Selling your youth. What gives?

There are so many ways that one can sell their youth. I think working in a low-paying dead-end job is the worst way to trade away that precious commodity. Therefore, I think I will need another job. Ha!~

Started watching korean drama recently. Why is our local production forever falling behind foreign productions? Anyway, 太王四神记 is a nice show indeed. Finished in a record time of 2 weeks. Ok. other drama awaits me... maybe its time to go for 斗牛 要不要. But period drama is so fascinating...

My recent work showed me a ugly side of the country. The living condition and treatment of foreign workers is simply disgusting.

Cramped like sardine living conditions with abusive managers managing your living quarters. Then for some unknown reason, the dorms are manned with security guards whose role is not to provide security for the worker residents but rather to control and keep them in line. Had the chance to speak to a dorm manager who pretty much confirmed the same thing.

Think link fence, barbed wires, concrete walls... It sure reminds me of a prison.



"Over and Out"

Is ITE still second class and can polys cope?

Wed, Mar 12, 2008

The Straits Times

I GRADUATED from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) Yishun in National ITE certificate (Nitec) in communication technology. I achieved a GPA score of 4.0 and was awarded a certificate of merit, a prestigious award given to ITE students who perform exceptionally well.

With good results and encouragement from teachers and peers, I was confident of a successful application for the diploma course in aviation management and services at Temasek Polytechnic. I was rejected last Friday and so was my subsequent appeal.

The course manager told me the class quota was filled and applications were decided on a system crafted by the Education Ministry. If so, it seems unfair to ITE students like me who cannot possibly achieve any better at the institute.

Are ITE graduates still 'second-class' students compared with their successful O-level counterparts?

As for class sizes, can polytechnics cope? Do they have enough resources to handle qualified applicants so industry can obtain as many graduates as possible to satisfy the expected boom in jobs?

Bryan Chung Hoe Weng


This article was first published in The Straits Times on Mar 11, 2008.


When I first saw this article, the first thought that crosses my mind is how Mr Bryan Chung, a young man with ambition and excellent results can get his dreams dashed twice. It is very sad when such things happen and at first reading, I was inclined towards Mr Bryan Chung.

I had the opportunity to think about this over the span of a night and in the process, formed new opinions about the whole matter. I am now more neutral towards the entire debacle.

Let's get our facts correct first.

I went to ITE site and couldn't find anything on "Communication Technology". Therefore, I can only assume that Mr Bryan Chung is doing "Info-Communication Technology". Next I trawled TP site for information on "Aviation Management & Services".

My findings:

TP
Aviation Management & Services = 10 points and below for L1B4.

Figures based on Cut-Off Points in 2008.

I took a look at the course modules as well; The results were very conclusive. The only thing remotely linked to engineering will be "Engineering Maths 1" & "Engineering Maths 2". If you want, you can do more engineering electives. However, it's optional and not a requirement for graduation. In fact, this course is classifed as a business course offered by the School of Business.

My Conclusion

1) If you're in the IT course previously and you want to do a Business course now, you're looking at the wrong area essentially. The Nitec certificate of merit will not apply here.

2) Business and IT is fundamentally different. The aviation course has such a low cut-off point is due to the rigour of the course. There is no prior evidence that Mr Bryan Chung can operate in a different environment and course of study. Due to limited course places, this is translated as a risk. No poly will dare take the risk of admiting a student who may not cope.

3) If I were to hazard a guess, based on pure 'O'-levels results, Mr Bryan Chung will not make the cut either. That will explain why he did not enter poly and take up any other courses in the first place. I could be wrong, but based on the amount of info available, I can only form such an opinion.

4) The cut-off for the course is extremely competitive. Based on a cut-off of 10 points, I dare say that at least 90 percents of the aviation course admitted cohort can easily qualify for JC. If they decide to go into poly, then based on pure meritocracy, Mr Bryan Chung's 'O'-Level results will have been rejected outright.

5) From a very pragmatic view, Mr Bryan Chung had his chance first time round when he did his 'O'-Levels. He went on to do his NITEC Certification. I believe that he now considered a tertiary students. (Now, I have to hazard a guess again.) I believe to a certain extent that MOE has clear plans on education planning in conjunction with MOM workforce deployment planning. This means that Mr Bryan Chung has already been factored into the "IT Professional" classification. He is now expected to contribute in this area. Therefore this might also be a reason on why he is rejected?

6) The "second-class" thinking displayed by Mr Bryan Chung is flawed. Mr Bryan Chung is no longer an 'O'-levels holder. He is holding to an qualification recognised as higher now. This assumption is based on average salary on the market (between comparison between 'O's and Nitec). However, he is now using that qualification to vie for something different (a business course) based on a different type of entry system ( excellent 'O'-Levels results). Point 1 to 4 will apply here.

7) Mr Bryan Chung is questioning if polytechnics can cope (with the current numbers of student)and if they have enough resources to handle more qualified students to cope with the expected boom. Due to lack of inputs, I have to hazard a guess and form my own opinion again. On hingsight, Mr Bryan Chung seems to be displaying a "sour grape" mentality. He probably thinks that he is as deserving as any other students with excellent 'O'-levels results and the reason why he is not admitted is due to lack of resources on the poly part. From his perception, since the aviation industry is expected to boom, the poly should divert more resources to the course so that the class size can be increased to deal with expected boom. When the class size is increased, he will be able to get in.

This thinking is flawed again. Let me explain why.

a) The school answers to the board of management and alot of factors are taken into consideration. There are many other industry perceived to swell as well in the near future eg. Precision engineering, Hospitality and Tourism etc. If you only have X amt of resource for all industries, giving more of X to one industry will mean the other industries will get less. It is very unlikely that more resources will be diverted.

b) There might be thousands of other 'O'-levels students with cut-off points of 10 and below on the waiting list. There might also be other business Nitec Cert of merit on the waiting list. In the worse-case scenario, there might also be 'A'-levels students on the waiting list.

c) Expectations can fall short for industry growth. If the poly takes in more people and the industry growth is not as ideal in the future, what is going to happen to those students? Again this is translated to risk.

d) Point 1 to 5 will apply for admission application eventuality.


My Advice

Everybody needs to learn to deal with rejections in life. Hell, I can't get into a local Uni of a course of my liking too. Mr Bryan Chung can definitely get into a poly course too (an IT Dip course for instance?), albeit not one that he will like. It is an unavoidable tradeoff in my opinion. Mr Bryan Chung has proven his ability in the field of IT and is probably better off pursuing this path. He is now in an situation not unheard off in Singapore. Overseas study is always a viable option if he is financially well-off.







"Over and Out"

The Saturday Post That Was Meant To Be Up

It's now 0915.

He sits at Koufu food court and sips warm coffee. Around him, people mill all around, busy with their own stuff. It was a rare moment for him to actually take out the time to sit around and observe the Toa Payoh hub crowd.

Apparently, it's not called a hub for nothing.

As he observes, he began to ponder about the recent news in Singapore. So now he has to be on the lookout for limping terrorist. Oh yes, female PR are now even allowed to sign on with the army and get their scholarship. Yes! That must be meritocracy at work. Ha! He peered around him and notice a really cute girl reading a novel and having her toast and coffee. She was also listening to her earphones, happily bobbing her head away to the tune.

What a wonderous way to spend a saturday morning!

He squinted hard at the book that she was reading... "Leap Years". Isn't that the new movie showing now? So it was adapted from a novel! He stole another glance furtively. She was still engrossed in her book.

Suddenly reminded of his coffee, he realised that it was getting cold. Giving it a few stirs, he sipped a few mouthful and contemplated about his life again. Subsequently, he stole another glance in her direction and was surprised to find her gone. He smiled at his own immaturity and stupidity. He then promptly finished his drink and went on his day.

Just the start of another Saturday!~




"Over and Out"

Volunteering. A Boon or a Bane?

I had the chance to work with a group of students from a tertiary institution recently for an event that has strong community purpose. Specifically, this event targets a certain demographics of our population and focuses strongly on certain issues. (I guess in Singapore, it isn't too difficult to figure out which age group that is)

The issue is that this group of demographic ranges from extremely understanding to downright stubborn. More often then not, the latter applies. This group of tertiary students that were volunteering were wonderful to work with. They were very nice and professional to have around, giving me enough room to breath and even some time to snuck off for my own personal activities. But at the end of the day, I doubt the effectiveness of such CIP programmes...

If you ask me if it is essential for a student to do CIP, I would say "yes" of course. But the group of students that I worked with has almost zero common grounds with the organisation and cause that they are serving. This means that there is zero alignment to the cause of volunteering and moral obligation on the student end. For some, it is a matter of fulfilling the much needed points for graduation, CV decoration or any other thing... I think some of them also think that its a one-off thing.

To me, if you have nothing in common with the cause, you should not be serving it blindly. Serving without passion equates to mere labour, a commodity available everywhere (with the right price of course!) This just kinda sounds like another thing that all men in this country needs to do.

From a personal perspective, I used to be in an organisation for a couple of years until I felt stagnant and could no longer feel the passion to continue. I was lucky to have wonderful friends and brothers in it with a lifelong membership invitation welcoming me back into the folds when I so desire. Someday I will do so. But the time is not right yet and I have certain issues that I need to work out right now. Lost passion can be found some day.

All community organisation should me more discerning in fielding their volunteers from the student pool. You don't want to kill their passion early in getting them to volunteer for the wrong cause. For example, students that I have worked with would rather work with screaming children then screaming elderly people. Since its community service, shouldn't they get to choose? Just think: choosing the right cause means that they might stay on for life!

In fact, somebody once told me that everybody should have a four and half day work week and spend half a day volunteering at a community level. Productivity will go down for sure but social problems will also be addressed to a certain extent.

Some thoughts that was stuck in my head over the weekend.





"Over and Out"