Comment on Janelle Lee's view of Singapore's education system

Janelle Lee's letter has changed my view towards the education system of Singapore completely. Once I thought to be the best in the world, now I realise its major flaws. By bombarding us with facts, we are not able to ask 'why' questions, as she said. Our thinking will be shallow. If we are able to be effective thinkers and ask questions, imagine how fast will the world develop, inventions are made by previous scientists thanks to their curiosity to find out more. Example such as science, is a good way to express the flaw. In science, schools teach us about atoms and what they form, but never where they come from. If this was found out, imagine what a revelation it would make. How would shallow minded thinkers lead a country? They only depend on facts and their own knowledge to lead the country, without thinking and questioning about more effective ways. Janelle Lee's letter also adressed about the character development. She was right, it depends on the character if a person is going to do well in studies or not. Teachers also should not use those classes for other subjects as those classes could be considered the most important among all subjects, although it is not graded.

An ideal education system is possible, but to achieve this feat, the system must prepare the student morally, intellectually, socially, aesthetically and physically for life, or else it is not considered a ideal education system. But to do this, each student would have to be analysed as different people would need different methods to educate them about those required qualities. The streaming is not very effective as those that are good in studies but have bad attitude will be together with those good in some other ways but bad in others, are not able to learn together. To achieve most effective learning, students will have to take different classes with those similar quality people. Thus, for an effective education system, it has to be diversified and planned very carefully

The Religion of Water

Water, as a commotive is something everyone neds and have to be purchased. For example water bills Singaporeans have to pay if they used water at their homes. Water as a human right, meant that everyone deserves to get water, with or without a price tag. Its not about the money, its about the fact that water does not belong to anybody. Water is part of Earth and Earth cannot be purchased by anyone, nor is there a king of the world. In my opinion, I feel that water should be a human right to have it. To be honest, governments, kings do not have any right to claim that the water surrounding their countries are theirs, water is supposed to be a consumable for everyone to survive. If we humans have to buy water, then why do animals do not have to? They drink water everyday, some even more than us. If we look at the situation in this angle, water should be for everyone for free, a human right to drink it without cost.

Legislation of weekly days off for maids working in Singapore

Should giving weekly days off be legislated in Singapore? Well in my opinion, it should be. According to a report conducted, Singapore's maids compared to other countries, are the lowest paid, although they have the most working hours. This is already the primary factor that gives a valid reason for the legislation of weekly days for maids working in Singapore. Would not it be unfair if those maids work the whole day but are not allowed weekdays off? Compare those maids to those normal working citizens, there is a drastic difference between them, those maids in Singapore deserve rest, considering the amount of work they have done to their employer's family. Human rights exist in this world, slaves were banned but if these maids were not given any holidays, would not they be slaves? Those puny salaries are considered nothing in the higher cost of living in the modern world, if weekly days off are not given, then at least increase their salaries. Considering the stringent entry test in to Singapore for maids. Thus, I feel that weekly days off should be legislated in Singapore, what Halimah Yacob did was just getting the maids' justice back

Analysis on poem - children in the darkness

POINT OF VIEW - A 3rd person's
Edvidence - The poet is talking about 'them' which referred to the children and how they have 'no light'
Elaboration - Being a 3rd person, the poet wants to convey the message to people around the world on how pitiful these children were, abused since young, they were forced to fight wars instead of studying in schools

SITUATION AND SETTING - Pitiful children in a third world country
Edvidence - 'children in the darkness' and 'war consume them'
Elaboration - These phrases meant that there was a war going on and these children have to take the hard path and fight a war for the cruel leaders. Instead of studying in schools, these pitiful children are being brainwashed to fight a war/

LANGUAGE/DICTION - Metaphors etc
Edvidence - 'Light'
Elaboration - The 'light' in the poem did not meant the lightbulb kind of light. It refers to the children's future. The bad people have ruined the childrens future, surrounding them with 'darkness'. The poet wrote the poem with a touching tone that want readers to pity these children

PERSONAL RESPONSE -
Edvidence - I feel touched and relate these events with the current world
Elaboration - This poem evoked feelings in me, unable to lead a normal life like us kids, these children have been brainwashed to fight wars. But we are unable to anything about it. Comparing these children to countries around Libya, the situation is the same. Suffering children

Report of poem - Children in the darkness

This poem is talking about children, not leading a normal life. They were forced to fight in the war, equipped with weapons instead of books and pencils which they should have at their age. They should be studying in school, but some evil people put them in the wrong direction, making and teaching those pitiful children how to fight a war

Does nuclear energy still have a part to play in this world?

I think that it still has a part to play. The electricity we get now is mainly through the burning of fossil fuels. Intensive research by scientists has shown that fossil feuls is not going to last forever and cannot be produced in a short time, not even a century. Fossil feul naturally is produced after hundreds of millions of years when the bodies of dead organisms decompose. Thus, with our unecessary excess usage of electricity, it has lead to a faster rate of burning of fossil feul. People these days use more and more electricity so thus, nuclear energy came about. Nuclear energy can last for a much longer time and although it costs alot to built a nuclear plant, the rewards are promising. A country can save alot on electrical bills and save the environment, killing two birds with one stone.

Letter to relative in Singapore

Dear Aunt,

  Surviving the recent Tsunami was a very traumatising experience for me. 

  I was just going home from school when it came. I did not know what to do. I felt vibration suddenly so I acted on my instincts and clung on to a lamp post to stop myself from falling. After that, I figured that I had better get onto a high ground and stay there in case there is a Tsunami as I live in a town beside the ocean. As I expected, the Tsunami came. It was horrifying. The wave crashed upon the town and destroyed everything in its path, leaving behind a trail of mass destruction. A cruise ship came along with it and it crashed onto the roof of a nearby building. I saw my house being submerged in the 10 metre wave and I was shocked at the power Mother Nature. It all happened in the blink of an eye. 

  Me and the people that were stranded on the roof of the school we were on were the lucky ones. We were rescued immediately and were brought to the shelter.

  This is the first time I had seen a Tsunami and experienced an earthquake and it was a horrifying experience for me. I have no idea what lies in the future and there had been numerous aftershocks happening since we brought to the shelter. And recently there was bad news that the fukushima nuclear plant had exploded.

Yours sincerly

Jun Hong