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Education system

Scrap all primary school exams?
PSLE - the unfactored elephant in the room...
Wee Hien Seng
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_554516.html


Future requires a bolder strategy
Samuel Ng
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_554514.html

My views
I have written on past occasions that the focus should be to educate the students to be literate, numerate, learn social skills and have values and characters. The examination can be conducted to ensure that the students achieve these basic skills, and should not aim to identify the top scholars. We aim to get at least 90% of students to pass. This will not put pressure on students and parents. We should learn our children enjoy their childhood. They should not have to compete for top positions in class.

I believe that educated people with good values and character can make a living in our modern society. All jobs should pay reasonably well, although the more difficult jobs can pay better than others (but the difference should not be excesssive).

See item 6 in this paper.

Car insurance and flood

Mr. Tan,

Can you write a short note on whether damaged caused by flood will be claimable loss? I think this could be at the back of people’s mind as the flood occurrence become more frequent.  

Cashew Nut

REPLY

Here are the wordings in NTUC Income's policy:

1. We will indemnify you against loss of or damage to the Insured Vehicle and its accessories and parts whilst thereon caused by

(e) flood, typhoon, hurricane, volcanic eruption, earthquake or other convulsion of nature.

Here is an extract from the website of India International Insurance:
Our Comprehensive Cover protects you against loss or damage to the vehicle caused by an accident, natural disasters, windscreen damage and your legal liabilities for accidents involving your vehicle.

I believe that all car insurance in Singapore follow the same wording. But it is better for you to check the wordings in your policy. 

FAQ Structured Products

Read this article to understand the risks of structured products.

Unfair bank charges

Do you feel that banks are imposing unfair and excessive charges for basic banking services, such as:

• $40 to $50 for a bounced cheque or for a rejected cheque due to a minor mistake?
• $200 or more for the annual fee on credit card?
• $40 or more to make a small remittance overseas?
• $50 to receive a foreign currency cheque?

Although the bank is willing to waive the annual fee for the credit card when the customer calls in to cancel the card, it is quite dishonest for the bank to try to earn the fee from unsuspecting customers, who may not be aware that they were being charged the hefty fee. 

If you have been the victim of excessive bank charges, please share your experience in this survey. I will need actual case studies. If there are sufficient cases, I will ask FISCA to organize an appropriate response on behalf of consumers. I take this opportunity to encourage more consumers to join FISCA.

Tan Kin Lian

Extract from Tommy Wong's book, "Wisdom on How to Live Life"

Tom: Are there other benefits by living as souls?

Guru: Plenty.

Tom: What are they?

Guru: If we believe we are souls, we can then leave one body and subsequently take up another. We may consider bodies are like clothes which we wear one for one day, and then change to another on another day.

Tom: Reincarnation.

Guru: Correct and there is a huge benefit in this belief.

Tom: What’s that?

Guru: We’re not attached to our bodies.

Tom: We are souls and not bodies.

Guru: By being detached from the body, we gain enormous power.

Tom: What power?

Guru: By living as the soul and having a body, we always have the option of leaving the body.

Tom: So?

Guru: Since we’ve the power to leave the body, it also means that if we decide to stay with the body, it’s our own choice.

Tom: We’re empowered to leave or to stay.

Guru: It means that whatever situation we’re in, we choose to be there.

Tom: Right on.

Guru: It means that nobody in the entire universe can make us do what we don’t want.

Tom: We don’t have to do what we don’t want.

Guru: Since everything we do is our own choosing, we become masters of life.

Tommy Wong

This book is available here.

Unsolicited listing

Read this letter.

My view
Many people have been inconvenienced by this unsolicited listing. As it affect large numbers of people, the Police should tell the company that they are creating a nuisance and tell them to stop this activity. It is rather sad that Singapore is becoming a messy place, with all kinds of undesirable activities.

Credit card promotion

Here is a case of a mess-up on the credit card promotion with a restaurant.

My view
Businesses are spending too much money on promotions and are not planning them well. It is a waste of time and money. I receive many promotions through the mail, which I throw away without looking. What a waste of paper and money.