Read part one here. In part 2 of our Education News Roundup we notice a lot of news on education opportunities and issues in the southern region of Johor and neigbour Singapore.
School van providers said the number of students travelling between Johor and Singapore has dropped by 15 % in recent years. This is despite many children still crossing the causeway to go to school like this story about the sisters who wake up at 4am to go to school in Singapore. Many do so for the sake of English education because employers value workers with good English. However, fret not as Johor is rising to become the city of knowledge with many prestigious international and local institutions of higher learning, recreational facilities and student housing in EduCity Iskandar.
More on subjects learned in school, according to National Technology Advisor to the UK Government, Liam Maxwell,emphasis should not be given to only STEM subjects but also those that trigger creativity, such as arts, to create more well-rounded talents. This was reported in Yes STEM is important but.... STEM is Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education.
Did you know?
Did you know that over 400 students were expelled from schools nationwide this year?
In "Ministry: Let's have sex education in school" it was reported that The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry has recommended a review of the school syllabus to include sex education in Moral Education and Islamic Studies. Another interesting development can be found on the news that test results won't be prime indicator of school performance anymore. In the article it was mentioned that "Local schools will no longer be ranked primarily on the academic results of their students from next year on wards" In another paragraph it stated that ".....details of the new system will only be announced after approval by the education minister."
Meanwhile, here are some interesting snippets of viewpoints found in the online newspaper portals this week: