Singapore has all it takes to host the Youth Olympic Games. Do you agree?

I am sure you know that Singapore has been chosen over Moscow to be the first city to host the Youth Olympic Games 2010. It was certainly good news for us and many Singaporeans celebrated and rejoiced. The Youth Olympic Games is a worldwide event and is considered as important as the Olympic Games, the only difference is that younger athletes take part. Hosting the Youth Olympic Games will not only make Singapore more famous, it will help to boost the economy of the country as more tourists want to come to Singapore to see what the first city to host the Youth Olympic Games is like.

Have you considered why Singapore was chosen to host such a major event? Do we have all it takes? Singapore is known as a little red dot, as it is only a dot on the world map, but it is actually very powerful, that is why it is red. Singapore has one of the most vibrant economies in the world, and one of the world's busiest ports. However, we have a major disadvantage, compared to big countries like China and USA. Singapore is only a small island, but we have a huge population size compared to our land area. Do you know which country hosted the previous Olympic Games? China. China is considered a very big country, joined by many provinces. It certainly has the space to host such a major event. That is why it can build many structures for the Olympic Games, like the famous Water Cube. However, Singapore is already experiencing a space constraint, our population is growing and the government must find space to build houses for the citizens. Our government is currently reclaiming land, but it takes many years, the Youth Olympic Games is only a year away. Can Singapore build the necessary facilities to host the Youth Olympic Games, and make sure it runs smoothly?

Singapore has a stable economy, unlike countries like the USA and Iceland. We are currently facing a global economic downturn. Does Singapore have the money to host the Youth Olympic Games? Have you seen the Olympic Games 2008 in China? It was a dramatic and grand event, with fantastic opening and closing ceremonies. Imagine how much money was spent to make that event a success! Singapore must do its best to make the Youth Olympic Games 2010 an unforgettable event, so that we can be recognised by the other countries as a major economy. If we just make the Youth Olympic Games a boring event, what will people think of our country? Our national pride depends on our performance in this Youth Olympic Games.

I believe that Singapore has all it takes to host the Youth Olympic Games. Although we are a small country, we are not to be underestimated. We have a good government compared to other countries. I hope that we, as a country, will do our best to make the Youth Olympic Games an event to be remembered. I also sincerely wish our young athletes all the best in the Youth Olympic Games 2010!

Reflections on Little Ironies - Adeline Ng Ai Choo

This story is about a secondary school girl who committed suicide after failing her exam by one mark. Why do you think she chose to commit suicide? Whose fault was it?

Adeline Ng Ai Choo's parents were partially to blame for her death. They have too high expectations of her and thus give her the wrong mentality that exams are everything. As a result, Adeline is under too much stress and studies as hard as she could to get good grades for her parents. When she is refused the mark needed for her to pass, she thinks that she has let her parents down and everything is over for her. In the end, she could not take the blow when she failed her exams and resorted to ending her life.

Adeline Ng Ai Choo herself was partially to blame for her own death. She had the power to choose whether to end her life just because for an exam or to continue to work harder to get better results in her future exams. However, she chose to give up and end her life. I think it is a pity that such a thing could happen. Her teacher was also partially at fault. Instead of just bluntly refusing her one mark, she should talk to her and tell her that exams are not for pleasing parents, they are just a mode of assessment.

To prevent such a tragic incident from repeating itself, the school should also care more for the welfare of the students. This incident would not only cause hurt and grief to the victim's parents, it will affect the school's reputation. Would you send you son to a school where a student has committed suicide? For his safety, you certainly would not. The school should give a talk to the students about this incident and tell them that they should not care only about results. I agree that marks should not be awarded just because the students beg for it or are so close to passing. This will defeat the purpose of having an exam in the first place. However, students should not be given only a pass mark or a fail mark, it will be unfair to those who pass with flying colours. I think that exam papers should also be returned to the students, so that they will know their mistakes, but parents should not compare marks with other students, it will put a lot of pressure on their children.

Life is not a bed of roses, it is natural for us to experience difficulties in our lives. However, we must not give up in the face of adversity, instead, we must overcome it in order to progress. Nowadays, students in Singapore face a lot of stress in their studies because of the exams and workload. In my opinion, there is more to life than getting good results for exams. Singaporean students should also know that too. This way, such incidents of students ending their lives can be prevented.