Jan162018 by KS TengNo Comments

JC Talk 2018

JC General Paper, JC Mathematics

Over the weekends, we had the privilege of conducting a mini JC talk which saw Mr. Teng and Ms. Christine share their knowledge with parents and students of O’levels 2017.

The lessons for J1 2018 started on the first week of January and the schedules can be found here.

The following are the grade profiles of local universities, NUS and NTU.

NTU IGP

NUS IGP

We are very thankful for your attendance and do hope that the information was beneficial. If you do have more questions, you can contact Mr. Teng at +65 9815 6827

Nov62017 by KS Teng1 Comment
2017 A-level H1 General Paper (8807) Paper 1

2017 A-level H1 General Paper (8807) Paper 1

JC Mathematics

Sharing the A-level H1 General Paper (8807) Paper 1…

 

  1. ‘The past is not dead; it is not even past.’ Discuss.
  2. Can the use of animals for scientific research ever be justified?
  3. In your society, to what extent is it acceptable for public money to be used for the acquisition of works of art?
  4. ‘Rehabilitation, not punishment, should be the purpose of the justice system.’ Discuss.
  5. Is regulation of the press desirable?
  6. Do events, rather than politicians, shape the future?
  7. How far is science fiction becoming fact?
  8. Examine the role of music in establishing a national identity in your society.
  9. To what extent are people judged more by their physical appearance than by their abilities?
  10. ‘Practical ability is just as important as intellectual skills.’ How far is this true in your society?
  11. Assess the view that attempts to control climate change can never be truly effective.
  12. The quality of written language is being destroyed by social media.’ What is your view?

    13.  

Oct142017 by KS TengNo Comments
Last Hustle for A’levels 2017

Last Hustle for A’levels 2017

JC General Paper, JC Mathematics, Mathematics

As we are all busy counting down to A’levels, The Culture SG Team will like to share the preparatory course that we have for students.
The lessons will all be $70 for each session and the max class size will be 15 students.

Lessons will be held at:
Newton Apple Learning Hub
Blk 131, Jurong Gateway Road #03-263/265/267 Singapore 600131
Tel: +65 6567 3606

You may contact Tutor KS or Tutor Christine for further questions.

Details are as follow:

Last Hustle for A’levels

“Lets’ Hustle!”

Oct32017 by KS TengNo Comments
RVHS GP Prelims paper 1 2017

RVHS GP Prelims paper 1 2017

JC General Paper
  1. Is being innovative more desirable than keeping the status quo?
  2. ‘The promise of science and technology cannot be realised without the humanities.’ Do you agree?
  3. Is politics today nothing but a series of empty promises?
  4. ‘Education perpetuates rather than fights inequality.’ Comment.
  5. ‘Men only need to be good, but women have to be exceptional.’ To what extent is this true in the workplace today?
  6. Is increased military spending justifiable when countries are not at war?
  7. Should we always be compassionate?
  8. To what extent is renewable energy the solution for the world’s increasing need for energy?
  9. Consider the relevance of patriotism in your society today.
  10. Given that the global population is growing rapidly, should people be having more children?
  11. To what extent are the needs of the marginalised met in your society?
  12. ‘There is no such thing as bad art.’ Discuss
Sep282017 by KS TengNo Comments
HCI GP Prelims paper 1 2017

HCI GP Prelims paper 1 2017

JC General Paper
  1. ‘Nothing but provocation and self-centredness.’ Is this a fair description of the state of affairs in today’s world?
  2. ‘My life, my choice.’ How far can people expect to live life this way?
  3. Should historical monuments and objects be preserved when such an undertaking is very expensive or even a source of unhappiness?
  4. ‘Many receive an education, but few are educated.’ Discuss with reference to situations in your society today.
  5. ‘Tourism brings less developed countries more harm than good.’ Comment.
  6. How worried should we be that recent advances in science and technology are creating new challenges and worsening old problems?
  7. ‘Looks matter, and much more than substance too.’ Would you agree with this claim?
  8. ‘The hallmark of a great country is not how prosperous it is, but how inclusive its people can be.’ Should your country work towards this ideal?
  9. ‘We must surrender our human rights to win the battle against terrorism.’ Do you agree?
  10. ‘Smart cities: innovative, but not necessarily better.’ What do you think?
  11. ‘Corporate social responsibility is bad for business and companies should not be expected to take it up. To what extent would you agree?
  12. ‘Let us read and let us sin, for what harm can these amusements bring?’ Comment.
Sep132017 by KS Teng3 Comments
RI JC GP Prelims paper 1 2017

RI JC GP Prelims paper 1 2017

JC General Paper
  1. ‘The protection of animals is an indulgence.’ Do you agree?
  2. ‘In an increasingly uncertain world, there is little point in predicting the future.’ Discuss
  3. Would the world be a better place without religion?
  4. ‘We should abolish state funding for the Arts.’ How far do you agree that this should be the case for your society?
  5. ‘Business should have no place in politics.’ Do you agree?
  6. ‘Scientific knowledge cannot be trusted because it is unreliable.’ Is this a fair statement?
  7. ‘Celebrities today do little that is worth of celebration.’ Discuss.
  8. Are machines making humans obsolete?
  9. Consider the importance of non-conformity in your society.
  10. ‘Achieving greater income equality for all is a desirable but unrealistic goal.’ Do you agree?
  11. How effective is technology in making us healthier?
  12. ‘History is just set of lies.’ Discuss.
Jun22017 by KS TengNo Comments
June Crash Course

June Crash Course

Chemistry, JC Chemistry, JC Mathematics, Mathematics

The team at The Culture SG has been really busy and we have a lot of things prepared to help you guys work for that A. First up! Crash course for June…

And we know it is a bit late to be announcing this on the site now, but we have really been caught up with preparing our students lately that we don’t have the time to properly update here. So here are the details for the Math Crash Course and the Chemistry Crash Course.

P.S. For SCIENCE students who wish to chiong in October, please take note that the H2 Chem/ Phy/ Bio Paper 4 (practical) is in October. So better start soon! Here are the details!

Click to view

For 3 hr lessons, they are priced at $105.

For 2 hr lessons, they are priced at $70.

Lessons will be held at:
Newton Apple Learning Hub
Blk 131, Jurong Gateway Road #03-263/265/267 Singapore 600131
Tel: +65 6567 3606

For math enquiries, you may contact Mr. Teng at +65 9815 6827.

For chem enquiries, you may contact Ms. Chan at +65 93494384.

For GP enquiries, you may contact Ms. Chen at +65 91899133.

May252017 by KS TengNo Comments
Population problems eventually solve themselves-government meddling only makes things worse. Discuss

Population problems eventually solve themselves-government meddling only makes things worse. Discuss

JC General Paper

Government intervention solves population problems such as population decline, which will be left unresolved if left to the masses. With a preference for smaller families and a general unwillingness to start a family in today’s modern society, negative or zero population growth often ensues. These have detrimental impact on affected countries, such as a fall in tax revenues, a smaller workforce and a high dependence of an ageing population on the working population. As these socioeconomic perspectives are entrenched in the minds of young urban professionals, these population problems are incapable of eventually solving themselves. In this case, government intervention is beneficial. In developed countries like Italy and Spain, where fertility rates stand at a meagre 1.25, new generations are unable to replace past generations thus leading to population decline. The implementation of pro-natal policies could possibly help to increase the incentive for couples to procreate and boost total population numbers. Implemented measures include longer maternity and paternity leave in Switzerland, as well as cash incentives in Singapore. Another method of boosting population growth is through the relaxation of immigration policies, which allows for an influx of permanent residents.

Population problems such as the rampant spread of diseases are also combated more efficiently and effectively through government intervention. If left to solve by itself, this results in a higher death toll and increased spread of illnesses. The successful results of government intervention is exemplified through the World Health Organization and governments’ collaboration to wipe out smallpox, which was deadly enough to kill one in every four infected persons. With public health measures to increase hygiene standards and mandatory vaccinations, smallpox was eradicated worldwide in the 1800s.

Despite the effectiveness of government intervention in solving population problems, some policies and measures undoubtedly create new problems for countries. Firstly, policies to reduce overpopulation are often successful to the extent that they eventually lead to population decline. This is evident in Singapore, which, due to the overwhelming success of the “stop at two” policy, currently faces a replacement rate of 1.25. This has led to national concerns of unsustainable population growth and the possibility of a population decline in the near future. Furthermore,  the policy of migration to solve population problems has led to social segregation in some countries.

May22017 by KS TengNo Comments
Should increased automation be embraced by our society?

Should increased automation be embraced by our society?

JC General Paper

In this latest May day’s speech by PM Lee, a lot of focus has been given to the future of jobs and the changing economy of Singapore. For a summary of the speech, you could refer to this link <a href=”http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/jobs-jobs-jobs-8-highlights-from-pm-lee-hsien-loongs-may-day-rally”>http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/jobs-jobs-jobs-8-highlights-from-pm-lee-hsien-loongs-may-day-rally</a>

This has got me thinking about the current trajectory of the economy and what the future could possibly bring. The future holds a promising outlook, yet very uncertain and challenging at the same time. Why has it been so? This could be due to increasing automation that we see in our society! According to World Economic Forum, the rise of technology will lead to more than 5 million jobs being eliminated. Redundancies would be widespread and companies would have to restructure in order to meet with this new challenge. We are already starting to see the rise of disruptive technologies, and a move towards the sharing economy through businesses like Uber, Grab, Airbnb, Deliveroo etc. In the process, many middleman are cut out and many taxi drivers worldwide have protested against their dwindling earnings. Retail industry growth has been sluggish, and many retail giants are struggling to keep afloat in an environment where consumers are increasingly looking at online spaces for shopping. Automation, disruptive technologies, and artificial intelligence are bound to eliminate even more jobs and spread to other industries such as healthcare, education etc.

This begs the question of whether society should embrace automation? We are going to see increasingly number of Singaporeans unemployed, unable to adapt and change according to the world economy and increased strain on government budget to sustain these people. The ones that are going to benefit from the future economy would be businesses that took advantage of these changes, and individuals who have the specialized skills and knowledge to adapt. What then is going to happen to the rest of the society? How then should we mitigate against such changes? Here’s something for you to consider about robot tax that is proposed by Bill Gates to mitigate against robots taking away human jobs:<a href=”http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-robot-tax-brighter-future-2017-3?IR=T&amp;r=US&amp;IR=T”> http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-robot-tax-brighter-future-2017-3?IR=T&amp;r=US&amp;IR=T</a>

A more comprehensive discussion would be done during class this week for my students 😛 See ya!

Apr252017 by KS TengNo Comments
Junior College education: A path increasingly less traveled?

Junior College education: A path increasingly less traveled?

JC General Paper

Following up from the previous blog post about JC merger, it seems that there are more interesting and candid responses from the public. Here is one example that could interest you: <a href=”http://mothership.sg/2017/04/ex-nmp-calvin-cheng-makes-the-point-about-the-jc-mergers-that-no-one-wants-to-talk-about/”>http://mothership.sg/2017/04/ex-nmp-calvin-cheng-makes-the-point-about-the-jc-mergers-that-no-one-wants-to-talk-about/</a>

This begs the question whether the merger is an attempt to make JC education more exclusive/competitive, considering that 7 out of the 8 JCs involved in the merger “happened” to have the worst cut off points. Also, this attempt is seen as an elitist move to improve the quality of education for this system.

Considering this trend, poly education would be where the majority is heading towards… what then would be the purpose of JC education? We all know that for the more popular courses in poly such as accountancy, business admin and even engineering, some of the best students from the O levels are vying hard to get in. It is not uncommon to hear of 6 pointers who want to go to poly since they find the education there to be more broad-based,  Is it to train the academically inclined ppl to pursue academia in universities? would this system be slowly phased out in the years to come? (Many have criticized the JC education to be too theory-based; does not teach real life skills and applications. With all the technology-disruptions today and the move towards a sharing economy, where does the JC education fit?)