22 Oct 2002) (H4)

  Almost 37,000 students here signed up for external degree courses in 2001, an increase of about 35 per cent from the 27,260 in 2000. About three quarters of the 37,000 students are pursuing a bachelor's degree. The remainder are either doing their master's or a doctorate. The figures were released in the latest Statistics Singapore Newsletter, published every April and October. (Straits Times 21 Oct 2002) (H10)

  London: A total of 1,945 students at 839 schools and colleges have had their exam papers upgraded following Britain's A-level fiasco. Education Secretary Estelle Morris ordered the reassessment of thousands of exam results after an official inquiry revealed that many examiners had been told to mark down grades to avoid criticism that A-level papers were becoming too easy. (Straits Times 17 Oct 2002) (12)

  Almost half of 485  National University of Singapore (NUS) students polled in a survey this year said it was getting very tough to find their dream job. One-third even felt their degrees would not be as useful in the new economy where the pace of change is swift and ruthless. More than half also said they would not rule out starting their own businesses, but felt the risk of failure was too high in Singapore. About two-thirds said they would be less picky and would be willing to settle for a less-than-ideal offer rather than go jobless. The students had taken part in a survey conducted by the NUS Students' Political Association online and at booths across the campus in February. (Straits Times 16 Oct 2002) (H1)

  Under the new revised A-level curriculum coming into effect in 2006, students will study a minimum of seven subjects, two more than now, including a subject outside their area of specialisation. However, subjects will be "sized down", by as much as 20 per cent or 60 hours, to ensure that students do not spend more time in school. Knowledge and Inquiry - a new elective which develops the reasoning and analytical abilities of students at a higher level and require them to read widely from different disciplines - can be taken in lieu of General Paper (GP). This is the first time in 30 years that the A-level education system is being revamped. (Straits Times 16 Oct 2002) (1)

  Last year, only 414 students from 88 secondary schools sat for the CLB O-level exams which are based on a simplified Chinese syllabus introduced to help students struggling with the language meet the requirement of passing their mother tongue exam to get into university or junior college. They make up only 2 per cent of the 25,000 students studying Chinese Language in secondary schools here. Only students who have obtained a C grade or worse in their Primary 6 Chinese Language paper are eligible to study CLB at Secondary 3. (Straits Times 10 Oct 2002) (H1)

  A Straits Times survey of 674 parents with at least two children found that parents here spend 10 to 15 times the amount spent on school fees on tuition. Parents spend an average of S$134 a month on tuition for a primary-school child and S$165 a month for a secondary-school student. But most parents insist tuition is not a frill but an essential expense. The survey also found that the parents' annual expenditure on education, including extras such as tuition, assessment books and music lessons, ranged from S$1,561 for a pre-primary pupil to S$11,941 for a university student. When added up over 17 years - the time it takes to go from pre-primary to university - it totalled S$77,353. (Straits Times 5 Oct 2002) (3) 

  Last year, only a quarter of the cohort of O-level students here sat for the literature examination. Ten years ago, half of the O-level students studied the subject. The subject is also a casualty at N-level. In 2001, only 4 per cent took it, compared to a quarter of Normal stream students in 1992. It is no coincidence that the number of students taking literature started to slip in 1992, when the ranking of secondary schools was introduced. Schools made the subject optional because it was more difficult to score a distinction in literature and schools wanted distinctions because they affected their ranking. (Straits Times 3 Oct 2002) (H11)

  From Tuesday, students and national servicemen can go to any TransitLink ticket office and pay to get their ex-link cards encoded with a train concession pass. Holders of such cards then need carry only one card for travel on the MRT or LRT. (Straits Times 28 Sep 2002) (H9)

  The Education Ministry, in a press statement yesterday, said that students here take a different A-level examination from their peers in Britain. The way they are graded is also dissimilar. It added: "The setting, marking and grading of the examination scripts are subject to stringent quality-control procedures and are closely monitored by the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) in Britain, which develops A-level syllabuses and examinations. (Straits Times 24 Sep 2002) (H3)

  From 2003, principals who have been in their posts for six years will be able to go on two-month sabbaticals, with full pay. They will be free to choose what they want to do, whether it is here or overseas, and will be given up to S$8,000 to cover expenses such as air fares and conference fees. (Straits Times 19 Sep 2002) (H5)

  The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is working with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on two projects totalling about S$800,000 to create specialised crime-fighting tools for use here. The first project involves the production of DNA kits for detectives to do on-the-spot extraction, analysis and comparison of samples, such as blood or hair, that are found at a crime scene. The second project is to develop portable fingerprinting equipment which uses laser beams to scan for the faintest prints. (Straits Times 19 Sep 2002) (H1)

  An Economic Review Committee panel has proposed easing visa rules, upping the standards of private schools and inviting top-class foreign universities to set up local branches so that the number of foreign students here can be increased to 150,000 in 10 years' time from the current 50,000 strength. Their spending, together with the 22,000 new jobs created, would boost the education sector's contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) from S$3 billion, or 1.9 per cent of GDP, to 5 per cent. (Straits Times 17 Sep 2002) (1) 

  National Junior College (NJC) - Singapore's oldest junior college - wants to take in students at Secondary 3, let them skip the O levels and prepare for the A levels. If the Education Ministry gives the green light, it will start the programme in 2004 with an intake of 125 students. (Straits Times 15 Sep 2002) (H7)

  The 130,000 alumni of the National University of Singapore (NUS) will get a new S$30 million home called Alumni House in 2005. Half the estimated cost of building the facility will be put up by NUS, which hopes the remainder can be raised from alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students. (Straits Times 15 Sep 2002) (H2)

  The Singapore Conservatory of Music, a collaboration between the National University of Singapore and John Hopkins University's Peabody Institute, will have a full intake of 200-odd students. Singapore's first music conservatory, announced in November 2001, is now inviting students who can play the piano or an orchestral instrument, as well as those who can compose, to apply for a place in it. Applications open on Sunday and auditions to recruit the first batch of 50 undergraduates from Singapore and 12 other cities in the region will start in November. (Straits Times 13 Sep 2002) (H12)

  Raffles Junior College  tops the junior college rankings for 2002. Victoria and Nanyang junior colleges take home the value-added awards. (Straits Times 13 Sep 2002) (H12)

  The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has picked Dr SU Guaning, 52, to succeed Dr CHAN Tao Soon, 63, who will retire on Jan 1 after 21 years at NTU. Dr CHAM will be appointed professor-at-large and take on various research projects and consultancy work on behalf of NTU. (Straits Times 11 Sep 2002) (4)

  Hongkong tycoon LI Ka Shing and his Hutchison Whampoa Group are giving S$19.5 million to the Singapore Management University (SMU), the largest donation received by a tertiary institution here. S$15 million of this amount will go towards the endowment of a new state-of-the-art library to be named Li Ka Shing Library at SMU's new campus in Bras Basah Road. The other S$4.5 million will fund full, bond-free scholarships for undergraduates from Hongkong and China. (Straits Times 10 Sep 2002) (3)

  Anglo-Chinese School principal NG Eng Chin, 43, has been reinstated to his post by the school's board of governors. The board had unanimously cleared him of all allegations of improper behaviour while counselling a teenage boy last year. The boy's mother had alleged he had molested the boy during late-night counselling sessions held at various places, including the beach. The Education Ministry has accepted the inquiry panel's conclusion and its recommendation that Mr NG be reinstated. Straits Times 3 Sep 2002) (3)

  Singapore's war on smoking enters a new phase as two proposals are being put before Parliament to ban the sale here of packs of cigarettes containing less than 20 cigarettes. Health authorities are especially concerned that the number of female smokers between the ages of 18 and 24 has gone up from 6 per cent in 1998 to 8 per cent in 2001, even though the national smoking rate dipped to 14 per cent last year from 18 per cent a decade ago. (Straits Times 3 Sep 2002) (1)

  Educator and sculptor Brother Joseph McNally died of a heart attack yesterday night while on a visit to Ireland. He was 79. Brother McNally was the founder of LASALLE-SIA College of the Arts. He was also the former principal of St Patrick's School. (Straits Times 28 Aug 2002) (3)

  Researchers at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) economics department calculated the social cost of smoking in 1997 at between S$673 million and S$839 million in a study which took into account the lost working hours due to smoking-related illnesses and deaths, as well as the higher medical bills chalked up by smokers. Cigarette taxes brought in S$389 million that year - less than half the 'cost' that the cigarettes incurred on the economy. Men, who make up the majority of smokers here, accounted for 90 per cent of the cost of smoking. About 11 per cent of teenagers from secondary 1 through to secondary 4 light up at least once a month, according to a survey done in 2000. (Straits Times 19 Aug 2002) (3) 

  About 100 people on the sub-committees of the Remaking Singapore Committee, set up in February 2002, came up with a suggestion to scrap streaming at Primary 4 in primary schools when they met at a retreat last month. The group also called for a review of the bilingual policy to allow children to choose a second language irrespective of their race. Retreat participants also suggested the Societies Act be revised to make it easier for groups to register or for the Companies Act to be extended to cover non-profit companies. (Straits Times 13 Aug 2002)(4)

  Seven statutory boards have banded together to give out a new scholarship - the Firefly scholarship - in an attempt to attract more talent. The scholarship allows applicants to try for a place at any of the seven, through just one application instead of applying separately. The scholarship holders, while attached to a parent agency, would also be allowed to do a stint - typically two to three years - at any local or international office of a Firefly member. The members, all under the Trade and Industry Ministry, are: Economic Development Board, JTC Corporation, A*Star, Spring Singapore, Singapore Tourism Board, International Enterprise Singapore and the Energy Market Authority. The Firefly will give out 27 scholarships to the first batch of winners today. (Straits Times 5 Aug 2002) (6)

  A Straits Times survey of 332 Primary 5 pupils here found that three in five think they have enough free time. About half said they get at least two hours of free time on a typical school day. Almost four in five spend their free time watching television. This is followed closely by playing on the computer and reading. (Straits Times 5 Aug 2002) (1)

  Raffles scholarship is now known as Chevening scholarship. Each of its 2002 scholarships is worth between GBP10,000 (S$27,000) and GBP15,000 but some recipients will get up to GBP25,000, depending on the nature of their course.13 out of 100 applicants have received the 2002 scholarship, awarded by the British Government's Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and several corporate sponsors from Britain and Singapore. (Straits Times 31 Jul 2002) (H10)

  Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian government may consider allowing schools and social institutions to use pirated software to encourage higher computer usage and speed up computer literacy. The disclosure by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Muhyiddin Yassin came just days after the government said the local entertainment industry would go under if the fight against piracy failed. (Straits Times 29 Jul 2002) (4)

  This year's President Scholars are Mr TEO Shiyi (RJC), Miss PAO Pei Yu (RJC), Mr Kelvin SEOW (RJC), and Miss YEO Wenshan (HCJC). All of them, aged 19, beat about 1,000 others for the prestigious scholarship. (Straits Times 29 Jul 2002) (3)

  Parents of applicants for six primary schools will have to ballot for places in Phase 2B of the primary 1 registration exercise on Wednesday. There are more applicants than vacancies at CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' Primary, Ai Tong Primary, Catholic High Primary, Methodist Girls' Primary, Tao Nan School and Nanyang Primary.  (Straits Times 22 Jul 2002) (H7)

  Independent school Raffles Girls' Secondary (RGS) will raise its fees by S$25 per year from 2004 up to 2007, when they reach S$200 a month - double the present figure. However, about 80 per cent of the school's students will not be affected by the increase as they are on scholarships. Raffles Institution, The Chinese High, and Anglo-Chinese (Independent) charge S$200 a month in fees while St Joseph's Institution, Nanyang Girls' High and Singapore Chinese Girls' Secondary charge S$150, S$100 and S$100 respectively. (Straits Times 17 Jul 2002) (H8)

  A 15-year-old schoolgirl was killed when she was run over by SBS Transit bus service No. 2 at Changi Village bus terminal on 13 Jul 2002. Marion JANG Li Ping, a secondary three student at CHIJ Katong Convent, was hit as she was crossing the entrance to the terminal with her boyfriend. He, who is in his 20s, was also knocked down but was unhurt. (Straits Times 15 Jul 2002) (H4)

  A hike in school-bus fees could happen as early as September for some parents. The second largest private-bus company here after Comfort Bus said the 20,000-odd students taking its buses will have to pay up to 20 per cent more if it cannot make up for the increase in the vehicles' insurance premiums, of between three and five times. (Straits Times 13 Jul 20020 (H8)

  The Defence Science & Technology Agency (DSTA) is offering 15 new two-year scholarships worth S$2,000 each to junior college students with no strings attached.  Students who are Singaporean citizens or permanent residents and have an aggregate of six points or less in the O-level examinations are eligible for it. Online applications for the DSTA scholarship at www.dsta.gov.sg open on Monday and close on July 31. (Straits Times 12 Jul 2002) (H5)

  More than 200 nursery to kindergarten children were left stranded without a school on Monday when the Housing Board repossessed the premises of A'inn Education Centre at Block 678A Woodlands Avenue 6 because its director "consistently defaulted" in rent payments since April 2000. The centre, which opened in January 2000, charged between S$100 and S$120 a month for its pre-primary classes. (Straits Times 3 Jul 2002) (H4)

  Intellectually disabled children now get a subsidy from the age of four for their education. Each student will be funded up to S$12,000 a year until the age of 18. This is up to four times that for a normal primary school child, who gets about S$3,000 a year. Overseas studies show that 2 per cent of children are mildly disabled intellectually, with IQ levels between 55 and 75. This works out to about 11,000 primary pupils here, but only 4,000 children, including the intellectually disabled, are in special schools. There are 19 schools here for disabled children but many do not take those younger than six. (Straits Times 1 Jul 20020 (H3)

  The former principal of Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) will have to answer 10 charges at a school board inquiry next month. Mr NG Eng Chin, 43, left his post on May 13, after nine years at the helm. The mother of a former student alleged that he hugged and kissed her son during counselling sessions. (Straits Times 27 Jun 2002) (H2)

  Registration for primary one classes in 2003

  London: Children as young as seven will report on their teachers' performance under a plan to involve pupils in all aspects of classroom life. But the move has alarmed teachers here who fear attempts to keep discipline will be undermined if pupils can grade them or change rules they dislike, The Daily Telegraph reported yesterday. (Straits Times 25 Jun 2002) (5)

  London: Britain's older, elite universities are racially biased against non-white candidates wanting to enter for study, according to research by London-based Nuffield Foundation, a prestigious charitable trust. There was prejudice particularly against Indians, Pakistanis and black Africans, but Chinese and black Caribbean applicants also suffered racial bias. (Straits Times 24 Jun 2002) (9)

  Nanyang Technological University (NTU) students will have to pay extra fees - for copyright fees for the piles of photocopied notes they use in their studies - when school reopens next month. The Straits Times learnt from NTU students that they will pay S$5 a year for the copyright licence fee which is collected by non-profit organisation Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore (Class), set up in 1999 to collect dues on behalf of its 38 members. Last month, NTU signed an agreement with the society whereby the university was given a licence to make copies of up to 10 per cent of members' works in return for payment. (Straits Times 24 Jun 2002) (H7)

  Registration for primary school starts next month. Singaporean children who are eligible to start school next year are those born between Jan 2, 1996 and Jan 1 , 1997. They must first be registered in the Primary One registration exercise which runs from July 2 to Aug 28. The upcoming registration exercise will be held at all primary schools and full schools, from 8am to 11am and from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. (Straits Times 23 Jun 2002) (21)

  Three students yesterday received the first soccer scholarships offered by North East Community Development Council and Sengkang Marine Football Club. They are Tommy TAN, 16, from Daima Secondary School, Peter OH, 18, from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), and Muhamad Haikal, 11, from Rivervale Primary School. The scholarship is worth S$6,000 in cash and will be used to pay for school books, fees, meals and transport. (Straits Times 20 Jun 2002) (H4)

  An unemployed man was yesterday sentenced to 2½ years' jail for instigating an 18-year-old polytechnic student to steal from her parents, and for receiving stolen goods. TAY Wee Kiat, 24, had served nine months behind bars three years ago for outraging a woman's modesty. The girl, TEO Chu Ling, plunged from her family's ninth-storey HDB flat in Ang Mo Kio on Dec 11 last year after TAY dumped her. (Straits Times 20 Jun 2002) (5)

  From 2003, the Scholastic Assessment Test 1 (SAT 1) will make up 25 per cent fo the scores for A-level students seeking admission to the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The Singapore Management University (SMU) already requires applicants to take it. The College Board is the American agency that administers the test. This year, up to 20,000 students here will sit for the SAT. (Straits Times 17 Jun 2002) (H10)

  The Ministry of Education (MOE) said that about 7,100 out of the 500,000 students in primary and secondary schools and junior colleges have not paid their monthly fees for at least six months. This works out to about 1.5 per cent of the student population or an average of 20 students in every school. The figures are comparable to the last two years, said the ministry. Since the start of the year, 6,886 students have been receving aid from the ministry's Financial Assistance Scheme to pay their fees and textbooks. This is a rise from 5,332 last year and 3,714 two years ago. (Straits Times 17 Jun 2002) (H2)

  A JC student died in his sleep on Monday. NG Shao Hao, 18, had celebrated his 18th birthday last Wednesday. Shao Hao's father said he had no known medical problems. The police has classified the case as unnatural death. (Straits Times 12 Jun 2002)

  Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) became the first Singapore school to take top spot in the international Odyssey of the Mind competition, a creative problem-solving contest. Its team members, Aditya Harnal, Kevin CHANG, Ashish Kamani, TAN Yi Jun, TEOW Yue Han, Victor and Russell Joel Indran, all 14 years old, beat 59 other teams to win the classics division of the competition. (Straits Times 10 Jun 2002) (H10)

  A 21-year-old NUS undergraduate collapsed during her jog and died an hour later from a rare heart disorder on Friday. Lyn LOW Li Eng had left her flat to jog at the nearby Bukit Panjang Neighourhood Park at about 7pm that day.(Straits Times 10 Jun 2002) (3)

  A Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts spokesman has said that while the idea of setting up a special arts school in Singapore has merit, it would depend on whether parents see the arts as a worthwhile career choice for their children. It will consult arts groups and work with the Education Ministry in the initial phase. "We are hopeful that the demand for such a school will increase as we further develop our cultural industry," he said. Last month, Education Minister TEO Chee Hean said this school would take off only if the arts community first feels the necessity for it. They must also be willing to put their resources behind it before the ministry considers establishing one, Mr TEO said. (Straits Times 5 Jun 2002) (H2)

  London: British teenagers are to be paid to remain in school. They will receive GBP40 (S$105) a week as part of a radical package of reform for secondary schools nationwide after pilot projects showed the scheme works. The Observer newspaper reported that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Gordon Brown, will use the Comprehensive Spending Review announcement next month to reveal a GBP300-million expansion of educational maintenance allowance payment to teenagers who agree to continue at school after their O levels or GCSEs. (Straits Times 3 Jun 2002) (7)

  Serangoon Garden Technical School will become the last school to shed its technical name for good when it merges with Serangoon Garden Secondary next year. The school opened in 1964, offering subjects, such as metalwork and woodwork, alongside academic subjects. It stopped offering technical subjects around 1990. (Straits Times 3 Jun 2002) (H10) 

  National swimmer THUM Ping Tjin, 22, has become Singapore's 21st Rhodes scholar. He will read modern history and politics at Oxford University in Britain. The GBP9,000 (S$23,500) scholarship scholarship covers tuition fees, accommodation costs and book allowances. THUM already holds a Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude from Harvard. (Straits Times 3 Jun 2002) (H9)

  Singapore Youth Tobacco Survey 2000, the first survey of 13,111 Secondary 1 to 4 students to find out the prevalence of underage smoking, has found that one in four still managed to sneak a puff at least once. Of those who took a puff, 11.1 per cent are considered smokers as they lit up at least once in the past month before the survey. This includes 2.4 per cent who smoke daily. More girls are picking up smoking: 13.4 per cent are boys and 8.8 per cent are girls. The survey also found that smokers are more likely to belong to families with at least one parent or elder sibling who smokes, or have close friends who smoke. The main reasons given for smoking are: curiosity or for fun, to follow the example of friends, or to relax and relieve stress. (Straits Times 2 Jun 200) (19)

  The British Council will open a training centre at the new Fuchun Community Club in Woodlands next month. It will run English enrichment and other courses there. The council has plans to open more such centres at other new community centres or clubs. The British Council started English-language training here in 1979, and today, at least 15,000 people a year attend courses it runs at four centres in Napier Road, Cecil Street, Holland Village and Tampines Point. (Straits Times 27 May 2002) (H3)

  Ten students from China were made to move out yesterday from the Spottiswoode Park flat they had rented because the woman they said they had paid rent to had not paid the landlord. The Chinese Embassy has hired a lawyer to help them get back their money from Madam LIM Moi Lee, a student-care centre owner, who is being investigated by the police for cheating. (Straits Times 26 May 2002) (1)

  Last year, 160 or 5.9 per cent of NUS faculty members quit, compared with 10 to 15 per cent in reputable universities worldwide, said Education Minister TEO Chee Hean in Parliament yesterday. NUS also recruited 194 faculty members last year. (Straits Times  22 May 2002) (H3)

  In two to five years' time, students entering secondary school may be able to choose from privately run specialised arts, sports or science schools, or even one that offers a through-train scheme that takes them right to the second year of junior college. They may go for a school that offers the Swiss-based International Baccalaureate programme instead of A levels. By 2010, one in four students will be university bound, compared with one in five now. And their choices will include specialised research, multi-campus, and private universities. (Straits Times 22 May 2002) (3)

  A bus driver was sentenced to nine months' jail and three strokes of the cane for molesting a primary school boy. CHAN Yeong Tsair, 40, a Malaysian, hugged and kissed the boy, 11, on two occasions in April 2002, at a carpark in Hougang. (Straits Times 16 May 2002) (H6)

  The principal of Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road), Mr NG Eng Chin, has left abruptly after nine years at the job. The Straits Times learnt that Mr NG was accused of molest. The ACS Board of Governors issued a statement to parents, mentioning that the mother of a former ACS student had made a police report against him.  The police confirmed that a report was made on Oct 3 but said there was "no substantive evidence to establish a criminal offence". Mr NG, 43, who is an old ACS boy, is married and has two grown-up children. (Straits Times 15 May 2002) (3)

  At the prestigious Asian Physics Olympiad held here, Singapore's local team, presented by eight students from Raffles, Anglo-Chinese and Victoria junior colleges, picked up one silver and four bronze medals. China swept seven of the 11 gold medals that were handed out. The Olympiad attracted 107 participants from 16 countries, including Australia, Indonesia, Israel, Korea and Turkey. (Straits Times 14 May 2002) (H6)

  A 16-year-old boy involved in a hammer attack on a 15-year-old student and his four friends at a bus stop in MacPherson was given 30 months' jail and six strokes of the cane yesterday. Winston LEE Wei Zheng, then a Secondary 3 student at MacPherson Secondary School, admitted he had been rioting with 15 others at the bus stop in front of a hawker centre in Circuit Road on Dec 15 last year. 12 others in the group have already been dealt with. (Straits Times 10 May 2002) (H7)

  Nanyang Technological University (NTU) will double its student population from 15,000 to 30,000 in ten years and half of them will be graduate students, said NTU president CHAM Tao Soon yesterday. He told The Straits Times that the undergraduate population will be capped at 15,000. (Straits Times 8 May 2002) (H5)

  A teacher from Gan Eng Seng Primary School is being investigated for hurting a pupil in her Primary 1 class after the pupil's mother made a police report on 25 April 2002. The seven-year-old boy's forehead was grazed when she tossed a small whiteboard at him during an English lesson two weeks ago. (Straits Times 7 May 2002) (H3)

  In Singapore, only about 40,000 people, or 1 per cent of the population, give blood regularly. Students from schools, colleges and tertiary institutions donate 12 per cent of the blood through on-campus blood-donation drives. Hospitals here use about 200 units of blood daily. Although current donations are nearly enough to meet the requirement, more donors would help to regulate supplies. (Straits Times 6 May 2002) (H8)

  An ex-Malay-language teacher is on trial for allegedly tricking two of his Primary six students to pose topless. Syed Zainuddin Syed Salim, 33, a father of four, allegedly cheated the two girls last July by letting them believe he had modelling work for them when he did not, and getting them to remove their tops to pose. The trial continues. (Straits Times 4 May 2002) (H2) 

  The Health Promotion Board (HPB) will now provide every secondary school student with yearly dental check-ups and treatment during school hours. Free dental services were first offered in primary schools in 1948. But, until now, secondary school students have had to go to dental clinics at nearby primary schools. The programme is expected to cost S$16.6 million. (Straits Times 1 May 2002) (H13)

  National University of Singapore (NUS) said yesterday it would be setting up two more campuses by 2010, in response to the growing demand for university education. The announcement would negate the need for a fourth university to supplement the existing NUS, the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU). NUS, which has its campus at Kent Ridge, said one of the two new campuses would take 3,000 undergraduates into practice-based engineering programmes every year. (Straits Times) (1)

  An emergency evacuation exercise in Yishun Junior College (YJC) yesterday spooked residents and parents of students who took the explosions for the real thing. To add to the confusion, the vice-principal of YJC, Mr NG Yew Wooi, told Channel NewsAsia that an explosion had taken place, thinking the journalist was part of the exercise. (Straits Times 25 Apr 2002) (H6)

  A second science hub costing S$100 million will be set up at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The 27,000 sq m facility at NTU's Jurong campus, when completed late next year, will house the latest equipment and laboratories, including several bio-safety "level-3" labs, which can safely handle potentially deadly pathogens, such as the Aids virus. (Straits Times 22 Apr 2002) (1)

  At least ten schools here have bought smoke-detection machines called smokerlysers to smoke out students who smoke in school. The S$2,000 device detects the presence of poisonous carbon monoxide - a by-product of cigarette smoke - in the lungs. According to the Health Sciences Authority's (HSA) Tobacco Regulation Unit, more than 5,200 underage teens have been caught smoking since 1999. The Health Promotion Board said most of those who start in their teens are boys. (Straits Times 20 Apr 2002) (3)

  Training institution PSB Academy, a division of PSB Corporation, is introducing a 48-hour training and certification programme for tutors, in a move to professionalise the industry. It is partnered by Sky Media, an education-service provider that offers multimedia-based tuition to students, to provide the service. Tutors who finish the course will be awarded certificates. The private tuition market here is estimated to be worth S$320 million. (Straits Times 15 Apr 2002) (H7)

  LOKE Kim Eng, 34, an undischarged bankrupt, was charged in a district court yesterday with criminal breach of trust. She is the woman who allegedly cheated 70 students from China of nearly S$280,000 in a rent scam. A building construction foreman, CHONG Kim Siap, 41, was also charged yesterday with assisting her in the alleged offence. Both cases will be mentioned again on Friday (Straits Times 14 Apr 2002) (28)

  The Education Ministry yesterday announced the appointment of its first batch of master-teachers. They are Mr TAY Cheow Yong, 58, Mrs Juliana NG, 47 and Mrs Nora TEO, 53. The ministry intends to appoint 160 such teachers. (Straits Times 14 Apr 2002) (27)

  US Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS) spokesman Amy Otten told The Straits Times that the new visa limits are focused mainly on foreigners who enter with a tourist or business visa and then decide to switch to a student visa. "They can't do that unless they declare their intention at the beginning," she said. Ms Otten also said that Singaporean visitors will be allowed to stay "automatically" for at least 90 days without a visa. (Straits Times 13 Apr 2002) (4)

  A 34-year-old Singaporean woman has been arrested for allegedly cheating 70 students from China of nearly S$280,000 in a rent scam that bears an uncanny resemblance to two recent cases. Police arrested her and a man at a Pasir Ris chalet on Thursday. (Straits Times 13 Apr 2002) (3)

  The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is trying to raise S$2 million to set up a professorship and scholarship in honour of the late Cabinet minister and sportsman Eddie Barker. It plans to use the money to sponsor top researchers and athletes in the field of physical education and sports science. Singapore Pools has already given S$1 million to the cause. (Straits Times 10 Apr 2002) (H3)

  A Straits Times survey asked 319 public listed companies if they preferred university graduates who came through junior colleges or through polytechnics. About half of the employers who responded said they had no preference. But, of the other half, a significant 5 per cent said they preferred graduates who spent three years in polytechnic before going on to university. Only 10 per cent said they would prefer to hire those who went through the two-year junior college route. Every year, out of the 35,000 students who complete their O-levels, 13,000 go to the junior college while another 17,000 enrol in the four polytechnics. Although polytechnic attendance has risen from 41,000 in 1995 to 50,000 students now, there is still some stigma attached to going to a polytechnic, as it is seen as an option for students who fail to qualify for junior college. (Straits Times 8 Apr 2002) (3)

  A committee set up to review upper secondary and junior college education will not overhaul the education system. "We don't want to shake the basic premises which are sound," said Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister of State (Education and Trade and Industry) and the committee's chairman. The committee will look at whether bright students can take their A-level exams without clearing the O-level hurdle, and whether private schools should be set up. It will also examine whether new state-funded independent schools should be set up for students with special talents. The committee is now inviting feedback from all parents who can forward their views to the Education Ministry via e-mail at www1.moe.edu.sg/jcreview/ or through snail mail. (Straits Times 7 Apr 2002) (1) 

  A man chatted with a polytechnic student on the Internet and later met her and persuaded her to apply for a mobile phone line in her name. He also demanded money from her and threatened to harm her and her family if she did not pay up. Yesterday, Kelvin SNG Beng Hwee, 21, was sentenced to six years' jail and nine strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to three extortion charges. (Straits Times 6 Apr 2002) (H3)

  A first-year undergraduate at the National University of Singapore (NUS) was given a stiff 15-month jail term and three strokes of the cane yesterday for molesting a 13-year-old girl. CHONG Weien, 21, a part-time drum coach at a secondary school, was alone with the girl when he made her masturbate him. Statistics produced in court showed that there were 62 teenage molest victims between November 2001 and January 2002. Molestations of under-16s formed 20 per cent, or 17 out of 79 cases, in November 2001. This went up to 31 per cent, or 28 out of 91 cases, in January 2002. (Straits Times 4 Apr 2002) (H2)

  Wellington, New Zealand: The revelation that up to 25 young Asians a week are resorting to abortion, including the sheer number of repeat abortions, has alarmed the authorities. It has also prompted an advisory committee to warn Chinese parents not to send their children to New Zealand, according to a report in the Dominion newspaper. New Zealand has turned its 45,000 overseas students, mainly Asians, into a NZ$1 billion (S$830 million) a year business. About 15,000 of them came from China last year. (Straits Times 3 Apr 2002) (6)

  A 20-year-old Singapore Polytechnic student was burnt to death in a shiny red BMW she was driving after it crashed into a tree along Sungei Kadut Drive towards Kranji Way and burst into flames early yesterday morning. CHUA Xing Ling, a third-year diploma student of maritime transportation management, received the BMW 318 as a gift from her father after she got her driving licence less than a year ago, according to a neighbour. (Straits Times 3 Apr 2002) (5)

  From 2004, more students can learn Chinese or Malay as a third language, but they must meet one of two conditions: 1. They must be in the top 10 per cent of their cohort. 2. They must be in the top 30 per cent, but with an A in English and either an A* in their mother-tongue language or a distinction in their higher mother-tongue language. Since 1986, only those in the top 10 per cent of each PSLE cohort can study Malay as a third language. Currently, 3,000 secondary-school students are studying third languages, with most opting for Japanese, followed by French, German and Malay. (Straits Times 31 Mar 2002) (1)

  The College Board, the US agency that administers the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), has announced proposed changes which will include essay writing and more advanced maths problems. If adopted, the new SAT will affect US students entering university from 2006. Singapore students will also have to adjust to this new modified SAT by then. From next year, SAT makes up 25 per cent of scores for A-level students seeking admission to the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. The test is already a requirement for those seeking entry to the Singapore Management University. (Straits Times 30 Mar 2002) (1)

  The ground-breaking ceremony for Singapore Management University's (SMU) new city campus at Bras Basah was held yesterday. The S$400 million city campus will open in 2005. A 560-m air-conditioned underground tunnel, lined with shops and food outlets, will be opened to the public so that anyone can stroll in cool comfort from one end of Bras Basah Road to the junction of Victoria Street and Stamford Road. The walkway connects SMU's five buildings. By the time the city campus is ready, the campus population will swell from the present 900 to 3,800. SMU president Ron Frank expects 6,000 undergraduates and 400 faculty staff members by 2010. (Straits Times 28 Mar 2002) (4)

  London: Two Oxford University academics have resigned in disgrace after they were exposed for offering a place to a student in exchange for a GBP300,000 (S$786,000) donation. Reverend John Platt and Ms Mary-Jane Hilton, both fellows at Oxford's Pembroke College, were to leave "with immediate effect", the university said in a statement. Pembroke, founded in 1624, is one of Oxford's oldest colleges. However, it received only GBP662,000 in endowments last year. (Straits Times 26 Mar 2002) (9)

  The number of Chinese students allegedly cheated of rent by a Singaporean woman in a scam is now believed to exceed 100. The woman is believed to have rented more than 20 properties, mainly in the Orchard, River Valley and Bukit Timah areas. A Chinese Embassy official said the embassy has engaged a lawyer to help the students recover their money. (Straits Times 25 Mar 2002) (6)

  More than 20 Chinese students have fallen prey to a Singaporean woman who offered them choice accommodation at cheap rates. They had paid up to 18 months' rent in advance, but later found out that she had not paid the landlords, who were then forced to evict them. A Chinese Embassy official said he had received 12 similar complaints since September last year about the same woman. The students, who were aged about 17 to 18, lost about S$35,000. (Straits Times 19 Mar 2002) (6)

  The new Internal Security Department (ISD) Heritage Centre was opened yesterday. Besides artefacts, such as political banners and bombs, the museum showcases storyboards on security threats like communism and espionage and on ISD operations. While the centre is mainly for training security officers and, therefore, closed to the public, it will allow visits from student leaders of junior colleges, polytechnics and universities, said Home Affairs Minister WONG Kan Seng yesterday. Home Team officers, teachers and other civil servants can also visit the centre, situated at Onraet Road, off the Whitley Road section of the Pan Island Expressway. (Straits Times 21 Mar 2002) (3)

  Singapore's fifth polytechnic which will provide about 800 additional polytechnic places will open in March 2003 at the Education Ministry's former premises in Kay Siang Road. Its campus will be built in Woodlands by 2006. The polytechnic's schools of engineering, infocommunication technology and applied sciences will offer three-year diploma courses. Three centres - one for enterprise development, another for history and culture, and a third for science and technology - will function alongside the three main schools. (Straits Times 20 Mar 2002) (4) 

  Nine in 10 of graduates from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE), or 88 per cent, had their first job offer within three months of graduation last year, according to an employment survey by ITE conducted in June and December last year. 86 per cent are now holding down jobs, mainly in the private sector. Salaries for last year's batch of graduates were S$1,122 for fresh graduates and S$1,409 for those who had completed national service NS). Corresponding figures for the earlier batch: S$1,141 for fresh graduates and S$1,409 for post-NS graduates. (Straits Times 17 Mar 2002) (3)

  About 20,800 Singaporeans with tertiary education were jobless at the end of 2001. In September 2001, it had been 16,500. The 2001 report on the labour market released by the Manpower Ministry (MOM) yesterday said that the current overall unemployment rate of 4.7 per cent is a record high, not seen since 1987. It predicted that the situation is likely to worsen, with the overall unemployment rate possibly reaching 5.5 per cent by the second half of the year. (Straits Times 16 Mar 2002) (H2)

  A 23-year-old female German student faces a possible death sentence after being caught for allegedly peddling drugs. She allegedly headed a drug syndicate with a 21-year-old unemployed Malay man. In a statement yesterday, police said the two ran a drug store from a condominium in Balmoral Road. (Straits Times 15 Mar 2002) (H6)

  More than three out of four young adults here have no immunity to dengue as they have never been exposed to the dengue virus, reports a new two-year study which checked 184 healthy undergraduates at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Last year, four people died of the disease here and there were 46 new cases a week on average. The weekly number peaked at 126 in July. (Straits Times 14 Mar 2002) (1)

  A supercomputer devoted to life-sciences research will be set up at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). NTU president CHAM Tao Soon said the S$12.4 million investment in the fast-speed computer project will be shared equally between the university and Compaq Computer, its project co-partner. The computer to be set up at NTU can run half a trillion calculations per second, placing it among the top 10 supercomputers devoted to life-sciences research, said a Compaq spokesman. (Straits Times 13 Mar 2002) (H10)

  By the end of 2001, eight out of 10 National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) graduates found work, thanks in large part to aggressive recruiting by the public sector. Still, the two universities' annual graduate employment surveys show that fewer graduates found jobs last year than in 2000. NTU saw a 14-percentage- point drop from 2000, while NUS saw a 12-percentage-drop to 79.4 per cent. Half the NTU class of 2001 found jobs in the public sector, compared to 40 per cent in 2000. Because the civil service pays better starting salaries than the private sector, last year's NUS graduates earned S$30,170 a year, about S$200 more than the previous year's graduates. (Straits Times 6 Mar 2002) (1)

  A man was charged in court yesterday with stealing seven pieces of underwear belonging to a female hostelite staying in a Nanyang Technological University student hostel. LOY Hui Suan, 31, was alleged to have committed the offence lat last year, on Nov 4, at 8am. Between last November and January this year, at least two female residents of Hall 8 at NTU had reported their underwear stolen. During that time, the suspect was caught in the act on camera. An alert, with a video clip of the suspect, was sent out so that everyone could be on the lookout. On Jan 20, a group of male hostelites patrolling the hostel area spotted a suspect resembling the man in the video. They took down the registration number of the car the man was driving and made a police report. (Straits Times 3 Mar 2002) (29)

  According to Ministry of Education figures, 1,677 children did not register for Primary 1 in 1997. It went up to 1,708 in 1998, and in 1999, it was 1,921, which is three per cent of the cohort. Figure for 2000 and 2001 were unavailable. There is less than one year to go before primary school education becomes compulsory here. (Straits Times 3 Mar 2002) (28)

  Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) has opened a state-of-the-art research centre to complement its life-sciences programme. It has bought more than S$120,000 worth of non-standard equipment. The centre will allow students to do hands-on experiments on molecular genetics and learn basic skills, such as creating genetically- modified bacteria and extracting DNA from organisms. (H6)

  The results of last year's GCE O-level examinations were released yesterday. Of the 33,512 candidates, 93.5 per cent obtained three or more passes and 80 per cent achieved at least 5 Os. The top three students came from Raffles Institution. (Straits Times 1 Mar 2002)(1)

  The National Council of Social Service, which disburses money from The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, estimates that 6,400 children will need help from the fund this year. Started two years ago, the fund provides pocket money to needy children. It gives at least S$1 a day to children who would not otherwise be able to buy food during recess or take public transport to school. More than 2,000 needy children are expected to apply for pocket money this year. In June 2001, 2,745 children received help from the fund. The number jumped by a third to 3,735 in November 2001. (Straits Times 27 Feb 2002)(1)

  Malay students account for between 50 and 60 per cent of students in five schools here. The schools are East View Primary, Eunos Primary, Damai Primary, Siglap Secondary and East View Secondary. Many schools with an increasing number of Malay students are in Bedok, Tampines, Bukit Batok and Woodlands.(Straits Times 23 Feb 2002) (4)

  An Education Ministry committee has been formed to look at language-rich classes, sports and school clubs, and racial-harmony activities, and build on the good schemes and practices already in place in schools. It will debate how school activities can be re-shaped to achieve greater bonding among primary, secondary and junior college students. (Straits Times 20 Feb 2002)(4)

  London: An anti-abortion group is taking legal action to stop the government from distributing the morning-after pill in pharmacies and schools. These pills are being given to teenagers without the knowledge of their parents to stop unwanted pregnancies. Britain has had more schoolgirls becoming pregnant than any other country in the European Union during the past four years. (Straits Times 14 Feb 2002) (8)

  The fourth girl in the tudung controversy will be suspended from classes from Thursday after turning up in school wearing the Islamic headscarf. Khairah Faroukh, 6, a pupil of Eunos Primary, was given until yesterday to remove the tudung and to dress in the prescribed uniform. (Straits Times 12 Feb 2002)(H3)

  Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools are here to stay, Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong said yesterday. "SAP schools are very valuable, they're not going to be closed down," he said. SAP schools offer Chinese at first-language level and attract mainly Chinese students. PM GOH also said that the system would be improved so that students from these schools could interact with students from other communities. (Straits Times 4 Feb 2002)(3)

  Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong yesterday made clear that the Primary 1 girls will be suspended if they turn up in school tomorrow wearing the Islamic headscarf, or tudung. He said the girls must conform with the common uniform rule in national schools. "You cannot give way on that. If the schools give way, I think let us not have any rules. So that is very clear - they will be suspended," he said. (Straits Times 3 Feb 2002) (1)

  The National University of Singapore's (NUS) law school will introduce new subjects, such as biotechnology law and world trade law which are offered as electives, from August 2002. (Straits Times 2 Feb 2002)(H4)

  Three of the Primary 1 schoolgirls at the centre of the "tudung" controversy showed up in school wearing the Muslim-style headscarf yesterday - the deadline for some of them to comply with the Ministry of Education's school-uniform rules. The girls were allowed to attend lessons, and their parents have the weekend to think their decisions, the Ministry of Education said in a statement yesterday. The three schoolgirls are Siti Farwizah Mohamad Kassim from Chongzheng Primary in Tampines, Nuru Nasihah Mohamad Nasser from White Sands Primary in Pasir Ris, and Khairah Faroukh of Eunos Primary. Education Minister TEO Chee Hian told reporters yesterday that the final decision was with the girls' parents.(Straits Times 2 Feb 2002)(1)

  A proposal for the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to set up a second medical school with the soon-to-be-built Jurong General Hospital may not take off. Health Minister LIM Hng Kiang yesterday said, "My ministry doesn't see an immediate need for a second school at NTU, or for the need for Jurong General Hospital to be developed as a teaching hospital. (Straits Times 1 Feb 2002)(H4)

  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) yesterday reminded Malaysian critics calling for a review of the "no tudung" in national schools rule to respect Singapore's status as a sovereign and independent nation. In a statement, MFA said it was "surprised at the remarks" made by Malaysian Deputy Education Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin as it represented an interference in Singapore's internal affairs. Datuk Abdul Aziz had called on the Singapore Government to review the decision barring Muslim girls from wearing the tudung or headscarf in national schools. (Straits Times 1 Feb 2002)(4)

  Females made up 41 per cent of the medical students accepted by the National University of Singapore (NUS) last year, despite a long-held quota restricting their number to one-third of the total. The quota, under government review, has been extended for three years. In 1999, 70 females, or 35 per cent of the total, were accepted in the intake of 200. In 2000, there were 78 out of 210, or 37 per cent. (Straits Times 30 Jan 2002)(3)

  More Normal (Academic) stream students are qualifying for polytechnic studies. In 1991, only 10 per cent of those students who did their O-levels enrolled for three-year diploma courses at polytechnics. In 2000, almost 40 per cent of 7,300 students did so. But the percentage of Normal (Academic) stream students entering junior colleges has remained at 1.5 per cent. (Straits Times 28 Jan 2002)(H10) 

  The parents of three Muslim girls in Primary 1 have up to Friday to decide if they want their daughters to remain in national schools. If they do, they must stop sending their daughters to school wearing the Islamic-style headscarf, or tudung, which is not part of the school uniform. All three girls have been wearing the tudung to school since term began, even though principals told their parents from the start that this was not allowed. The Education Ministry disclosed these details in a reply to the Malay-language Sunday newspaper, Berita Minggu, which reported the dispute yesterday. (Straits Times 28 Jan 2002) (1)

  A high-level review panel, led by Lord Ronald Oxburgh of Cambridge University, has recommended a radical overhaul of the current medical education system after an eight-month study. Among the measures needed: A second medical school at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) to speed up the training of 350 medical graduates a year, up from 230 now. Singapore must also recruit more doctor-scientists and set aside about S$100 million each year to boost research. (Straits Times 28 Jan 2002)(1)

  Police interviewed a dozen students from Saint Joseph's Institution after the principal, Mr LUI Seng Cheong, reported them for betting on football games. It is believed that the boys, aged between 15 and 16, placed bets ranging from S$10 to S$50. The pool added up to hundreds of dollars. (Straits Times 25 Jan 2002)(H10)

  Two boys banging into each other during recess in Yishun Town Secondary School on Sept 28 last year resulted in a fight with one schoolboy being stabbed outside the school. WONG Han Wah, then 15, who learnt of the incident, followed one of the boys, Mohamed Sofian, to the void deck of Block 204 Yishun Street 21 where WONG's friend FOO Chee Meng, 25, stabbed Mohamed with a knife. FOO was given four years' jail and six strokes of the cane while WONG will be sentenced next month, pending probation and reformative training reports. (Straits Times 25 Jan 2002) (6)

  The Nanyang Technological University (NTU) is looking worldwide for a new chief. Founding president CHAM Tao Soon's contract will end in August, after 21 years at the helm of the university. Dr CHAM, 62, told The Straits Times yesterday he plans to retire within the year, but would step down only when his successor had settled in. International executive search firm Heidrick and Struggles has been appointed to look for a suitable replacement. (Straits Times 25 Jan 2002)(4)

  Singapore plays host to 220 top youth debaters from 28 countries in the 14th World Schools Debating Championship this week. The finals on Feb 1 will be held at the Kallang Theatre. (Straits Times 23 Jan 2002)(H12)

  Graduates with non-medical degrees could be allowed to start training as doctors from July 2003 to help meet the shortage of these professionals here. The National University of Singapore (NUS) hopes to begin a graduate-entry medical school then, said Professor LEE Eng Hin, dean of the university's Faculty of Medicine yesterday. If it is approved, it would offer a four-year course and start with 30 - 50 students. There is currently one doctor for every 720 people here, compared with one for 400 in the United States and one for every 600 in Britain. (Straits Times 22 Jan 2002)(H5)

  San Yu Adventist School in Thomson Road will offer International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes from January 2003, the first Singapore school to do so. However, the private institution's around 300 students will still have to sit for the Primary School Leaving Examinations PSLE and the O levels. Currently only international schools here, which are not open to Singaporeans, offer the baccalaureate. (Straits Times 22 Jan 2002)(3)

  Nanyang Technological University (NTU) plans to set up a satellite campus in Buona Vista, where it can be reached more easily by the thousands of working adults and teachers who take up part-time and in-service courses. University officials say they hope to start construction of the new place this year and complete it by 2005. NTU will run its Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and continuing-education programmes there, as well as its in-service courses for teachers. (Straits Times 19 Jan 2002)(H1) 

  The Health Ministry will review an age-old policy that limits the number of female students admitted to the National University of Singapore's (NUS) medical faculty to a third of the total. An MOH spokesman said," The Ministry will be reviewing the medical manpower requirements, including the quota on female medical students, in light of the overall review of medical services by the Economic Review Committee. (Straits Times 19 Jan 2002)(5)

  Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has renamed two of its schools. The School of Civil and Structural Engineering, set up in 1981, is now known as the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, while the School of Communication Studies, started in 1993, is now the School of Communication and Information (SCI). (Straits Times 18 Jan 2002)(H10)

  The Anglo-Chinese School Board of Governors, which runs a junior college, two primary and two secondary schools here, has sent in a proposal to the Education Ministry to establish a private school - ACS (International). The new co-ed school's academic programmes will be similar to the ones ACS (independent) proposed last year - a six year system with students preparing for the O Levels in the first four years. After that they will not sit for the A Levels but will work towards the International Baccalaureate and the Scholastic Assessment Tests (SATS) (Straits Times 15 Jan 2002)(3)

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