The Social Studies Corner

now if i am the prime minister of singapore, what i would mostly concentrate on would be how to sustain singapore's developement for the years to come...

each day, singapore is facing more and more competition from other countries...we cannot alone rely on manfacturing, but push forth in the various fields of education, health, entertainment.

these would be best to ensure the stability of sg..of course there are plenty...
 

well..if i am the prime minister of singapore..I would make sure singapre has a improve and bigger music sence..we have a lot of rare
talents...but we are not exploiting it and some says we aren't showing enough creativity
and also, lowering the cost of gst and taxes..well..if you were to go to a restaurant..you will realise that GST and TAxes are causing a burn in your pocket..
 

jocelyn...

improving the music scene is a good idea as that will allow more musically inclined people to take part in. however, sg's musical talent pool is small, if improving the music scene, is it economically viable or a waste of money ?

with your move of lowering taxes, there may be a negative side...

- cost of raw materials in the world are increasing and businesses need the extra money, if you lower a certain source of income-the taxes, wont they complain ?
 

If im the prime minister of Singapore... I will broadcast every single match of world cup on Channel 5. lol.

ok...Im Serious now. I will introduce the F1 formula race track in Singapore to boost our economy. This will bring about revenue for the country to work with. No doubt there will be an initial pinch to fork out the capital.
 

Desiree...the point that you said..educate youngsters in their attitude of learning like us(some) are not showing interest towards studying...Well.. to what i think..It would be hard to educate those youngsters...I think family upbringing and how parents discipline their children that affects the way how children/younsters show interest in learning...
If you said educate them.. what are the ways and how?.. i mean most youngsters have their mind of their own..and would they listen to what you teach them?
 

to michel :

bringin the f1 formula track racing to singapore is a good idea, however, is there enough land space for the arena to be built ?
 

to desiree :

that is a good option you have chosen in such that you aspire to bring about education to all youngsters. however, not all people have the interest to study in school, some prefer to do more practical work and get their experience from there. perhaps those who have quit school, we should concentrate on them in the other aspects of life other than academics, perhaps that would be better ?
 

Good and interesting ideas have been posted. More can be said or discussed about the ideas while giving your own suggestions of measures to take as a Prime Minister. Also, it would be interesting if you could link your suggestions to the principle of good governance we have learnt in class. E.g. As a Prime Minister I would get to know the people and do what they want. However, where necessary, I would need to apply 'pragmatism' to do what is necessary for the nation.
 

Announcing the Arrival of Singapore's 4rd Prime Minister. 'hawKS!'loLs. Thinking too much? yea! Ok. Singapore needs to move. 50% GST. COE + GCT( Goverment Car Tax) to get a car. More CPF contributions .MORE TAX. Wahahahas. Nahs, if i do that, why in the first place people will vote me. loLs. My Parents will be the first to kill me. loLs. 'so expensive, goverment(which is me) still want to increase?''walao!'*smiling behide* hahas. If i become the PM of Singapore. erm. 'i'll be rich?' nahs. not that. First, i will introduce more family days. 5 days week? Why cant we be like australia. 4 days week. Though economy will be slightly affected. But i feel Singapore family arent as bonded. Most family times equal to a better Singapore. This will also make the people less stressful. They will give their best in the other 4 days instead of 5 days trying to meerly pass by it without effort. Parents also get to communicate with their children better with more free time. Get to know their life better. Ensure that they are on the right track of life. Care for their kids more too. Crime case which concern teenagers are on the rise. Most done because parent are not there for them. I would want all Singaporean to be like our malay community. Really bonded. In times of help, they could even help each other. Yup. At the end of the day, JUST VOTE FOR ME! loLs. JK.

'hawKS- benghock*
 

Reena - your comments have been deleted as it is politically sensitive. Beng Hawk - use proper English.
 

Any student who does not post 5 posts on 2 or 3 different occasions, would be required to do another set of assignment when school re-opens. Deadlines should be strictly adhered to as well.

thank you :)
 

frankly speaking from a practical point of view...

changing singapore's workforce to a 4 day week is NOT RECOMMENEDED. It is already because of the 5 day week, many average Singaporeans are working overtime. They thus have tighter deadlines to meet, and a backload of work to complete.

I feel that if we changed the workforce to a 4 day week, there will be 2 different opinions. People will be happy that they have 3 days to rest, but that is providing they completed their work. Furthermore, the 4 days of work will be very stressful.
 

For the aspect of forward looking, we must actually look beyond the years of 2020 where the IRs would be up and running, and Singapore would be an entertainment hub. Many aspects need to be considered for Singapore's survival. Like manufacturing trade, Singapore's entertainment hub in the future may slow down. By then, needs of people would have changed.

I feel that a balance of manufacturing, entertainment and r&d would be best in sustaining singapore's future for the next 20 years. after which, more thinking is needed.
 

Agree with Justin on the 4 day week matter. When we went into the 5 days week, the working hours have increased. the 4 to 5 hours of work on a Saturday has to be done on a weekday - thus longer working days. That is fine because we get a good weekend. If it is 4 days week, we might have to work even longer to make up for the 8 hours. Working less might not be an option given the need to remain relevant and competitive in this globalised world.
 

"If I am the Prime Minister of Singapore..."

Yah,IF only.Haha...

I think i will increase the %tage of poly graduates for university admission erm, in singapore.
 

Increasing the percentage of university admissions from poly:
* can let the poly graduates have a bigger chance of recieving higher education.
 

%YAH%, then the poly graduates can also have a degree instead of a normal diploma pass intothe working world.
 

TO MICHEL:
ERM... actually i quite like your idea of introducing the F1 formula race track in Singapore to boost our economy.
 

CONTINUED:
But, come to think of it, is it practical??? Like what Justin said,is there enough land space for the arena to be built ?
Erm,also,i'd like to ask,is the F1 formula track racing happening often? Because if it doesn't, and if it only happens like ANNUALLY, it really isn't practical.
 

BUT all in all, it's quite a great idea(>.<)
 

TO MHUD:
regarding your "instill a harsher law in spore".
Actually hor, the law in s'pore very harsh already leh. if you're gonna make it harsher,your citizens might consider migrating to other countries because the law here is TOO HARSH for them to take it!!!
 

If I am the prime minister of Singapore, I will actively promote healthy lifestyle through media. When people falls sick, the cost of medicine and use of equipment are usually very high. Although medisave can help the people lessen their burden, it cannot last long if one contracts an illness that require long-term treatment. Usually, the main cause of most illness is our eating habit. Thus, by actively promoting the importance of eating healthily, the need of exercising and the consequences of getting sick, people will tend to take notice and the number of people falling sick will be reduced. This will also help to improve Singapore’s economy as with less people falling sick, there will be more people working.
 

If I am the pm of Singapore, I will decrease the amount of medical bill as I really think medical bills in S’pore are very HIGH. Especially to those older and poor people and those people have illness. They do not have so much money to pay their medical bill. To them their best doctor is do not sick. In Singapore, the older people are not so educated they do no know how to get help from the government. By doing so, they can reduce their worrying on the cost of the bill.
 

As we know, handicap has problem moving from places to place. For convenient sake, they usually take taxi. a normal person like us, we can take public transport instead of taxi.

taxi fees is more expensive than public transport , thus if I am the pm of Singapore I will give those disables privileges of pay a smaller amount of fees when they taking taxi.
 

If I am the pm of Singapore , I will make whole of sigapore become wireless. In this way, you can surf internet anywhere u want, as long as you log in your password. Is it very convenient?
 

Compare to Japan, I think that Singapore is still not a very ‘green’ country, so if I were the Pm in Singapore I will put more recycle bin around the neighborhood. I think by putting recycle in school is not enough.

This can help to promote green environment in Singapore and schools should educated the people about environment issue. People can be encouraged to recycle, reuse and reduced materials, and also encourage the public to play an active role in protecting the environment.
 

If I am the pm of Singapore, I will increase the number of hour of CIP hour.
I think six hours of CIP will not let student have a sense of belonging in the country. They also will not show care and concern to other. So I would like to increase CIP hours.
 

I agree with waranya about increasing the admission of poly students in the local universities. More chance should be given to students studying in poly. Like what farah said it does not mean that if you are clever academically u can always succeed.
 

i agree with waranya on increasing the percentage of the admission of the students in poly and university.
without a proper decation,you wouldn't be able to secure a good job in any sectors.with, more people admitted to poly or uni,siagpore will be more ready and prepare 4 the challege ahead. afterall, human is the only resource we have.
 

regarding to a harsher law in singapore,i think that singapore laws are already harsh enough.eg.a person caught taking a certain amount of drugs is given a death penalty.isnit harsh enough?however,despite that,there are still people who dare to bring in drugs and sell.i think that in order to decrease crime rate,family upbring is very important.a child must be taught the correct values since small.
 

If I am the prime minister of Singapore I would like to change the mindsets of employers who think that people age 45 & about are too old to work. Singapore have an aging population, which means, more seniors than youngsters. If we reject the seniors in our workforce, than there would not be sufficient people in the workforce ( bcos aging population).

Furthermore, the seniors are the ones with all the experience accumulated over the pass 20 years, which fresh graduates do not have.

The government may have skills renewing programs for retrenched seniors to learn new skills and get employed again, but if the employers are still bias, then despite the training these ppl would still not get employed.
 

I would also like to raise the people’s awareness on mental illnesses. Victims of mental illness have been on the rise in Singapore. The pace in Singapore is getting faster and faster, people may just succumb under stress, and be down with a mental disorder. Ignorant family members of the victim may well believe that the victim is possessed. Many may seek help from a medium, or delay the victim from getting medical help, worsening the condition in the process. Therefore educating the public on stress-control and symptoms of mental disorder is very important.
 

In school we have health education and sex education, why not include talks on stress-control and mental illnesses. As mental health is as important as physical health. Also people will not be ignorant.

Furthermore, people are our only resource, we must take good care of our people.
 

i agree with zhiyue that the government should organise skills renewing programs for retrenched seniors to learn new skills and get employed again.the senior are retrenched as they could not follow up with new technology thus,become jobless.if they learn new skills and with their rich experience accumulated over the years,it will benefit the country.the elderly may be old,but their brain has not rust.thus,if the employer are smart enough,they will employed them.
 

Regarding the issue on the 4-day week, it is definitely no good. People will be much more stressful. Working time might even eat into the people’s sleeping time. For those workaholics, they may adhere to the four-days week on the surface, and continue working at home.

The 4-day week might also give rise to more victims of mental illnesses
 

i do not agree with ee may that harsher law will result in people migrating to other countries as they could not tolerate or adjust to these Laws.unless the people are planning to commit crime and they are afraid of the consequences in singapore,they will think of migrating to countries which will not easily get caught.moreover,those who commit crime will first find the loophole of that law and then commit it.
however,despite the hasrh law like death penalty for traficking more than a certain amount of drugs,there are still people commiting it.every country have people commiting crimes but differs in number.and it is not easy for a country to have 100% people not commit crime.
 

I would also like to strengthen Singapore’s foothold in the entertainment industry, not only in the aspect of the IRs, but also in the aspect of media and movies. Like what hong hui said, “Singapore could also gain from it”. As thriving in the media and movie industry would help bring about tourist.
 

Eg .many people are captivated by the scenery in the movie ‘Lord Of The Rings’, and the movie did help attract people to go to Australia, to see for themselves the beautiful scenery. Also Korean drama ‘Jewel In The Palace’ (da chang jin) had created a stir in the Chinese population in asia. Many asians are making Korean a must-have in their vacation list. The sceneries featured in four Korean dramas themed with the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) has also attracted many tourist to Korean.
 

I agree with qingmei in her statement “medical bills in S’pore are very HIGH”. Worse still, Some doctor only want to earn your money, like the greenlife clinic at sembawang MRT station, see the doctor only a few seconds , then he ask you to go out le (best when you wanna get an MC fast). But the healthway medical group at sun plaza lvl 3 is very good (but more expensive)
 

I agree that as medical technology advance, the medical fee will definitely rise and citizen can pay their medical fees through medisave or sometimes the hospital subsidise part of the medical fees.

However, is the government doing enough? The amount in Medisave will eventually use up. Those who need long-term treatment will suffer. The amount they need to pay is really a lot. A rich man who fall sick and needed long-term treatment will end up not rich but not to the extent of poor. But what about those who are not rich and get sick?
 

If possible, I think that the government can cut down some of the military funds to subsidise more medical funds. The government can also lower the cost of rental for clinic and thus, the amount one need to pay can also be lower.

As Qingmei mention, to the poor, their best doctor is not to be sick. Thus by telling the people ways to prevent getting sick, the symptom of a particular illness before it get worse and the consequences of being sick through media, more people will know about it and thus prevent it.
 

i agree with what some of my fellows classmates had said...well for the four days matter..i think it would not be a feasible idea...because lets think..typical parents will treat the friday as a holiday,,and would want to rest at home?they keep on complaining that they are tired and finally having a day to rest,they are bound o stay at home...
how is it possible that they are able to spend time with their kids then?..
 

I agree with cihui: the government can cut down some of the military funds to subsidise more medical funds. The government can also lower the cost of rental for clinic.
Everyone will get sick, thus lower the cost of rental for clinic will benefit a lot of people.
 

If I were PM of Singapore, I will give sponsor more on old folk home and orphanage. I think they need our support, care and concern. Although they are some help from other private company like NKF…. I still think that they are no enough
 

I agree with yunti about increase the ‘freedom’ in the freedom of speech, I think this is important. As a pm of a country , he/she need to know what their citizen think. Then, Government can make adjustment and make improvements
 

I agree with jieying ……> build more school. not just normal school that we all went , a school that we can learn more courses and skill.. Especially the adults
If more people upgrade themselves, they will not get fired so easily. They can secure their job, leading unemployment rate went down
 

oH, seems like some pple haven't reply to the comments given...

TO LEROY:
%You said it would be better 2 do away with the streaming.%

I think streaming is for the good of students who are weaker in their studies.BUT, come to think of it, the better learners do benefit too!
 

continued:

((((well, consider u'rself part of the better learners group.If there weren't streaming and the weaker learners are in the same class, the teacher might go slower for the benefit of the weaker ones.the better ones might be restless you know. then they won't really pay attention.
 

CONTINUED:
Okay, now put u'rself in the weaker group. the teacher might teach at a pace you can't take, faster, u see.and the better ones benefit more!
 

*SO*,I HOPE you see my point. streaming is for the benefit of students. The weaker ones are grouped together so that they together can learn at the same pace. AND the better ones can also go faster than the weaker, so as not to waste time you see???
 

WELL, don't take me wrong. I'm not saying erm... the weaker ones pull the better ones down or what. It's juz that everyone have their own pace of learning.
 

And i think this might be the reason for streaming.(the reasons i gave) that's only wat i thought.MOE might have other totally different reasons for streaming...
 

Ok i read nearly all the posts and there are some interesting points which can be further talked about.

Jie Ying, you said that we should build more specialised schools to train students and Hong Hui mentioned courses like hairstyling in the polys.

However, Singapore already has a dwindling population. In the near future, with too many schools, there will not be enough pupils in each classroom and although it allows teachers to focus more on the students, it is more of a waste of resources rather than a benefit.
 

Hong Hui, you mentioned about building more polys and introducing a diverse range of courses such as hairstyling.

It is commendable that you want more polys to be built but we have to remember of Singapore's educatable population. How much are there ? Too little students in a poly is simply a waste of resources until the educatable pop. goes up.

Also, by introducing a diverse range of course, it is good but are all of them going to be beneficial for Singapore ? It would probably be better if the range of courses introduced are targeted at Singapore's growth in the future.
 

Agreeable on the recent posts of improving bilateral relations through the world.

This will further improve Singapore's foothold in the everchanging world and improve trade relations and diplomacy.
 

To Muhd:

Ever heard of the phrase," rules are meant to be broken" ?? Well if there were to be harsher laws to follow, law breakers will take more pleasure at breaking them becos some will find the thrill to just go against the law.

Well like you said,"other western country where there is a lot of notorious criminals." Ever gave a thought to whether those countries have laws that are already harsh??

Still it is a must to have rules and regulations in every nation however the degree of harshness would depend on the nation itself...I personally feel that singapore's Laws are already quite harsh. Like what many of our own people say " Singapore is a FINE country".
 

To Leroy,

I'll agree with your stand about doing away with the streaming in primary school.Personally i feel that it is not right to judge a person's level of intellect at such a young age. Children should really just be allowed to explore with their own capabilities and not be stereotyped under 'slow learners'.

Since Singapore is a country based on meritocracy,we should not stereotype learners into different groups but encourage them instead.This will ensure that future learner would not be stopped by mindsets and barrier but would be daring enough to take the risk in learning and not be afraid to make mistakes.
 

Commenting about bilateral relationships.

Yes it would be very good for deterence as both of the coutries would be able to help each other in times of crisis. Take for example the recent earthquake in Indonesia. Singapore has helped so many victims of the quake and help restore life back to normal. I feel that other countries will come to our aid when we are in crisis.

Still we cannot overly depend our life on another country.Like the NE message states,'No one owes Singapore a Living'. A balance is crucial in this kind of relationships with other countries.
 

Regarding the CIP hours, I think it is not very much on whether the social workers are doing their work - it is more of responsibilities of citizens. We have road sweepers, that does not mean we litter right? However, I do not see the need to increase CIP as much as rationalising and making one understand the CIP they are involved in.
 

To those who are against streaming, what then is the alternative to school dropouts? With streaming, most pupils are able to complete 10 years of education now. This was not the case prior to the introduction of streaming. High school dropout would create social problems such as increase in crime and unemployment, leading to social and economic problems. What is the solution to all these if we do away streaming?
 

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
 

ermx.. i will discipline singaporeans on good attitude.. because attitude is 100%.. correct?? and wif good attitude we can attract foreigners to our country and wif foreigners coming to our country.. our economy will improve.. yupx
 

ok.. den tell wad are the other things that i can do? and wad are the *more* that u type in your post?
 

yupx~!! wif good attitude and manpower.. i think singapore economy will propers~! haha..
 

ok.. but u know what i meant.. haha.. oopx.. typo error.. but den other den skils and attitude i think i will also build up better relationship with other countries so that whenever we need help they will help us and wheneva they need help we would lend a helping hand, like the tsunami..
 

if i were the pm of s'pore,i wld hhmm....go shopping alot lolx..nahx..i wld like to prevent some historical landmarks frm being torn down...i thot of this bcoz the really old national library was torn down...i think they shld have juz renovated it instead of tearing it down...
 

hhmmm..i wld also like to focus some of our funds to build on our fashion scene we onli have a few well-known fashion designers n im sure many more will rise if we provide them more space to unleash their creativity..
 

If i am the prime minister of s'pore, the first thing i want to change is the way singaporeans live. I want to make it more flexible rather then just making them work and work. Due to them working long hours, thye tend to become stress and will start having personal problems. This way, im improving the healthy lifestyle in s'pore also.
 

I would like to agree on pei yi's comment above also. IN my opinion, i think there aren't enough fashion designers in s'pore and therefore sometimes singaporeans lack creativity in doing projects etc. For example, is the IR. We have to get people from other countries to do up the drafts and therefore this can tell how much s'pore lacks creativity in some ways.
 

It is true that the govt. earn by introducing tax and through this taxes, the govt. is able to create a better living standard in s'pore. Therefore, ee may, there are pros and cons if you want to do away or half the taxes.
 

but den pei yi.. i thought we hav given them space to unleased their creativity. example:: there is one pole students that design their own clothes and sell it to the market wad.
 

comments on ray's 12:08 AM post:
Yea. i will agree with ray. but i think even so the goverment now are already try it out. but it's almost impoosible to stop people from driving cars. Cars have indeed made the grow in the economy. u wouldnt expect the whole population taking public transport? do you? if that happens. 8am and 6pm periods will but chaos. Most of the people will be late for work. Economy will also be affected. Yea! like what ferza say. Invent a special fuel. loLs.

'hawKS- benghock*
 

comments on peiyi's 4:46 AM post:
putting fund in the fashion industry? i will only agree to a centain extent though. I think the people will only care about they looks if they are living atleast quite a good life. If funds are putting into this industry it will be good in a way. bad in a way. Good in a way, there maybe lots of fashion designers. A talented one may stand out and become famous, Making singapore proud. Bad? there maybe too much fashion designers. If the economy is bad, worst still. No one would spend their money on designer's clothes. and one by one, the shops will close down. These fashion designers will also be jobless. But this is if the economy is bad. But for now. I think i will be a good thing. :)

'hawKS- benghock*
 

to mich 8:12 PM comments:
one of the first one though. missed it. hmm. Like what justin says will there be enough space? the most i would say is 1 f1 track in singapore. i dont think singapore would make one. the space could be use for many other things. "F1 formula race track in Singapore to boost our economy. This will bring about revenue for the country to work with." you think so. What if the space was use to build MNCs wouldnt that also bring a good revenue. and there wouldnt a such a big pinch. As companys have to pay they share too. 1 track in singapore will also attract not many racers the most one race per year? So i dont think it will be a good investment.

'hawKS- benghock*
 

On justin 1:25 AM post:
I would disagree with you though Mr Sulaiman agree's with you. If im working now. I would rather work longer hrs than have a shorter week end. People do feel that the weekend is too short. Like the recent holidays on a friday. the weekend was 3 days. People really feel the holiday was like a month. On the next monday. they feel much refresh. So i still feel 4 day week will do more good than harm. :)

'hawKS- benghock*
 

i would like to agree on hawks latest post. To me i think that the weekends are too short so it would be better if singaporeans would have a longer weekend so that they can be refresh on monday.
 

Last thing i would want to know the people well enough so that i will be able to create a better singapore for them to live in and thus creating a better bond between me as the prime minister and the people of singapore. :)
 

i am still standing firm on my point about the 4 day work week.

What aiman and beng hock says about people having more rest over the 3 days is true, but that is a novelty that will soon fade .

On first hand, it may seem that the 4 day work week is going to be beneficial. However, sooner or later, people will experience burnout cases where they will feel that their workload is too much to handle.

Furthermore, it may instigate some thoughts in the people that if the government can implement a 4 day work week, why cant it implement a 3 day work week. Eventually, Singapore's economy will deteriorate and the people will be much more unhappier with a poorer economy. Prices will increase and people will have less income.

Is that what you would want ?
 

well..agreeing with wee chun :
singaporeans are not lack of creativity, it just tat they are 'hidden'. therefore if im the pm of singapore i will build more schools tat could discover some of the 'hidden' talent, like sport school... ..YuPps.if iam the prime minister of singapore, i would build more of this type of schools..where the talents are the pupils could be discover and they are able to make good use of their talents so as to help singapore? benefit both s'pore and themselves?
 

to add on..ETc..open a school learning fully about music.. Or open a school all about dancing.there can even be a school teaching all about healthy liefestyles
 

just as i was doing the post on whether singapore should be a welfare state...something came into my mind..If i'm the prime minister of singapore, i will promote "the helping hand' campaign....