gal

Friday, November 2, 2007

RE: CReasoningSkills-Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

From: Abimae
Group: allgirlsgroup
RE: CReasoningSkills-Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

Migration had been a very common scenario in the twenty-first century. Many people go out of their homeland to find better education opportunities. Some people shift to different countries with their retirement in mind. Whatever the circumstances, I believe that migration is not necessarily a statement of disloyalty. Thus, I agree with CReasoningSkill to some extent.

CReasoningSkill stated that ‘Singaporeans who migrate out are usually offered a higher paid job, better education or simply just wanting to enjoy life after working so hard for too long.’ I would say that this point is true.

It is undeniably true that Singapore is one of the best places to live in may it be safety, education or opportunity-wise, I believe that Singapore is considered to be one of the ‘greenest pastures’. However, one can’t determine a pure reason for the migration of Singaporeans into countries like USA, UK and Australia. This is because different people have different views on living. A people’s views on life determine why they migrated. People who prioritize their work are, without a doubt, migrating out of Singapore in order to have better job opportunities. People who are keen on leisure activities are migrating because those places simply have better recreational places as compared to Singapore.

However, I do not agree when they pointed out about migration being a result of having flaws in the education system. In my opinion, the Singapore education system has nothing to do with this great migration of Singaporeans. I believe that Singaporeans migrate because they saw a lot of benefits in it and not because of the flaws that the education system has.

One of my stands is that if Singaporeans are to stick with Singapore, there is lesser chance for this country to boost its economy. This is because the big salaries that they receive overseas somehow help Singapore’s annual national income. Thus, they still showed how much they love Singapore to some extent.

Also, as I can see there are also Singaporeans outside Singapore who are even more patriotic that the ones in the country. They show more national pride than the people inside Singapore. Thus, this should prove my stand. One doesn’t necessarily have to stay in his country in order to be loyal to it.

Lastly, I think that the migration of Singaporeans out of Singapore has been an advantage to Singapore in some ways. This is because this lead to the influx of foreign talents. As everyone can see, foreign talent had been a great help in the rise of Singapore’s economy. Thus, I do not think that Singaporeans migrating to other countries affect Singapore as a whole so much.

To sum things up, I think that Singaporeans moving to Singapore is not a show of disloyalty as it is not the location that makes a person disloyal but rather the attitude of the person himself.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Combination of Individual Comments

Hi, I have combined all the comments that i can get from my group members. I hope it can help you to mark easily.

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Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal.”
From: Ang Jingshi
Group: allgirlsgroup
Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal.”

I agree with creasoningskill group that Singaporeans are choosing to leave the country due to the stressful environment. To me, living in Singapore is stressed in a lot of aspects such as financial, studies and work. Living standard in Singapore is considered high and expenses go up as well. Working adults would be very stressed at work as they want to be the best at work and earned more than enough cash to support a luxurious living. Students also have a stressful life due to the target that is set for them, that is to excel in their studies and get a highly recognized certification. The Singapore education system is tensed and competitive as everyone wants to be the best. This makes it very stressful for the students as they need to beat many other students.

However, I disagree with the point that differences between a Singaporean and a foreigner staying in Singapore are almost close to non-existence. Though I admit that this problem does exist, but there are still obvious differences between the two. For example, Singaporeans would get priority in buying HDB (Housing Development Board) flats and Singaporean students' school fees are heavily subsidies compared to that of a foreigner studying in Singapore. Adding to it, the Singapore government is also trying to make changes to the current situation so that there will be more significant differences between a Singaporean and a foreigner living in Singapore.

I agree with the group that migrating is not an act of disloyalty as the person might just want to get more experiences by working overseas or to leave the stressful work environment for a period of time but his heart is still towards Singapore.

===================================

RE: TEH QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG- Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal
From allgirlsgroup
By Yongrong
RE: TEH QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG- Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

First of all, I agree with your group that Singaporeans migrating to other countries is due the stress level in our society. No matter in schools or workplaces, tensed competition is created. I feel that this might be a side effect from Singapore moving too fast in the past few years, ending up Singapore has few areas to be continually developed, thus our people will be all concentrated in one area, fighting with one another to get the same post/opportunity.

I also appreciate your point that such causes can lead to high sucide rates in Singapore, and it would be even saddening for our Singapore population.

However, for your point on "Another factor why Singaporeans choose to migrate to other countries might be because they think Singapore is too boring for them as there are limited places to go to", I have some disagreements on that. I believe that having fewer “exciting” areas in Singapore is not the factor for Singaporeans to be migrating to other countries. This is because Singaporeans could actually go for an overseas holiday easily with their financial ability, not necessarily need to resort to migrating for other countries for the sake of attractive scenery. Perhaps, I would say that the ambience of whole Singapore society is too dull, and forcing our people to change their living environment.

To further add on, I share the same sentimental with your group that Singapore migrating should not be regarded as disloyal totally. I believe there is a certain level of freedom for these people to practise their wants and don'ts, furthermore, forcing them to stay in a place which serves no meaning to them, they might not be willing to contribute significantly for our society too, so perhaps, in exchange, we invite those foreign talents who are so eager to come to Singapore and fight with us.

Moreover, I feel that this issue can be highlighting to us that our people may not have their roots placed deeply in their hometown. This may have to do with the education system we used to have now, perhaps too much concentration has been given to specializing skills and acquiring knowledge, but too little has been spent to educate our students to be patriotic. Thus, this could be an area for Singapore to look into if we wish to have more future local talents contributing to our own economy.

All in all, I suggest that Singapore has to do more to make our local people feel that they are wanted in their homeland, otherwise, the number of people migrating to overseas may increase significantly with even more reasons.

=============================

Re:tehquickbrownfoxjumpsoverthelazydog- "Paper qualifications are not as important or relevant as work experience in the real world"
Posted by YongRong
From Allgirlsgroup
Re:tehquickbrownfoxjumpsoverthelazydog- "Paper qualifications are not as important or relevant as work experience in the real world"

I agree with the point that work experience counts more important than a paper qualification. Work experience can be something more valuable than a paper certificate too. This is because work experiences usually come from years of practising and training, this is even more beneficial to their occupations and something more practical when the employer looks for an employee.

In the modern era, whereby education is an important issue as it deems to a path for securing a higher paid job. However, because of its importance, everyone works so hard to earn the paper qualifications, thus, it ends up the number of people having it is abundant. With this abundance, this paper qualification becomes any kind of plain paper found on the floor. From this, I would say that the significance of this paper certificate has dropped.

Moreover, looking at the number of unemployed graduates in Singapore, it is evident that just by education certificates; it does not guarantee you anything in the future.

However, I would suggest that paper qualification is not totally useless. After all, countries like
Singapore have pumped in so much effort in the education industry; it definitely has its own benefits for educating people.

Although we said work experience is more valuable, we could not neglect the fact that these paper qualifications are the necessities which employers look for during interview. For example, if you flip through any recruitment advertisements, how many jobs are there stating you do not need any paper qualifications. It seems to be a pass for you to obtain before you can even start applying for the job.

Also, paper qualifications come in handy in the later part of your career path. Coming to promotions, these paper certificates may determine how much do your pay raise. Through my personal experience with my mentors, given both workers need to do the same amount of works, but one of them holds a diploma whereas the other has a degree, the one with a degree will have a higher pay than the other. Although it sounds unfair, this is the reality we are facing in the working industry.

To conclude, I feel that paper qualifications and work experiences should come hand in hand to give you a better career path. With paper qualification, it can at least increase the chances of getting selected for an interview, however, if you are someone with zero working experience or purely good at academic stuffs, it might give you a bad light too. Thus, paper qualification can be served to give you a easier starting path, but the rest would depend on your working performance and experiences in order to increase your own value for the company.

===========================

Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal. "
From: Linda
Group: Allgirlsgroup
Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal. "

I agree with “Creasoningskill” that it is up to each individual person whether they want to choose to migrate or not. Each person has their own decision and perspectives towards migrating. Some people choose to migrate as they want to explore and know other countries’ working environment. Others just want to start a new environment. If a person who is uncomfortable on that country, why not migrate rather than stay at that country?

Even though Singapore is a safe country but we will never know the future whether it is safe. Everyone wants to have a better pay and job, if Singapore provides lower pay than other countries; will Singaporeans still want to work in Singapore? Singaporeans choose to migrate either due to competition or that they find that their pay is little. Thus, they think of migrating.

In addition, if a parent wants their child to be well groomed and have a better career and pay, they either send their child overseas or bring their child with them to migrate. And even though the Singapore government has planned very well to educate every student about moral education and the history of Singapore for us to be devoted and loyal to the country, however not all Singaporeans are devoted and loyal to the country.

In my view, I feel that if Singaporeans want to migrate, Singapore government cannot do anything because it is their choice and their decision. Different people have different perspectives of migrating but as long as they have the heart of Singapore, they should not be deemed as disloyal.

========================

RE: Critical Reasoning Skills - Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal
From: Celestine
Grp: allgirlsgroup
RE: Critical Reasoning Skills - Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal


I agree with creasoningskill that Singaporeans who migrate from Singapore to other countries are usually offered better paying jobs, better education or a less stressful living. Singapore has become a fast paced country, and it is no wonder that we, Singaporeans, are starting to be stressed/pressured by the high expectations our society is giving us. Thus, the first solution that comes into their mind is usually migration, as it is the easiest way out.

However, we must not neglect the fact that Singaporeans are being threatened by the vast numbers of foreign talent that are entering Singapore every year. As these foreign talents enter the Singapore's working force (mostly) with their high qualifications, many employers might prefer hiring them rather than Singaporeans.

As more foreign talents are being brought into Singapore, Singaporeans feel that their ‘rice bowls’ are being threatened and are worried that they might be replaced anytime.

Thus, I feel that it is not disloyal for Singaporeans to migrate as they are doing themselves a favour by moving on to greener pastures. After all, isn’t the well-being of the citizens more important than the country?

===================================

RE: CReasoningSkills-Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal
From: Abimae
Group: allgirlsgroup
RE: CReasoningSkills-Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

Migration had been a very common scenario in the twenty-first century. Many people go out of their homeland to find better education opportunities. Some people shift to different countries with their retirement in mind. Whatever the circumstances, I believe that migration is not necessarily a statement of disloyalty. Thus, I agree with CReasoningSkill to some extent.

CReasoningSkill stated that ‘Singaporeans who migrate out are usually offered a higher paid job, better education or simply just wanting to enjoy life after working so hard for too long.’ I would say that this point is true.

It is undeniably true that Singapore is one of the best places to live in may it be safety, education or opportunity-wise, I believe that Singapore is considered to be one of the ‘greenest pastures’. However, one can’t determine a pure reason for the migration of Singaporeans into countries like USA, UK and Australia. This is because different people have different views on living. A people’s views on life determine why they migrated. People who prioritize their work are, without a doubt, migrating out of Singapore in order to have better job opportunities. People who are keen on leisure activities are migrating because those places simply have better recreational places as compared to Singapore.

However, I do not agree when they pointed out about migration being a result of having flaws in the education system. In my opinion, the Singapore education system has nothing to do with this great migration of Singaporeans. I believe that Singaporeans migrate because they saw a lot of benefits in it and not because of the flaws that the education system has.

One of my stands is that if Singaporeans are to stick with Singapore, there is lesser chance for this country to boost its economy. This is because the big salaries that they receive overseas somehow help Singapore’s annual national income. Thus, they still showed how much they love Singapore to some extent.

Also, as I can see there are also Singaporeans outside Singapore who are even more patriotic that the ones in the country. They show more national pride than the people inside Singapore. Thus, this should prove my stand. One doesn’t necessarily have to stay in his country in order to be loyal to it.

Lastly, I think that the migration of Singaporeans out of Singapore has been an advantage to Singapore in some ways. This is because this lead to the influx of foreign talents. As everyone can see, foreign talent had been a great help in the rise of Singapore’s economy. Thus, I do not think that Singaporeans migrating to other countries affect Singapore as a whole so much.

To sum things up, I think that Singaporeans moving to Singapore is not a show of disloyalty as it is not the location that makes a person disloyal but rather the attitude of the person himself.

RE: Critical Reasoning Skills - Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

From: Celestine
Grp: allgirlsgroup
RE: Critical Reasoning Skills - Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal


I agree with creasoningskill that Singaporeans who migrate from Singapore to other countries are usually offered better paying jobs, better education or a less stressful living. Singapore has become a fast paced country, and it is no wonder that we, Singaporeans, are starting to be stressed/pressured by the high expectations our society is giving us. Thus, the first solution that comes into their mind is usually migration, as it is the easiest way out.

However, we must not neglect the fact that Singaporeans are being threatened by the vast numbers of foreign talent that are entering Singapore every year. As these foreign talents enter the Singapore's working force (mostly) with their high qualifications, many employers might prefer hiring them rather than Singaporeans.

As more foreign talents are being brought into Singapore, Singaporeans feel that their ‘rice bowls’ are being threatened and are worried that they might be replaced anytime.

Thus, I feel that it is not disloyal for Singaporeans to migrate as they are doing themselves a favour by moving on to greener pastures. After all, isn’t the well-being of the citizens more important than the country?

Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal. "

From: Ang Jingshi
Group: allgirlsgroup
Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal. "

I agree with creasoningskill group that Singaporeans are choosing to leave the country due to the stressful environment. To me, living in Singapore is stressed in a lot of aspects such as financial, studies and work. Living standard in Singapore is considered high and expenses go up as well. Working adults would be very stressed at work as they want to be the best at work and earned more than enough cash to support a luxurious living. Students also have a stressful life due to the target that is set for them, that is to excel in their studies and get a highly regconised certification. The Singapore education system is tensed and competitive as everyone wants to be the best. This makes it very stressful for the students as they need to beat many other students.

However, I disagree with the point that differences between a Singaporean and a foreigner staying in Singapore are almost close to non-existence. Though I admit that this problem do exist, but there are still obvious differences between the two. For example, Singaporeans would get priority in buying HDB (Housing Development Board) flats and Singaporean students' school fees are heavily subsidies compared to that of a foreigner studying in Singapore. Adding to it, the Singapore government is also trying to make changes to the current situation so that there will be more significant differences between a Singaporean and a foreigner living in Singapore.

I agree with the group that migrating is not an act of disloyalty as the person might just want to get more experiences by working overseas or to leave the stressful work environment for a period of time but his heart is still towards Singapore.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

By Allgirlsgroup. Topic on : is it right to legalise abortion for unwanted pregnancies

By Allgirlsgroup
Topic on : is it right to legalise abortion for unwanted pregnancies

Abortion had been a very common scenario in our current society. Everyone has their own view when it comes to this topic. Some people think that it is immoral and rather unjust for the aborted baby. Some people think that it is a good aid for women suffering from unwanted pregnancies. No matter what argument you might have, it is almost impossible to end this controversy. Is it purely a form of aid to the mother, or is it just one way of getting rid of an unborn baby? The following are our group’s view towards abortion and its possible consequences.

Starting with legalising abortion, it serves to minimize the cases of backstreet operations. Backstreet operations is usually the only solution for pregnant women if one day, abortion has been banned, and we should know such operations are usually highly dangerous for these women. Tools used might not be properly sterilised and the place is considered unhygienic for operations. Methods used might not be correct too. There are methods such as the wire coat hanger method. This method was a popular back alley abortion procedure which uses the clothes hanger to form a hook and scrap the foetus apart. This method will not only spoil the vagina of the woman but may also cause infection of wounds. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), approximately 68,000 women die annually as a result of complications due to unsafe abortion. There are also between two to seven million women each year sustaining long-term damage or disease after surviving unsafe abortion.

Secondly, abortion can also be seen as a relief of pregnancies resulting from rape, incest of girls below the legal age of consent. Women/girls who got pregnant due to rape cases are considered pitiful as they are bearing a child against their will, like forcing them to swallow the fact that they deserve to be raped. Furthermore, having to take care of the child would bring back painful memories of the rape which they wish to forget. Abortion can give the woman a chance to live a normal life after the unwanted pregnancy.

Thirdly, abortion can also be a safeguard to the psychological and physical health of the woman and the child. First of all, if during the ultrasound scan the foetus is found to be “unhealthy”, the mother can choose to remove the foetus. This can help to prevent the trauma the mother might have to suffer with an “unhealthy” child. For example, if the mother is HIV positive, there are chances that the child will also be infected. If the foetus is diagnosed HIV positive, abortion should be encouraged so as not to let the child suffer.
Next, if the mother is underweight or overweight or too young or old to be pregnant, then they might have a risk of dying giving birth. It would be a better choice to remove the foetus rather than to risk their life. Furthermore, if the mother were to be mentally ill, there are chances that she may pass it on to the child during the pregnancy or delivery process, thus affecting the child and the mother might also not be able to take proper care of the child. All in all, abortion might be a better way out.

In addition, abortion might be a way to minimise number of handicapped people in society who will not be able to enjoy the full quality of life. Since abortion can be approved under certain circumstances mentioned above, we believe that abortion can reduce the number of physically or mentally disabled people in our society. For example, the world actually would hope that cases like Siamese twins would be reduced in order to minimise sufferings brought to them, thus, in this context, abortion is necessary. If the parents know that the child would be physically/mentally disabled, it is presumed that they would not want to see their child suffer yet they cannot do anything to help them. It would also be a burden to the family if the family has low financial support as medical checkups are costly. Moreover, physically/mentally disabled people might be despised and rejected by the society. Abortion might be a choice to mask the cruelty of the world to them.

On the other hand, ending of any life is unjustifiable. Although the mother is supposed to be the one to make the best decision for the foetus, it does not mean that she has the right to end its life due to non-emergency circumstances. Otherwise, it would be like a silent murder yet no punishment would be given. Moreover, cases of pregnancy resulted from rape and incest has been proven to be rare statistically. If abortion is made available anywhere for these victims, we predict that those teenagers or even irresponsible couples might abuse such aid, eventually; the rate of abortion might be at the high ends again. Thus, we feel that if abortion is becoming an option in the society, the number of innocent babies to be sacrificed will rise drastically, and by then, Singapore may be deemed to be a country that is too liberal and without moral considerations.

Furthermore, what kind of guaranteed treatment will be given to these women’s emotions after abortion? In terms of psychological development, there is no such thing as a 100% cure for depressions and other emotionally upset cases. Even with the availability of counsellors around for these women, how many of them can confidently claim that they might be useful to these emotionally hurt women. This might be the huge flaw in legislation of abortion, as we have problems in handling what will happen after the process of abortion. Also, for women who experience the trauma of rape and experience another process of abortion, these two factors would pose a huge blow for them. Imagine a woman who have been forced and ended up with a baby, yet to avoid embarrassment, abortion is the choice; she would have the mentality that she has killed a life unwillingly, and this could be a guilt she might need to live with throughout her entire life. To a certain extent, if abortion is meant to be legalised, we should provide all means to protect these women in terms of their mentality and handling their guilt and fear after the operation.

Most importantly, stating the point on some foetus might grow up to be handicapped and not enjoying the fullest of their life, there is a form of discrimination given to these handicapped ones. We should not be masked by the mentality that the handicapped are unable to perform any duties like the normal people. By stating some good examples such as Singapore’s local superstar, Kelvin Tan, although he is partially blind, he manage to shine in the singing industry with his good vocal skills, and even the Olympic games have decided to implement a segment for the handicapped, all these imply that the disabled are able to stand at the top of the world to gain respect and dignity, thus we should have confidence in them and not discriminate them.

To sum up, abortion has inevitably served some good purposes for some women who are unable to have a healthy baby or hurt in some ways. However, legislation of abortion still need lots of works to be done to fill up the loopholes in this scheme, as these loopholes may become an advantage for those irresponsible ones to perform unnecessary abortion.
Also, respecting of lives should be judged to be a more important priority before abortion, thus, we believe that abortion can be implemented for certain circumstances but it should not be a solution for unwanted pregnancies as we do not want to see any unnecessary loss of innocent babies.

RE: TEH QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG- Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal

From allgirlsgroup
By Yongrong
RE: TEH QUICK BROWN FOX JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG- Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal


First of all, I agree with your group that Singaporeans migrating to other countries is due the stress level in our society. No matter in schools or workplaces, tensed competition is created. I feel that this might be a side effect from Singapore moving too fast in the past few years, ending up Singapore has few areas to be continually developed, thus our people will be all concentrated in one area, fighting with one another to get the same post/opportunity.

I also appreciate your point that such causes can lead to high sucide rates in Singapore, and it would be even saddening for our Singapore population.

However, for your point on "Another factor why Singaporeans choose to migrate to other countries might be because they think Singapore is too boring for them as there are limited places to go to", I have some disagreements on that. I believe that having fewer sightful areas in Singapore is not the factor for Singaporeans to be migrating to other countries. This is because Singaporeans could actually go for an overseas holiday easily with their financial ability, not necessarily need to resort to migrating for other countries for the sake of sightful scenery. Perhaps, I would say that the ambience of whole Singapore society is too dull, and forcing our people to change their living environment.

To further add on, I share the same sentimentals with your group that Singapore migrating should not be regarded as disloyal totally. I believe there is a certain level of freedom for these people to practise their wants and don'ts, furthermore, forcing them to stay in a place which serves no meaning to them, they might not be willing to contribute significantly for our society too, so perhaps, in exchange, we invite those foreign talents who are so eager to come to Singapore and fight with us.

Moreover, I feel that this issue can be highlighting to us that our people may not have their roots placed deeply in their hometown. This may have to do with the education system we used to have now, perhaps too much concentration has been given to specialising skills and acquiring knowledge, but too little has been spent to educate our students to be patriotic. Thus, this could be an area for Singapore to look into if we wish to have more future local talents contributing to our own economy.

All in all, I suggest that Singapore has to do more to make our local people feel that they are wanted in their homeland, otherwise, the number of people migrating to overseas may increase significantly with even more reasons.

Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal. "

From: Linda
Group: Allgirlsgroup
Re: CReasoningSkills - "Singaporeans who quit the country and migrate overseas are disloyal. "

I agree with “Creasoningskill” that it is up to each individual person whether they want to choose to migrate or not. Each person has their own decision and perspectives towards migrating. Some people choose to migrate as they want to explore and know other countries’ working environment. Others just want to start a new environment. If a person who is uncomfortable on that country, why not migrate rather than stay at that country?

Even though Singapore is a safe country but we will never know the future whether it is safe. Everyone wants to have a better pay and job, if Singapore provides lower pay than other countries, will Singaporeans still want to work in Singapore? Singaporeans choose to migrate either due to competition or that they find that their pay is little. Thus, they think of migrating.

In addition, if a parent wants their child to be well groomed and have a better career and pay, they either send their child overseas or bring their child with them to migrate. And even though the Singapore government has planned very well to educate every student about moral education and the history of Singapore for us to be devoted and loyal to the country, however not all Singaporeans are devoted and loyal to the country.

In my view, I feel that if Singaporeans want to migrate, Singapore government cannot do anything because it is their choice and their decision. Different people have different perspectives of migrating but as long as they have the heart of Singapore, they should not be deemed as disloyal.