Bits and Pieces

Too much of a gift for some
Some parents aren’t happy that the children from the Gifted programme seem to be getting a smooth ride into secondary schools. They can enter the schools they want with their PSLE results (sure to be good) but are using the Direct Admission programme and “choping’’ places. In other words, could they be edging out the less academically gifted peers who might be talented in other ways? Sigh. Seems every step up the ladder is fraught with difficulty. What’s strange is that the Integrated Programme schools can actually take in 100 per cent of enrolment this way. But MOE says they take in only half. That’s nice. But why even give them the leeway to take in 100 per cent? What’s also strange is that the MOE doesn’t want to say how many students in IP schools got through this way. Why not? But it revealed that 40 per cent (of this 50 per cent of 100 per cent) wouldn’t have been there based on PSLE scores alone. I suppose the MOE is trying to say the schools are being “responsible’’ but there’s no reason to be coy about giving numbers I’m sure.

What a nice headline
Life after politics is “nice’’ for George Yeo. That’s nice. But I don’t think I have ever seen a more inane headline: It’s nice, George Yeo says of new job. Times like this I pity the poor reporter who did the interview. So many facets of the story and that’s all the headline writer could come up with..nicely done indeed. Why not focus on what his job is about – Spotting openings in China for his Hongkong employer. Come to think of it, it’s a bit of a pity he isn’t doing it for a Singapore employer. As past foreign minister, he’s more than able to open doors for businesses which want to spread their wings. One thing he said which I thought we should keep in mind. All that attention/hype about China learning from the Singapore model – let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. We’re just one of many it is looking at, he said. Good point. In fact, I’m not even sure if China learning from us should be considered a compliment!

Parents’ Paper
My Paper has gone through a revamp. I’m not sure how different it is from the past content-wise except that it has pledged to do more on parenting. I think it’s decided not to compete with the other newspapers by turning sports into more lifestyle stuff rather than games and competitions. It’s Page 1 is different: no more page 1 story but blurbs etc. It should get a better blurb or summary writer though if today’s issue is what we can look forward to. I mean, it starts with “in a sign of resilience’’. That’s about the manpower report by the way. Looks-wise, I think it’s gone a bit old-fashioned with the fonts. But that’s just me…