Encourage language proficiency in students
THERE is a declining interest in Mother Tongue languages today ("Review points for Higher Mother Tongue" by Ms Ivy Tan Siew Hoon; Monday).
Hence, awarding the two extra points was meant to encourage students who made the effort to take this subject.
Also, if Higher Mother Tongue is used as the first language in the computation of the aggregate score, Mother Tongue cannot be used, so there will be no double counting.
Globally, there is an increasing need to be proficient in two or more languages. Rather than think that students taking Higher Mother Tongue have an unfair disadvantage, we should find ways to improve how we learn and cope with languages.
Danielle Goh Zhi Jiao (Ms)
Improve process to replace concession card
I RECENTLY had to replace the ez-link concession card of my primary school child, as the card was unreadable.
My first stop was Pasir Ris bus interchange, where I was immediately issued a replacement card.
However, the balance in the damaged card could not be credited immediately into the new card. Instead, I had to wait 10 days, then go to the ticket office at Eunos or Bedok MRT station to collect the balance.
This process does not make sense. Why isn't the card replacement and crediting of the balance value done at a single point and at the same time?
While I do not expect all bus interchanges to offer card replacement services, this service should be available at most, if not all, MRT stations.
There should also be the option of crediting the balance in the damaged card to a bank account via Internet banking. This would be more convenient than having to collect it physically.
Clara Chua Sieo Peng (Ms)
Issue receipt for retained ez-link cards
I HAD the same experience as Ms Beatrice Tang ("Not easy to recover ez-link deposit"; Monday).
When I was issued the new POSB PAssion ez-link card, my old card was terminated and I went to a community centre to recover the remaining balance.
I chose to have the amount transferred to my bank account. My old card was retained but no receipt was issued, even after I asked for it. This concerned me as my card had a balance of $150.
I called the community centre the next day to ask for a receipt. The officer said it was standard practice not to issue one and told me to trust them and not to worry.
More than a month has passed and I still have not received my refund. Without a receipt, it would be difficult for me to prove it if I find a discrepancy in the refunded amount. I cannot even prove that the card had been submitted at all.
The People's Association and EZ-Link should improve the refund procedure. For the sake of honesty, a receipt indicating the amount of balance on the card must be given.
Haslinda Samsudin (Ms)
Public sector having more luck with the stork?
THE total fertility rate (TFR) may have risen from 1.19 to 1.25 last year but it is still a low figure ("More marriages and babies last year bring cheer to S'pore"; Tuesday).
I have noticed that my friends in the public sector have more babies than those in the private sector.
If this trend is true for the wider population, then it suggests that pro-family policies may work better in an environment where the Government has more control over these policies.
The authorities may wish to study whether it is true that TFR and marriages are higher in the public sector. If so, they need to work on enforcing their policies in the private sector.
Ivan Goh
THERE is a declining interest in Mother Tongue languages today ("Review points for Higher Mother Tongue" by Ms Ivy Tan Siew Hoon; Monday).
Hence, awarding the two extra points was meant to encourage students who made the effort to take this subject.
Also, if Higher Mother Tongue is used as the first language in the computation of the aggregate score, Mother Tongue cannot be used, so there will be no double counting.
Globally, there is an increasing need to be proficient in two or more languages. Rather than think that students taking Higher Mother Tongue have an unfair disadvantage, we should find ways to improve how we learn and cope with languages.
Danielle Goh Zhi Jiao (Ms)
Improve process to replace concession card
I RECENTLY had to replace the ez-link concession card of my primary school child, as the card was unreadable.
My first stop was Pasir Ris bus interchange, where I was immediately issued a replacement card.
However, the balance in the damaged card could not be credited immediately into the new card. Instead, I had to wait 10 days, then go to the ticket office at Eunos or Bedok MRT station to collect the balance.
This process does not make sense. Why isn't the card replacement and crediting of the balance value done at a single point and at the same time?
While I do not expect all bus interchanges to offer card replacement services, this service should be available at most, if not all, MRT stations.
There should also be the option of crediting the balance in the damaged card to a bank account via Internet banking. This would be more convenient than having to collect it physically.
Clara Chua Sieo Peng (Ms)
Issue receipt for retained ez-link cards
I HAD the same experience as Ms Beatrice Tang ("Not easy to recover ez-link deposit"; Monday).
When I was issued the new POSB PAssion ez-link card, my old card was terminated and I went to a community centre to recover the remaining balance.
I chose to have the amount transferred to my bank account. My old card was retained but no receipt was issued, even after I asked for it. This concerned me as my card had a balance of $150.
I called the community centre the next day to ask for a receipt. The officer said it was standard practice not to issue one and told me to trust them and not to worry.
More than a month has passed and I still have not received my refund. Without a receipt, it would be difficult for me to prove it if I find a discrepancy in the refunded amount. I cannot even prove that the card had been submitted at all.
The People's Association and EZ-Link should improve the refund procedure. For the sake of honesty, a receipt indicating the amount of balance on the card must be given.
Haslinda Samsudin (Ms)
Public sector having more luck with the stork?
THE total fertility rate (TFR) may have risen from 1.19 to 1.25 last year but it is still a low figure ("More marriages and babies last year bring cheer to S'pore"; Tuesday).
I have noticed that my friends in the public sector have more babies than those in the private sector.
If this trend is true for the wider population, then it suggests that pro-family policies may work better in an environment where the Government has more control over these policies.
The authorities may wish to study whether it is true that TFR and marriages are higher in the public sector. If so, they need to work on enforcing their policies in the private sector.
Ivan Goh
