Social workers are essential for Singapore. So why don’t we treat them that way?

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common perception that it is not a “prestigious” profession like “finance, banking or IT”....social workers are often lumped together with vocational workers. Many Singaporeans still look down on jobs in technical and community care fields. As a result, these roles are often undervalued and underpaid. 

reports in the media add to this misunderstanding by often highlighting dramatic crisis cases, while ignoring the important day-to-day work that social workers do

Singapore’s sixth president, Mr S R Nathan, began working life in the 1950s as a medical social worker and became a welfare officer for maritime workers, before moving to other appointments in the civil service. 

Raising salaries may be one factor, but recognition and career progression are seen as more critical ...The prestigious Outstanding Social Worker Award is one example of such recognition. Corporations, as part of their CSR (corporate social responsibility), could fund sabbaticals and fellowship schemes for mid-career social workers to allow them to pursue adjacent interests and career paths. 

In a world where our interactions are increasingly digitalised and automated, social workers provide comforting “high touch” human care for complex social needs

Qns: 

1. ‘Essential workers are not appreciated enough in your country.’ Do you agree? (NYJC 2025 J2 MYE P1)

2. ‘People who do the most worthwhile jobs rarely receive the best financial rewards.’ To what extent is this true in your society? (Cam. 2016)

Blood shed in Jakarta: Prabowo appeals for calm but he’s unlikely to succeed, say analysts

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the significance of this incident lies in the fact that it was captured on mobile phones and widely shared, allowing people to witness in real time that someone died during a protest.

the current protests, which erupted 

after lawmakers sharply increased their allowances

 at a time when ordinary people are struggling with rising prices, came just weeks after provincial demonstrations over tax hikes

Qn: Does violence in the visual media portray reality or encourage the unacceptable? (Cam. 2019)

People in their 50s shouldn’t feel there is no career runway left

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too often sidelined and passed over for roles they are more than capable of leading because of misguided assumptions about age and adaptability

the employment “runway” is getting longer. The current retirement age of 63 and re-employment age of 68 are being raised to 64 and 69, respectively, in just under a year’s time – in July 2026. By 2030, the ages will go up to 65 and 70

while processing speed may dip slightly with age, experience and problem solving, which are the hallmarks of good judgment, often improve

The real difference in tech use is usually about exposure and opportunity, not age.

Of course, some jobs such as those in construction, logistics or healthcare are more physically demanding. But that does not mean experienced workers must be sidelined. Job redesign, flexible arrangements and technology can make these roles more sustainable, while allowing seasoned staff to continue contributing in meaningful ways.

Qn: In your society, how far is equality for all a reality? (Cam 2012)

The middle-aged are no longer the most miserable

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despair has risen most sharply among young American workers, particularly the least educated. In the past, having a job seemed to provide a protective effect against poor mental health. That effect appears to have weakened for young Americans, perhaps because of falling job satisfaction among the same group.

Another oft-cited culprit of teenage angst is smartphone and social media use, which has risen in lockstep with youth mental health problems since the early 2010s. There is some evidence for a causal link, but the most rigorous studies, which track teenagers’ mood and social media use over long periods of time, do not find a strong relationship between such app use and subsequent mental ill-health.

Qn: Do young people in your society 'have it all'?

Timbre Group defends app discount, gross turnover rental model and hawker centre management practices

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no hawker shouts incessantly when in the stall at work” and that noise concerns were no excuse for Timbre to surveil them with CCTVs. 

Qn: To what extent has technology had an impact on both privacy and security in your country? (Cam. 2009)

OpenAI plans to update ChatGPT after parents sue over US teen’s suicide

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lawsuit alleging that a teenager who died by suicide this spring relied on ChatGPT as a coach

ChatGPT has remained intensely popular and now has more than 700 million users a week.

Qn: 'We should not be afraid of social media.’ Do you agree? (RI 2023 Y5 CT)

Pay up: Singapore’s arts and culture need your money, not your grief

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Qn: Would it matter if all the performing arts venues in your society, such as concert halls and theatres, were closed down? (Cam. 2010)

As China marks 80 years since war against Japan, can time heal historical wounds?

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The Chinese government has, for decades, kept memories of the war vivid through efforts such as school lessons, popular films, museum exhibitions and commemorative events, including ceremonies held annually on Sept 18 to mark the Mukden Incident of 1931, a false-flag event staged by the Japanese military to invade Manchuria.

Dead To Rights sparked discussion on Chinese social media, with some asking whether such heavy topics are suitable for children. Others asked if it amounted to “hatred education” by teaching the young to be anti-Japanese.

There has been precedent of incidents related to historical events. On Sept 18, 2024, a Japanese boy was murdered on his way to school in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. That day marked 93 years since the Mukden Incident.

“This is not to perpetuate hatred, but to bear in mind the lessons of history... jointly cherish and safeguard peace, and prevent the recurrence of historical tragedies,

state-sanctioned crimes of the Manchukuo-based Japanese germ-warfare unit that conducted human testing, mainly on Chinese and Korean prisoners to develop biological weapons

The Communist Party of China has long used historical memory to legitimise its rule, making the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression central to its patriotic education

Qns:

1. How far is it possible for one country to forgive another for its past actions? (Cam. 2015)

2. ‘Films are concerned with escaping from the problems of everyday life, rather than addressing them.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2021)

3. ’Regret for past actions is vital for progress.’ What is your view? (Cam. 2023)

Sheng Siong uses facial recognition to catch shoplifters, identify customers whose payments failed

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Note a similar instance in the UK supermarkets: HERE

Qns:

1. Evaluate the measures taken in your society to deter crime and punish criminals? (Cam. 2024)

2. To what extent has technology had an impact on both privacy and security in your country? (Cam. 2009)

Singapore’s dirty little sense of entitlement

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What has happened to us? Why has our humanity and suzhi regressed even as our standard of living, education and quality of life have progressed?

much of it has been achieved through the thankless, grimy hard work of Singapore’s 60,000 cleaners who pick up after the six million of us.

Outsourcing public hygiene to low-paid labour has created a culture of complacency where cleanliness has become a commodity, purchased through migrant labour; not a civic virtue

Singapore’s efficient model of governance has left citizens passive and spoilt. We have got too lazy and too used to a lack of accountability – open the rubbish chute in your HDB flats and you can pretty much chuck anything down it. The National Environment Agency doesn’t require you to sort your trash or recyclables either: It hires people to do that for you downstream.

Singapore’s domestic recycling rate 

was a dismal 11 per cent last year

, a record low. And as much as 40 per cent of what is recovered in the commingled recycling bins is contaminated

We’ve managed to make some new habits stick with our tray-return policy through enforcement – 65 per cent return rate before warnings and fines were dished out, to more than 90 per cent now. 

Forum: Performance should be main yardstick for selection for sporting events

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If meritocracy is the cornerstone of our sporting landscape, then performance should be the primary yardstick for selection. 

Around the world, many top athletes are expressive, outspoken, and even controversial at times, yet they are celebrated for what truly matters: their performance and their ability to push the boundaries of their sport.  

Uproar over Sengkang Green Primary bullying reveals an unrealistic Singapore

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Qn: 'Education today should involve more than the study of academic subjects.’ How far do you agree? (Cam. 2024)

World’s largest facility to help remove CO2 from the ocean to begin operations in S’pore in 2026

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Within the plant, an electrical current is passed through the seawater. This leads to a series of chemical reactions that split the water (H2O) into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2). The dissolved CO2 is combined with minerals in seawater like calcium and magnesium to produce limestone and magnesium bicarbonates, which Equatic said can trap the CO2 for at least 10,000 years.

The process mimics the natural formation of seashells, and the solid calcium and magnesium-based materials can either be stored on the ocean floor, or potentially be used for construction materials.

In the meantime, the process also produces hydrogen, which is a clean source of energy. PUB had said that the planned facility could produce 300kg of hydrogen daily, which can power the plant or be used in other industrial applications.

Qn: 'Technology has given us a false sense of hope in solving problems. To what extent is this true? (RI Prelim 2024)

Britain’s mass facial recognition roll-out alarms rights groups

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The police said their objective was to identify and intercept wanted individuals by scanning faces in large crowds and comparing them with thousands of suspects already in the police database.

When a person on a police “watch list” passes near the cameras, the artificial intelligence-powered system, often set up in a police van, triggers an alert. The suspect can then be immediately detained once police checks confirm their identity.

But such mass data capture on the streets of London,...“treats us like a nation of suspects”....“There is no legislative basis, so we have no safeguards to protect our rights, and the police is left to write its own rules

accusing him of “unfairly targeting” the Afro-Caribbean community while highlighting the racial biases of AI. Londoner Shaun Thompson, a 39-year-old black man, said he was arrested after being wrongly identified as a criminal by one of these cameras

Qns:

1. Evaluate the measures taken in your society to deter crime and punish criminals? (Cam. 2024)

2. To what extent has technology had an impact on both privacy and security in your country? (Cam. 2009)

India plans mega dam in Arunachal Pradesh, with eye on China’s hydropower station in Tibet

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could help absorb sudden water releases from China’s dam and protect locals downstream from flooding, or even replenish the Siang’s flow in case China holds back water during a drought.

Our home, farmland and ancestral land – all will be submerged, which is why I oppose this dam....estimated that 27 villages in the Upper Siang and Siang districts risk being submerged and thousands of people could be uprooted

Experts say building dams in this ecologically fragile and seismically active zone could have devastating consequences for the Himalayan ecosystem and its people

Concerns are, however, not just limited to displacement or loss of livelihoods. The environmental impact from such a large dam in one of India’s most biodiverse regions could be consequential too

worries India and China are engaged in a race to build these dams more as “strategic sovereignty markers” in remote borderlands than for electricity generation or to achieve their respective net-zero emission goals.

Qns:

1. 'Technology has given us a false sense of hope in solving problems. To what extent is this true? (RI Prelim 2024)

2.  ‘Fossil fuels should no longer have a part in the production of energy.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

3. Discuss the view that, with an increasing global need for energy, every possible source should be exploited to the full. (Cam. 2014)

Lithium, EVs and now drones: How can China curb wasteful overcompetition?

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Qn: Is competition always desirable? (Cam. 2016)

What if we stopped viewing volunteering as something ‘extra’?

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Qn: 'People who undertake voluntary work do so more for their own benefit than for the benefit of others.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2023)

Religion growing in importance for Singaporeans: IPS study

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‘There is no shame’: Divorce less of a taboo for women in China as attitudes shift

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For issues on marriage...and gender....

3 Sengkang Green Primary pupils suspended for bullying classmate, with 1 of them caned: MOE

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Rich Londoners baulk at hearing ‘no’ in efforts to install air-conditioning units

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Qn: What happens to the environment is of little consequence to the rich. Discuss.

A ‘we first’ Singapore is the hardest policy for PM Lawrence Wong to deliver

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Putting a human face to politics in Singapore

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Plastics crisis grows as UN treaty talks end in failure

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India’s push for 20 per cent ethanol in petrol gets thumbs down from vehicle owners

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Vehicle owners, especially those driving older models, fear that ethanol use will reduce fuel efficiency, or mileage. In addition, many believe that the corrosive biofuel will damage older engines, which are not compatible with higher-ethanol blends, necessitating costly repairs. 

Emphasising that ethanol blending supports the rural economy, thereby creating income and employment opportunities in the agricultural and biofuel sectors, the ministry press statement said “it has helped India reduce carbon dioxide emissions by seven million tonnes, contributing to climate change goals”

Qn: 'Technology has given us a false sense of hope in solving problems. To what extent is this true? (RI Prelim 2024)

Why was Ong Beng Seng fined instead of jailed? Key points from the case

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Qn: To what extent is it possible ‘to make the punishment fit the crime’? (Cam. 2013)

‘Unhappy Meal’: McDonald’s Japan sorry for Pokemon debacle

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China’s AI race runs headlong into a fragile job market

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The irony is that while companies say there isn’t enough AI-savvy talent, the same AI adoption could cost others their jobs. With the youth unemployment rate hovering at 15 per cent, and 10 million graduates entering the job market each year,

Chinese billionaire Zhou Hongyi, who founded internet security company Qihoo 360, said in June that he was planning to “get rid” of his entire marketing department to save the company “tens of millions a year”.

As jobs evolve alongside the development of AI, workers will need to adapt to activities that require more creativity and social intelligence.

Proponents of mass AI adoption point to the boost in productivity and the creation of new types of jobs.  For China, it would be a boon for its rapidly ageing society too as the country’s working-age population shrinks.

But the practical policy dilemma is that while AI can create high-value jobs, it is not at the scale needed to absorb large numbers of factory workers, drivers or administrative staff displaced by digitalisation. 

Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence replacing the role of humans? (Cam. 2019)

For Singapore, the AI revolution is coming just in time

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travel websites replaced travel agents but created web developers. E-mail eliminated secretarial typing pools but spawned digital marketing specialists. Spreadsheets made manual calculations obsolete but enabled financial analysts to tackle far more complex problems.

DBS announces it will not renew 4,000 contract roles

 over three years due to AI adoption....Yes, 4,000 contract roles will not be renewed as AI handles routine tasks. But the bank is simultaneously creating 1,000 new AI-related positions and expects the measured economic value – including cost savings and productivity gains – to exceed $1 billion from its 800 AI models across 350 use cases. This is not job destruction. It is job transformation.

AI automates cognitive tasks, including writing, analysis, even creative work

Singapore’s bigger challenge: a rapidly ageing workforce. By 2030, almost one in four Singaporeans will be over 65,  creating what economists call a “super-aged” society. Currently, five working-age individuals support each elderly person. This ratio will drop to fewer than two. This demographic reality makes AI adoption not just beneficial, but essential.

With labour literally disappearing due to retirement, automation fills gaps. It does not displace workers...Far from replacing humans, the robots freed them up for higher-value “human touch” tasks.

AI can help each remaining worker be far more productive while tackling Singapore’s labour shortages. This is not about eliminating jobs. Instead, it is about amplifying human capability in a shrinking workforce.

The future of work is not about humans versus machines. It is about humans with machines

Qns: 

1. To what extent is artificial intelligence the answer to the world’s most pressing problems? (ACJC 2020)

2. To what extent do you agree that the widespread use of artificial intelligence will improve our lives? (RI J2 MYE 2025)

3. Young people in your society should fear the future rather than embrace it. To what extent is this an accurate view? (RI J2 MYE 2025)

AI doesn’t just lie – it can make you believe it

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ChatGPT’s tool for students is great in theory, wobbly in practice

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Why play sport? Just look at the great education Danelle Tan is getting

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Beyond the hype: Will AI eat Singapore’s lunch or provide it in the future?

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Qns: 

1. To what extent is artificial intelligence the answer to the world’s most pressing problems? (ACJC 2020)

2. To what extent do you agree that the widespread use of artificial intelligence will improve our lives? (RI J2 MYE 2025)

Kpods, zombie oil or etomidate? A new name may help Hong Kong curb its youth drug crisis

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Indonesian President Prabowo pardons political opponents

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Other observers were concerned the pardons undercut efforts by the judiciary to deal with corruption in a country where concerns about graft and government misconduct are high. "It shows that the government could intervene in law enforcement, make it as a political bargain....

Qns:

1. To what extent is it possible ‘to make the punishment fit the crime’? (Cam. 2013)

2. Evaluate the measures taken in your society to deter crime and punish criminals? (Cam. 2024)

Russian mum influencer breaks back trying Nicki Minaj stiletto challenge

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Qn: Should a challenge always be embraced?

Predictive AI can be the prescription for future of Singapore’s healthcare

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Qns: 

1. To what extent is artificial intelligence the answer to the world’s most pressing problems? (ACJC 2020)

2. To what extent do you agree that the widespread use of artificial intelligence will improve our lives? (RI J2 MYE 2025)

Keeping it alive: How Chinese opera in Singapore is adapting to the age of TikTok

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In 2024, legendary magistrate 

Justice Bao

 was “roped in” to appear in a video clip designed to warn people about scams. This was after SCCC 

matched five Chinese opera troupes

 with various government agencies to deliver public service messages. In addition to the Singapore Police Force’s anti-scam campaign, the Health Promotion Board was also in on the act with operatic reminders on the importance of regular health screening.

We hope our Chinese opera online gaming, online comic series, and e-commerce website can attract more youth by merging tradition with interactive and creative platforms they are already engaging with.

Qn: The arts are only for the privileged in society. Do you agree? (NYJC J2 P1 Practice 2025)

Women on corporate boards give firms a competitive advantage, says Australian Governor-General

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diversity on boards offers competitive advantages, including better risk assessment

When you see that diversity... it means that you know where risk is lying ahead, because you have people around you who look at the world differently and have different values, different channels of information

For issues on gender and diversity.....

The AI job cuts are accelerating

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Qns: 

1. To what extent is artificial intelligence the answer to the world’s most pressing problems? (ACJC 2020)

2. To what extent do you agree that the widespread use of artificial intelligence will improve our lives? (RI J2 MYE 2025)

Singapore must stay socially progressive while conserving its cultures: President Tharman

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A national education system promoted meritocracy regardless of social background, public housing brought people of all communities together, and a growing economy provided opportunities for all.... The result was a dilution of caste traditions and better appreciation for inclusivity. But there are still remnants of caste practices among those who have been higher up in the traditional social hierarchy, and a renewed influx of such practices among new immigrants

Qns: 

1. Does education perpetuate inequality in your society? (JPJC J2 MYE 2025)

2.  The key criterion for good government is how well the economy is managed. Is this a fair assessment? (Cam. 2012)

Chaos, gangs, gunfire: Gaza aid fails to reach most needy

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Qn: 'Science is the only answer to global hunger.’ Discuss. (Cam. 2019)

The business of predicting the weather

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The  recent flash floods in Texas  underscore that lives are at risk from the extreme weather events that climate change has made more common. And researchers have found that shorter forecast lead times since 2009 have prevented hundreds of millions of dollars in hurricane damage – per storm.

Even beyond headline-making events, the weather next week has economic implications. Businesses of all stripes make or lose money based on the forecast: retailers with far-flung supply chains, energy companies moving fuels around the country, even baseball teams watching for a rainout.

New data sets released by public weather agencies were ideal for training deep-learning software, and researchers using it upended the weather ecosystem. In 2022, teams at chipmaker Nvidia and Chinese tech giant Huawei demonstrated that machine learning could forecast accurately

Qn: To what extent is artificial intelligence the answer to the world’s most pressing problems? (ACJC 2020)

Everyone loses in the rage of China’s delivery wars

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Qn: Is competition always desirable? (Cam. 2016)

Normal (Tech) student turned computer engineering professor among 167 MOE scholarship recipients

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Qn: Does education perpetuate inequality in your society? (JPJC J2 MYE 2025)

Singapore makes room for memories and heritage amid the jostle for space

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heritage spaces are less important than public housing or commercial spaces. They serve as physical anchors for our collective memories and markers of our national identity.

cities are more than just a collection of buildings and infrastructure. They are living repositories of the collective memories and cultural practices that continue to provide meaning and identity to their inhabitants.

Efforts at heritage conservation can sometimes result in the conservation of a physical space, but not the activities that take place within them. ...consider ways to preserve not just physical spaces but the unique crafts and activities that take place within these spaces.

Qn: Assess the view that traditional buildings have no future in your society. (Cam. 2016)

Oprah Winfrey rejects claims she closed Hawaii road amid tsunami warning

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Oprah Winfrey refuted widespread online claims on July 30 that she blocked off a private road on a Hawaii property she owns, preventing tsunami evacuees from quickly reaching higher ground.

The media mogul also faced disinformation after 

wildfires devastated Maui

 in 2023, with conspiracists falsely claiming she had painted her roof blue to evade high-energy lasers they blamed for the blazes, and others saying she ignited them herself as part of a land grab

Good examples of fake news....