GP
Sport
Freedom of Expression
Current Singapore Issues
Crime & Punishment
Formal Education
Alternatives
Home schooling
Specialised schools
Arts School
Sports School
Maths and Science School
Studying abroad
online education
Ways to improve
Differentiated learning styles
Research in pedagogies (teaching)
Varied assessment methods
Collaborative learning
Aims
Political Alignment
Social Equality
Economic growth
Individual development
National development
Social Transformation
Progress
Instrument of social engineering
accumulation of knowledge and skills that can trigger and sustain economic developement and build attitudes and values.
Related problems
Elitism
Stress
Lack of motivation
Discipline
Over emphasis on results
Does not cultivate the love for learning
Criticisms
One size fits all
Conformity
Rote learning
Lack of independent learning
Too focussed on assessments and grades
Education is very stifling -- no correlation between learning and living
Too much stress and anxiety
System of mass education belittles students who does not have a flair for the subject and is "sacrificed" to the whole class as there is no allowance to idiosyncrasies
Intolerant and rigid
Overseas Education
Issues of students
Depression
Suicide
Violence
Lack creativity
Students playing hooky
does educated abroad are more independent, aggresive and proactive when tackling problems.
Subtopic
Technologogy
Environment
Reasons
Tragedy of the commone (Garret Hardin)
Consumerism/ Materialism
Profit-making motives
Areas of destruction
Loss of biodiversity
climate change
Rising sea levels
Impact on humans
World water crisis
Health (Pollution)
Natural Disasters
Issues
Economic development vs Environmental Sustainability
Is Global warming just a hype?
Countries playing the blame game
Climate change as political football
Solutions to date
Values-led businesses
The Green Movement (e.g changing the consumer lifestyle)
Alternative energy sources
Globalisation
Poverty
Issues of/ Related problems of
Rich-Poor Divide
Income Inequality
Employment
Resources Management
Social Tensions
Food shortage/Food inflation --> Malnutrition/ Starvation
Trade Issues/ Protectionism
Healthcare/ Medical care
Child Trafficking: Enslavement, prostitution, slavery, pornography, begging, organ trade, child soldiers, so on and so forth.
Statistics by UNICEF report that:
1) Between 30 and 35 percent of all sex workers in Southeast Asia are between the ages of 12 and 17.
2) More than 16,000 Mexican children are engaged in prostitution.
3) Between 20 and 50 percent of Lithuania prostitutes are believed to be minors.
4) Children as young as 11 have been found working as prostitutes.
5) Children as young as 10 years of age have been used to make pornographic photos and/or movies.
Crime
Diseases
HIV Aids
Malaria
Tuberculosis
Measles
pneumonia
Exodus to urban areas
Advancement in technology/ Science and Technonology
Bio-piracy
Nuclear Weapons
Automated machines replacing manual labour
Countries able to have the latest science and technology have a greater foothold over those who do not have the technology
Science and tech sold for profits = poorer countries cannot afford it.
Prostitution
Slums/ Unsuitable housing/ Living conditions
Quality of life
Unemployment
Mortality rate
Reasons
Lack of skills/ education/ improper training
War/ civil unrest
Poor economic structure
Discrimination towards the poor/ social inequality
High population growth/ high birth rate
Globalisation
Aging Population
No access to technology/ inability to improve technology/ update technology
Corrupt government/ officials
Poor geographical location
Natural disasters
Sole reliance on agricultural cycles
Disproportionate centralisation of power
Instead of having a network of political representatives distributed equally throughout society, in centralized systems of governance one major party, politician, or region is responsible for decision-making throughout the country.
Low economic growth/ low productivity
Foreign debt
Large families/ lack of birth control
Unemployment/ Limited job opportunities
Emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship
International competition
Solutions
International Aid
Types of Aid
Food
Monetary
Technical
Education
Institutions able to provide aid
World Bank
IMF
United Nations
World Food Programme --> Fights hunger
World Trade Organisation (WTO)
Rich countries
Examples of aid
National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), implemented on February 2 2006, first ever law internationally, that guarantees wage employment at an unprecedented scale.
Land reforms
Debt cancellation
Extenstion of loans
Eliminate unfair trade practises
Good governanace
Philanthropy
Subsidised housing
Minimum wages
Susidised healthcare
Government handouts
Use of technology
Education
Promote the practise of Meritocracy
Redistributive fiscal policies
Fiscal policy is the use of government expenditure and revenue collection to influence the economy.
Skills upgrading
Why the need to solve?
Improve political stability
Moral obligation
Improve social stability
Reduce crime
Stimulate self-sufficiency
Gain international support
Prevent backlash
Improve bilateral ties
Future economic/ trade/ political/ defence benefits
Universal Declaratrion of Human Rights: Article 25.
(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.