Lit assignment on Macbeth

Last year, Lesley-Anne studied Macbeth for literature and this seems to be a popular Shakespeare text for sec 3 and 4.  One of the more interesting assignments the kids were tasked to do was to write an original sonnet based on a theme in Macbeth.

As part of the challenge, it had to fulfil the standard requirements of a sonnet, ie:

• 14 lines
• each line with 10 syllables
• ABAB rhyme scheme with last 2 lines a couplet
• Iambic pentameter, meaning each unstressed syllable must be followed by a stressed syllable

 Lesley-Anne chose the theme "Appearance vs Reality" and here's what she came up with.


Concealed within the walls of Inverness
Are dangerous desires and lethal lies
Ambition grows while shrouded in darkness
And martlets cloak the owl's ill-fated cries

A mask of innocence disguised Macbeth's
Intent to execute an evil crime
While Duncan slept and drew his final breath
Up ambition's ladder did Macbeth climb

Although unshaken did Macbeth appear
Throughout his quest to win the regal throne
The only things he gained were guilt and fear
The forest came and he was overthrown

When order hides the chaos and despair
It looks like fair is foul and foul is fair


Lesley-Anne didn't score as well as she'd hoped cos the teacher commented that the reader wouldn't have understood the sonnet if he or she hadn't read Macbeth. All I can say is that the assignments these days are really tough - I wouldn't have been able to come up with much at sec 3.  However, I do feel it's a lot more thought-provoking than merely having to write another analytical essay.  Certainly forces you to dig deep into your imagination and harness your creative juices.

Wish I had lit assignments like these back then, lessons would have been more fun!

Baby maybe

It seems like babies is always topmost of the government's mind. After the last National Day Rally, new goodies were added to the Baby Bonus and in the recent White Paper on population, once again the recurring issue is our low fertility rate and how we need to sustain our population. Just yesterday, PM again urged couples to have children.

I don't want to touch on the hot potato that is the White Paper since a deluge of views has already exploded online. Rather, I want to share my views on some of the baby issues and why we haven't seemed to progress in this area. While some of my opinions are rooted in what I studied in sociology, much of it is based on my own conjectures and common sense, so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

The Paradox of Wealth vs Fertility Rate

First, the sociological bit - we need to understand that declining birth rate is a developed world problem and is certainly not unique to Singapore.  You can sometimes hear this comment, "Some families so rich, can afford, dowan to have kids. Others so poor, can barely feed themselves, wanna have so many kids. What's wrong with people?"

There's actually a simple explanation for this and it's not because poor families are stupid. It's the treatment of the child as asset vs liability.  Poor families, especially in rural, underdeveloped countries, tend to have more kids because the kids are seen as assets. When the kids grow up, they either become much needed hands on the farm or work to bring in extra dough. They are considered future wealth.  In fact, for many poor families, having children is the only avenue out of poverty, so the more, the merrier.

Whereas in developed countries where individualism is emphasised, kids are liabilities - they sap rather than contribute to family wealth. Hence, the focus shifts from the benefits of having children to the costs. The primary motivation to have a child then, would be the emotional one - to have a child to love, to have a mini me, in some sense.  For most people, one or two would be enough to fulfil this personal need, hence the trend towards small families. In other words, the infamous Stop at Two policy, which has often been blamed for our low fertility rate, merely sped up the inevitable. It's not the real cause of declining family sizes in Singapore.

One analogy would be deciding to own a cat because you have rats in your house vs deciding to own one purely for companionship. The first places an intrinsic value on the cat, the second is intangible.  (Note, it doesn't necessarily mean the former owner loves the cat less, it just means there's a pragmatic incentive tied to the ownership).

What this implies is that looking to improve the fertility rate in Singapore purely from the cost aspect has its limitations. Folks who want to have kids will tend to still have kids, even if it's expensive. People who don't want to have kids see kids as a real liability - cramping lifestyles, creating inconvenience and chalking up enormous expenses. Reducing costs is unlikely to change their minds as it's still less costly NOT to have kids than to have one.
 
It's like a travel agency trying to sell you a holiday package, saying they'll give you substantial rebates. But here's the rub: no matter how much discount you give me, I'll still have more money if I don't go on a holiday to begin with. And that's the limitation with the Baby Bonus and all other monetary incentives.  If I consider having kids an unnecessary expense, no amount of monetary incentives will make me have one. (In fact, we should have serious misgivings about anyone who would have a child simply because of money).  Meanwhile, the ones who have already decided to have kids are happily pocketing the savings, thank you very much. 

Persuading couples who don't want kids to have them is an uphill battle.  The trouble is, the joy of having children is understood only by those who already have them.  It's something that can only be experienced, not fully communicable via words. For many parents, their kids are the best things that ever happened to them. You cannot realise the extent to which you can love another human being, until your kid comes along.  It explains why so many level-headed people turn into irrational beings when it comes to their children.

Preaching to the Converted

So if we can't convince childless couples to have kids, is there any other solution? Instead of trying to throw pebbles at a brick wall, maybe the authorities should instead focus on existing parents - those who already have at least one child. To me, encouraging couples who already have kids to have more kids, is a much easier task as you're preaching to the converted.  Having 3 children is not 3 times the work or costs as having 1 child.  If it's attractive enough and not too inconvenient, I'm sure many would give it serious consideration.

Take my own example. Kenneth and I wanted kids for sure. In fact, we had both our kids before there were any Baby Bonuses (Andre was born a few months shy of the introduction of the Baby Bonus, which I was always a little miffed about). We decided not to have a third child for various reasons:

1) 2 kids were already quite a handful and we were both working. I had to go back to work after 2 months of maternity leave and even though my understanding boss gave me a flexi work-from-home arrangement, it was stressful trying to run a household and head a department remotely at the same time.

2) My kids were already sharing a bedroom, adding another child to our apartment would be a squeeze.

3) When Andre was 2 years old, I started my own business and was running it solo. What many people don't realise is that entrepreneurs don't enjoy maternity leave. We have to take our own time off and suffer a loss of income. Worse, if we disappear for 2 months or more, we might end up losing all our clients. It was not tenable. Having another kid then would have killed my business.

Could I have been persuaded to have another child though? Maybe. If costs were reduced and I had better home and business arrangements, that would have helped.

In my opinion though, a big obstacle to having babies is that Singapore has become a very stressful place to raise kids and parents feel that keenly. To succeed in our baby policies, we need to create an environment that allows parents to raise their kids in a way that meshes with our worldview and lifestyle. While we have improved on things like flexi-work arrangements, maternity/paternity leave, greater subsidies for childcare, etc, I find that one of the biggest stressors of parents in Singapore have remained unresolved - education. 

The Education Baggage

I'm not sure if there has been any in-depth study on the link between education and fertility. But intuitively, we know that education is an enormous part of a child's life, consuming the bulk of his waking hours.  You may think, when a couple decides to have a child, won't their considerations be based on short-term issues, like will we be able to afford this child? Who will look after this child? etc.  In the past, probably.  However, in today's Singapore, education is no longer a distant consideration - with kids going to classes and getting enrichment younger, from as young as age 2, people are feeling the heat earlier. 

I've heard anecdotal stories of parents trying to book a place in a popular childcare centre before their child was even born. I once met a new father who said, as he was cradling his weeks-old twin daughters, "I'm wondering whether I should volunteer in a primary school so they can get entry."  I've also  received emails from parents of toddlers asking my advice on reading habits and primary schools.

What all these point to is that education is very much top of mind when a couple is deciding to have more kids... and currently, it is a huge deterrent.  I know many parents who simply hate the idea of having to send their kids into our education system.  I remember when Andre was 6, I so dreaded the thought of having him start primary 1 because I was sure that he would lose his carefree spirit to the system. Last year when he was going through his PSLE, my recurring thought was, "Thank God I don't have another child cos I can't go through this a third time."

It's about having your child shaped by a system that's not in sync with your own worldview, and knowing that you don't have a choice in the matter.  I imagine the idyllic family image in our heads is something like parents and children sitting around the coffee table, chatting and laughing. I'm pretty sure it's not hassled mum hovering over anxious kid doing homework and dad ferrying other kid to tuition centre. When both parents and children are stressed out, it's hard to create a well balanced and wholesome family life. 

Incidentally, education has also become one of the biggest costs in a family budget.  As Mr Yeoh Lam Keong, former GIC chief economist said in an interview, the Singapore education is seemingly cheap on the surface. School fees are very affordable ($11 a month for primary school, $21 for secondary school) and even university fees are subsidised.  But in actual fact, majority of primary and secondary school kids have tuition just to keep up with school. This jacks the real cost of education up to $1,000 a month or more. You can read the interview here (second half of the article, under the sub-head "The real cost of education").

In other words, without quite intending it, the education system in Singapore may actually be systematically disincentivising Singaporeans from having more children.  As long as education - a big part of child-rearing - is perceived as a burden that diminishes the quality of life rather than enhances it, it's not a long shot to suggest that it can influence a couple's decision to have children or subsequent children.

So here's a thought: instead of just continually throwing new handouts to couples, maybe the authorities should also re-examine this long-standing baggage we call education and better align it with parents' dreams for their kids. 


Note: I didn't touch on why parents are invariably stressed by our education system in this post since I've already written about it previously in Education stress - whose fault?

Festively in fashion

Chinese New Year is much celebrated in our household. For my mother-in-law, it's THE event of the year and over the course of two weeks, our kitchen is transformed into a military kitchen as she goes into a culinary frenzy, whipping up goodies from pineapple tarts to carrot and pumpkin kueh.

On top of that, we stock up on all the usual festive yums like love letters, kueh baulu, bak kwa, cashews, pistachios, sweets, etc etc (and only from the tried and tested shops) - enough to feed an army.

Apart from the food, we follow many other CNY traditions, like decorating our home with seasonal motifs (the Ikea snakes made a special appearance this year), buying CNY flowers and adorning our beds with new sheets.

No prizes for guessing what is Andre's favourite colour.  When he wears his red t-shirt and sits on his bed, the effect is pretty surreal.

Among all the CNY traditions though, the one I dislike is getting new pajamas and clothes. It's not that I scorn the custom, it's the shopping bit that I find a big hassle. That's right. I'm one of those rare specimens of the female gender who detest shopping for clothes.

Shopping for myself is bad enough - I usually put aside an afternoon wandering around a mall with maximum potential, hoping to score. Shopping for my kids is even worse. Both of them seem to share my aversion to buying new clothes and their busy schedules pose the perfect foil for escaping this yearly duty.

When I can finally get them to focus on the job at hand, it's a comedy of contrasts. Andre wants to stand out so we go looking for bright, bedazzling colours while Lesley-Anne prefers to blend in so we go searching for dark, sober shades that aren't too funereal for CNY.

A friend of mine recently posted on Facebook, "Mission accomplished - CNY clothing bought for everyone in the family. No one should offer any *feedback*. Just wear it."   Way to go, sista! Commandeer the project, Nazi style.

Actually, we did this with the pajamas this year.  Since it was tough enough finding the time to bring them shopping for clothes, we didn't bother with the democratic route for the PJs.  At the nearby pasar malam, we bought one set with a giant teddy bear for Lesley-Anne and Andre was presented with a Power Rangers set (which horrified him). I figure, nobody's gonna see you when you're sleeping so as long as they're comfortable, who cares if the print isn't age appropriate.

In the end, we did manage to get the day clothes to everyone's liking. Lesley-Anne even agreed to wearing a modern-style cheongsam as she needed one for a future school event. Job done for the year!

金龙腾飞辞旧岁 , 玉蛇起舞迎新春!

 

I think, therefore I write

2012 was a momentous year for me career-wise as it marked the 10th anniversary of my writing business, Hedgehog Communications. 10 years! It sure doesn't feel like a decade has passed. When I first started this enterprise, I wasn't sure it would even last a year. But lasted it has, and even garnered some very loyal customers along the way, for which I'm extremely grateful.

The business has allowed me to keep myself economically active while being there with my kids. It also let me make a living out of something I love - writing.

So to mark the occasion, I decided to print some notebooks as a corporate gift.  I didn't want just any commonplace notebook, so I sourced around and at a gifts fair, a particular one caught my eye. It's a notebook made from stone paper, something I'd never heard of. It's waterproof, tear-proof, smudge resistant and bio-degradable. How intriguing is that?

The decision was easy then. I decided to keep to a simple design with my logo on the back and went with a small print run.

In fact, a couple of my corporate customers liked the idea of stone paper so much that they had their own gifts produced from it. Always nice to be able to contribute to the green movement.

I wrote a 10th anniversary note for my website which I'll share here as it encapsulates my beliefs about the power of writing.

I think, therefore I write.

In 10 years, we at Hedgehog Communications have written 59 annual reports, 64 brochures, 28 websites and 35 newsletters. Not to mention the many speeches, advertisements and magazines… even the occasional mission statement. That's a lot of words.

But effective writing is never just about the number of words. In a world where we are constantly faced with a deluge of information, each piece demanding our attention, the power to communicate - clearly and convincingly - is more important than ever.

Over the past 10 years, Hedgehog Communications has discussed healthcare, debated over education and explained technology. We've crafted messages for CEOs, penned quirky headlines for posters and scripted lines for corporate presentations. Through it all, we've strengthened our belief that the pen (or in 21st century terms, the keyboard) is a mighty instrument. It crystalises the power of the written word - to shape thought, evoke emotion and drive behaviour.

10. It's just a number. But seen in the light of a decade of communications, if something we've written has given you pause for thought, made you smile or changed your mind just a little, then it was a decade well spent.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In many ways, what I do at work has some parallel with my blogging.  My blog readers are often as supportive of me as my clients and so, I'm giving out 5 notebooks as a small gesture of appreciation.

If you would like a stone paper notebook, be among the first 5 to like this post on the Of Kids and Education Facebook page and write a message. Then email me (also on Facebook) to let me know where to mail the notebook to.



 

Boy can cook

So far, quite fantastically, Andre's favourite subject in sec 1 is... Home Econs!

It came as quite a surprise to me as Andre has never shown any inclination towards the culinary arts. In his own words, "I don't like to cook, I only like to eat."

I think this development is partly because of the terrific home econs textbook.  It has lots of full colour pictures and interesting topics on health and food, reminiscent of the health education textbooks in primary school, which Andre loved too.

But mostly, I suspect it's because home econs doesn't involve studying - it's hands on and for active kids, that beats sitting down in a classroom anytime.

So far, Andre has learnt how to to make agar agar with fruit cocktail, tea and raisin cupcakes.  For a beginner, I think his efforts turned out pretty credible. He says his group's cupcakes scored one of the highest in class.

Taste-wise though, both items didn't quite make the mark but that was more the fault of the recipes than the cooks.  The agar agar was tasteless as the recipe called for much less sugar than was actually needed and the cupcakes weren't moist enough as the kids could only add a couple of tablespoonfuls of oil and no butter.

I don't quite understand this. Why teach kids how to cook something that they wouldn't want to repeat? Surely the home econs teachers would have perfected the recipes by now.  Apparently, Lesley-Anne's experience with home econs was even more dubious as she and her friends would usually dump the food they had made without even tasting them.  As she explained, they were only allowed to wash the utensils and appliances AFTER the cooking is done, not before. To her, this meant that you had to trust the hygiene levels of the class that had used the stuff before them... and she knows better. "I once found dried up dough in the mixing bowl!" Yuck.

Maybe the point is simply to get the kids into the kitchen and learn the basics of cooking. Well, if so, then Andre's home econs class actually succeeded because he whipped up a batch of chocolate chip cupcakes (with butter this time) on the sly and presented them to me for my birthday! Awww... sweetness ♥

At the end of this year, Andre has to take part in a group project which will involve coming up with a dish that is a fusion of two different cuisines. "I'm the one who's going to do the cooking!" he revealed. "Whaaaat?" I asked, astonished. "Do your group mates know you've never cooked?"

He then explained that he volunteered for the role cos he didn't want to do the research (too much work) or the tasting (he didn't want to get food poisoning).  The latter shows you how much faith he has in his team-mates. "Easy lah, I just follow the instructions." Oooookay.

The two cuisines that his group drew were Chinese and French. "Oh, oh, I know!" I said, being the ever helpful mum. "You just cook some fried rice and throw in a few garden snails."

Guess no one will be trying out that recipe anytime soon.

Back on the book wagon

Sec 3 was a very hectic year for Lesley-Anne. With such a punishing schedule, she barely did any leisure reading throughout the year, which I thought was a pity. So after her exams, I asked her to make a conscious effort to do some reading, to nurture this important habit.

I find that often, reading needs to gain momentum. If I stop for a while or am stuck in an uninspiring book, I usually find myself unmotivated to read for a long time. To get Lesley-Anne's reading juices going, I recommended some books that I personally enjoyed. We don't always like the same types of books but those here turned out to be great hits with her. Considering she barely had any free time in the December holidays, what with the school trip to Shanghai, church camp and our family holiday, I think she covered quite a lot of ground.

I'm sharing the list of books she read during the holidays here, in case you're looking for recommendations for your kids. Do note that some some of them have mature themes like love stories, so I would probably recommend them only for 15-year-olds and above.

I won't bother to write the blurbs, just a short commentary of each. I've provided the Amazon links so you can check the books out in greater detail. 

Jeannette Walls - Half Broke Horses and The Glass Castle.

Both books are memoirs (you'll find that I have loads of memoirs - the kaypoh in me loves reading about people's lives).  After finishing the two books, Lesley-Anne declared Jeannette Walls to be her new favourite author.

Anchee Min - Pearl of China

This is based on the life of legendary writer, Pearl S. Buck. A fascinating read, interweaving fiction with historical events.

Ruth Reichl - Tender to the Bone

Another memoir, this time of the childhood of a famous food critic. It's the quirky parents who always capture Lesley-Anne's imagination.

Frank McCourt - Angela's Ashes

The Pulitzer Prize-winning memoir. Lesley-Anne didn't manage to finish this before the holidays ended.

Vikas Swarup - Slumdog Millionaire

An easy and fun read. We never watched the movie but the book is highly entertaining.

Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner

This book totally captivated Lesley-Anne, she couldn't put it down. When she finished it, however, she wailed, "How come all your books so sad? Everybody dies!"  That's me - lover of the dramatic and the melancholic.


These books were an awakening of sorts for her. They're different from what is typical of teenage or young adult fiction and I think they opened her eyes to the standard of writing that's out there.

For me, that's the biggest takeaway you can get from reading - to expand your mind and to see beyond the world you know.  In a way, it's a little like travelling... but without having to pack your bags or spend a bomb. A truly 5-star activity.

Tooth or dare

Three years ago after Lesley-Anne's PSLE, we brought her to have her braces done. It was the ideal time as she had practically three months of holiday before secondary school, without any major event happening - ample time to get used to braces.

As luck would have it, both my kids ended up needing braces. Andre has a pretty bad overbite, meaning his top teeth extend too far outwards over his bottom teeth. According to the orthodontist, a normal person's top front teeth are 2mm from the bottom teeth. Andre's gap is a whopping 8mm, which has implications on his gum health and jaw growth.

We were hoping to bring Andre to the orthodontist after his PSLE, as with Lesley-Anne but he still had a baby molar that had not erupted, so we thought braces couldn't be done. This was a mistake on our part. When we finally brought him in end December, we were told that he could have fitted the braces earlier, even with that baby tooth intact.

Never mind. We consoled ourselves that he had at least enjoyed all the holiday feasting without pain.

Also unlike Lesley-Anne, Andre needed extractions. His jaw was too small to contain his massive teeth and this led to them growing like weeds in haphazard fashion, occupying whatever gaps they could find.  Instead of prolonging the pain, he chose to have all the extractions done in one sitting, to get them over and done with. So on 31 December 2012, he had five teeth removed altogether - 4 permanent and the last baby tooth.

It was incredibly brave of him - I couldn't have done it myself. I was squeamish enough watching the extractions. After the extractions, he had the brackets and wire fitted before returning home with a mouth full of gauze and metal.

Despite being in a lot of pain and discomfort for the next two days, Andre barely complained. What a trooper!

I did get a scolding from my friend though who called me a bad mummy for making Andre go through the misery of braces just when he had to adjust to a new school and new routine. "Obviously you've never had braces!" Alright, guilty as charged.

Despite the inopportune timing, Andre seems to have adjusted remarkably well so far. Perhaps it's early days yet but he hasn't felt the agonising ache Lesley-Anne experienced with each tightening of the wires. After about a week of liquids and soft foods, he is back to his usual fare, albeit taking a longer time for each meal.

Fingers crossed! Meanwhile, Andre's smile has become especially cheeky - broad and blue-tinged. Love it ♥

New beginnings, new blessings

It's the start of another school year. For Lesley-Anne, moving to sec 4 doesn't signify much change as she won't be doing her O levels. Don't take it to mean there will be less stress though, she's already bracing herself for another whirlwind year.

For Andre though, 2013 meant making the eventful transition from primary to secondary school and in his case, it was even more suspenseful as the school he would attend was up in the air all through to the very last day of 2012.

What happened was this:

Andre was posted to School A which he was very comfortable with, as many of his friends were there. We like the environment there, so it would seem like an open and shut case. However, we had one issue with School A - it had a rather lackadaisical badminton CCA.

For many parents, this would not be a big deal but for us, it was a niggling concern. While we're not claiming that badminton is something that has to take centrestage in Andre's life, we have found that it gives him focus. The structure and rigour of badminton training, and being part of a team with similar sporting goals go a long way towards keeping Andre grounded. We felt that this was especially important for the critical teen years and if Andre had stayed at School A, he might end up coasting aimlessly.

Even before the school posting results, Andre's badminton coach had recommended that he tried appealing to School B, which has a decent badminton programme. We had previously attended School B's open house and were pretty impressed by the school ethos and the principal. We had also spoken to parents who had kids in the school and the general feedback was that it has dedicated teachers who take a real interest in the students.

Andre's coach made her recommendation to School B's teacher in charge of badminton, Mr L, who incidentally is very invested in promoting the sport and building up his school team. Andre went for a trial where he enjoyed playing with the school team tremendously. He must have made an impression on Mr L because the teacher told me later that he would love to have Andre and pulled out all the stops with his recommendation to the principal.

However, by the last week of December, Andre's chances of appeal began to fade when Mr L revealed that there were few vacancies in the school this year and the principal had told him the answer was likely to be no. We were mentally preparing ourselves to settle Andre in School A when Mr L updated me on Friday, 28 December that he made one last attempt to convince the principal of Andre's worth. He even told her, "you don't know what you're missing out on" which touched me - he had so much faith in a boy he barely knew.

Finally, on the morning of 31 December, I received a call from School B's general office saying that Andre's appeal was successful. He was the only badminton student the school took in via appeals this year. It was the best New Year's gift we could have asked for. When I sms-ed Mr L to tell him the good news, he was delighted and said he would try his best to help Andre thrive in the school, not just in badminton but academically as well.

As usual, God's timing was impeccable. True, He kept us in suspense right to the end but the message was clear - He will provide. In fact, God didn't just provide a school for Andre, He gave him one which looks to suit him well. It seems to have a nurturing culture, and it will give Andre the discipline and joy of the sport he loves, with a team that he feels very comfortable with. On top of all that, He sent a mentor who believes in Andre and is prepared to watch over him.

Such provision, way beyond our expectations. I write this as a reminder to myself as well, as I tend to get discouraged too often and too easily. I remember how Lesley-Anne's secondary school choice was also God-led and how it has been a blessing to her. When God gives, He gives generously. I can't wait to see what's in store! 

The spirit of giving

One of the most thoughtful Christmas gifts we received this year was a gift card from our kids for Alternative Gifts International. How this works is that instead of getting a traditional present, the giver gives you a gift card for whatever amount he or she chooses, which you can then "redeem" by choosing to give that amount to a charity of your choice.

In a society where we often get far more stuff than we could ever use or need, getting a donation in your name is definitely more meaningful than say, getting yet another pair of socks. This organisation is pretty good - it pledges that at least 90% of your gift will go to the beneficiary and there are many beneficiaries to choose from, depending on what cause you prefer to support.

Since we're big believers of education (duh) and we prefer to first support countries closer to home, we chose to help kids in Myanmar stay in school.

I imagine that organisations like this one tend to see the bulk of giving at the year-end season, what with the Christmas celebrations and all. But what about the other times of the year?

One of my regular clients is SingHealth located at the SGH campus. When I go for meetings, I usually use the overhead bridge outside Outram MRT where an elderly blind man patiently stands or sits on a little stool, selling packets of tissue and sweets. I always make it a point to give him a few dollars and take a packet of tissue or a tube of Mentos.

The strange thing is that over the past few years, I've gotten so used to seeing him there that I have subconsciously, come to look out for him. On the rare occasion he's not there, I get a niggling worry at the back of my head that something has happened to him and I hope he's alright. Then when I see him again the next time like a faithful sentinel, I feel happy, like the world is right again.     

It's irrational, I know. What I give him is an insignificant token and he doesn't know me, nor me him. Yet I've come to think of him fondly as the SingHealth uncle and it feels like I've adopted him somehow.

If I may attempt to explain my feelings, I think it's because for most of us, charity is a faceless group of people or an organisation. Even though many Singaporeans complain that not enough is being done for the less fortunate, whether it's for the elderly, handicapped, special needs kids, I find it disturbing that often, we expect either the government or others to look after this lot. Worse than inaction, some folks even wash their hands of the entire issue, as shown in the HDB dwellers who protested over having the old folks home built near their flats. Not my problem, not in my back yard.

When we put a face to charity, however, as in the case of my SingHealth uncle, we can't help but have a different perspective. When we realise that the needy is an actual person who could be our grandma, our uncle, our neighbour, it becomes very difficult to simply walk on by. Giving is no longer a chore or a duty, it is something we feel compelled to do. I can say, in all honesty, when I give to my SingHealth uncle, I'm more blessed by him than vice versa.

As we do our New Year resolutions and reflect on how good God has been to us throughout the year, may we not have to find a reason or a season for giving. I hope you will open your hearts to people in need and give generously - whether in cash, kind or service.  And may you be richly blessed.

A very happy 2013 to everyone.

How to go about sec 1 appeals

Ever since the school posting results for p6 kids on 19 December, there has been a flurry of activity around secondary schools in Singapore, with regards to appeals. Since appeals are handled by each school individually, MOE doesn't give much information on appeals on their website, so I thought I would write a post on it to give more clarity to interested parents.

School postings results are usually around the third week of December. It's a very straightforward process these days. No need to go down to school to find out which school your child has been posted to, you will receive the results via sms.

From what I know, this is where the buzz starts. Usually, you'll get many students and parents who are unhappy with the school they've been posted to and want to appeal to another school.  What do you do then?

First, your child will still need to register with the school he's been posted to. Have your child report to the posted school the following day at 8.30am, wearing his school uniform. There, he will register with the school and confirm his place.

Then, if you wish to appeal to another school, go down to that secondary school and fill in an appeal form (usually, the forms are made available from the day of school posting results). I recommend you call the school to find out what attachments you need to bring, so you can submit the form on the spot and not have to make another trip down.  Some schools make available the appeal forms even before school posting results, so call them and check.

Many common questions I encounter about appeals:

1) How many schools can I appeal to?

You can appeal to as many schools as you want, it's just a matter of legwork and form filling. You don't need to inform the school you've been posted to, until you've been successful in your appeal.  Check the deadline for appeals with the school you're interested in.

2) What do the schools look for in appeals?

I once met a mother who lamented to me that her son couldn't get in via appeal to a secondary school even though his brother was there. My first thought was, "err... you thought that was a valid reason?" I think when appealing, parents need to understand that the principal's main consideration will be, which student can best contribute to the school.

Therefore, the students who stand the best chances of appeals are those who:

a) have a talent in an area that the school needs, typically a CCA (especially niche area). Do note however, that the child will stand a better chance if he has either a record of achievement in that area or has already undergone a trial or audition at the school.  In such cases, the school might accept the student even if the t-score is quite a bit lower than the school's Cut-Off Point (COP). It's important to know that if you are successful for an appeal via CCA, you are expected to commit significantly to that CCA.

b) have a t-score that is very close to the school's COP. Arbitrarily, I would say it needs to be 2 or less. For top schools, you might need to have exactly the same t-score as the COP.  For this batch, you are banking on the fact that when the school has taken in all those they need stated in a), they will just take in appeals to fill vacancies based on those closest to their COP.

c) have put the school high on the priority on the School Option form. This one really depends on the school. Some schools don't care if you've even indicated interest in them initially, some do. But generally, I would say that even if this plays a part, it tends to be a secondary consideration. Criteria a) and b) are still more important.

Here's my personal advice on what reasons generally don't work for appeals:

• My brother/sister/cousin/neighbour studied at your school.
• I live within walking distance of your school.
• My t-score is 10 points lower than your COP but I really really really really really like your school.

I need to stress though, that I'm just a parent, not a teacher or a school administrator. What I'm putting forward is my layperson point of view, based on what I've read and heard from schools and teachers. I'm told that at the end of the day, appeals are approved by the principal so even if you know a department head or board member, all he or she can do is put in a good word for you. The decision still ultimately lies with the principal.

3) How many vacancies do the schools have for appeals?

The appeal process is essentially a nation-wide game of musical chairs. The initial school posting is done by MOE purely based on t-score, ie all the students are all ranked based on t-score and given their choices accordingly until all the vacancies in each school are filled up.

This means that after the school posting exercise, most schools start off with no vacancies and have to wait till students successfully appeal out before they can take in their own appeal students. As you can imagine, this is a massive logistics exercise of epic luan-ness and the schools have all of two weeks to complete it.  This is why some schools, up to the second week of January, are still confirming appeal cases.

From what I've seen, a huge number of students appeal. The 250 scorers want to appeal to the 260 schools, the 240 scorers appeal to the 250 schools, and so on. Common sense then dictates that much of the process is first determined by the top schools and how many appeals they can accept, before domino-ing to the rest of the schools. As you would expect, the top schools tend to have extremely limited vacancies for appeals.

4) What should I expect after submitting the form and when will I know the results?

Many schools will tell you that they will inform only successful applicants. So if you want to know the results in the meantime, you'll need to call the school yourself for an update. Some schools require shortlisted students to go for interviews or trials so my advice is, don't plan any overseas vacations during this period.

Most schools inform the successful applicants by end December but as explained in 3), sometimes vacancies don't open up until early January so you'll need to be mentally prepared for such a scenario, if you're really keen on the school.

If you have been successful in your appeal, you'll be given a letter of offer which you should then bring to your original posted school to complete the transfer. 



My personal take on appeals is, do consider carefully what is your reason for wanting to appeal and your chances of success.  Often, I find that the reason for appeal is simply that the parent wants the child to go to a better school, with "better" being narrowly defined by the COP.

I once met a mother who told me she wanted to transfer her son from School A to School B because the badminton training sessions at School A took up a lot of time and were affecting his studies. I was puzzled as School B is a badminton niche school with an even more intensive training schedule than School A. When I told her about it, she replied, "Oh, but School B's O level results are better."

I find it baffling how some parents believe if they thrust their academically weak child into an academically strong environment, the child will magically blossom and churn out straight As along with everyone else.  Sorry, it doesn't work that way. Incidentally, I always look at a school's value-add score more so than their academic scores as that tells you how much impact the school had on the student.

Anecdotally, I've found that once parents and students report to the posted school, they find that it's  not too bad afterall.  It's just the initial shock or disappointment at not being given their first choice school.  But sometimes, coming to terms with the school and making your child feel comfortable with it is the best thing you can do for him, to help make the transition to secondary school a smooth one. Consider too that the first two weeks in a secondary school is usually the orientation period where kids make friends and adjust to a new environment. Transferring him out to a another school after that can be very unsettling and make him feel out of place.

I find that many neighbourhood schools in Singapore these days have fantastic facilities and a very dedicated teaching staff.  It's about finding an environment where your child can thrive in and you don't necessarily find that in a branded school.  In fact, many neighbourhood schools look after the kids much more so than in top schools which expect their students to be independent and perform from the onset.

While the PSLE t-score is not a perfect indicator of ability, it does offer a rough gauge. I would hesitate to put my child in a school which has a COP significantly higher than his t-score. I've heard anecdotal accounts where kids enter a school via DSA or appeals with t-scores some 30 or 40 points lower than the school's COP.  More often than not, the mismatch in ability ends up with the kids struggling for four years to keep up.

With this in mind, I would urge parents to take a longer term perspective - getting a foot into a choice school is merely the first move on a board game. Getting to the end having had an enriching experience is the real objective. Like with anything in life, you increase your odds of success if you operate with the end in mind. 

Here's wishing all readers a very blessed Christmas!