Long time no blog. Busy me. Here's my new addition to the Ng family. :)
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Wow, this is CHEAP!
Found this cheap hair salon that charges only $4.80 for a hair-cut of any hair length. I just got my hair cut at the salon an hour ago. It's in Serangoon Central. If you would like to know where, just send me message and I will tell you. :D
Monday, June 29, 2009
A student is a student - not a customer
This comment was taken from ST Forum, dated 29 June 2009.
I WAS mildly perturbed when I read last Monday's report, 'Every student is a customer at this school'. It was essentially an elaboration of one of the five core values of Republic Polytechnic - 'Customer-oriented'.
The report started with a sensational statement: 'Republic Polytechnic is not your usual school - it treats its students like customers.'
As I read on with raised eyebrows, my concerns escalated. One statement read: 'Staff are appraised based on how customer-oriented they have been.' Another: 'If students were won over by the benefits the school provided, they would become 'ambassadors' to convince friends and family to choose it too.'
At the risk of sounding prudish, the modern model of education may have gone off track if students are treated as 'customers'. There is one business mantra that comes to mind immediately: 'The customer is always right.' This popular saying is essentially true if we consider the ultimate motivation behind all customer-provider relationships - not 'customer satisfaction' per se, but a deal which benefits both parties.
However, this philosophy, if transplanted to the educational arena, might prove not only unavailing, but also unhealthy. Educators might be considered 'employees' in the organisational structure of any educational institute, but when it comes to teacher-student relations, they are not merely 'service providers' who 'trade' knowledge, nor should they 'please' students with reciprocation at the back of their minds (a better evaluation perhaps?).
While it is true that student feedback is vital when it comes to course design and self-reflection and improvement, to treat students as 'customers' is as good as saying that teacher-student relations are largely transactional. I worry that this fashionable term might slowly erode the foundation of mutual respect, love and spirit of continuity that education is based on.
Out of curiosity, I visited the Republic Polytechnic website. Under the core value of 'Customer-oriented', a one-liner follows: 'Customers are the focus of everything we do.' Then it dawned on me, this core value was meant to say: 'Students are given the utmost priority here in Republic Polytechnic, like customers.'
However, the intuitive discomfort I felt when I first read the report probably shows that the ambiguity of a 'customer' label exists and wrong messages may have been sent to parents, students and educators.
Zheng Yi
Latest comments
I WAS mildly perturbed when I read last Monday's report, 'Every student is a customer at this school'. It was essentially an elaboration of one of the five core values of Republic Polytechnic - 'Customer-oriented'.
The report started with a sensational statement: 'Republic Polytechnic is not your usual school - it treats its students like customers.'
As I read on with raised eyebrows, my concerns escalated. One statement read: 'Staff are appraised based on how customer-oriented they have been.' Another: 'If students were won over by the benefits the school provided, they would become 'ambassadors' to convince friends and family to choose it too.'
At the risk of sounding prudish, the modern model of education may have gone off track if students are treated as 'customers'. There is one business mantra that comes to mind immediately: 'The customer is always right.' This popular saying is essentially true if we consider the ultimate motivation behind all customer-provider relationships - not 'customer satisfaction' per se, but a deal which benefits both parties.
However, this philosophy, if transplanted to the educational arena, might prove not only unavailing, but also unhealthy. Educators might be considered 'employees' in the organisational structure of any educational institute, but when it comes to teacher-student relations, they are not merely 'service providers' who 'trade' knowledge, nor should they 'please' students with reciprocation at the back of their minds (a better evaluation perhaps?).
While it is true that student feedback is vital when it comes to course design and self-reflection and improvement, to treat students as 'customers' is as good as saying that teacher-student relations are largely transactional. I worry that this fashionable term might slowly erode the foundation of mutual respect, love and spirit of continuity that education is based on.
Out of curiosity, I visited the Republic Polytechnic website. Under the core value of 'Customer-oriented', a one-liner follows: 'Customers are the focus of everything we do.' Then it dawned on me, this core value was meant to say: 'Students are given the utmost priority here in Republic Polytechnic, like customers.'
However, the intuitive discomfort I felt when I first read the report probably shows that the ambiguity of a 'customer' label exists and wrong messages may have been sent to parents, students and educators.
Zheng Yi
Latest comments
Bad luck!
I think this year has been not so good for me, except for my daughter who will be arriving in August. Last 2 weeks, I went for my In-Camp Training in Sembawang. It was a nice place with fruit trees growing next to it. I always smelt of durians whenever I stepped out of my vehicle, early in the morning.
The first Thursday of my training, I went for my physical fitness test early in the morning. It was supposed to start at 7.30am. I waited with 2 other reservists near the canteen. We waited till after 8am before I decided to text my NS IC who told me that the fitness was cancelled! The two NSmen had taken time off from work to take the fitness test but it was cancelled. One of them grumbled to me while he was making his way out of the camp.
Well, I finally took my test on the second Thursday at 6pm. But the test started only after 6.30pm. The bad thing is I failed my 2.4km run by just 1 second! I think the extra weight I have had affected my performance. Haiz...
The first Thursday of my training, I went for my physical fitness test early in the morning. It was supposed to start at 7.30am. I waited with 2 other reservists near the canteen. We waited till after 8am before I decided to text my NS IC who told me that the fitness was cancelled! The two NSmen had taken time off from work to take the fitness test but it was cancelled. One of them grumbled to me while he was making his way out of the camp.
Well, I finally took my test on the second Thursday at 6pm. But the test started only after 6.30pm. The bad thing is I failed my 2.4km run by just 1 second! I think the extra weight I have had affected my performance. Haiz...
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Year of Ox
Somehow, something tells me that the year of ox is not a very good year, even to an "ox" like me! Things have not been going smoothly. My lucky star doesn't seem to be on my side. Recently, I got "bashed" by a heavy power adaptor on my big toe. I was cleaning up the table when I accidentally swept the adaptor down on my toes! It was very painful at first, but the pain soon subsided.
Last month, I was "charged" by SAF for not attempting my Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT). In fact, I had already took it during my last in-camp training last year. I even obtained a SILVER for the test! Anyway, after making a few calls to the NS Service and my unit, the charge on me was cancelled afer the unit rectified the problem. My IPPT results were not entered into the system, so the the system automatically generated the charge slip.
There were other bad experiences and things happened. Haiz...
Next month, June, I will going back to my unit in Sembawang and Lim Chu Kang. This is another round of annual in-camp training (ICT). I did not receive the callup until I called them to find out. I remember the ICT is in June, but when I checked ns.gov.sg website, I could not find the callup notification. Finally, I was notified of ICT last night. What a year! :(
Last month, I was "charged" by SAF for not attempting my Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT). In fact, I had already took it during my last in-camp training last year. I even obtained a SILVER for the test! Anyway, after making a few calls to the NS Service and my unit, the charge on me was cancelled afer the unit rectified the problem. My IPPT results were not entered into the system, so the the system automatically generated the charge slip.
There were other bad experiences and things happened. Haiz...
Next month, June, I will going back to my unit in Sembawang and Lim Chu Kang. This is another round of annual in-camp training (ICT). I did not receive the callup until I called them to find out. I remember the ICT is in June, but when I checked ns.gov.sg website, I could not find the callup notification. Finally, I was notified of ICT last night. What a year! :(
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Outside a restaurant in Jurong Point
This is Yu Hong standing outside a restaurant in Jurong Point. We were going to have a buffet dinner there. Notice the price for kids. :D
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Wow! It's hot!
Well, the weather these days is so hot! This picture was taken on Monday morning. It was reported that the haze had caused the sun to 'change' colour!
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