Can schools really be run like businesses?

Let schools choose own paths
IN AN increasingly competitive system, differentiation is key.
I empathise with the budgetary constraints that schools face in attempting to manage the breadth and depth of their investments in co-curricular activities (CCAs).
Therefore, it is not unreasonable for the administration to invest finite resources in activities that generate the best returns in the [...]

Soft skills matter – but are they more important than good grades?

Employers have spoken. They want soft skills. Problem is, just what exactly is that? YouthInk writers consider the prospects.
Employers should get creative
I DISAGREE with the notion of soft skills defining the employability of an individual.
Soft skills differ from person to person, as much as talents do. I do not believe there is any one proven [...]

Work as service staff? Thanks, but no thanks

Seven out of 10 jobs that go unfilled are in the service sector. Why do Singaporeans shun these tasks?
Long hours, low pay, rude customers
I CAN’T visualise Singaporeans being in the service sector – we just don’t smile enough.
The job is demanding – long hours, subsistence pay and irregular shift work.
The only time that I’ve worked [...]

We’re a giving nation. But who is on the receiving end?

Let our giving be genuine and from the heart, and let it not be confined to festive seasons only, say YouthInk writers.
Don’t dump tattered ‘gifts’ on needy

SINGAPOREANS may be generous towards their friends and relatives, but not towards the needy. Sales of LCD television sets and iPods are soaring, but not so for donations.
The Boys’ [...]