Wan Rizal
Singapore
“Better wages, better welfare and better work prospects. Third, make growth sectors accessible. So, every Singaporean, our youth and our rank-and-file workers, can see, can enter and progress in these opportunities. Mr Speaker, our ambition is not just to remain a global transport hub.”
“Also, the type of support that we provide depends on the prevailing circumstances. Should haj be cancelled or disrupted this year, we will work closely with AMTAS to allow the affected pilgrims to defer to the subsequent haj seasons.”
“Thank you, Chairman. Three clarifications for Senior Minister of State Koh. Senior Minister of State had shared earlier about the NMHO that was established to coordinate multi-agency initiatives.”
“Thus, I seek the Minister's views on: how does the Government plan to strengthen coordination between Ministries, institutes of higher learning and community partners so that this support for youth transition can be implemented more systematically, with measurable outcomes, and help more of our youth enter good jobs in growth sectors?”
“So, my question to the Minister is this: how will MOM measure whether enterprises are redesigning jobs alongside technology adoption? Second, will MOM publish outcome indicators, such as the number of jobs redesigned and wage progression outcomes?”
“Sir, I thank the Senior Minister of State for sharing on the efforts done by MOE and working together with the unions and e2i to support both the teachers and of course, the parents in this process too. I have also raised the concern whereby the teachers are now given extra load to do interim supervisory duties.”
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“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for the quick reply. I would like to ask, of this percentage of children – although it is just one in 10 – were there any studies done to see or to track their progress: one, over their academic progression or performance; and two, over their physical or health literacy across their Primary and Secondary school days. If there were studies made, would the Minister of State be able to share with us the data, and if there were no studies, would one be conducted in the future?”
“L for Literacy – as we push forward for mental health and social media literacy in schools and workplaces. A for Accessibility – as we increase the number of community touch-points and make it easier for them to come forward to seek help. S for Screening – to provide regular mental health screening for all Singaporeans. Finally, T for Time-outs – to allow individuals to recharge, reorganise, re-strategise and come back stronger, and it also becomes and acts as another screening mechanism. There is a relevant quote summarising my speech today by Alexander Den Heijer who said, "When a flower does not bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower". [Applause.]”
“] In my speech earlier, I highlighted the issue of mental health in our society. In every life journey, each individual will certainly face challenges and obstacles and experience stress. In every phase and area of life, be it in schools, workplaces or homes and in domestic affairs, all of us will face pressure from time to time. Sadly, there are many within our community who belittle mental health issues. It is easy for us to label someone with mental health issues as being too emotional, weak in their faith or that they are crazy and so on. We must build an open-minded society and provide support to individuals facing mental challenges. We should consider mental illness just like physical illness and provide the same professional treatment. If one needs further help, I suggest that they seek professional mental treatment, such as therapy and so on. Let us together become a society that is more caring and ready to help those who are facing mental health challenges. (In English): Mr Speaker, we live in a highly dynamic world, a complex and interconnected world, a world where cuts and bruises may be inflicted covertly and hidden from our family and friends to see, a world where non linearity exists – small changes may lead to large implications and big changes may sometimes lead to small implications. A clear example would be the COVID-19 situation. It has shown how interconnected we are and how dynamic the situation can change. And many, many of us are affected. I look forward to the New Joint Task Force and would like to put forth my name to be included in the task force in the future. Mr Speaker, like every good teacher, I would like to end my speech by giving away an acronym – L.A.S.T.”
“He had discussed this at length yesterday and I am in support of this. Just like him, I await the good news from MOM. Mr Speaker, recently, I met a few individuals who have further inspired me in preparing this speech. Mr Nicholas Patrick. He lived with depression for about 12 years. He even went through the Singapore Armed Forces’ Officer Cadet School with this depression. He experienced suicidal tendencies and thoughts in 2011 but before he could continue with his attempt, he had a simple text on the phone asking how he was doing in school. That led him to seek help and he overcame his depression in 2017. Nicholas has created the Ekho Academy, an online learning portal to provide support, share tips and stories of hope and recovery. Mdm Sumaiyah Mohamed. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression when she was 19 while in university. Her mother noticed that she was not feeling well, took her to a GP, and subsequently she received treatment at a hospital. She took some time-off, but when she came back, she managed to graduate with a second-class honours in Social Sciences. Sumaiyah is now married and a mother to a beautiful daughter. Finally, Mr Desmond Ng. He started experiencing hallucinations and feelings of paranoia when he was only 18 years old. But he was lucky because he was able to seek help and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and depression early. Desmond is currently in recovery and is using his personal experience to inspire other youths and those struggling with schizophrenia. Collectively, they have proven to me the importance of intervention checkpoints and how they are able to move on with their lives and continue to achieve success. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.”
“The objective is to get people engaged early, before the illness has effects on the brain, disrupts their lives and risks them doing something that would harm themselves or others. Mr Speaker, my final strategy is to introduce time-outs. Like in some sports where time-outs are allowed, it allows the team to re-strategise, to reorganise and recharge as they continue on with the game. Similarly, I hope such time-outs could be introduced in schools and workplaces. I give you an example. A student or is having a really hard time in school. He or she feels overwhelmed, overworked and is falling behind, and they know, they know they need help. All he or she has to do now is to inform his or her parents, and the parents will call the school to ask for an excuse for the absence. So, it is not really a free pass for these students. Most importantly, the parents are now aware and the school has their absence recorded as a mental day so that they can keep track on how many the student has taken. If the student takes a second one, the student would be referred to the school counsellor for a quick chat. This is important because we can catch students who are struggling before it is too late. Rather than waiting for the results to dip in mid semester, or worse, at the end of the semester, we can now intervene much earlier. At the same time, we are creating a culture that it is okay. It is okay if you need to take a break because mental health is just as important as physical health. I have had students who struggled midway, took a break, and came back stronger with much improved grades. Another form of time-out that I strongly believe in but will not elaborate further is the Right to Disconnect legislature as raised by the hon Member, Mr Melvin Yong.”
“Mr Speaker, my next point is with regard to accessibility to help-seeking touchpoints. In my conversation with mental health patients, many highlighted the need for greater accessibility, both in terms of quantity and in terms of the ease of getting support, especially for those at the early stage. Imagine, you are feeling depressed, with a heavy head, heavy feet and walking into a psychiatric ward in a hospital and compare that with walking into a GP clinic. Help-seeking touchpoints must be community based and non-labelling. This will not only encourage those who suspect they have mental health issues to come forward to seek help but it also lowers the stigmatisation. Inadvertently, this will create a new norm whereby it is okay to seek help if you feel unwell, or unmotivated, or are just feeling plain lousy. Mental health issues are like other illnesses, if treated early, there is high chance of a speedy recovery. Thus, the Community Mental Health Programme by MOH must continue to expand. With 20 polyclinics and over 1,700 GP clinics in Singapore, but only 14 polyclinics and about 200 GPs in the programme right now, the touch-points currently may not be enough. The third strategy is to provide regular screening just like how we do our physical health screening. Providing regular screening for all would encourage a new norm and a behavioural change that increases acceptance and the importance of mental health. This involves having screening mechanisms in place in primary care settings like the GP clinics I mentioned earlier, or paediatric clinics, or gynaecological clinics, in schools and in IHLs, and also in the workplace. Anyone screened for being at risk or having symptoms of mental health issues, would be referred promptly to a clinic. The objective is simple.”
“Thus, rather than artificially creating a peer support programme in schools and IHLs led by student leaders, or handing the responsibility to teachers, lecturers or even the counsellors, we have an organic one where friends look out for one another because now they know they have the knowledge and they can help. Like how we offer first-aid classes for our students and there is a first-aid kit, we may now need to develop a mental health first-aid kit. We can also replicate this at our workplaces. And I am sure the MOM got that covered in their upcoming advisory guide, and if not, I hope they will include it in the upcoming advisory. Over the years, there have been discussions on the relationship between social media and mental health. So, I embarked in a systematic review of this relationship, and I was surprised to find that many studies actually shared that social media has a net neutral effect – that means the positives and the negatives cancel out each other. The reason for this is that it creates a platform for people to share and raise awareness. In the hands of the knowledgeable and in the hands of the discerning, it is an important social tool. However, one clear negative effect of social media is cyberbullying and the creation of fake realities. This effect is not only observed in children or youths, but also adults. There is no quick fix about this. I suppose it would be far-fetched for me to suggest that we legislate against cyberbullying, or the creation of fake realities. However, I do think it is feasible for us to roll out a digital literacy programme for our children. Through this, I hope the future generations of social media users are discerning and are able to uphold an unwritten code of conduct.”
“What I want to bring forth today is not the peak, but the myriad of ways individuals in our community may be affected with mental health issues and how we may remove the stigmatisation. So why does the stigmatisation exist? According to the WHO, it is estimated that one-fifth of the world’s population suffer from mental health issues at some point of their lives. In Singapore, it is one in seven adults. The keyword is “adults”. That means there is a high chance that someone you know, may know someone else who has suffered a mental health issue. The fact that we do not know any, may suggest that: (a) we do not know, really; (b) we do not know; or worse; (c) we deny knowing people who know; because of the stigmatisation. This is the inconvenient truth. It is common for us to label people with mental health issues as highly emotional, mentally weak, crazy, or even naturally violent, and we stay away from them. Thus, it is clear that having awareness is important. Campaigns are good and platforms to share experience is great. These conversations must continue. However, I believe it is equally important that we go beyond awareness and I offer four strategies: literacy, accessibility, screening and time-outs. I believe that it is important to make mental health literacy programmes mandatory in our schools and institutes of higher learning or IHLs. In that way, our students are not only able to identify such symptoms in themselves, or their friends, but they now can take an additional step to address such symptoms. These programmes may include self-care and of course, stress management.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to declare my interest as an educator and embark in research in health and wellness at Republic Polytechnic. Mr Speaker, it seems like for this speech, I have my work cut short. Recently, many Members of this House had participated in the 25 push-ups a day challenge, raising awareness for mental health issues. Some members of the public had asked what is the point of all these? Well, the point has come to this. When we come together to go beyond the label to lay the foundation to eradicate mental health stigmatisations. I recall about 20 years ago, as a young Rota commander at a fire station attending to my first suicide incident. When I checked the call sheet, it was on the 13th floor, cliché. As I went into the unit, I saw the subject standing close to the window and I was told that I had a few minutes before the rescue set-up would be complete. So, I engaged in small talk with the subject in the hope to distract him from our elaborate rescue set-up. Out of respect, I shall not share the outcome but I must say that the episode left a deep impression on me. It made me curious about mental resilience and the importance of a sound support systems that include family, friends and peers. In my role as an educator, and as a community leader, one persistent issue that I have been confronted time and again is with regards to mental health. Periodically, I receive news of suicide within the community and every single time, news of an individual taking his or her life hits me hard. If we picture a pyramid structure of mental health issues, usually suicide is at the peak.”
“I am confident that having laid such solid foundations in our education system, it has prepared us sufficiently for the future. This COVID-19 situation has exposed the strengths of our teachers. Their dedication and their ability to adapt is amazing. Our teachers work hard to ensure that we meet the diverse needs of our diverse students. I believe that there should always be a balance between drills and free exploration, formative and summative assessments, group work as well as individual work, and of course, the mingling and teaching, based on the different and diverse abilities of our students. Our teachers have been amazing in ensuring that. And I hope as we move forward, we continue to provide them with the best support and work-life balance as it is possible. Mr Speaker, I support the Statement.”
“This will ensure that our children are ready to address the current challenges in the industries and provide them with the much-needed agility in an ever-changing job landscape. As for technology, it is an enabling tool and can unlock opportunities. For example, companies using digital payment platforms can develop their businesses in cyberspace. Embracing technology will enable us to continue progressing with the increasingly vibrant wave of digitalisation and I urge that we reap its benefits. (In English): Being an educator for the past 15 years, having taught from the Primary school to University levels, I have seen how our education system has progressed and evolved over the years. Our education system is not perfect, but it also has considerable strengths which we should recognise. Coming from the Normal stream, I am heartened that our education system has shifted to the subject-based banding, concurrently slaying one sacred cow. However, the elephant in the room remains, and that is your PSLE. Like how different perspectives may see this elephant, we have to be mindful of the many trade-offs that may come with it. If we do do away with PSLE, what is the alternative? It may become a pure through-train system and this may worsen the pressure in Primary 1 registration, as you all have known by now. Regardless, I do believe that this is one area that we should continue to explore. Being a physical education or PE teacher myself, I am heartened to see the shift of focus from the more academic subjects to PE, to the Arts and even Music. Contrary to what some Members of this House may perceive, I believe that this is one clear indication of how our education system has become much more holistic.”
“But in that aspect, I hope that the Government pull all stops to ensure that all Singaporeans, including the elderly and our children, have access to devices and are digitally literate. To be digitally literate means that our people not only know how to use technology meaningfully, but we have laid foundations for them to explore in this area more confidently. There have been stories of our children being given laptops by their schools, or community agencies, but not knowing how to effectively use these gadgets towards learning. Our elderly too may need more support in adapting to a digital economy. They may own the right smart-phones, but may still struggle to log in to and out of simple apps. Therefore, as we move into the digital economy, we must ensure that all people are digitally literate. In the schools and the Institutes of Higher Learning, I hope that our curriculums will continue to emphasise digital and data analytics skills so that our future generations are effective at using technology as a tool to solve complex problems. Mr Speaker, in Malay, please. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In his Ministerial Statement last week, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat gave a comprehensive overview of Singapore’s position in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis so far. The Government is working hard to secure the economy with a focus on manpower skills and further strengthening Singapore's workforce through technology. I hope that education in Singapore will emphasise the importance of skills, especially those related to the current industries, as the foundation for all courses in Polytechnics and Universities. In that way, all graduates are assured of a solid yet flexible foundation that will give them the opportunity to try other disciplines.”
“It is important for us to close the skills and practice gap so that Singaporeans can quickly apply and put into practice what they have learnt. This matching of skills to actual practice also creates a synergy between companies and requires skilled manpower and our workers who are equipped with these skills. The SGUnited Traineeships programme and SGUnited Jobs and Skills package are good examples of the close relationship between in skilling our workforce to meet the actual needs of the industry. Our graduates pick up relevant skills to a job which then leads to a transitioning to more long-term employment. A number of my students are in this programme and so far, their experience has been very positive. This gives me confidence to request further that we create more apprenticeship programmes so that this notion of work and relevance becomes a mainstay in our overall education to employment pathway. Additionally, I hope we also give allowance to our workers and grant them flexibility in pursuing new skills. This can be in the form self-development, to break the monotony of work, or a form of further upskilling to increase their value in the profession. We could, for instance, mandate a protected time of half a day during the work week so that our workers can take on courses and enhance their skill sets. Finally, digitalisation and digital literacy. Looking to the future, leading the digitalisation bandwagon allows us to unlock the growth that comes with it. We have experienced how technology has been critical in navigating us through this crisis. It has allowed many of us to work, study and remain connected.”
“Mr Speaker, before I begin, I would like to declare my interest as an educator in an Institute of Higher Learning. Mr Speaker, I would like to commend Deputy Prime Minister Heng for his Ministerial Statement last week and express my support. The Deputy Prime Minister’s Statement was an extensive one. I am heartened by the strong people focus in the Statement, placing front and centre, the interests of our people as the Government pushes forth with its plans for the economy. Not only were the strategies outlined broad in nature, it is also clear that the Government is paying special attention towards inclusive growth to ensure that vulnerable groups also keep pace, survive and thrive coming out of this crisis. Three areas resonated strongly with me. Firstly, the prioritisation of skills. One critical message in Deputy Prime Minister’s speech was a strong focus on jobs and in building our human capital through prioritising skills. I believe that skills prioritisation must begin early – even before commencement of jobs. Here, I am referring here to the Institutes of Higher Learning. Relevant courses must be identified and prioritised at the Pre-employment Training stage, whereas courses that are more specialised should be pushed towards the Continuing Education Training stage. In that way, all our graduates are assured of a solid yet flexible foundation that can be applied in other disciplines. For example, an aviation engineering student may be provided with a strong engineering foundation coupled with modules relevant to Industry 4.0. Similarly, a student doing tourism may be provided with a strong business foundation. This will provide them with the much-needed agility in an ever-changing job landscape. Second is in linking skills and practice.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister of State for the reply. My question is, while working at home, many employees are subjected to really long hours. Will MOM come up with some law to protect employees? We have seen people who have back-to-back meetings on Zoom and the meetings run past their lunch and dinner times.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his reply. With regard to the pathways and support structures that are in place for our madrasah students, I would like to know more about the dropouts; those who drop out from their studies midway through the madrasah. Are there any support system for them? And are there any support system for them to transition from, maybe, "N" level or "O" level to the Polytechnics and Universities?”
“They have proven to be good role models in terms of adaptation and lifelong learning, and I hope that our community will also follow their footsteps. I believe in their capabilities, and I hope that existing religious teachers and those who have just returned home, can continue to adapt to the current context through the Committee on Future Asatizah (COFA) and reinvent themselves in various fields and disciplines. In this period of service, I hope to contribute further into the issue of social mobility through education, so that Singaporeans, regardless of age and their starting points, are always given the opportunity to improve their lives. (In English): Mr Deputy Speaker, in summary, I had shared my vision of an extended education system. It is one that begins with mandatory early childhood education to ensure that no child is left behind, followed by a review of our polytechnic and university courses, so that it is streamlined and focused on providing our graduates with a strong general foundation so that they remain agile in a volatile world. Finally, in providing support for adult learners, recognising and providing numerous opportunities available, leveraging on technology and dedicating half a day each week to allow for training. I would like to end my speech in gratitude, to all who have believed in me to serve in this House today – from my family to my mentors, as well as my students who, in their own way, nurture and inspire me to become a better person and a leader. Let us renew our commitment towards building a better future for all Singaporeans, a future that we all help to build and, together, look forward to. Mr Deputy Speaker, I support the Motion. [Applause.]”
“Recently, I met a few individuals who have further inspired me in preparing this speech: Mr John Chong who, after 37 years in the Education Service as a teacher, Head of Department (HOD) and Vice Principal, pursued his passion to be a beekeeper; Mr Jabez Tan, a food and beverage (F&B) business owner who, despite going to prison five times, developed his passion for cooking, researched on the best "Bak Kut Teh" recipe and eventually became successful; and Mdm Narindarjeet Kaur, who has been a nurse for 40 years, her passion for her job motivated her to attain numerous certificates in her area of specialisation before attaining her degree at the age of 55. Collectively, they have proven to me the importance of passion and the need for multiple starting points to achieve success. Mr Deputy Speaker, please allow me to continue in Malay. (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In my speech earlier, I highlighted the importance of education at the preschool level. The age of four to seven is important in the development of children, it is the best time for them to gain knowledge and be given a strong foundation before entering primary school. As such, I hope that the Government can make preschool education compulsory for Singaporean children and provide the necessary support and so on. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the mosque staff and religious teachers who have worked diligently to ensure that our society remains safe in the COVID-19 situation. Our religious teachers have successfully recreated themselves through virtual conferencing and they continue to play an important role in guiding and advising the community.”
“Although I must admit, like any other adult learners who also have families and who reach home late, I usually end up using that time to catch up on sleep. Support for adult learners requires work on multiple fronts. It starts from building an employer culture that sees value and allows time for the employee for training and education. I would like to emphasise the enhancing of digital avenues to allow flexibility in pursuing courses. The COVID-19 situation has proven to us that learning online is possible and it may be the preferred mode for future learning. Personally, I have conducted numerous online lectures with adult learners who appreciate the flexibility, and the time saved from travelling. With that, I hope that we are able to one day provide all our workers the opportunity to undertake courses to reinvent themselves. This may mean encouraging the move towards a four-and-a-half-day work week, with the remainder half day dedicated for skills training. Mr Deputy Speaker, our education system should be one that allows for multiple entry and exit points, such that any individual, no matter their age or juncture in life, is given room to discover, rediscover and reinvent themselves.”
“A typical scenario would be a fresh graduate in a particular affected sector, who suddenly finds himself at a complete loss with the dismal state of his particular industry due to the specialised nature of his course. This then raises the question of how specialised their education should be at this stage. Because clearly, early specialisation constraints their skillsets and limits opportunities. On the other hand, an emphasis on broad skills rooted in Industry 4.0 that can be generalised across other disciplines can put our fresh graduates on a better footing and give them the confidence to apply their technical skills across other relevant sectors. So, the next question may be when the specialised skills should be introduced. I am a strong believer that this should be done on-the-job. As fresh graduates learn from the job and develop their passion and eventually specialise, it is at this juncture where they rediscover, as they enrol in specialised courses in the polytechnics or universities. I envision a future where such specialised courses are curated in collaboration with industry partners, creating a symbiotic relationship between content and relevance, and further supported by a robust apprenticeship approach. Importantly, if a similar crisis were to strike again, we have done our part to ensure that every Singaporean graduate is future-ready and remains employable. The final phase is "reinvent". I recall my own struggles managing my work, my responsibilities as a young father, as well as studies and research. The only perk that I could think of was that living in Punggol and travelling all the way to the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) meant that I had a lot of time to read my notes in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT).”
“By the time a child enters primary school at the age of seven, without a solid foundation during this critical window, it may be too late. How often do we see our young children choosing mobile devices over physical activities? The formation of ECDA and NIEC, programmes such as KidSTART and the increase in Government subsidies for preschools show that we are in the right direction towards making preschool accessible for all. While the Government has been forthcoming in its support for early childhood education, I urge us to hold ourselves to a higher standard and would like to suggest that preschool education become mandatory for all Singaporean children. Mandating compulsory preschool education underlies our strong commitment in combating inequality at the earliest juncture possible and ensures that every Singaporean child is given the opportunity, the opportunity to discover the joy of exploration and play and, importantly, they stand a chance, just a chance when they enter primary school. The next key phase is "rediscover". Currently, there are over 250 courses available in our local polytechnics and universities, allowing students to choose a course that matches their interest and passion. However, the collapse of certain sectors and the streamlining of the workforce brought upon by COVID-19 has exposed the inability of some of our fresh graduates to be agile in a volatile job environment. As an educator, I have met many ex-students from both the polytechnics and the universities who are unable to secure jobs. Some of them are my primary school students from 15 years ago.”
“I would like us to continually challenge this notion, especially when we are serious about lifelong learning. To sustain something lifelong requires us to understand how to prevent physical and psychological burnouts that may happen throughout this journey. This may include providing opportunities for individuals to discover, rediscover and reinvent themselves. I believe that lifelong learning should not be an extension of just the tertiary education, but also an extension on the other end, the Early Childhood education. In this way, the education journey is spread over a longer period of time, reducing its intensity, yet at the same time, extending the runway for one to pursue their passion and making them invaluable experts in their chosen field. A longer runway also implies that if one decides to change their field of interest or finds a new one, it is never too late. Within this extended timeline, I would like to point out three key phases of interest. The first is "discovery". We often hear the notion that children are like sponges, due to their ability to absorb information. But this ability would not be maximised without the opportunity to play and explore. Through deliberate play and exploration, children discover skills of social interaction and problem-solving beyond what books can offer. From a motor development perspective, the age between four and seven is often termed as the "window of opportunity". Children who pick up fundamental movement skills during this critical period grow to be more confident, have higher self-esteem and maintain an active and healthy lifestyle throughout their lives. As you can see, the benefits of emphasising play during this critical juncture are long term.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, before I begin, I would like to declare that I am an educator at an Institute of Higher Learning (IHL), embarking on research in health and human motor behaviour, learning and development. Mr Deputy Speaker, I would like to extend my wholehearted appreciation and support for the President's Address. The year 2020 thus far has been a trying year for Singaporeans and life as we know it has changed in the span of just a few months. I would like to take this opportunity to salute our frontliners who have valiantly kept our country going. Not forgetting my fellow educators, from the early childhood sector to the primary schools and secondary schools as well as to those in the IHLs, for facing our students every day and provide normalcy when times are rough. Their dedication and ability to adapt underlie the quality of the educators that we have, and I hope that we can continue to provide them with the best support and work-life balance as possible. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish a Happy Teachers’ Day in advance to all of them. One key message from the President's Address that resonates strongly with me, and that I urge for the House to continually review, is in ensuring continuous social mobility in Singapore, especially through our education system. The recent Addendum by MOE to redouble their efforts to ensure that no child is left behind and to ensure multiple pathways to achieve success is much welcomed. The standard route for many of us is that we go through the primary, then secondary schools before moving on to tertiary education either in the junior colleges, polytechnics or ITEs. Following this set mould, some would then attain a bachelor's degree, which is seen as the endpoint and pinnacle of one's education journey.”