tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post113980312652481823..comments2024-03-14T22:55:24.426+08:00Comments on Mr Wang Bakes Good Karma: Language & NumbersGilbert Koh aka Mr Wanghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01027678080233274309noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140540831168998512006-02-22T00:53:00.000+08:002006-02-22T00:53:00.000+08:00Hey erm, Singaporean, maybe you should go over to ...Hey erm, Singaporean, maybe you should go over to Huicheieh's blog to continue the discussion as well? Give a comment or two on the hard work he put in?<BR/><BR/>And I am curious as to your polytechnic comments. What do you mean they are prevented from expanding their program upwards? In what sense, fields of studies etc etc?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140493108563083322006-02-21T11:38:00.000+08:002006-02-21T11:38:00.000+08:00I didnt say NUS is crap. I said it is mediocre. Li...I didnt say NUS is crap. I said it is mediocre. Like most things in Singapore, it is good enough, but nothing to shout about.<BR/><BR/>Like Tharman said, Singapore is an exam-based meritocracy. The top 20% who are in NUS/NTU/SMU are sorted out based on first their O level exam results, then their A level results. There are plenty of talented Singaporeans dumped in the polytechnics because of poorsingaporeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740602176668303504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140280374639077622006-02-19T00:32:00.000+08:002006-02-19T00:32:00.000+08:00Off to catch the first Toronto-Singapore film fest...Off to catch the first <A HREF="http://singaporeangle.blogspot.com/2006/01/first-toronto-singapore-short-film_30.html" REL="nofollow">Toronto-Singapore film fest</A> soon. All the best.Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140280248223974572006-02-19T00:30:00.000+08:002006-02-19T00:30:00.000+08:00(sigh...this is very habit forming): 1. I'm not su...(sigh...this is very habit forming): <BR/><BR/>1. I'm not sure what you mean by "point of view"--as far as I know, it's both the official policy -and- what statistical data there are is consistent with it.<BR/><BR/>The present rate of growth has two components--the local and the international. Without the latter, there will still be the former, but the overall rate will be smaller.<BR/><BR/>If Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140258330018606232006-02-18T18:25:00.000+08:002006-02-18T18:25:00.000+08:00Huichieh,I am not expecting a reply, here are just...Huichieh,<BR/><BR/>I am not expecting a reply, here are just some questions in my head regarding your analysis:<BR/><BR/>1) Whether the foreign student intake runs in parallel is really a matter of your point of view. If the local universities desire growth at present rates, it will have to re-examine the present admission policies, if it werent for generous government funding of PRC scholarshipssingaporeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740602176668303504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140243282913645802006-02-18T14:14:00.000+08:002006-02-18T14:14:00.000+08:00Ok, I'm back.Singaporean said: The founding princi...Ok, I'm back.<BR/><BR/>Singaporean said: <I>The founding principle of Singapore is that of equality and meritocracy. Dr Aline Wong was quoted as saying all local students who qualify for a university place would gain entry to a Singapore university and that places would always be competitive due to the number being determined by "projected manpower needs". But what must a student do to _qualify_ Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140109041235583572006-02-17T00:57:00.000+08:002006-02-17T00:57:00.000+08:00I have a presentation in 4 hours, and even without...I have a presentation in 4 hours, and even without that, I really should get back to my work. So, though I would like to respond to the latest comments by "Singaporean" and "Karp", it may take a while. I hope you don't mind. In the meantime, I beg you (yes, you: "Singaporean" and "Karp") to take a look at the data (and tentative analysis) presented in my <A HREF="http://Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140083154133386372006-02-16T17:45:00.000+08:002006-02-16T17:45:00.000+08:00What if he is not academically inclined?Ay, it's y...<I>What if he is not academically inclined?</I><BR/><BR/>Ay, it's your right to do many things, just because you have a right to, doesnt mean u do it. It's just about having access to that right. If you are academically inclined , and wish to pursue a university education, than the choice to study should not be denied on the fact that there are not enough places in the university. 20% foreign Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140078808324882542006-02-16T16:33:00.000+08:002006-02-16T16:33:00.000+08:00If Singapore universities are genuinely meritocrat...If Singapore universities are genuinely meritocratic, we should have<BR/><BR/>1) A unified admission system. No tweaked requirements to make it easier for foreigners. For the longest time, the universities strictly capped the admission of the polytechnic graduates into the universities, precisely because the government wants to see the bulk of local graduates jump through the A level and singaporeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740602176668303504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140075125582236942006-02-16T15:32:00.000+08:002006-02-16T15:32:00.000+08:00The founding principle of Singapore is that of eq...The founding principle of Singapore is that of equality and meritocracy. <BR/><BR/>Dr Aline Wong was quoted as saying all local students who qualify for a university place would gain entry to a Singapore university and that places would always be competitive due to the number being determined by "projected manpower needs".<BR/><BR/>But what must a student do to _qualify_ for a place in Singaporesingaporeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740602176668303504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140071792735513012006-02-16T14:36:00.000+08:002006-02-16T14:36:00.000+08:00Takchek pointed to something interesting and relev...<A HREF="http://takchek.blogspot.com/2006/02/notable-news-on-singapore-education.html" REL="nofollow">Takchek</A> pointed to something interesting and relevant from a 2004 <A HREF="http://www.moe.gov.sg/speeches/2004/sp20040318e.htm" REL="nofollow">"Reply by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Acting Minister for Education on Higher Education" in parliament"</A>. I quote:<BR/><BR/><I>24. Mr Low Thia KiangHuichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140060868329930792006-02-16T11:34:00.000+08:002006-02-16T11:34:00.000+08:00re: your last para. Well, I'll admit to have said ...re: your last para. Well, I'll admit to have said that tongue in cheek. Funny because I was just having a conversation with a friend who taught for a while at --blank-- JC and he thought that the level of English was atrocious. Note however, that the true implication of what you are saying is that NUS/NTU should beef up the English competency requirement across the board, for all students, local Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140057834874374082006-02-16T10:43:00.000+08:002006-02-16T10:43:00.000+08:00"My own sense is that it is precisely the relative..."<I>My own sense is that it is precisely the relative lack of such a range of tertiary options that is the true underlying cause of the problem in Singapore.</I>"<BR/><BR/>That's my point in the perks of citizenship. tertiary options are lacking. and yet, it seems that locals do not have priority entry. what is detering some richer singaporeans from pursuing education overseas is the cost - and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140053264596356202006-02-16T09:27:00.000+08:002006-02-16T09:27:00.000+08:00Anyway, thanks (or no thanks) to this thread, I fo...Anyway, thanks (or no thanks) to this thread, I found myself pouring over what little is provided by way of statistics on the Singapore Education Digest (and other sources) to draw some <B>tentative</B> conclusions about the extent to which the increasing number of international students in the local universities have somehow made it harder for the locals to get into NUS/NTU. So this is a <A HREFHuichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140034462884382292006-02-16T04:14:00.000+08:002006-02-16T04:14:00.000+08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140034340061529592006-02-16T04:12:00.000+08:002006-02-16T04:12:00.000+08:00true, but u cannot enter uni if you get below d7 f...<I>true, but u cannot enter uni if you get below d7 for ao-level chinese, or fail chinese b syllabus, but you can enter nus if u fail english.</I><BR/><BR/>Note quite. If you really fail English, as in is incompetent in English, I'll wager that it is neigh impossible for you to have met the other requirements at the 'A' levels. The last I checked, those exams are administered in English.<BR/><BR/Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140030144334846462006-02-16T03:02:00.000+08:002006-02-16T03:02:00.000+08:00posted on a forum by a foreign undergraduate with ...posted on a forum by a foreign undergraduate with regard to the recent fee hike:<BR/><BR/>"$180 might not be a burden to local people.But need they ever think that almost half of the student from NUS are foreigners.Not every student are from rich contry like Singapore.$180 did cost a lot. I can use this money for 2 moths for my daily expension.<BR/><BR/>Do they think that Singapore Government Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1140019984213582132006-02-16T00:13:00.000+08:002006-02-16T00:13:00.000+08:00I just want to correct one or two misconceptions. ...I just want to correct one or two misconceptions. Since we're talking about undergraduates here, most Ivies hover in the range of 6-10% international students, according to Princeton review, which would be a fair estimate to me. <BR/><BR/>International students provide diversity, according to the officials anyway. The competition is inherent in the application process. My guess is that Singapore Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139994903660609282006-02-15T17:15:00.000+08:002006-02-15T17:15:00.000+08:00Haha, interesting 20% quota for foreign students. ...Haha, interesting 20% quota for foreign students. I can imagine the reasoning behind to be as follows:<BR/><BR/>Premise: Harvard, Princeton, MIT etc are world class universities. What do we see in these universities, we see many International students!<BR/><BR/>Conclusion: To make NUS/NTU/SMU world class, let us increase the proportion international students in them!<BR/><BR/>Correlation Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139940874859269832006-02-15T02:14:00.000+08:002006-02-15T02:14:00.000+08:00But look, my supposed disagreement with you is a f...But look, my supposed disagreement with you is a fairly narrow one. You might consider it nitpicking--and that's your right. Perhaps it is nitpicking (but it also implies that I am actually in agreement with you on other issues).<BR/><BR/>The question I am trying to figure out is simply this: how will changing the admissions criteria--especially the MT criteria--actually help with all the issues Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139938296831034162006-02-15T01:31:00.000+08:002006-02-15T01:31:00.000+08:00Huichieh,you are approaching the matter in a very ...Huichieh,<BR/><BR/>you are approaching the matter in a very academic way. Do you actually know any PRC undergraduate at all? You are free to prove me wrong, but I know a fair number of PRC Engineering undergrads and I believe almost every single PRC student you see in NUS come under (c), ie full fee paid for, plus up to 5k allowance every year (and that is more than the annual pay of the average singaporeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16740602176668303504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139935923202832372006-02-15T00:52:00.000+08:002006-02-15T00:52:00.000+08:00aiyah so easy to solve this problem!first let me s...aiyah so easy to solve this problem!<BR/><BR/>first let me summarise: <BR/><BR/>Local or PRC fees for local university - negligible difference.<BR/><BR/>but PRCs seem to get into local uni more easily than locals.<BR/><BR/>whereas overseas degrees are considered better than local degrees. <BR/><BR/>Solution: Let local uni take in 100% PRC, and gahmen subsidise all local students (like they Rockiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05712687611098406748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139927190881254742006-02-14T22:26:00.000+08:002006-02-14T22:26:00.000+08:00As for what foreigners I was talking about, I was ...<I>As for what foreigners I was talking about, I was intentionally vague. I was referring to the PRC students. The numbers I quoted were mentioned in this PRC article.</I><BR/><BR/>Ok, I just read the article on NTU's recruitment exercise in 浙江. (a) The bulk of the students are self paying (自费). (b) Some few selected on the basis of results can apply for part of all of the the tuition grant, and Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139925640630345242006-02-14T22:00:00.000+08:002006-02-14T22:00:00.000+08:00hasnt it occurred to you that for a Singaporean to...<I>hasnt it occurred to you that for a Singaporean to study in Australia, one has to pay to fly there, pay for the food and lodging and pay quite a bit more than an Aussie citizen in school fees, and for some Singaporeans like me in my younger days, it was prohibitively expensive. And as someone who had seriously considered getting a loan, I dont think the options are many, for undergraduate Huichiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11909418369185679346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12908820.post-1139924230817259272006-02-14T21:37:00.000+08:002006-02-14T21:37:00.000+08:00GP as entry into university is not so much of a bi...GP as entry into university is not so much of a big deal. u can fail your gp, but still be able to enter university - that is, if u have straight As. i have two classmates in my cohort who had this situation. <BR/><BR/>of course, as someone who's been through the entire education train pri-sec-jc-uni route, i've come to the conclusion that foreigners have it better in singapore than singaporeans.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com