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take note and dun pass it onto your kids.

Noted that some schools like Catholic High for example do not have long pants for upper levels. Is there any reason for this as it seems they are the odd ones out.

http://www.tremeritus.com/2014/02/22/25-foreign-employees-jailed-for-forged-academic-certificates/ 25 foreign employees jailed for forged academic certificates February 22nd, 2014 | Author: Editorial 25 foreigners were sentenced to jail on Thursday (20 Feb) for submitting forged academic certificates to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to illegally obtain work passes to work in Singapore. All 25 foreign employees pleaded guilty. 22 of them were sentenced to 10 weeks’ jail, 2 to 12 weeks’ and 1 to 4 weeks’. 25 is the largest number of foreign employees prosecuted for the offence this year, and the penalties are the most severe the courts have ever meted out for the offence. The 25 foreigners obtained forged academic certificates in their home countries, and used them to apply for work passes between 2 November 2012 and 7 June 2013. Based on the false information submitted, 20 were issued an S-Pass and 5 an Employment Pass (EP). An S-Pass holder needs to have a minimum fixed monthly salary of $2,200 and an EP holder $3,300. The nationalities of these 25 foreigners, comprising 21 males and 4 females, are: 16 from Myanmar 7 from India 2 from the Philippines They were issued work passes to work in operations, sales, and food and beverage. Among them were a hair restoration technologist, a quality control executive and a chef. They all worked for less than a year in Singapore. MOM launched investigations between November and December 2013, and discovered that their academic certificates were forged through checks with the relevant certificate issuing institutions and respective foreign government departments. They had mislead MOM to believe that they met the required educational criteria to obtain the work passes. MOM’s investigations revealed that all the employers were unaware that the foreign employees had submitted forged academic certificates for their work pass applications. As the employers were not complicit, no action was taken against them. Last year, MOM prosecuted 78 foreigners for similar offences. Convicted foreigners are barred from working in Singapore. MOM amended the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act in November 2012, and made the offence of making a false statement or submitting any false document relating to academic qualifications a standalone offence with stiffer penalties. Offenders may be fined up to $20,000 and/or imprisoned up to 2 years. Apart from legislative measures, MOM said it is strengthening its processes and fraud detection capabilities. This includes enhancing internal database checks, verifying the certificate’s authenticity directly with the issuing educational institution, and requiring employers/employment agents to upload verification/proof of diplomas and higher qualifications for applications for EP, S-Pass and Training Employment Pass. MOM also performs retrospective audits. In addition, MOM is supplementing its checks with third-party screening agencies. Last month, MOM announced that they had hired Dataflow Services in New Delhi to conduct random checks on education certificates and employment history declared by Indian nationals working in Singapore [Link]. MOM said that it would use “independent verification channels” like Dataflow to conduct its own random audits. Dataflow says on its website that it helps clients ensure that the staff they hire are qualified and competent. “We identify fraudsters and unwanted professionals by verifying their qualifications and checking individuals against proprietary database and international watch lists.” MOM requires all foreign applicants for passes to make accurate, complete and truthful declarations to the Controller. Making a false declaration by submitting a forged academic certificate or certificates is a deliberate attempt to mislead the Controller. MOM said it will not condone such acts of deceit, and will take severe action against offenders, as well as errant employers and employment agencies if they abet foreign applicants who submit forged academic certificates. MOM is also seeking the co-operation of the public. Any member of the public who knows of foreign employees using forged certificate(s) can and should call MOM at (65) 6438 5122 or email [email protected]. All information is kept strictly confidential.

do you agree on this statement? i somewhat disagree. if you are not a scholar, you are hardly "spotted" and "groomed" in the fast track we all know being a scholar ... the highway to success is laid nicely for you, isn't it? if your academic is so-so even good but not excellent ie scholar ... that's a diferrent story altogether unless you are born enterpreneur ... like steve job, bill gate, mark zukerberg, george lucas, google founder, etc ... they don't need to be scholar ... as their natural gene is not going to work under others :) "Success is not and cannot be determined by what happened in your school years. That gives you a foundation but it should not be the basis for determining who succeeds in life. We have to provide opportunities for everyone to improve and to advance on the job regardless of the qualifications they started with," said Mr Tharman. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../1224210/1/.htm

saw this on the web... read 3rd paragraph, hahaha http://www.brainskills.co.uk/CopingWithADHD.html Ritalin belongs to a class of drugs related to amphetamines called stimulants. These drugs are not addictive and do not make the child feel high. They help children to focus and function better at home, at school and while socialising. This can be a godsend to families that were disrupted by ADHD and the improved ability to focus on schoolwork may influence the child's whole future, including his career prospects. He may be less likely to suffer from emotional problems and addictions later. Wonder Drug or Cocaine for Kiddies? The highest rates of Ritalin prescription are in Singapore, where academic achievement drives society. In some parts of the US 1 in 10 schoolchildren are taking Ritalin. In the UK it's closer to 1 in 100, and rising. Some groups, such as certain religious fundamentalists are strongly opposed to what they call "cocaine for kiddies". They feel that ADHD causes "tunnel vision" in the system, so that the context of behavioural problems can sometimes be ignored, and the attitude of a "pill for life's problems" can be encouraged. Sceptics question the objectivity of academics whose research is funded by the drug companies that have profited hugely from ADHD. But most experts agree that Ritalin is effective and pretty safe. It can transform the existence not only of a suffering child, but also of parents and siblings when it's used appropriately. The main disagreement is over where to draw the line in the question of who really needs it. Side effects range from common sleep disturbances to rare heart problems. Nobody wants Ritalin to become a way for pushy parents to improve the achievements of a normal child. According to some this has already happened. What About Other Treatments? In most cases, both the child and family benefit from counselling and a variety of other interventions can also be helpful. These include psychotherapy, behavioural therapy, social skills training, support groups and parental skills training. Is there Anything I can do to Help my Child? Yes. Experts agree that parents can help with simple behavioural interventions. ADHD children need consistency. For example, help him to organise. Have a fixed daily routine, including homework time, mealtime, bedtime and playtime. Write out a schedule of activities, stick it up on the fridge, and if there's a change, make it in advance if you can. Make a fixed place for all his things like clothes, bags, schoolwork, pencil case and make sure that those things are kept in their places. Remind him to write down homework tasks and bring home needed books. Try to have clear, consistent rules, for example, about TV watching and rudeness. Try to reduce disruptions and distractions like TV or siblings in the room at homework time. Work together with school or nursery teachers on coping strategies for everyone. What About the Future