ST 27/10/06 - New ways sought to keep kids in school;

The Straits Times
October 27, 2006 Friday

New ways sought to keep kids in school;
Panel to take four-stage approach in mapping out how best to cut dropout rate

by Liaw Wy-Cin


A 13-MEMBER team will spend the next eight months brainstorming how best to cut the school dropout rate here.

The Committee on Reducing Attrition in Education has been set up to identify ways to keep potential dropouts in school, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced yesterday.

It will also seek ways to involve the community in this endeavour.

The committee was formed to follow through on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's commitment at an Aug 31 Teachers' Day Rally to halve the dropout rate to 1.5 per cent over the next five years.

The committee met on Wednesday for the first of its monthly meetings, said panel chairman and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education Masagos Zulkifli.

He told The Straits Times that the panel will go about its task in four stages:

Examining current policies, such as whether there is enough financial assistance for needy students who might be tempted to drop out of school so that they can support the family;

Diagnosing why students are dropping out of school;

Getting feedback from dropouts, parents, principals, teachers and current students; and

Strategising short-term and long-term action plans.

The resulting strategies are expected to be multi-pronged, involving parents, government agencies, self-help groups, grassroots bodies and voluntary welfare organisations.

This is reflected in the diverse backgrounds of its members - who include Members of Parliament, officials from the MOE and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, school principals and the media.

MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC Christopher de Souza said the ideas he hopes to bring to the table include connecting with potential dropouts through activities they enjoy such as sports.

He recounted how, as a volunteer with Malay-Muslim community group Mendaki, he had coaxed a primary school dropout back to school.

'I played football, which he enjoyed, with him for three months; when I gained his trust, I took him to the library and read with him.

'He eventually went back to school, did well in his Primary School Leaving Examination and got into Hai Sing Catholic School, which was his first choice of schools.'

The committee will also study successful strategies here and overseas and is expected to finalise its recommendations by June next year.

A cynic's take on this would be that as a Eurasian, the minority of minorities, (not to mention one considered to be overly influential and privileged), de Souza needs to show that he represents the majority minority's interests.

An even more cynical take on it would suggest that considering de Souza is just 30, his volunteer activites most probably took place shortly before his candidature was announced.

But then, it's nice to see that since he's been slated to take an interest in education, he's at least slightly aware of the problems involved at the ground level.

I think he's Christian though. Wonder how that plays out with the Malay Protector angle. I'm not saying that you can't be Christian and still uphold Muslim interests. But in Singapore, there are people - in both high places and low - that think along these lines. Then again, he's not exactly going to run for Minister of Muslim Affairs.

Hmm. Education.

Homeboy thinks of the chillun's, yo.

Read More......

Maiden Speech - Immigrants

The Straits Times (Singapore)November 9, 2006
Will they use S'pore as a temporary stopover?
by Theresa Tan

CONCERNS that Singapore may be used by newcomers as a 'springboard' to better offers elsewhere are valid and should be addressed, said new MP Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC).

Making this point in his maiden speech yesterday, he said that with the country's move to woo immigrants, Singaporeans, more than ever, need assurances that they remain the Government's top priority.

After all, legitimate concerns voiced by those in Mr de Souza's ward include: Will the immigrants' sons perform national service here? Or will they leave for greener pastures after some time?

To allay these concerns, he asked the Government to make clear that new citizens have to be subject to the same rules as Singaporeans.

For example, new citizens must give up their original passport, in exchange for the red one.

He added: 'The policy is like marriage, where the parties vow to forsake all others.'

Immigrants' sons also have to serve NS when they come of age, just like Singaporeans.

Some Singaporeans have expressed unease since Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced plans at the National Day Rally in August to proactively attract immigrants here to boost the population and economy.

They fear these foreigners will take away jobs and create social problems.

...

[Amy Khor] and Mr de Souza also called on the Singaporeans to help the newcomers settle in. She said they must have 'no hesitation in welcoming foreigners with open arms, if they feel the Government and other stakeholders are doing all they can to ensure that locals are not disadvantaged'.

I'm glad that he's acknowledging the concerns of foreigners using Singapore as a springboard nation. However, it's no more than what the PM already acknowledged in his rally. Suggesting that foreigners should take up citizenship and do NS is good, but to be honest, I really don't see how that changes anything. Foreigners who are merely working here don't need citizenship. And you're certainly not about to get them to do NS.

Shouldn't the greater question be - why don't foreigners want citizenship?

Also, this Singaporean is going to want more than "reassurances" that my job is protected. I'm not worried about my job being protected - I'm more pissed off at the idea that it's legal to discriminate me in terms of pay and promotion because I was born here.

Yo, homeboy! You're down with street, but you ain't got no meat.

Read More......

de Souza wants to share sports halls for community bonding

The Straits Times (Singapore)

November 9, 2006

Yes, more helping hands;MPs suggest beefed-up role for CDCs, ways to close widening income divide

by Lim Wei Chean

THE community development councils (CDCs) should have a bigger role in forging stronger community bonds, said Dr Teo Ho Pin (Bukit Panjang) yesterday.

Supporting the President's call to strengthen social cohesion, Dr Teo suggested the CDCs, formed in 1997, play a beefed-up role.

They should take on more community functions, such as financial planning,health promotion, sports promotion, social defence, community safety and security, environment issues, and community arts and culture, he said.

More 'community caring ambassadors' or 'community defenders' should beappointed and trained to encourage people to look out for each other, he added.

That way, residents can alert each other through SMS or e-mail, in times ofemergency such as a terrorist attack or disease outbreak.

Grassroots organisations, CDCs and voluntary welfare organisations can also help out with conflict resolution and community mediation.

He also suggested the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Artsand the National Arts Council provide more support to CDCs and other grassrootsbodies to organise regular arts and cultural activities at affordable prices

.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC) added that the indoor sports halls schools are now building should be made available to residents who live nearby.

Other MPs, like Mr Zainudin Nordin (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), weighed in on how grassroots and civic organisations should join hands to find ways to facilitate more meaningful interaction among residents.

...

Too little to go on with. Still, de Souza was supposedly a big fan of football and linking with kids through footie fever.

Homeboy wants to play ball? I say ball-eh!

Read More......

Parliament opens

Straits Times November 9, 2006 Thursday
MPs suggest ways to help the needy;
Widening income gap and social divide are top concerns on first day of debate
by Goh Chin Lian

THE picture of many helping hands reaching out to help the needy is not as pretty as it sounds - if it stays the way it is now.

Speaking on Day One of the Parliament debate on the President's Address, new MP Denise Phua called on the Government to get involved in the things it could do best - such as developing a curriculum for special-needs children - instead of devolving it to volunteers.

Said the Jalan Besar GRC MP in her maiden speech: 'I urge that we send this sacred cow of many helping hands to the vet for re-examination.'

President S R Nathan, in his speech last week to open the 11th Parliament, had called for the many helping hands approach, with employers, families and community and voluntary welfare groups working together to help the needy in their midst.

Although Ms Phua had her concerns, she joined other MPs in expressing their support yesterday for the President's pledge that the Government would build an inclusive society.

The speeches focused on the widening income gap and the social divide - the fallout from globalisation which inevitably leaves some segments of society behind.

...


Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah GRC), another of seven new MPs who delivered their maiden speeches, also voiced Singaporeans' views of foreigners granted work here.

He said the people were concerned that foreigners could take Singapore as a 'springboard nation' and not feel rooted to this place.

Read More......

Entering Parliament

MP Christopher de Souza became the youngest member of Parliament in 2006. He's also my new MP - not just part of my GRC team, but the person directly responsible for my district. For the next 4-5 years, Christopher de Souza is my member of Parliament, my link to the decision-making process in Singapore.

He also takes over from the cat-sex MP. By that, you should realise that I didn't want anything to do with the previous incumbent.

That's why I started this blog. I want to know what my MP is doing. He's drawing a high salary in addition to his own highly paid job. It's my money that pays him to serve me.

And like any good boss, I want to know that he's doing his job. This is the first entry in a chronicle of Christopher de Souza's MPship. I'm going to put down as much as I can, from the blog that he maintains, to what I read and hear about. I don't think I can do a complete job, but I'll try anyway.

I'm not against de Souza. I just want to know why I should be for him.

Read More......