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O-Level Oral Examination Past-Year Questions

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O-Level Oral Examination Past-Year Questions

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SINGAPORE: When Diana, 31, became pregnant six years ago, her parents had insisted that she marry her then-boyfriend, who had proposed, and keep the baby.

But instead, she declined the proposal and had an abortion.

Speaking to TODAY, the account strategist, who declined to give her full name, said she did not want to get married or have children. And since then, her parents have yet to let the matter rest and have over the years, called her "selfish" for doing so.

Like Diana, marketing executive Chong Xiu Yi, 26, has also been labelled as self-centred by her father, who is in his 60s and works in banking.

Ms Chong said her father, who came from a working-class background, believes that her generation enjoys a lot of privileges due to Singapore's economic growth and rising educational standards, and therefore does not understand the value of hard work.

"He has no empathy when I talk about how I have a lot of anxieties as a young person in a very fast-changing world, where all the things that worked for his generation don't work for us anymore to become as wealthy and successful as he has been," said Ms Chong. "We obviously face our own unique struggles and circumstances due to the disruptions in the economy today."

These conflicts - stemming from what seem to be generational differences - feel insurmountable for the pair whom TODAY spoke to, and have resulted in rifts within their families. And they are not alone in facing what appears to be a generational divide.

Over the years, researchers and popular media have coined terms to describe different demographic cohorts: The generation born during the post-World War II baby boom from 1946 to 1964 are widely known as "baby boomers", or "boomers" for short.

Those born between 1965 and 1980 are called "Generation X", while those between 1981 and 1996 are "Generation Y" or "millennials". The latest generation to have come of working age is "Generation Z" or "zoomers", defined as those born between 1997 and 2012.

Whenever intergenerational animosity surfaces, barbs such as "boomers are out of touch", "millennials are entitled" and "Gen Zs are softies" are often traded between the young and the old.

These sweeping remarks not only divide generations but create differences where there are often none, said experts interviewed, because they lump millions of unique individuals together and put a label on them.

Such labels then become an identifier for people born in different years.

Sociologist Shannon Ang of the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) said these generalisations are, for the most part, problematic.

The assistant professor said: "It is far better to understand generational change broadly as a process that is shaped by shared historical context, without trying to place labels and stereotypes through the use of arbitrary selected ranges of birth years."

A recent poll by the National Youth Council (NYC) found that about one in two respondents feel that intergenerational differences are an issue here, with higher agreement seen among youths.

But these conflicts are not as serious or as pressing as other social issues, said respondents, though two in five agree that they could affect workplace relationships between colleagues and hinder common goals for Singapore's progress.

The NYC Youth Sentiment Poll on Intergenerational Relations surveyed 700 Singaporeans earlier this month, comprising 500 respondents aged between 16 and 34, and 200 older respondents aged 35 and above.

The poll also unveiled perceptions that each generation holds towards each other.

At least one in two non-youths describe the younger generation as "carefree, idealistic and entitled" while at least three in five youths view the older generation as "conservative, stubborn and hardworking".

Four in five youths also feel that the older generations are too fixed in their ways and traditions, while one in two non-youths feel that the younger generations are less resilient and have a short attention span.

Yet despite their perceptions of one another, the survey found that a majority in both groups see value in the other, particularly in bringing fresh perspectives - the older generation with their life experiences, and the younger generation with their creativity.

Such sentiments are also reflected in TODAY's interviews with over 20 individuals across the different generations.

And while there is a clear generational difference in viewpoints - particularly on attitudes toward LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) issues, environmental conservation, individualism versus collectivism, as well as marriage and parenthood - there is, in some instances, common ground beneath the surface and an acknowledgement that there is much to learn from the different perspectives.

LGBTQ ISSUES

With the global push for awareness of LGBTQ issues intensifying in recent years, especially across social media, it comes as no surprise that overall acceptance of LGBTQ persons is high among youths.

This was also among the findings of the inaugural TODAY Youth Survey released last year, which polled 1,066 respondents between the ages of 18 and 35.

In 2019, a door-to-door survey conducted by CNA, which involved over 1,200 respondents from different age groups, saw a divide between the groups on how they view LGBTQ issues.

When asked if they agreed, disagreed or were neutral to not exposing their child to LGBTQ influences, 69.8 per cent of baby boomers agreed. In contrast, only 39.6 per cent of millennials agreed.

Similarly, when the respondents were asked if they would have positive or negative emotions if their child were LGBTQ, 61.5 per cent of boomers indicated "negative" compared with 37.5 per cent of millennials.

Speaking to TODAY for this report, older individuals attributed the generational differences to the norms on gender and sexuality that have been passed down from the generations before them and enforced in their families and communities.

One of them is Mrs Michelle Ng, 64, who initially had trouble accepting that her daughter is in a same-sex relationship.

The homemaker, who also works as a part-time cat-sitter, said there was also a lot of pressure from the elders in her family to "raise her daughter the right way", meaning her daughter should have a stable job, get married to a "good" man, and have children.

This pressure was also keenly felt by Madam Norhayati Alwi, 62, when her son, Mr Fairul Edham Hirdayat, came out openly as gay. Mr Fairul, 35, recalled how his mother was shunned by the family due to her more liberal beliefs.

The freelance performer said: "My mum has always been very open-minded. And I think that's why there is some falling out with relatives because it is pretty evident that the way she does things is different from everybody else."

Aside from family pressures, the older generations talked about growing up at a time when there was a stigma around illnesses that were linked to the LGBTQ community such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can lead to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) if left untreated.

Madam Rahimah Rahim, 63, recalled that back in the kampung days, those who had same-sex relations would be beaten up. But it was only when she started working as a nurse over four decades ago that she found out that the illnesses was not confined to the LGBTQ community.

The retiree added: "I don't think you can say the older generation don't accept LGBTQ people ... Honestly, I think religion has more to do with it than age."

Indeed, this was the sentiment shared by youth social worker Rachel (not her real name).

The 33-year-old said that despite her frequent engagement with LGBTQ individuals in her job, it is difficult to accept when people close to her - such as her brother and close friends - are in same-sex relationships, due to her religious upbringing.

"As much as I want to accept their relationships, it's very difficult because (it goes against) my beliefs," she said, adding that she has not spoken openly about having such conflicted feelings to her loved ones.

The struggle that those in the older cohort such as Mrs Ng face is understood by her daughter, Euphoria Ng, 30.

The younger Ng noted that issues as complex as gender fluidity and sexuality are perhaps taboo for them as they did not have access to the wealth of information as her generation does now.

The channel strategist for a gaming company added that this divide had strained her relationship with her mother in the early days.

But following conversations that Mrs Ng had with friends in the LGBTQ community, she started putting in the effort to unlearn a few things, such as her tendency to ask her daughter, who is in a same-sex relationship, "who is the boy in the relationship".

In turn, her daughter told TODAY that she is more open about addressing sensitive questions from Mrs Ng about her sexual orientation and taking the time to explain why they should not be asked.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION

A common refrain during discussions on environmental conservation is that young people want to save the planet while the older ones downplay the issue.

But the NYC poll found otherwise: Both youths and non-youths deem environment and sustainability among the top five areas that require more attention in the next year. Other common priority areas are the cost of living, mental well-being, jobs and the economy.

NTU's Asst Prof Ang noted that most Singaporeans across generations acknowledge that something needs to be done to protect the environment but where the perceived generation gap may lie is the extent to which economic growth must be sacrificed to accommodate mitigation measures.

This was experienced by Ms Pamela Low, 26, whose mother initially disapproved of her making eco-enzymes at home because it took up space and she could not understand the benefits of such an endeavour.

Ms Low, a regional business launcher at a tech firm, ferments fruit and vegetable scraps into cleaning agents that can be used for dishwashing and general household cleaning.

"Over time, I showed (my mother) how the eco-enzymes can be used and we learnt about the benefits that eco-enzymes have that we both care about - exposing ourselves to less chemicals, which is better for our skin and saving cost," she said.

Ms Low's mother eventually saw how their common values of resourcefulness and thriftiness aligned through the activity.

Mr Joven Chiew, 50, founder of Facebook group Singapore Hikers, said when it comes to caring for the environment, the habit of recycling is already ingrained in the older generation, most of whom like to reuse and resell things.

In comparison, youths do them more deliberately such as through participating in beach clean-ups or trash picking initiatives.

Another difference which Mr Chiew noted among the different generations is how they perceive nature and what it means to be a nature lover.

"When the older generation say they're nature lovers, what they mean is they love being part of nature, they love doing things like picking up fruits in the jungle, climbing trees, swimming in the stream - all the things they did back in the kampung days," said Mr Chiew.

"But the younger generation is less interested in such activities. They are more interested in looking out for wildlife, studying plants, and looking at how conservation can impact biodiversity."

While their methods may differ, many among the different generations share the same concern for the environment, noted avid hiker Alam Shah, 27.

He said: "I know that they (older hikers) essentially want the same thing I do - we want to reduce waste and protect the environment as much as we can."

INDIVIDUALISM VS COLLECTIVISM

The younger generation is often criticised for being individualistic, placing their own needs and desires over group or societal goals.

On the other hand, the older generation is often deemed to be collectivists - having a higher sense of loyalty to their group and feeling obligated to dedicate success to the collective effort.

But not all agree with such stereotypes.

Mr Raymond Fung, a 58-year-old retiree, believes that the value of collectivism is universal in this country and does not change from generation to generation.

"I think whatever age you are, you want to see progress for Singapore," he said.

Mr Fung felt that the misperception could be due to the fact that the younger generation are no longer willing to stick to having traditionally linear career paths as compared to their older counterparts, and are more motivated by their own purpose than a paycheck - making them seem self-centred.

He pointed out that as compared to the competitive workplace today, there were abundant employment opportunities when he first joined the workforce decades ago, as Singapore was in the early stages of industrialisation then.

"The conventional path is to work for someone and get a 9-to-5 job. People also find security in getting employed and staying with a company, be it for loyalty or survival," said the former mechanical engineer. "I took that route, and my experience has somewhat been successful. That's why I am inclined towards that path because it has worked for me."

But Mr Fung said that when his daughter, Rae, expressed interest to work freelance and start her own business after she graduated from university, it dawned on him that the aspirations of youths today have changed.

Ms Rae Fung, 25, who is working as a speaking coach, acknowledged that she had the privilege of growing up in an environment where she need not worry about food on the table or having a roof over her head - and was thus able to pursue her passion.

She added that youths today also benefit from the "privilege of perspective" because they have more access and exposure to more information. They can also network more easily with people with like-minded interests and open their minds to greater possibilities.

Like Ms Fung, actress Lim Shi-An, 24, has also pursued an unconventional career out of passion. But the road has not been easy because she, too, was not spared from unkind remarks from older folks who considered her generation as having less grit or drive.

One of them was a former boss at a financial services company where she interned at five years ago. He constantly referred to her and her same-age colleague as "strawberries" or "softies", said Ms Lim.

"He just had this disdain for people with high reliance on technology and there is this distrust for online mediums. He was also one of those people who believed in the stereotype of the strawberry generation," she said.

She added that while she is labelled a Gen Z, she feels different from the people whom she would consider Gen Zs.

"That's my point, even within my generation, there is a multitude of people and personalities and ways we grew up," said Ms Lim.

Her mother, award-winning actress Tan Kheng Hua, falls in the same generation as her former boss but does not share the same negative view of the younger generation.

Ms Tan, 59, told TODAY that she rarely has conflicting views with her daughter, and their relationship is an example of how stereotypes and sweeping statements about generational differences can widen the gap even if there is none.

Ms Tan added that perhaps her more liberal views stemmed from her own upbringing, as her parents were the sort who allowed her to make her own decisions and would support them. Her job as an actress also exposed her to a wider range of views, she added.

"Sometimes the rhetoric of young people being entitled is erroneously infectious and if repeated too often makes people believe it when it might not be true," she said.

"I've had the privilege to work with young people and I must say that for every young person who falls into this category of being entitled or soft, there is another young person that is resilient, resourceful and hardworking."

MARRIAGE & PARENTHOOD

The traditional family nucleus has evolved so much over the last few decades that children are no longer raised primarily in a single-income household with a male breadwinner.

This, in turn, has led to changing views about the importance of marriage and parenthood, with youths less likely to put as much importance on them as their parents or even older cohorts.

The TODAY Youth Survey released last year, for example, found that half of unmarried respondents feel that marriage is important, but only 44 per cent think it is important or very important to have a child in the future.

The NYC poll conducted earlier this year also found that expectations of marriage and parenthood were among the top issues that both the young and old recognise they have differing views on.

Take the case of Diana, the account strategist whose relationship with her parents soured after she refused to get married and had an abortion.

Diana said she did so because she does not want to get married or have children, primarily because she feels that she will not be able to afford a good life for a child and she also prefers living by herself.

"When I got pregnant, I told myself I'm not going to get married to someone just because I have a baby with him," she said.

For Ms Therese Goh, her cohabitation with her boyfriend also caused a rift with her mother.

The 22-year-old undergraduate recently moved in with her boyfriend of three years, to "test their compatibility".

"We see it as a trial ... it gives us a better picture of how life will look like when we get married," she said.

Ms Goh said her mother was against the idea as she thought it would "erode the sanctity of marriage".

"She has the mindset that there should be a wedding before a couple moves into their matrimonial home. But I'm of the view that I want to know exactly what I signed up for," she said.

WHAT EXPERTS SAY

In describing the collective attributes of a generation, it is important to not exaggerate the differences, said experts interviewed.

Asst Prof Ang from NTU said one factor that unnecessarily widens the generational gap is the uncritical use of generational labels and their associated stereotypes.

"Generational labels colour our lenses, just like racism and sexism, and can become harmful self-fulfilling prophecies," he said. "Thinking of birth cohorts as monolithic and reducible to a few often-negative attributes often exaggerates differences and leads to further polarisation, exemplified by terms such as 'strawberry generation' and 'ok boomer'."

Nevertheless, Dr Nilanjan Raghunath, an assistant professor of sociology at the Singapore University of Technology and Design, noted that historical events which define a certain period of time may make a lasting impression on individuals born in the same time periods.

Millennials, for example, are facing many disruptions and global anxieties, such as high inflation and rising prices of commodities, which shape the way they look at things such as when it comes to earning money and housing matters.

Dr Mathew Mathews, a principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), acknowledged that the difference between generations is certainly real but there are many areas where aspirations are similar.

Pointing to results from the World Values Survey conducted by the IPS and released last year, Dr Mathews said the difference in opinion between generations here is actually "fairly small".

"For instance, there are many priorities that all of us, regardless of age group, tend to embrace - we all have similar views about the importance of the family and the need to respect our elders.

"Both young and old in Singapore also take great pride in our country and its institutions - we recognise the social values that have helped steer the nation," he said.

Agreeing, Asst Prof Ang said on climate change, for instance, Singaporeans across generations recognise it as a real problem that needs to be addressed, rather than it being a hoax or a conspiracy.

And on LGBTQ issues, most across the generations will probably agree that LGBTQ individuals should not be discriminated against.

"These are important commonalities that we should not downplay, especially in a society where different generations have come of age in vastly different environments," he added.

HOW TO BRIDGE THE GAP

Rather than adopting the divisive practice of stereotyping each generation, individuals can instead focus on the commonalities that they share in order to bridge the gap, said the experts.

Asst Prof Ang said: "Older cohorts need to fight against the tendency to infantilise younger cohorts, while younger cohorts need to fight against the tendency to demonise older cohorts."

To facilitate this, opportunities to allow meaningful cross-generational interactions must be created - whether in school, the workplace or at home, and also beyond these spaces.

Integrating more adult learners into university classrooms, for instance, can provide a safe space for engagement across generations, he added.

The NYC poll also highlighted how workplace and community initiatives could be useful in addressing the generational divide and dialogues could help bring different generations together to appreciate each other's lived experiences.

So how should individuals seek to bridge the gap?

Ms Theresa Pong, the counselling director of The Relationship Room, which work with couples and families, said it is important to firstly, remain curious about why people may have differing views and secondly, to be respectful when addressing those views.

"When you are curious, you will seek the rationale for why people do things because there must be a reason. That's when the wall can be lowered and true communication can happen.

"And when you can respect each other's views, there is this thing called safety in communication. That's when we know that when we share our views, it won't be put down or be used against us," she added.

Mr John Shepherd Lim, the chief well-being officer of Singapore Counselling Centre, said while it is not practical to expect all perspectives to be fully aligned and individuals to be fully agreeable at all times, there is a need to be mindful of extreme thinking or the "my way or the highway" stance.

Individuals should also avoid "black or white thinking", or looking at issues in a straightforward manner, he added.

"At times we need to layer our perspectives. And we need to understand the context of each party's viewpoints," he said. "Because once we understand the context and we know where the (other) person is coming from, it is a lot easier to understand, and a lot easier to perhaps negotiate a certain stance."

He added that apart from deciding what can be negotiated, it is also helpful for both parties to talk about the issue when they are in better control emotionally.

Speaking from her own experience, Ms Tan, the actress, said that when it comes to bridging the mother-daughter gap, she sticks to the mantra of "never sweat the small stuff".

"I don't care what she wears, how she puts her makeup on or how late she stays up at night. I don't sweat the small stuff. But we talk about the big stuff - our values in life, what's right and what's wrong ... we talk about education and work ethics," she said.

For Mr Fairul, the freelance performer, the unending support from the older folks within his family, especially his mother, has given him the confidence to have open conversations about the challenges he faces.

He said: "She's very present in my life. She keeps herself up to date with what I'm doing, and she also makes the effort to be friends with my friends. It's because of her I feel supported and can do the things that I want to do."
This article was written in partnership with the National Youth Council and was originally published in TODAY.

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The Big Read: Generational gap - a bridge too far or are we making too much of it?

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SINGAPORE: When Diana, 31, became pregnant six years ago, her parents had insisted that she marry her then-boyfriend, who had proposed, and keep the baby. But instead, she declined the proposal and had an abortion. Speaking to TODAY, the account strategist, who declined to give her full nam

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Taking education seriously is good, too much pressure is not: PM Lee to students, parents

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He noted that the Government has been trying to ease the pressure on students. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Last month, an article published by the BBC caught my attention, and was ultimately rather disheartening to read. The article claimed a study found that people in their early 20's are more likely to be out of work due to ill (mental) health than those in their early 40's.

The Resolution Foundation said that this is "radically different" from the past, when the older you were the more likely you were not to work due to sickness. Sadly, I am inclined to agree as the majority of us are not blind to the fact that poor mental health amongst young people is on the rise.

What is the real problem here?

Naturally, this raises alarm bells on how much (or if) young people are taught about resilience, mindfulness and self awareness throughout their time at school. Personally, I remember leaving school without a clue on how to manage my finances or my time. Throughout my final years of school and into university, struggling with bouts of anxiety and not knowing how to manage my emotions left me reflecting on what I learnt at school. In addition, the internet, whilst it is becoming increasingly innovative within the education system with information becoming faster and easier to attain, on the other hand it is extremely unfiltered with a wide range of stimuli which is leaving young people emotionally confused.

In a world that is increasingly dominated by social media and external distractions that limit social interaction, some students have fewer opportunities outside of school to participate in learning social and personal skills. Therefore, it is important for schools to take advantage of the time that they have with their students to teach more than just traditional subject matters.

Managing our emotions and the ability to understand the feelings of others are critical to human development, and adolescents can use their time to learn these skills and build positive habits just as well as they learn reading, writing and mathematics. This includes teaching students critical skills such as effective communication, personal decision making, time management, realistic goal setting and even conflict resolution.

The WHO defines Life Skills as "abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life".

Here, Life Skills is not just understanding how to clean, cook or iron your clothes - but it's about overall personal development and communication skills to better cope with the challenges of life.

UNICEF and the WHO list the ten Life Skills as:

How can we bring Life Skills to the classroom?

In order for Life Skills as a subject to have an impact on our students, we have to ensure that students are actively involved in a dynamic teaching and learning process.

An example of a life skills curriculum has units of lessons that focus on the following topics:

Studies have proven that active participatory learning activities for students are the most effective method for developing knowledge, attitudes and skills together for students to make healthier choices (Wilso et al., Tobler, 1998). Examples of methods used to facilitate this active involvement include the following:

Classroom Discussions: These open discussions provide opportunities for students to learn and practice turning to one another in solving problems. Develops skills in listening, assertiveness and empathy.

Role Plays: Along with it being a fun activity for the whole class, to be active and participative is an excellent way to practice life skills, for example, how to handle particularly difficult conversations, or using the right vocabulary to express feelings.

Group work: This is helpful when time is limited as it also maximizes student input. It also allows students to discuss topics openly and honestly with one another, creating shared experiences and enhancing team work.

Additionally, three key processing questions should be used to structure life skills lessons and to ensure student involvement is maintained as well as what is being taught is being reflected on and APPLIED in their everyday lives.

1. What? - What is the lesson about?

2. So What? - What have I learnt from the lesson? What thoughts or feelings did the lesson stimulate?

3. Now What? - What can I do with what I learned/experienced? How can I apply it to my everyday life?

Students creating a vision for themselves and their ideal lifestyle

An obvious benefit right? This goes beyond just learning to have a hot bubble bath or go for walks outside for 'self care'. Teaching life skills can help students with self control, self awareness and resilience which can help us cope with mental and physical stress that occurs throughout life.

2. Fosters healthy communication and interaction

Students who learn communication skills learn to speak freely and assertively whilst also respecting the opinions of others. Good communication skills are about listening and avoiding misconceptions and assumptions while communicating with others. This also prevents misinterpretation, miscommunication and overreacting. This applies to building healthy relationships with their family, friends and within the workplace.

3. Promotes effective decision making

Making big decisions is crucial in everyone's life. Let's take the example of peer pressure; it is alarming that most teenagers are ill-equipped to handle it and its negativity. Peer pressure can lead to students displaying unhelpful behaviour such as violence, bullying, and sometimes drug abuse, in order to appear cool. Life skills, whether major or minor, allow students to evaluate situations from a logical and emotional standpoint and improve their decision-making abilities.

4. Promotes awareness of wider health issues

It's also vital to ensure students recognise the importance of life skills and how it links to overall health. Linking particular life skills to help address certain health issues that children and young people can encounter in a school setting, including the use of alcohol, drugs, nutrition, reproductive and sexual health and the prevention of violence brings a holistic benefit to learning life skills.

Life Skills = Set for LIFE

Students spend just over 90% of their waking hours at school. So why not redirect a small percentage of that time towards implementing life skills into the curriculum? Students deserve more than just an exam grade at the end of their education journey.

Schools have a responsibility to use their time with their students to not only teach them valuable academic skills, but to ensure they leave school at 18 with the knowledge and confidence to face and handle any challenge, whatever life throws at them. In today's world, developing life skills is essential for the success of an individual. Schools are fundamentally in the best position to ensure students are learning and developing these important life skills. With the right allocation of time, tools and resources, teachers can create engaging activities and lessons that teach students how to communicate effectively, manage their emotions, make decisions and become solution based thinkers. What's more, this can increase pro-social behaviour in a tech-based world, and decrease behavioural, social problems and self-destructive behaviours.

Let's bring Life Skills into education in 2024!

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Why should we be teaching life skills in schools in 2024?

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Last month, an article published by the BBC caught my attention, and was ultimately rather disheartening to read. The article claimed a study found that people in their early 20's are more likely to be out of work due to ill (mental) health than those in their early 40's.

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How Generative AI Will Change The Jobs Of Teachers
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No job is more important than educating young minds, and no AI will ever replace a great teacher. However, educators are already using generative AI to help with creative tasks or automate routine aspects of their work. This frees up more time for the really important jobs, like spending time with students.

With generative AI poised to transform every profession, understanding the impact it will have on our day-to-day working lives, the opportunities it creates for innovation and improvement, and, of course, the potential risks is critical for everyone.

So, I thought it would be a good idea to put together a series of quick guides to how different jobs and professions will likely change, starting with teaching.

Here, I'll overview some of how generative AI is already being used to augment the irreplaceable human skills needed in education. We'll also take a peek into the future to think about how the fundamental role of the teacher will evolve thanks to the impact of this technology.

Augmenting Teaching Skills

In late 2023, the UK government examined how generative AI is being used in education through a call for evidence.

After speaking to teachers, they found that most reported that they were already using generative AI tools in their jobs or had experimented with them. Those who used them said that benefits included saving time, improving the quality of their teaching, and improving engagement with students.

The most popular uses include:

· Course and lesson planning - Teachers use natural language tools like ChatGPT to create lesson plans, suggesting topics and learning activities based on the required curriculum.

· Research - To help teachers themselves get a better understanding of the subjects they plan to teach.

· Content creation - Quickly generating reading material, images, games, quizzes, or checklists covering the subjects being studied.

· Language learning and translating - Enabling teachers to communicate more effectively with multi-lingual classes.

Generative AI isn't without risks, though. Inaccurate responses, inappropriate content, and bias can all clearly cause big problems when they occur in an educational setting. While I believe teachers and educators should be encouraged to experiment with the technology, these are risks that have to be kept in mind.

Personalized Learning

This is one of the most exciting potential use cases for generative AI in education.

Children (and students of all ages) all learn differently, and with generative AI, it will be possible to create individualized lessons and learning plans. These could be tailor-made to fit the needs of specific students.

For example, students who show they are better at taking in information visually can be shown more pictures, charts, and graphs, while others may learn better from puzzles, tasks, and games.

Online course providers such as Coursera already use feedback algorithms to adjust course content and learning speed based on performance. In the near future, I expect to see this extended to traditional classroom-based learning, too.

Generative AI can also provide personalized feedback more frequently and in greater detail than a teacher can manually when dealing with a large class.

AI can be a particularly valuable resource for providing for learners with special educational needs. Teachers will use AI to augment their own ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different teaching and learning methods.

It also has huge potential to help "lifelong learners" - those members of the workforce who are consistently updating their knowledge and learning new skills to take on new challenges and responsibilities.

Learners in this group can come with a variety of backgrounds and experiences, so generative AI can be used to identify the best teaching strategies.

However, this is one education-related field where privacy and security will be particularly critical. Algorithms like those described here would require personal and very sensitive data, and great care will have to be taken to mitigate the risks of data breaches or loss.

Automating Routine Work

Most teachers prefer to spend more time working in direct contact with students and less time on tasks like grading papers or drafting routine communications.

Good news! These are exactly the type of tasks that generative AI can be very good at. There are already several platforms on the market offering specialized generative tools to help teachers with these jobs, including Teachermatic and Microsoft's Education Copilot.

These can accelerate repetitive but vital tasks like writing letters and emails to pupils or their families, creating class newsletters, summarizing reports and producing documents like policy and risk assessment materials.

Grading papers might be a more controversial use case, particularly as we know that generative AI can sometimes have accuracy issues. At the moment, this is mostly in an experimental phase, with teachers testing its capabilities but not yet using it to assign final grades.

Other popular uses that are relevant in teaching include transcribing text from video-based learning materials or converting text into voice for audio-based learning, proofreading teaching materials, and creating compliance checklists for tasks such as safeguarding or data protection.

The Changing Role Of Teachers

As generative AI reshapes the world of education, teachers will find their role evolving further away from being providers of knowledge and towards becoming learning facilitators.

Perhaps the most significant shift in the role of educators will be an increased focus on nurturing skills such as critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence. These skills will be paramount in a future where our worth is increasingly measured by our ability to perform tasks that machines cannot do or are not as proficient in. Beyond academic teaching, educators play a critical role in safeguarding the welfare of their students, a responsibility that extends far beyond the confines of traditional teaching. This involves not only protecting students from physical harm but also supporting their emotional and mental health, ensuring a safe and inclusive learning environment that fosters resilience and respect. The human touch provided by teachers becomes an indispensable pillar of education, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of empathy and understanding in nurturing well-rounded, emotionally secure individuals.

Teachers will, of course, also have a very important role to play in making sure their students are able to use generative AI itself. For decades, essential technology skills like coding, word processing, or computer-aided design have been an essential part of the curriculum. Very soon, a basic grasp of interacting with AI systems will be critical from a young age, too, and today's teachers will have the job of passing on that knowledge.

This shift will require educators to become proficient not just in their subject matter or field of education but also in navigating the tools and technologies that are already rewriting the rules of teaching and learning.

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How Generative AI Will Change The Jobs Of Teachers

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Generative AI is revolutionizing the field of education by augmenting teaching skills, enabling personalized learning, and automating routine tasks.

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NDR 2023: Active ageing centres to be expanded to help seniors stay active and healthy

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SINGAPORE - The network of Active Ageing Centres (AACs) where seniors can drop in to enjoy a range of activities will be expanded. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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The Big Read: Are HDB void decks still the community spaces we know them to be?

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SINGAPORE: For several years, residents living on the lower floors of Block 638 Woodlands Ring Road often had to tolerate the loud voices of people chatting late into the night at the void deck’s public tables and chairs. The affected residents rejoiced in 2022 when Sembawang Town Council removed the concr

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They are not just patches of greenery, but play important roles for biodiversity, community bonding and mental health. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Parents Want Their Child To Compete - Until They Start Losing

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According to a new survey, most parents want their children to compete at school. But how many would agree if they thought their child would be the one who failed?

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NEW FIVE-YEAR PLAN

The Our SG Arts Plan was moulded by over 16,500 stakeholders. They weighed in on how to build on efforts by the previous roadmap in 2018, which aimed to develop the domestic arts scene but was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local interest in the arts has grown, rising from 29 per cent in 2020 to 34 per cent in 2022, according to NAC's Population Survey on the Arts.

Launched at the Sands Expo And Convention Centre by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong on Tuesday (Sep 5), the roadmap includes the launch of a new portal.

Named Catch, the digital platform will allow patrons to browse and book cultural events in Singapore.

It was developed with the help of other arts organisations, including the Esplanade, and also gives smaller arts groups an accessible platform to promote their initiatives for free.

To provide them with even greater exposure, NAC will partner Mediacorp to build up cross-industry connections.

"The walls or the borders between arts and media are very porous. So the talents move between the two sectors pretty freely," Mediacorp's chief customer and corporate development officer Angeline Poh told CNA's Singapore Tonight on Tuesday.

Other partnership initiatives include the Hear65's year-long I Play SG Music campaign, a collaboration between NAC and SMRT Trains which will allow commuters to listen to Singaporean music at train and bus stations.

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New road map for the arts scene seeks to build up creative industry, infuse art into everyday life

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The Our SG Arts Plan was moulded by over 16,500 stakeholders.

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The Gist 2023: The biggest environment stories in Singapore

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Record high temperatures and a plastic bag charge in supermarkets made the news this year. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Passengers still happy with public transport, but satisfaction drops for bus waiting times: Survey

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Only 76% of passengers surveyed said they were satisfied with bus waiting times, down from 80%. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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More sports added to new competition format for National School Games in 2024

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These include basketball, floorball, football, hockey and softball. Read more at straitstimes.com.