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[T1W9] How did baldness go from acceptable to alarming?

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[T1W9] How did baldness go from acceptable to alarming?

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Reading this piece has made me realise my own subconscious negative association with balding -- a fear of my own hairline receeding, as well as how baldness ties in to society's perception of beauty and health. It is interesting to me that before the modern era, baldness was (as the writer suggests) regarded with neutrality, and it is only with the rise of "mass marketing" that baldness begins to hold negative association. This is very similar to the topic of ageing covered in one of the GP tutorials, where we discussed how ageing, despite being an entirely natural aspect of human existence, becomes a problem that needs to be "fixed" due to society's negative perception of it. Similarly, balding is a natural phenomenon that society seems to need to "fix". Both of these issues appear to stem from corporate propaganda -- it is these pharmaceutical companies that push the media narrative that ageing/balding is bad to push their products' consumption, which primarily benefits them.

This issue on balding brings to light many problems in our society -- from how we perceive beauty to how we are influenced by media. In the end, balding is a natural process that only matters if one makes it to. It is hence up to us to rise above trivial obsessions with beauty, and embrace the natural progression of life.

A new word I've learnt is "eponymous", which means 'relating to the person/thing which one is named for', e.g. "in the Harry Potter series, its eponymous protagonist..." In the context of an essay, I am most likely to use this word to shorten examples, if applicable.

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How did baldness go from acceptable to alarming?

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Ancient Egyptians had no problems with it. God was even depicted bald in Renaissance art. Then came mass marketing. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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This Instagram post shares about an American Actress, Lucy Hale, who came out about her eating disorders. On first read, the emotion I was being evoked was sympathy. In today’s media-saturated world where majority get to express themselves freely in some way or another online, it is not surprising how conscious we are of ourselves - there is a fear of not just being judged, but being called out for these “flaws” as well. For such an open society like that of America, it must be especially hard for Hale, whose situation may often be worsened by her popularity that forces her under the spotlight, to battle with the negative comments and the lack of confidence.

On further thinking, I also felt empowered through the post as it made me feel reassured that social media can be put to good use, to speak up about existing problems, to challenge uncomfortable topics, and to empower others through our own unique stories. Hale’s story is definitely not something she faces alone. There are many others in the same world who face the same problems and may be suffering in silence potentially because of the stigma and the shame that tags along. Hale’s bravery in coming out would encourage so many others to not be afraid to speak up and seek help. This is exactly the kind of power that influencers have - to inspire and positively impact others - which not every influencer has fully made use of. The world could be so much more loving if more people like Hale could tell their stories and bring hope into others’ lives.

A new word I learned is ‘sobriety’, which I though meant soberness but actually had another meaning which is the quality of being staid/solemn.

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[T1W9/10] Here are 3 new 'Cs' for an ageing Singapore

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[T1W9/10] Here are 3 new 'Cs' for an ageing Singapore

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This commentary caught my eye as we all know of the 5 Cs that constitutes our Singaporean Dream and the fact that Singapore has an ageing population. The article aptly sums up what our government is doing now to focus on uplifting our ageing population. More impressively, the government understands that although under the same age category of 'Senior Citizen', many elderly have different needs that are to be met (something we can take away for our AQ of not everyone and to be specific). The authors remark that the new 3 Cs -- care, contribution and connectedness, will be critical in helping Singapore navigate a sobering reality. Additionally, with fewer babies and more older adults, we have to focus on successful ageing. The article practically assures those entering their 'senior citizen' phase of life soon that the government's got them covered. And although I'm glad for the breakdown that the article provides on what our government is doing to aid in 'successful ageing' (something I am without a doubt that Singapore will eventually succeed in), I have to admit that the article leaves me feeling more apprehensive for the future than before.

As a teenager whose only goal in life right now is turning 18 and surviving A Levels, this article made me think further into the future and what it meant for me (narcissistic I know). While the concept of Singapore being an ageing population has always seemed so distant -- a problem for the future, it appears the future has finally caught up to us. The authors remind us that within just 7 years, Singapore will have 1 in 4 Singaporeans aged 65 and above. In 7 years, my friends and I (aged 25) would probably have just entered the workforce or might even still be studying in university. And what happens in 10, 20, 30 years? What weight would we have to bear as the working (tax paying) generation? While it is always assuring that life after retirement won't be filled with loneliness for most people, myself included (hopefully), I have to confess I'm more worried about my future 25-65 year old self who will be working and paying taxes.

Besides focusing on successful ageing, what else can the government do to help future generations (beyond mine) who have to bear the burden of taking care of the growing population of elderlies, which I assume will only be growing as the years pass with longer lifespans and better healthcare. Even though the article speaks of majority of older people being able to engage in one or more productive activities, such as employment, the government still has to provide wage offsets and incentives for employers. Is the solution then as simple as a change in mindset (which isn't actually so simple)? After all, the elderly surely aren't as weak as we might think them to be. In the end, I do feel that this article leaves much food for thought for all of us.

A new word I've learnt is "paradigm" which means a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model. For example, "society's paradigm of the ‘ideal woman’".

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But the success of any ageing initiatives w ill require participation of older persons and their loved ones: By engaging in self-care and adhering to prescribed medications and treatments, pursuing opportunities for productive activities, and staying connected.

Rahul Malhotra is Deputy Director and Abhijit Visaria is Senior Research Fellow, at the Centre for Ageing Research and Education, Duke-NUS Medical School.

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Commentary: Here are 3 new 'Cs' for an ageing Singapore

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With fewer babies and more older adults expected in the coming years, there is a need now more than ever to focus on successful ageing, say Duke-NUS Medical School's Rahul Malhotra and Abhijit Visaria.

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OPINION: The willow project is more advantageous than you think?

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OPINION: The willow project is more advantageous than you think?

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https://www.adn.com/opinions/2023/03/05/opinion-for-the-truth-about-the-willow-project-listen-to-local-communities/

This piece shared about how local residents of Alaska’s North Slope are actually supportive of the Willow project, claiming that it would bring about a myriad of economic benefit and growth that will provide funding for local government operations and youth facilities.

After reading this piece, I still stand and feel strongly against the implementation of this project. Just like the environmental, or more so, social media activists, I believe that allowing Willow to move forward will pose a threat to Alaska’s treasured wildlife, to the pubic health of nearly communities, but most importantly, to the environment through emission of tonnes of carbon dioxide. Just imagine the impact on our climate!

On a deeper surface, I definitely understand where the government officials and local residents come from, and their urge for rejuvenation of their economy. However, I think the root problem to be tackled should be aiding the Iñupiat leaders and their citizens in upgrading and improving their infrastructures. Instead of receiving funds through Willow, we should help them gather resources from elsewhere, be it through donations or promotions.

The vocabulary that I picked up from the piece is ‘borough’, which means: a town or district which is an administrative unit. How to use: ‘bike thefts soared by 86 per cent in a London borough’

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As elected Iñupiat leaders and lifelong residents of Alaska's North Slope, we are fiercely proud of our ancestors and their quest for self-determination. Despite living in the most extreme climate in the United States, the Iñupiat have sustained our communities while staying true to our cultural values and traditional subsistence way of living.

Yet when it comes to Alaska's proposed Willow Project, the voices of the people whose ancestral homeland is most impacted have largely been ignored.

We know our lands and our communities better than anyone, and we know that resource development and our subsistence way of life are not mutually exclusive. Responsible resource development with the inclusion and engagement of North Slope Iñupiat has taken place for over 50 years. It exemplifies a positive model of cultural, economic and ecological interdependence.

Our nation's past and present have relied on responsible natural resource development, and the sustainability of our Alaska Native communities on the North Slope requires it to be a part of our future.

Located in the northeast portion of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), the Willow Project has widespread support across Alaska - especially from the entities that represent the Iñupiat people of the North Slope. Its potential economic benefits would represent a once-in-a-lifetime investment in our region and state, not to mention the entire country.

Willow is expected to generate $1.25 billion in taxes for the North Slope Borough - funding that will be used to provide basic services like education, fire protection, law enforcement and more. The project is also expected to add more than $2.5 billion to the NPR-A Impact Mitigation Grant Program. Our respective cities rely on revenues from this program to fund projects that provide long-term quality-of-life improvements in our communities.

The city of Wainwright has been fortunate to receive NPR-A Impact Mitigation funding since 1994 to support local government operations, including local government and municipal administration, cultural and recreational activities, staff and facilities. Funds since 2007 have gone toward city's youth program, including providing a safe, supportive environment for youth as well as recreational and cultural activities. Our city park would not be here if not for NPR-A funding, nor would the city's lagoon boat ramp, used by residents for subsistence activities.

We anticipate future NPR-A grant funding will continue to support important local government and youth programs for the city and, in the long term, will play a critical role in funding a new recreation center for youth and community programs, a replacement of the aging Wainwright City Hall and other important community facilities.

Utqiaġvik is considered the hub of the North Slope, home to 5,000 residents as well as the regional tribal college, hospital and borough government. Funding from NPR-A has already covered fire and alarm security systems in municipal buildings, much-needed renovations to our community recreational center, and a variety of subsistence and recreational operations. Grant funding will help us design a community soup kitchen to ensure our neighbors do not go hungry in winter. We have also been able to purchase equipment to dig graves in year-round permafrost - critical because our city does not have enough freezers to keep the deceased, requiring us to bury a loved one within days even in the dead of winter.

These are not basic services Utqiaġvik takes for granted. We need a stable, healthy economy to continue receiving them.

Here in the North Slope, we straddle the line of a traditional subsistence way of living and the economic realities of the modern world. Yet without critical funds made available through responsible natural resource development, many of our people would be forced to leave the lands they have inhabited for thousands of years, thereby extinguishing many of the important characteristics of Iñupiaq culture.

We never cease to be amazed that our remote corner of the world offers such a valuable resource to the rest of the country and beyond. Resources under our ancestral lands have helped sustain not just the North Slope, but all Alaskans and fellow Americans living in the Lower 48.

For the past 50 years, we have worked to ensure that our ancestral homelands and traditional subsistence lifestyles are protected while development occurs. We are not ready to give up that balance now - and Willow is respectful of the future we envision.

It's time for Washington, D.C. to listen to the voices of Alaska Native communities on the North Slope and approve Willow without further delay or deferral.
Asisaun Toovak The views expressed here are the writer's and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here. is mayor of the City of Utqiaġvik and Chester Ekak is mayor of the City of Wainwright. Both localities sit in Alaska's North Slope, the site of the proposed Willow Project.

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OPINION: For the truth about the Willow project, listen to local communities

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As elected Iñupiat leaders and lifelong residents of Alaska's North Slope, we are fiercely proud of our ancestors and their quest for self-determination. Despite living in the most extreme climate in the United States, the Iñupiat have sustained our communities while staying true to our cultural values and traditional subsistence way of living.

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Smartphones and social media are destroying children’s mental health

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Smartphones and social media are destroying children’s mental health

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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/smartphones-and-social-media-are-destroying-children-s-mental-health

This opinion piece shares how teenagers are feeling more dissatisfied with themselves and their lives these days. Evidence has shown a correlation between teenagers' screen time and their mental health.

As teenagers' quality of life improves (compared to when their parents were teenagers), we would expect teenagers to live a more comfortable and carefree life. However, it seems that every generation has its own problems to face. For this generation, although the ubiquitous nature of social media has brought about more interconnectivity and convenience for teenagers, social media is becoming increasingly pervasive. In every generation, teenagers are the most delicate and impressionable group of people. They are the ones who have not gone through enough life experiences to be able to effectively discern right from wrong, rendering them especially susceptible to the influence of social media. Over the past decades, the effects of social media have evolved to reach a point where its influence exerted on this vulnerable group of people is taking a toll on their mental health.

In the news article, the author stated a phenomenon that teenagers who spends more time using social media platforms have worse mental health. This is applicable to the teenagers in Singapore as many teenagers care about their “face” which is their dignity and they are also easily pressurised to participate in the same things as their peers. This causes teenagers to be paranoid about the latest trend amongst the peers and are also susceptible to peer influence. The inter connectivity of social media allows teenagers to be constantly exposed to the lives of other peers and lead to unhealthy competition mentality. In the long run, it will slowly influence teenagers’ perception as they grow increasingly dissatisfied with their own lives. Furthermore, although teenagers understand that what is portrayed on social media might not be entirely true, they are not rational enough to not let these unrealistic representations of people’s life affect themselves. Ultimately, more guidance is needed from parents and teachers to ensure that teenagers do not get into a vicious cycle of comparing themselves with what they see online.

One wire I learnt from the article is “grimmest” which means very serious.

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‘ACS boys feel like they own the school’, a principal once told Richard Seow. His reply: That’s a good thing
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/acs-boys-feel-like-they-own-the-school-a-principal-once-told-richard-seow-his-reply-that-s-a-good-thing

This article talks about ACS changing from a boy-school to co-ed. Many people, especially the aluminis, are very discontented with such an abrupt change. They feel that ACS will lose its 130-years heritage. As ACS used to be reknown for being a "rich man's institution" the change would turn it into another average neighbourhood school.

At first glance, i felt shocked by the people's reactions. There remains deep elitism and stereotypes among the ACS students directed towards others who might not be as priviledged. As Singapore is trying to eliminate elitism among students and pushing for educational reform, these mindsets are going to be difficult obstacles to bypast.

However, after thinking in the ACS student's shoes, i can understand why they felt in a certain way. ACS has a long-standing history of 130 years. By changing it to co-ed would means altering its heritages and traditions. The school spirit would be altered and students, especially the alumnis, may feel distant from the school that they were once a part of. Yet, i still do not agree with their elitism thinkings. I understand that Singapore has always been meritocratic, its heavy focus on education and by dividing students into different school, elitism feelings arises naturally. Though this is unavoidable, we should make a consciencious effort not to encourage it into becoming a norm in society.

The world i learnt is "intricate". It means complex

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T1W9/10: Smartphones and social media are destroying children's mental health

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T1W9/10: Smartphones and social media are destroying children's mental health

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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/smartphones-and-social-media-are-destroying-children-s-mental-health

The opinion piece shares about how an increase in usage of smartphones and social media have resulted in an increase of depression and self harm in youths, alongside other negative impacts.

My initial thoughts as I read the first few paragraphs were that smartphones and social media were not the main causes of depression amongst youths. In this age of digitalisation, people are growing increasingly connected, which is further exacerbated by the rise of social media in the 21st century. The prevalence of depression amongst youths could have been attributed to a variety of reasons, especially fear about rising costs of living, lack of job security, all as a result of a volatile modern world. Such statistics could be brought to light due to improvements in research techniques and also the "open publicity" by youths; or they could be due to the incredibly harsh world of today, leading to what the older generations call, "the most depressed generation".

However, as I read on, I understood where the author was coming from. As social media grows more advanced, with an increase in content sharing (and also a lack of regulation in a free world), an increasing number of youths are growing vulnerable to the dangerous content (e.g. photographs of self harm, self depreciative content) that floats around in the digital world. As youths are exceptionally impressionable (and gullible), they are easily influenced by the content that they consume online, and may easily take things as trends and partake in them. Not excluding myself from this conversation, I can say that many youths find solace in consuming such negative (and self depreciative) content; we find content that we relate to, especially when we feel down, and we create our own echo chamber to sit in and be consumed by the negativity. Youths hence begin to feel increasingly distant from the real world, and they distant themselves from their friends and family, leading to further social isolation, which is both correlation and causation of depression.

The author believes the best option would be to almost completely eradicate social media. However, I disagree. Although social media brings about many negative impacts to youths' mental health, it has also shed light about many social issues (particularly on mental health, ironically) that may not have been discussed in our parents' generation. Users become more knowledgeable about such issues and this knowledge may be useful to save someone's life.

A new word that I have learnt is "ubiquity": the fact of appearing everywhere or of being very common. To use in a sentence: "the ubiquity of mobile phones means you don't really need a watch".

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Smartphones and social media are destroying children's mental health

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The theory that constant use of social media may hurt mental health is not new, but far from universally accepted. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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Commentary: As COVID-19 turns 3, ‘all hazards’ approach needed to prepare for the next pandemic

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Commentary: As COVID-19 turns 3, ‘all hazards’ approach needed to prepare for the next pandemic

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This commentary piece shares about a 2021 study by the Duke Global Health Institute that pandemics such as COVID-19 and the Spanish flu are “relatively likely” to occur in time to come. Yet, despite all signs pointing to the next pandemic being a question of when it occurs, International SOS’ Risk Outlook 2023 found that many are still not prepared for the next pandemic.

Initially upon reading, I shuddered, taking into context how much inconvenience and pain COVID-19 has brought to all of us and I really cannot imagine going through yet another pandemic in my lifetime. Yet, realistically speaking, given the unprecedented interconnectivity brought about by globalization, this is not a shocking matter since the increasingly borderless world would mean that diseases can now spread rapidly, leading to large-scale pandemics.

Furthermore, I was surprised at how many, including nations and corporations are still not prepared for the next pandemic, given how the recent pandemic has sent shockwaves through the global economy as borders were closed and lockdowns were imposed, deeply impacting businesses and jobs.

A quote I heard recently says that when China (or more famously America) sneezes, the whole world catches a cold. In a way, this quote can suggest that in the face of a shrinking world, any problem faced by superpowers can have long-lasting impacts on every nation.

Therefore, even though we are living in a post COVID-19 pandemic world, I feel that we should still not let our guard down, for similiar events can happen easily again. Like what the author said, "We cannot predict when the next global pandemic might hit, but we can always better prepare for it with an “all hazards” approach."

A new phrase I learnt is "zoonotic disease", which is an infectious disease that is transmitted between species from animals to humans or from humans to animals. Examples of zoonotic diseases include Salmonellosis and coronaviruses.

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SINGAPORE: Three years ago today (Mar 11), the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. COVID-19 is not the first global pandemic, and unfortunately, it will not be the last one.

According to a 2021 study by the Duke Global Health Institute, outbreaks have become more prominent over the past 50 years, with increased occurrences caused by mosquito-borne diseases, global food contamination, zoonotic (animal-to-human transmission), viral and haemorrhagic diseases.

The most important takeaway of this study is that pandemics such as COVID-19 and the Spanish flu are "relatively likely" to occur in times to come.

WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEXT PANDEMIC?

Climate change is expected to exacerbate mosquito-borne diseases, as temperatures and water levels rise. This in turn increases the risks of outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, malaria and Zika virus.

Not only can we expect more frequent outbreaks, we can also expect outbreaks in places that were previously not at risk of such diseases. In addition, the melting of permafrost brings about the release of previously frozen pathogens, which in turn may lead to the evolution of new diseases and outbreaks.

Furthermore, the increased occurrences of natural disasters, such as wildfires, floods and droughts, as well as man-made issues like deforestation bring risks of wildlife coming into closer contact with human habitation. This increases the risk of zoonotic diseases evolving and potentially causing outbreaks.

It has been 13 years since the H1N1 swine flu pandemic, and history has shown that we will be faced with an influenza pandemic once every few decades.

The most likely scenario for the next pandemic is a new strain of influenza like the H7N9 bird flu virus or a new virus like the novel coronavirus in 2019, according to Professor Maire Connolly, coordinator of PANDEM-2, a European Union-funded project that aims to develop new solutions for efficient EU-wide pandemic management.

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Commentary: As COVID-19 turns 3, 'all hazards' approach needed to prepare for the next pandemic

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SINGAPORE: Three years ago today (Mar 11), the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. COVID-19 is not the first global pandemic, and unfortunately, it will not be the last one.

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Opinion: Calling out Louisville police racism is a start. But only a start.

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Opinion: Calling out Louisville police racism is a start. But only a start.

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/09/louisville-police-misconduct-justice-report/

This piece shares about despite the Civil Rights Act of 1964 being passed nearly 60 years ago, racism is still a prevalent issue in many states of the US. This is especially evident in Louisville, where the police killing of Breonna Taylor which occured in 2020 gained traction.

I felt angry and displeased as I read this piece. Racism have been a popular topic all around the world, with many condemning the acts of racism in hopes to protect the minority. For example, racist acts in Singapore have not only been deemed as unacceptable among Singaporeans, offenders would also face serious consequences when charged. This shows that many are aware that racism against any minority should not be accepted and that everyone should put in their best efforts to protect the vulnerable racial harmony that has been established. However, there are still many in the US that discriminate against the Blacks, especially the police. By default, the police is a force to protect all citizens regardless of race or skin colour. Nonetheless, it is a common sight to see police officers calling Black people "monkeys", "animals" and other derogatory terms. This portrays the irony in the US justice system and have shown that minority groups are not given enough support all this while.

As I continued reading, I am still comforted that these statistics and behaviours of the US police department have come to light. In this opinion piece, the report was analysed and presented the truth of the US justice system. On the surface, it may seem as though the police have been responsible in fulfilling their duties, protecting all citizens. However, as we dig deeper, this opinion piece have helped the truth come to light where many Blacks are facing discrimination in today's society. It is comforting because this oinion piece have shown that the US justice system is reviewing their actions and are being honest by revealing all gruesome acts of discrimination done towards the Blacks. Through this piece, the Blacks would not only be able to gain the support from public, the justice system can also change for the better.
One word that I have learnt is "disparagement" which means criticism of, or unkind remarks about someone or something that show you do not respect them.

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Black Lives Matter protesters march in Louisville on Sept. 25, 2020. (Darron Cummings/AP)

The Justice Department's finding that the Louisville Metro Police Department " unlawfully discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities" is stunning. But it's not surprising.

Nearly six decades after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, racism in policing still mocks this nation's promise of equal treatment under the law. Sometimes, the disparities are trivial; sometimes, they are tragic. In all cases, they are wrong.

Louisville police engaged in pattern of misconduct, Justice Department finds

Attorney General Merrick Garland was visibly angry on Wednesday when he announced the conclusions of the Justice Department's investigation into the Louisville department, launched after the 2020 police killing of Breonna Taylor. He seemed especially offended by instances in which officers called Black people "monkeys," "animal" and "boy" - vile disparagements straight out of the Jim Crow lexicon.

Opinion: Finally, some basic justice for my girlfriend, Breonna Taylor

Even more infuriating, though, is the report's analysis showing the systemic racism - there are no other words for it - in the way Louisville police treated African Americans. Citizens whom officers had sworn to protect were instead targeted because of the color of their skin.

If you were a Black person driving on Louisville's streets between 2016 and 2021, you were nearly twice as likely as a White motorist to be pulled over by police, often for a minor violation such as having a broken taillight or making a "wide turn." Many of these stops were "pretextual" - made not out of genuine concern for traffic safety but as excuses to pull over Black drivers.
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Of all drivers stopped by police, African Americans were more than twice as likely as Whites to have their cars searched. And for Black motorists, the searches were much more thorough: African Americans and Whites are equally likely to be marijuana users, but Blacks were more than three times as likely to have a traffic stop result in charges for marijuana possession.

The Justice Department on March 8 said Louisville Police engaged in systemic civil rights abuses and excessive force, after a probe of Breonna Taylor's death. (Video: Reuters)

This pattern of disparity - this systemic racism - is probably even worse than these numbers show, the report notes. In most neighborhoods, almost all of the traffic stops that police officers reported to their dispatchers were later documented in official records. In Black neighborhoods, though, many or even most stops went undocumented: "In December 2018, officers reported about 1,600 traffic stops to dispatch in 42 majority-Black neighborhoods, but they documented only about 400 stops in LMPD's stop databases."

Justice Department investigators found much bigger problems than traffic citations in the way the Louisville police department operates. Justice reported that the department uses excessive force; conducts searches without valid warrants; executes legitimate search warrants unlawfully by not knocking or making any announcement; violates the free-speech rights of citizens who protest police actions; discriminates against people with disabilities when responding to crisis situations; and is deficient in the way it handles cases of domestic violence and sexual assault.

Given all of this, you will not be surprised that the Justice Department also found that when presented with allegations of officer misconduct, the Louisville department has swept them under the rug. The report detailed the case of one woman who was shot during an argument and believed the department's investigation of the shooting was insufficient. When she called the department to complain, she received a voice-mail message from a detective who said he would halt any further attempts to investigate the shooting "since you're trying to file a formal complaint on me."

But there is a direct line between massive, tragic failures involving the use of deadly force and the loss of life - such as the killing of Taylor, who was unarmed and asleep in her own apartment when officers on a misguided drug raid burst in and shot her - and the everyday, systemic racial bias revealed in the statistics about traffic stops.

The Louisville Metro Police Department, as an institution, did not see African Americans as citizens, taxpayers, members of the community who deserved respect and consideration. They saw Black people as targets and suspects.

The city government has pledged to cooperate with the Justice Department in negotiating a court-approved consent decree that will set a detailed agenda for trying to fix what is wrong. A similar "pattern or practice" review of the Minneapolis Police Department, sparked by the police murder of George Floyd in 2020, is ongoing.

Also on Wednesday, Justice announced a less-ambitious review of the use-of-force policies of the Memphis Police Department, prompted by the death of Tyre Nichols earlier this year. Nichols, a Black man pulled over in a traffic stop, was severely beaten by Memphis police officers and died three days later.

Eugene Robinson: Tyre Nichols video shows policing must be done with a community -- not to it

I salute Garland for what he is doing. But there will be no justice, and no peace, until police chiefs reform the culture in their departments and draw the "thin blue line" where it belongs - between the officers who are true public servants and the officers who behave like thugs.
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Opinion | Calling out Louisville police racism is a start. But only a start.

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The Justice Department's finding that the Louisville Metro Police Department " unlawfully discriminates against Black people in its enforcement activities" is stunning. But it's not surprising. Nearly six decades after passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, racism in policing still mocks this nation's promise of equal treatment under the law.

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🔗:
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/emotional-support-animal-sia-us-airline-flight-rules-mental-health-needs-assistance-dog-3343036

More about what emotional support animals are 🐶: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/emotional-support-animals-dogs-mental-health-pets-3141001

The commentary on CNA, written by a mental health specialist, featured a balanced entry on the take of emotional support animals (ESAs) on airplanes. Following a ban of ESAs on flight cabins in many other countries, Singapore has followed suit, banning emotional support dogs on flight cabins from 1 April onwards. They are not recognised as assistance dogs, which by the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS) website’s description, refers to one who has received the required training by Assistance Dogs International (ADI) or the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), and hence will no longer be allowed to stay onboard on SIA flights once the documentations are passed past 1 April 2023.

Ideally, allowing ESAs and assistance dogs onboard provides those who need help from their pets an avenue through which they can travel overseas in comfort. However, in reality, as mentioned in the commentary, I do agree that airlines have to take this move to combat exploitation, where pet-owning flight-takers who don’t want to pay more for their pets take advantage of the benefits meant for ESAs and assistance dogs, swindling their way through, in order to get a free air ticket for their furry little ones. Seeing how airlines have to take such a radical move, it can be safely assumed that the situation may be worse than we think.

Yet, this also inevitably comes at a price. By establishing bans on ESAs on flights, airlines may be denying passengers who really require the pets’ support a chance to travel on planes comfortably, or at all, if their conditions are on the severe side. This is especially so as cramped flight cabins spaces are a nightmare for those with severe claustrophobia, and airplanes themselves are quite notorious for being reminiscent of bad memories, which may trigger PTSD or anxiety patients.

In response to this, the writer proposes that airlines impose more stringent measures when it comes to documentation of ESAs and assistance dogs, so that we can help those with mental or physical disabilities enjoy a safe and comfortable flight. In the context of Singapore, this may entail more governmental regulation of what constitutes a ‘certified mental health professional’ who is able to issue certification of legitimate ESAs and assistance dogs, which would curtail exploitations by crafty flight-takers.

VOCAB 🔉

psychotherapy (n.): the treatment of mental conditions by verbal communication and interaction.

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In the US, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recognises the benefits of emotional support animals and provides regulations for them to live with an owner in designated non-pet housing (with a few exceptions) without requiring a pet deposit fee.

There are also arguments on whether the emotional support animal should be officially trained as such, just like . But being "trained" is a highly subjective idea depending on the context and who provides the "training".

LEGITIMISING THE NEED FOR EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMALS

With vague criteria for emotional support animals , recognition of them remains grey. In the case of flight passengers, some may just want to have their pets with them during the flight, or have their pets relocated from one country to another without extra costs and hassle.

But a blanket ban on emotional support animals may be unfair to individuals who need their pets to keep them calm as they struggle with anxiety or claustrophobia on flights.

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Commentary: Blanket bans on emotional support animals may not be the right move

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In the US, the Department of Housing and Urban Development recognises the benefits of emotional support animals and provides regulations for them to live with an owner in designated non-pet housing (with a few exceptions) without requiring a pet deposit fee.

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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/can-singapore-s-carbon-hub-survive-the-upset-over-offsets

Context: https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-are-carbon-markets-and-why-are-they-important

This opinion piece discusses about the merits and shortcomings of the global carbon market, ever since the recent "The Guardian Controversy" which highlighted that more than 90% of rainforest carbon offsets are worthless. This sparked numerous discussions regarding the legitimacy of carbon credits, practicality of measuring carbon footprint and also the nature of the carbon market.

After summarising the merits and shortcomings of the global carbon market, the author concludes by suggesting the way forward in this issue, as well as fighting climate change - improving the accoutability and transparency of carbon markets and investing more money in green projects. On the point of improving the standards of the carbon markets, the author raised many concerns regarding the current state of the carbon market, such as lack of benchmarks and lack of enforcement of high quality carbon credits which I agree with. Unless we can find some sort of way to standardise how we measure reductions in carbon emissions and enforce the integrity of the carbon market, we can never get the buy in of investors effectively and get all stakeholders on board. Yet, this will require the coordination with many stakeholders across the globe, and strong political will from all countries involved in the carbon market, which is not likely to be realistic if every country continues to prioritise their own development and growth over other green goals. In my opinion, there could be some sort of international body helping to regulate and manage the carbon market, such that a benchmark standard can be set on how to measure such greenhouse gas emission reductions. This would likely address some of the concerns with the current carbon market, while also providing specialised support in the development of the global carbon market. All in all, I think the opinion piece also highlights the potential of green finance in tackling climate change. In a world whereby leaders around the globe cannot come together to take action, with many lacking either the political will or financial resources to, relying on the carbon market might just offer the needed motivation for climate change solutions to come from the ground up, from corporations and the people, and also support green firms which are already doing so. Who knows, this might result in the birth of some groundbreaking, powerful solution that can offer humanity a glimpse of hope in the fight against climate change

A new word I learned is 'nascent', which means just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential.

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Can Singapore's carbon hub survive the upset over offsets?

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In the article, the author argued that there’s no such thing as artificial intelligence, with the more accurate term as ‘machine learning’. He states that the difference in labelling is important ‘AI’ pins the blame on machines rather than the people designing these systems when things go wrong.

He states that the tech industry paints an idealistic illusion on how the future world would look like and millions of people fall for it. He mentioned that tech giants made us believe in their products like “meta verse”, “web3” “artificial intelligence”. All these products have raked in billions of dollars, despite their technology still being in the infancy stage.

He talked about ChatGPT4, mentioning that it, like other large language models, are simply mirroring databases of texts, and the machine glom words together based on probability. The systems are trained to generate text that sounds plausible. It is not intelligence.Yet, the product is being marked as new oracles of knowledge, and a humanly persons it’s emotions.

From this article, I learnt about the powerful mess of labels, which make us believe a painted image by a company, in order for us to fork out our money to invest, for the sole purpose of their companies’ growth.

Thus, we should remain open minded and not be trapped in any labels which corporations force onto us. The next time you hear the term “metaverse”, remember it’s merely a company’s name, not our destined future.

The word I learn is oracle
oracle is a person or thing considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions

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There's no such thing as artificial intelligence

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This commentary on CNA outlines examples of many former, or even current presidents who have been or are being trialed, and there are some who have even been sent to prison. It's a phenomenon that has been happening globally, from France to Korea to Brazil. Mexico and the United States were prominent examples of taking different approaches to prosecuting presidents -- by simply not doing so. Nixon, while investigated, was absolved; Mexico has only started investigating its former president, and all eyes are now on former President Donald Trump, who has just been formally criminally charged with 34 felony charges for the cover-up of his relationship with a porn star.

All these developments seem to point to one conclusion, that no one, not even Presidents, are exempt from law and justice. However, any judicial proceeding against such powerful leaders inherently become political issues, and investigations will be hindered on many fronts: the President himself, the government, even the people. These proceedings are often controversial, meeting backlash and skepticism from people while those on top try to bury the case. I believe that for as many cases we see where justice is served, there are just as many underhand dealings that allow powerful figures to get off scot-free. One may recall the January 6 insurrection of Congress, as well as the investigation into Donald Trump's and many other Republicans' involvement. Even with the investigative committee's recommendation for prosecution, nothing has happened since the alarming event more than 3 years ago.

There are also many aspects to consider. As the most powerful figure of the country, any controversy will be met with division among their voters, as they are fed information from those who seek to instill doubt into the voters. Truth becomes difficult to discern from misinformation. The author states that such division can even result in polarisation, where voters take a stand, and this may lead to cracks in the social fabric, destabilising the country. Mistrust from the voter base can also lead to a weaker political landscape.

All these impacts attached to one prosecution thus makes the decision risky and one that must not be made lightly, given how charged political landscapes in many countries are nowadays. Yet one must consider whether stability or accountability is more important, especially in a world where transparency from the government is highly valued. Furthermore, with the advent of technology, many things, no matter how buried, will eventually come to light.

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In mature democracies, prosecutions that hold leaders accountable can solidify the rule of law. South Korea investigated and convicted five former presidents starting in the 1990s, a wave of political prosecutions that culminated in the 2018 impeachment of Park Geun-hye and, soon after, the conviction and imprisonment of her predecessor, Lee Myung-bak.

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Commentary: Prosecuting a president is divisive and destabilising. Here's why countries do it anyway

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Judicial proceedings against former presidents and prime ministers are inevitably perceived as political, say these political science academics from University of Washington.

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This Instagram post, which was reposted by multiple accounts, describes a supposedly celebratory piece of information on our efforts towards an increasingly inclusive and accepting society. The post, however, turned out to do the complete opposite for the cause it was advocating for and spurred unhappiness amongst people for the way the title of news was phrased.

On first look of the post, I felt empowered as the post was convincing in that our society was seemingly successful in moving towards where we wish to be - towards a world where everyone was equally deserving of human rights without any marginalisation or alienation of a particular community of people. The fact that NASA had recognised and sent a diversity of people for such an important mission does indeed prove that we are saying goodbye to the world of "White Supremacy" and shifting towards a world of equality.

However, it wasn't difficult for me to soon come to realisation that this post, which was supposed to advocate for equality and rights, did the exact opposite of advocating for the cause by explicitly labelling these people for their colour, gender and race. Instead of recognising these people for their qualifications and accomplishments in NASA, the first and only thing mentioned about them was their appearance or nationality. While accepting that this whole idea of inclusivity was for a good intention, the emphasis on the astronauts' identity as the reason for them being sent on moon mission is unforgivable as it does nothing but to categorise people, marginalise them and amplify the idea of difference amongst us.

In fact, the whole idea of specifically calling out to the public that NASA is making a change makes me doubt the altruism of the post and feel sceptical about whether it was really for good, or for show, simply to put up a good image of NASA (which ironically made turned more people against them).

This post therefore reveals the underlying flaws in the methods we have used to approach the issue of discrimination and our failed attempts in achieving equality for all. The post helps us reflect that in order to truly achieve equality, maybe we shouldn't be constantly emphasising on our differences. This does not mean we become ignorant of the issue. Instead, it means to truly see every person as the same, despite their colour, gender, or whatever trait that could possibly make them "different".

Granted, talking about this issue is not an easy one as it is complex and highly sensitive to many communities. But in order to achieve real and meaningful change, at the very least, we could start from normalising our differences by putting our focus on empowering and recognising people for their incredible achievements, and not simply for the demographic they represent.

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T2W1/2: When Thumper was more than a rabbit: confessions of a former clubber

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T2W1/2: When Thumper was more than a rabbit: confessions of a former clubber

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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/when-thumper-was-more-than-a-rabbit-confessions-of-a-former-clubber

This opinion piece brings up how fewer Gen Zs and millennials are keen on going for "club nights", while giving reasons as to why this phenomenon has occurred.

I think that going to clubs for a fun night of partying and drinking has always been a want, if not a dream, for many teenagers reaching the age of 16 or 17. It's still not a surprise to hear some of my friends say that they want to go to a club to party once they hit 18. However, an increasing number of my peers have also shown disdain towards the clubbing scene, and I share similar sentiments.

In my personal opinion, it is not a bad thing for an increasing number of legal Gen Zs being turned off by the idea of going to a club, albeit the negative impacts on nightlife scene in Singapore - which could further reinforce the idea that Singaporeans are boring. The Singaporean nightlife scene had already taken a hit due to the COVID-19 pandemic, forced shutdowns resulted in a loss of income for many stakeholders, and this new phenomenon of "I don't want to club" amongst the younger generation could throw an even bigger punch at the industry.

However, not wanting to party at a club could actually be a good thing - as a measure to protect oneself. The author mentions about the risks and dangers of clubbing e.g. molestation, injury. In particular, she mentions that "The dim lighting, chaotic environment and relative anonymity of clubs also allow people to get away with being perverts."  Such outrage of modesty cases are extremely scarring to one's life, and the whole club scene could result in victims not being able to seek closure (perpetrators may get away scot-free).

Additionally, with an increasing awareness of rape drugs and also the negative impacts of alcohol on one's health, staying away from the club could be what our generation needs to stay alive and healthy. There's nothing wrong with staying at home with a few close friends and drinking a few drinks in your sanctuary :)

A new word I have learnt is "inebriated": drunk; intoxicated. When used in a sentence: "I got mildly inebriated".

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When Thumper was more than a rabbit: Confessions of a former clubber

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To promote inclusivity, the Government has set up partnerships between special needs schools and general education schools to promote intermingling between children. Schools themselves are taking things one step further, with Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) - which has a reputation for drawing students with families from higher socioeconomic backgrounds - announcing in February this year that it will establish a special education school taking  in students with moderate special education needs who have autism spectrum disorder. About 80 per cent of these students are in mainstream schools, which cater to students who have cognitive abilities and adaptive skills to access the national curriculum and mainstream learning environment.

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.  With Singapore having about 35,500 students with reported special educational needs as of December 2022, according to MOE. Government has been taking active measures such as School Partnerships (General Education - Special Education) in early 2023 to cultivate more collaborations between students from mainstream and special need education schools

In an ideal state, true inclusivity would see children with special needs studying alongside those without, said industry observers, without the need to send them to separate schools. However, Mr Chew said that some children with special needs need targeted strategies to learn meaningfully.

In a society like Singapore where schools are “the grounds for children to excel and … do well academically”, there could be some people who feel that having children with special needs in the same class could hold other students back, said Mr Chew.

I think as we progress further as a community, while we make sure that children with special needs should not be left out or neglected, they do require special attention in order to compete with children of same age with them.

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SINGAPORE: During his first year in a mainstream primary school, Ms Annette Chua's nephew was unable to adapt to his new surroundings.

Then eight, he had been diagnosed with mild autism and felt "overwhelmed" by the noise in his classroom.

The boy was also teased and criticised by his classmates for his behaviour, such as his sensitivity to noise and inability to pay attention in class.

The following year, Ms Chua enrolled her nephew in Pathlight School, which caters to students on the autism spectrum with related conditions between the ages of seven and 18.

He became more cheerful, said Ms Chua, who is the boy's caregiver and lives with him.

"He finally found a place where people are of his own kind and they know him and understand him," said the 39-year-old part-time tutor.

She subsequently enrolled her younger nephew, aged 12, whom she is also a caregiver to, and her son, aged nine, in Pathlight School.

Both of them have mild autism, and the 12-year-old also has global developmental delay.

Ms Chua said that she is caring for her nephews as their parents, who are divorced, have mental health issues and are unable to fulfil their parental responsibilities.

The options available to Ms Chua's nephews and son in the education landscape is a testimony to the sea of change that has swept the special needs education sector.

Besides improving the professionalism of special needs teachers, more such schools have been set up to cater to children with special needs over the years.

There are currently a total of 22 government-funded special education schools here, with a further six to become operational by the 2030s.

To promote inclusivity, the Government has also set up partnerships between special needs schools and general education schools to promote intermingling between children.

Schools themselves are taking things one step further, with Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) - which has a reputation for drawing students with families from higher socioeconomic backgrounds - announcing in February this year that it will establish a special education school.

The school, which will begin operations in 2026, will take in students with moderate special education needs who have autism spectrum disorder.

ACS had previously told TODAY that the finer details are yet to be finalised, but it envisions that ACS (Primary) in Tengah and the new special needs school will be in adjoining compounds and share facilities and infrastructure. There will also be some joint school-level programmes and events.

Industry players said that while strides have been made to integrate neurotypical children with those who have special needs, there is still some way to go towards achieving the end goal of an inclusive society.

Under the Ministry of Education's (MOE) classification, students with special educational needs include those with learning disorders such as dyslexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and mild autism spectrum disorders, as well as disabilities such as sensory or physical impairments.

As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child.

TODAY takes a look at the various steps that the Singapore "village" has taken over the years to raise and educate its special needs children, especially those with mild to moderate learning and developmental disabilities such as autism and intellectual disability, and what more needs to be done.

OVERVIEW OF SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION SECTOR

Singapore has about 35,500 students with reported special educational needs as of December last year, according to MOE.

About 80 per cent of these students are in mainstream schools, which cater to students who have cognitive abilities and adaptive skills to access the national curriculum and mainstream learning environment.

The remaining 20 per cent with more severe special educational needs are supported in the 22 special education schools here.

For students with adequate cognitive functioning but a moderate-to-severe deficit in adaptive functioning, they attend special education schools that offer the national curriculum and specialised programmes designed to meet their needs.

The rest attend special education schools that offer a customised curriculum which helps them to attain skills necessary for further education and training, employment and independent living.

Industry observers said that on the whole, the special needs education sector has improved in terms of resources and training of educators to better cater to the educational needs of these children in both special education schools and mainstream schools.

There have also been key initiatives implemented to foster greater interaction between special needs and other children, they said.

They pointed to the Satellite Partnership programme set up by MOE in 2008, which pairs up students from mainstream schools and special education schools to do joint activities, as a significant step towards providing them with more opportunities to interact.

The programme was renamed School Partnerships (General Education - Special Education) earlier this year to cultivate more collaborations between students in these schools, as well as professional exchanges between teachers to build their capabilities.

Within general education schools, the professional development of teachers has also improved, allowing them to better identify and employ teaching strategies for children with special needs, said industry players.

Since 2005, teachers undergoing training have been provided with a basic understanding of supporting special needs students. A core group of teachers are also put through a specialised programme - known as the Teachers trained in Special Needs programme - to support students with special needs.

Mr Calvin Chew, who spent more than a decade at St Andrew's Autism School as an educator, said that the move in 2019 to make it compulsory for all children with moderate to severe special needs to attend a government-funded special education school was a key change in the sector as well.

It meant that the education system had to improve its existing resources and infrastructure to accommodate more children with special needs, said Mr Chew, who has also been a teacher in mainstream schools for close to a decade.

Prior to that, parents were not required to send their children who had moderate to severe special needs to school.

In 2020, MOE also launched The Journeys Package, a framework to provide greater clarity and more distinct progression pathways for educator roles in the special needs education sector.

The framework was an "overhaul" of the sector, improving its professionalism and providing teachers with progression and recognition, said Mr Chew.

Within mainstream schools, allied educators providing learning and behavioural support were also renamed as Special Educational Needs (SEN) officers last year. The move was significant as it signalled a recognition that there is a need for dedicated officers to serve children with special needs, he added.

SEN officers support students with special education needs in mainstream schools.

CHANGES IN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION LANDSCAPE

The special education system in Singapore has progressed from a decade ago, both in terms of the quality of education provided to students, as well as the level of inclusivity and interaction between special needs students and their mainstream counterparts, said industry players.

Ms Esther Kwan, the principal of special education school Grace Orchard School, said that the entire sector has moved from a "care-based sector", where the focus is on caring for special needs children and teaching them simple skills, to one that is focused on the educational outcomes of the child, so that students can grow to be "as much as they can be".

Her school takes in students with mild intellectual disability and mild autism spectrum disorders between the ages of seven and 18.

This year, Grace Orchard School started a pilot programme to group its students based on their cognitive skills and abilities, rather than their language and mathematical skills.

Ms Kwan said that this is part of the school's efforts to implement a mediated learning experience, where the curriculum focuses on improving the thinking process of students, rather than simply having them give the right answer to a problem.

Interactions between special needs and mainstream students have also improved, said teachers.

For example, Bukit Merah Secondary School and APSN Tanglin School have expanded the scope of joint activities for their students since they set up their satellite partnership in 2018.

APSN Tanglin School caters to students between 13 and 16 years old with mild intellectual disability and significant limitations in adaptive behaviour such as social skills.

Located along Alexandra Road, it is about a 15-minute walk away from Bukit Merah Secondary School in Lengkok Bahru.

In 2018, both schools took part in Play Inclusive, a sports competition organised by Special Olympics Singapore and SportCares, where athletes with intellectual disabilities team up with those without to participate in sports.

A year later, they also participated in similar activities for dance and sailing. Students from APSN Tanglin School also visited Bukit Merah Secondary School for the latter's sports day.

This year, Bukit Merah Secondary School will visit APSN TanglinSchool in May to observe the latter's sports day for the first time. Both sides are also exploring the possibility of activities between student leaders of both schools.

For the first time, teachers from both schools also met to share about their own experiences teaching children with special needs.

Such moves help to build inclusivity on both sides, said the teachers.

Mr Kenneth Lai, the head of department for Physical Education and Sports at APSN Tanglin School who also oversees the partnership, said that the joint activities allow his students to be more comfortable interacting with students from general education schools.

This helps to build their communication skills, which in future will enable them to "speak to people, voice their views, and ask for help" in society, he said.

Mr Lai's counterpart at Bukit Merah Secondary School, Mr Zubi Kek Boon Ann, said that there is an "overwhelming response" from his students to participate in such joint activities as they enjoy the opportunity to make new friends.

He said that participating students leave with greater empathy and awareness of the challenges that their own classmates, who may have special needs, face.

Within mainstream schools as well, teachers said that the inclusion of special needs students in their classes has also helped to foster inclusion and longer-term friendships with other students.

During a sit-down interview at Concord Primary School, where special needs students study in the same classes as those without special needs, TODAY observed how they have formed strong bonds.

Primary 3 pupils Tan Bingwen and Zavier Ong, who has special educational needs, excitedly shared about how they are "best friends forever". Both are nine years old.

Zavier said that he is friends with Bingwen as the latter respects him and is honest.

At one point, when Bingwen shared that he likes to sing, but was hesitant to do so in front of this reporter, Zavier encouraged him by saying "don't be shy" and "you can do it".

BETTER RESOURCES, IMPROVED PROFESSIONALISM

Industry observers attributed the progress made in the special education sector to greater support provided by MOE in terms of resources, as well as broader awareness across society and among parents.

Ms Kwan from Grace Orchard School said that the sector has "moved a lot" such as in the form of resourcing, not just in finances but in the ability to upgrade or upskill teachers.

While the sector had started out to care for special needs children, it has since shifted to one which emphasises the quality of the child's education.

"It has moved from that kind of a space (to one) where teachers need to be qualified and have a certain level of training to help students reach the potential that they can be," she said.

Mr Chew said that when he first joined mainstream schools more than two decades ago, he encountered teachers who did not know the difference between autism spectrum disorder and dyslexia, which are different types of special needs.

"These days, I don't think you will hear such remarks because there's a lot more information in the media. Even in the National Institute of Education, there are departments catered specially to special needs training," he said.

Ms Denise Phua, the president of Autism Association Singapore, also highlighted the use of technology in improving the quality of education in the education sector. The association runs Pathlight and Eden Schools which are for autistic children.

Ms Phua, who is also a Member of Parliament, cited the example of how dyslexic students in some primary schools use technology pens to assist them in reading texts.

Special education schools like Pathlight School also provide IT lessons for its students such as word processing and coding, said Ms Phua, who is a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education.

In mainstream schools, teachers said that the training provided has helped them to better cope with special needs students in their midst.

As a young, untrained teacher 20 years ago, Ms Ee Wei Leng was "overwhelmed" by their behaviour and at having to manage special needs children who could disrupt the class, such as walking around the room, as they have a short attention span.

However, after going through MOE training courses and getting the support of SEN officers and counsellors in the school, Ms Ee, currently a maths teacherat Rulang Primary School, said she feels better prepared to handle such children in her class.

For example, some students may feel "cognitively overloaded" when solving maths problems. To cater to them, Ms Ee said that she tries to explain the mathematical problem pictorially and break the solution up into smaller steps.

She also has other pupils keep an eye on special needs students or step in to help them if necessary, to lighten her load in the classroom. She said that she does this without disclosing to other students that their classmate has special needs.

Teachers from various schools interviewed also agreed that there is a greater awareness in the community about special needs.

As a result, parents are more aware about the types of intervention their children with special needs require and would also get an official diagnosis for them.

WHITHER SINGAPORE AS A TOTALLY INCLUSIVE SOCIETY?

Despite the progress, there is still some way to go towards creating a truly inclusive education system, industry observers said.

TODAY had previously reported on how some countries such as Canada have an inclusive school system where children with special needs learn alongside those without.

Unlike Singapore, which still has schools that are exclusively for students with special needs, the Canadian province of British Columbia has no special education public schools. Instead, children with special needs are educated within a general education setting.

Can such a form of inclusivity become a reality in Singapore?

Teachers in mainstreams schools said that while resources have improved, they could still use more support in the form of SEN officers or counsellors to help students with special needs.

Mr Johnson Li, the head of department for special educational needs at New Town Primary, said that there are four SEN officers in his school.

Each officer handles about 30 cases at a time. These include students who are clinically diagnosed with special needs, and those who are not but are identified by their teachers as requiring some support.

Mr Li said that while "there will never be a number of (SEN officers) that is enough", his school manages the caseload by varying the degree of intervention according to the severity of the child's needs.

He said that most of these students are coping well, and the officers check in on them about once every semester.

On the other hand, for children who need more intensive support, the officers as well as their form teachers and case managers check in on them daily.

A former SEN officer, who left her job at the end of 2021, said that she felt "very stretched" as there were only two officers in the entire school and they had to monitor 40 cases at any one time, of which about half needed support either in class or outside of the classroom.

As a result, she was not able to provide support at the level that some students required. This was further compounded by the fact that she could only spend time with the students after school, and on days where they did not have co-curricular activities or remedial classes.

The former officer in her 30s, who is currently furthering her studies, requested anonymity as she intends to rejoin the Education Ministry.

In response to TODAY's queries, MOE said that each primary and secondary school has about five to 10 teachers trained in special needs education.

There are also more than 700 SEN officers, with each primary school having at least two, and each secondary school having at least one SEN officer.

And while awareness has grown, there is still a long way to go before Singapore can truly become an inclusive society.

Ms Chua, the aforementioned caregiver to three autistic children, said that the oldest of the trio, her 14-year-old nephew, continues to face bullying after joining a mainstream secondary school upon leaving Pathlight School.

In one incident, shortly after her nephew revealed to his classmates that he is autistic, his classmate did not allow him to hold a knife during a food and consumer education lesson as he felt that her nephew could be "dangerous".

Ms Chua said that several misconceptions, such as how autistic children are "lunatics" and could "go bonkers" anytime, remain in society and make it difficult for the education system to be truly inclusive.

Despite existing school partnerships, some collaborations can also be ad hoc, said Ms Kwan of Grace Orchard School. This means that students are unable to form real friendships, which could serve as important social networks outside of their schools.

In an ideal state, true inclusivity would see children with special needs studying alongside those without, said industry observers, without the need to send them to separate schools.

However, Mr Chew said that some children with special needs need targeted strategies to learn meaningfully.

In a society like Singapore where schools are "the grounds for children to excel and ... do well academically", there could be some people who feel that having children with special needs in the same class could hold other students back, said Mr Chew.

To this end, having separate schools to serve children with more severe needs suits the current education landscape, he said.

Ultimately, observers said, there has to be a broader shift in the community's mindset so that children with special needs go on to have fulfilling and meaningful lives even after they leave school.

Ms Kwan, the principal, said that access to opportunities after these children leave school remains limited. For example, career paths are narrow, with vocational skills training in special needs schools mostly providing skills in horticulture, hospitality, food and beverage and the retail industries.

Students also typically start working as young as 19, after completing their time in special education schools.

"They need more time to learn, but yet we are getting them to work so early. We are also then saying that they have only these limited choices," she said.

Ms Kwan added that her school is working to open up new opportunities for students, such as having them work as childcare teacher aides after graduation.

Similarly, Ms Phua of Autism Association Singapore said that the potential of special needs students in both special education and mainstream schools is not fully realised.

She said that the current education model is "very front-loaded" - where learning is limited to a child's formal schooling years - and is not ideal for those who need to continue their education beyond then.

Progress in the special needs education sector aside, Ms Chua the caregiver said that she is "not so confident" about her nephews' and son's abilities to secure a job and live independently in future.

Despite greater awareness in society about the special needs community, the public is still not accepting of them, she said.

"As much we are promoting awareness for the special needs community, my children have invisible needs that are unseen by the public," she said.

"Being able to understand and to accept (special needs persons) are two different things. The public may be aware and understanding (of special needs people).

"However, to be accepting, we still have a long way to go."
This article was originally published in TODAY.

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The Big Read: Special needs education has come a long way but true inclusiveness still a work in progress

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SINGAPORE: During his first year in a mainstream primary school, Ms Annette Chua's nephew was unable to adapt to his new surroundings. Then eight, he had been diagnosed with mild autism and felt "overwhelmed" by the noise in his classroom.&nb

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Singapore  first announced its intention to run for membership in April 2021 and will be a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 2024 to 2027.

Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo reiterated Singapore's strategy to dealing with illicit drugs at 66th session of the CND was that of a multi-pronged, holistic harm prevention approach aimed at reducing drug demand and supply including drug education, tough laws, robust enforcement efforts, while focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration programmes in order to keep the country relatively drug-free.

This is a rather big achievement for Singapore being represented at a global stage level and also a way to showcase Singapore's unique and successful strategy in tackling with drug abuse especially with increasing loose control in the Western world. Singapore serves to be a satellite as to how drug should be used and exchanged in a healthy and legalised way so as to bring about minimum harm such as long term addiction and cause social unrest.

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SINGAPORE: Singapore will be a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 2024 to 2027.

The country first announced its intention to run for membership in April 2021 and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo highlighted Singapore's candidature at the 66th session of the CND that was held in Vienna, Austria from Mar 13 to 17, 2023.

The CND is the UN's main drug policymaking body. It meets annually to review and analyse the global drug situation, develop strategies on international drug control and recommend measures to address the world drug problem.

At the 66th session of the CND, Mrs Teo said the global trends in drug supply and abuse were worrying, in particular the increasing liberalisation of cannabis for non-medical use.

She reiterated Singapore's strategy to dealing with illicit drugs was that of a multi-pronged, holistic harm prevention approach aimed at reducing drug demand and supply.

This includes drug education, tough laws, robust enforcement efforts, while focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration programmes in order to keep the country relatively drug-free.

Mrs Teo also outlined how Singapore, if elected to a four-year term, could contribute meaningfully to the work of the CND, including in policy discussions and capacity building, by sharing its approach to drug control, and its experience in drug identification and scheduling.

Having been a CND observer since 1997, this will be the country's first seat on the commission.

"HONOURED TO BE ELECTED"

On Singapore's election, Mrs Teo said in a Facebook post on Friday (Apr 7) that she was pleased with the outcome.

"This is the first time Singapore sought CND membership after serving as an observer since 1997," she added.

"As the primary drug policymaking body of the United Nations, the CND meets annually to review the global drug situation, develop strategies on international drug control, and recommend measures to strengthen international co-operation to counter the growing threat of drugs.

"We are honoured to be elected and will work actively with the other member states towards addressing the world's drug problem."

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Singapore elected as member of UN's main drug policymaking body

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SINGAPORE: Singapore will be a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 2024 to 2027. The country first announced its intention to run for membership in April 2021 and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo highlighted Singapore's candidature at the 66th session of the CND that was held in Vienna, Austria from Mar 13 to 17, 2023.

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Singapore first announced its intention to run for membership in April 2021 and will be a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 2024 to 2027.

The CND is the UN's main drug policymaking body. It meets annually to review and analyse the global drug situation, develop strategies on international drug control and recommend measures to address the world drug problem.

At the 66th session of the CND, Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo said the global trends in drug supply and abuse were worrying, in particular the increasing liberalisation of cannabis for non-medical use and reiterated Singapore's strategy to dealing with illicit drugs was that of a multi-pronged, holistic harm prevention approach aimed at reducing drug demand and supply.
This includes drug education, tough laws, robust enforcement efforts, while focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration programmes in order to keep the country relatively drug-free.

This is a huge achievement for Singapore being represented in a global context and taking on larger role and responsibility. Singapore is able to showcase its unique yet successful drug control to the rest of the world and help in drug control as well especially with the increasingly severe drug dealings among young people to curb long term addiction and possible social unrest

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SINGAPORE: Singapore will be a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 2024 to 2027.

The country first announced its intention to run for membership in April 2021 and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo highlighted Singapore's candidature at the 66th session of the CND that was held in Vienna, Austria from Mar 13 to 17, 2023.

The CND is the UN's main drug policymaking body. It meets annually to review and analyse the global drug situation, develop strategies on international drug control and recommend measures to address the world drug problem.

At the 66th session of the CND, Mrs Teo said the global trends in drug supply and abuse were worrying, in particular the increasing liberalisation of cannabis for non-medical use.

She reiterated Singapore's strategy to dealing with illicit drugs was that of a multi-pronged, holistic harm prevention approach aimed at reducing drug demand and supply.

This includes drug education, tough laws, robust enforcement efforts, while focusing on rehabilitation and reintegration programmes in order to keep the country relatively drug-free.

Mrs Teo also outlined how Singapore, if elected to a four-year term, could contribute meaningfully to the work of the CND, including in policy discussions and capacity building, by sharing its approach to drug control, and its experience in drug identification and scheduling.

Having been a CND observer since 1997, this will be the country's first seat on the commission.

"HONOURED TO BE ELECTED"

On Singapore's election, Mrs Teo said in a Facebook post on Friday (Apr 7) that she was pleased with the outcome.

"This is the first time Singapore sought CND membership after serving as an observer since 1997," she added.

"As the primary drug policymaking body of the United Nations, the CND meets annually to review the global drug situation, develop strategies on international drug control, and recommend measures to strengthen international co-operation to counter the growing threat of drugs.

"We are honoured to be elected and will work actively with the other member states towards addressing the world's drug problem."

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Singapore elected as member of UN's main drug policymaking body

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SINGAPORE: Singapore will be a member of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) from 2024 to 2027. The country first announced its intention to run for membership in April 2021 and Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo highlighted Singapore's candidature at the 66th session of the CND that was held in Vienna, Austria from Mar 13 to 17, 2023.

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Ella, a 14 year old girl was pleaded guilty of 4 charges: stealing cosmetics from Watsons and cheating others of money by listing items on Carousell that she never delivered. She was also involved in a group attack of a person who was hit with a knuckleduster and another five charges were taken into consideration.

Because of escalating safety concerns, Ella's parents were advised to file an application for a Family Guidance Order at the Youth Court (a court order that parents and guardians of children or young people who are below 16 can apply for if they need help guiding their child)

Ella was referred to several service including harsh physical punishment by her father. He was captured on home closed-circuit television pulling Ella's hair, kicking her stomach, slapping her face and cursing at her.After this, Ella's mother applied for a personal protection order and domestic exclusion order for Ella, but the proceedings for these are ongoing.

The Child Protective Service noted that Ella's parents had difficulties exercising proper supervision and control over her, with their ability inhibited by their acrimonious relationship and conflicting parenting styles, which often "triangulated Ella", said Judge Tung.

I think this is a perfect example of control of family by authorities when the parents are incapable of managing their own behaviour and leading to wrong behaviours of their children subsequently. This should be alerted to relevant authorities and let them intervene when necessary

vacillated: indecisive about

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SINGAPORE: A 14-year-old girl who was sent to a girls' home for crimes including theft and cheating was subject to "inconsistent and inappropriate parenting" and was assaulted by her father.

While her mother was receptive to child protective service professionals' advice and tried to impose routine and discipline, her father vacillated between harsh and permissive parenting styles.

The girl, who was named only as Ella in a judgment published on Thursday (Apr 6), was sent to the Singapore Girls' Home for 21 months by a Youth Court.

Ella pleaded guilty to four charges. These are for stealing cosmetics from Watsons and cheating others of money by listing items on Carousell that she never delivered.

She was also involved in a group attack of a person who was hit with a knuckleduster. Another five charges were taken into consideration.

THE PARENTS SEEK HELP

After some of the crimes were committed, Ella's parents contacted the Singapore Children's Society on Feb 24, 2022 hoping to access the pre-Family Guidance Order regime because of Ella's challenging behaviour.

The society conducted a screening and found several risky behaviour that Ella engaged in. These included: Association with negative peers, underage smoking, vaping, alcohol consumption, sexualised behaviour, coming home late at night and staying away from home.

The screening also noted that the parents had inconsistent parenting styles.

Ella and her family were referred to a separate social service agency for therapy and case management, but Ella defaulted on three sessions without valid reasons.

When counsellors tried to work with Ella on her academic plans and association with negative peers, Ella expressed little concern and prioritised having fun, noted District Judge Amy Tung.

She continued to have late nights, stayed away from home for up to a week at times, and lied about where she was.

Her parents were taught communication and co-parenting skills, but any progress was hindered by the ongoing contentions and acrimony between them.

Because of escalating safety concerns, Ella's parents were advised to file an application for a Family Guidance Order at the Youth Court.

This is a court order that parents and guardians of children or young people who are below 16 can apply for if they need help guiding their child.

FATHER CHANGES MIND

Ella's parents initially agreed to apply for this court order, but Ella's father decided not to proceed as Ella promised him that she would attend school.

Ella did not abide with the conditions of returning to her school and keeping her curfew. She was also found to have posted on social media about looking for a "sugar daddy", revealing love bites on herself.

The pre-Family Guidance Order intervention ended after Ella was remanded and criminal proceedings for her offences were pending.

Judge Tung said Ella was referred to the Child Protective Service six times in 2022 for alleged dating violence by her ex-boyfriend and behaviour that put her at risk.

Ella was also referred to the service for harsh physical punishment by her father. He was captured on home closed-circuit television pulling Ella's hair, kicking her stomach, slapping her face and cursing at her.

After this, Ella's mother applied for a personal protection order and domestic exclusion order for Ella, but the proceedings for these are ongoing.

The Child Protective Service noted that Ella's parents had difficulties exercising proper supervision and control over her, with their ability inhibited by their acrimonious relationship and conflicting parenting styles, which often "triangulated Ella", said Judge Tung.

When Ella was charged in August 2022, her mother posted bail for her. However, she discharged herself as a bailor less than a month later after finding 50 canisters of butane gas in Ella's room.

She believed that it was safer for Ella to be placed in the structured environment of Singapore Girls' Home.

However, Ella's father posted bail for her. After being bailed out, Ella continued to spend time with her negative peers and her mother found more canisters of butane gas in her room.

Her bail was revoked in October 2022 and Ella was remanded at Singapore Girls' Home. She was later given another chance to be bailed out, with stricter curfew hours and a higher bail amount, but she breached her bail conditions again and ran away from home.

Ella's parents are undergoing divorce proceedings. Her mother made full restitution to the victims of Ella's scams, with Ella agreeing to pay her mother back through deductions in her monthly allowances.

Ella's father asked for probation instead, offering to supervise her and saying he would personally take Ella to and from school.

He asked for a chance for Ella to go through her growing up years at home and said Ella is "a tragic victim of circumstances and has fallen prey to bad influences".

JUDGE NOT CONVINCED

Judge Tung said there was limited progress in attempting to turn Ella around using community-based programmes, and she did not show herself receptive.

"In my view, a community-based rehabilitative option such as probation requires strong familial support and a resolve on the part of the offender to turn life around for himself or herself," said Judge Tung.

She said she was not convinced in this case that Ella's parents are able to provide the necessary familial support or supervision at this stage.

"They are currently in a conflictual relationship and undergoing acrimonious divorce proceedings. They are thus facing stressors themselves and are not in a good position to support Ella," she said.

She added that a counsellor had reported that the parents' differences in rule setting and inconsistencies in updating each other on Ella's whereabouts allowed Ella to take advantage of the communication gaps to bend the rules.

Judge Tung said it was also clear that the father continues to exhibit a blaming attitude towards the mother, blaming her for Ella being anti-social and rebellious.

"While the father had offered to be the supervising parent, I was of the view that he is not suited to be as such," said the judge. "The father presented as a doting father who downplayed the seriousness of Ella's actions and often made excuses for her."

For example, Ella said her father caught her sniffing butane and scolded her, but her father maintained to the investigating probation officer that Ella had never inhaled butane gas.

Instead, he claimed that Ella had told him that the canisters were consumed by her friends and that she was keeping them only to show off.

He has filed an appeal against the court order sending Ella to Singapore Girls' Home.

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Teen sent to girls' home for theft underwent 'inconsistent parenting', father made excuses for her

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The girl smoked, vaped, engaged in sexualised behaviour and was allegedly subjected to violence by her ex-boyfriend and father.

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- a short critical response on an opinion piece (e.g. commentary)- vocabulary that you picked up from the piece (at least one word)(please include the link)

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[T2W1] Don't turn Ramadan bazaar into a glorified pasar malam

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[T2W1] Don't turn Ramadan bazaar into a glorified pasar malam

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The writer comments on how the Ramadan Bazaars in Geylang Serai and Kampong Glam have become more commercialised, lamenting about how they have lost their traditional significance in appealing to modern audiences.

Indeed, I found it interesting that Ramadan, a practice that dates back to the time of the prophet, has evolved and adapted to the modern world. While the writer took this as something to lament about, I believe it is more so a concrete piece of evidence that rather than becoming outdated and obsolete, culture can adapt and evolve together with society.

I do agree that the commercialisation alienates the more traditional aspects of Ramadan, such as certain foods and practices, which may be an injustice to our cultural history. I also agree that there are issues with how the Bazaar is handled, such as high rental rates (is it really right to put a price tag on tradition?) and stalls completely irrelevant to Ramadan (real estate agents -- should they be hijacking a cultural event for their own gains??). However, I feel that the writer focuses too much on the material differences between the past and present. Yes, the sort of goods and services offered have changed, but has the spirit of Ramadan? People still visit the Bazaar as a "rite of passage", and to break their fasts or make preparations for Eid. In fact, even non-Muslims visit, sharing the Ramadan spirit of community with their Muslim friends. In a way, our sense of national unity is strengthened through this shared, multiracial experience.

While I do not agree totally with the writer's recommendations on preserving the Bazaar as part of our heritage (there is nothing wrong with having multiple bazaars), I resonate with the sentiment. Indeed, instating the Ramadan Bazaar as piece of intangible cultural heritage would be an even stronger legitimisation of Singapore's claim to multiculturalism.

To label the Bazaar as a "glorified pasar malam" is to be ignorant of the fact that society inevitably changes with time. On one hand, I agree that the over-commercialisation of an ancient, religious practice should be discouraged. On the other hand, I also see the beauty in an ancient culture evolving alongside society, and taking on an even bigger role as an inter-ethnic unifying force. "Hipster food" may have replaced traditional kuehs, but the at the heart of it all, Ramadan remains the same, 1950 or 2023.

A new word I have learned is "itinerant", which means to move from place to place.

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Don't turn Ramadan bazaar into a glorified pasar malam

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No contract ST app access on 1 mobile device All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

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T2W3/4: What is 'eldest daughter syndrome' and how do we fix it?

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T2W3/4: What is 'eldest daughter syndrome' and how do we fix it?

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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/what-is-eldest-daughter-syndrome-and-how-do-we-fix-it

This opinion piece talks about the eldest daughter syndrome -- an emotional burden eldest tend to carry in many families from a young age. Many eldest daughters of families take on housework, taking care of their younger siblings, taking the role of the homemaker that is supposedly the the duty of their parents.

Reading this piece struck a chord within me, as I realised that this phenomenon of "eldest daughter syndrome" has not changed since our parents' generation, or even our grandparents' generation. The toughest part to accept about this situation, is that it stems from systematic patriarchy and misogyny, that women are supposed to take care of the family, regardless of their age. As a result, many daughters, eldest in particular, are pushed into the home-making "career" before they even reach the proper age of maturity. They lose out on their childhood and are rushed into parentification.

The author mentions how this could have been further intensified due to more women entering the workforce (particularly mothers), as a result of decreased gender equality in the workforce. The irony lies in the fact that gender equality in the workforce promotes gender inequality in families.

I think that gender inequality has significantly reduced compared to many generations ago -- women are given the opportunity to work, and some (but not most) are earning equal or even higher wages compared to their male counterparts. However, a negative impact of this "feminisation" of the workforce is that daughters are pushed to take care of the household, because there is no other caregiver in the family, which reproduces gender inequality in domestic labour from one generation to another.

In all honesty, there is no real way to combat gender inequality and achieve true gender equality in society. The system has been set up in many ways that all benefit men, in spite of all progression towards "gender equality". But is there really equality? I do not think so; however, I will not deny nor put down the efforts that our feminine ancestors have put in to give us a more equal footing in today's world.

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What is 'eldest daughter syndrome' and how do we fix it?

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Eldest daughter syndrome can go some way to explain the persistence of gender inequality. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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T2W5/6: Why are S'pore's elderly still dying alone, undiscovered for weeks?

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T2W5/6: Why are S'pore's elderly still dying alone, undiscovered for weeks?

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https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/why-are-s-pore-s-elderly-still-dying-alone-undiscovered-for-weeks?utm_medium=social&utm_source=telegram&utm_campaign=sttg

The opinion piece mentions about the increasing trend of Singapore's elderly dying alone in their homes and their death going undiscovered for long periods of time, and this trend is said to continue as Singapore's population continues to age.

I believe that it is a known fact that Singapore has an ageing population due to 2 main reasons -- both declining birth rates and improvements in healthcare. Singapore is also a technologically-advanced, and rapid-paced country. As the country continues to grow and develop (both economically and technologically), we face the issue of certain groups of people being left behind.

In this scenario, our ageing population has brought about an increase in the number of elderly living alone, and some may even be technologically isolated; more children move out of their parents' homes when they enter the workforce. Many elderly are socially-isolated, but not just because they have no friends, or are unable to leave the house, but a large reason could also be attributed to the technological divide that arose due to our development.

The issue of an ageing population cannot be solved in the immediate future (lest we miraculously double our birth rates?), but the issue of elderly dying alone can be mitigated. Keeping in contact with family and elderly neighbours, AACs to check up on the elderly if they do not show up for activities etc. Teach the elderly how to use technology and use the technology to staunch the divide.

The health of a person is extremely fragile and it can rapidly deteriorate without warning. It is important to ensure that our elderly are able to feel comfort and company even in their last days.

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Why are S'pore's elderly still dying alone, undiscovered for weeks?

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No contract ST app access on 1 mobile device All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you