get that spot before o level result

SINGAPORE – When Hemavarshnee Saravanan was in Secondary 4, she started a hair accessories business with a friend to sell scrunchies in school-approved colours.

“Students want to look as cute as possible, but it was hard to do that with school rules. So we decided to sell white or green hair ties to give students more options instead of just using black rubber bands,” says the former St Margaret’s Secondary student.

The hair accessories business lasted just 10 months until she had to prepare for her O-level exams. But it sealed her decision to study business and apply to Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) via the early admissions exercise (EAE).

“Since I already knew I wanted to get into a business course, I might as well secure a place through the EAE,” says the 19-year-old. She is now a third-year diploma student in business studies.

The EAE is an aptitude-based admissions exercise that allows students to apply for and receive conditional admission offers to polytechnics before receiving their final grades.

According to the Ministry of Education, applications and admissions via the polytechnic EAE have remained relatively consistent over the past three years. About 13,500 students applied for the polytechnic EAE in 2023 for admission in 2024, and 5,500 received an offer.

The EAE is open to graduating O-Level students, final-year Nitec and Higher Nitec students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Polytechnics have the flexibility to select and admit students based on their aptitude and interest.

For more information on the EAE, go to eae.polytechnic.edu.sg or check out the websites of the polytechnics.

Lasalle College of the Arts is offering this admission route for the first time in 2024 for all 11 of its diploma programmes for the August 2025 intake. The programmes include diplomas in fine arts, design, media arts and performing arts. Applications close on May 24.

The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Nafa) also accepts students via EAE. More information is available on the websites of the two arts institutions.

How to boost your chances through write-ups and interviews

The EAE is a holistic assessment of what an applicant has done so far. This means students should go the extra mile and find opportunities and activities related to their field to be considered favourably, says Ms Jeanne Liew, principal of Republic Polytechnic (RP).

She adds that the EAE route is suitable for students who know their interests or what they want to pursue as their career.

“They must possess the passion, aptitude and positive attitude towards a field related to their desired polytechnic course,” says Ms Liew.

She adds that in the last three years, RP has seen a year-on-year increase in the total number of O-level applicants who put RP as their first choice.

The application consists of two components: a 600-character course-specific write-up to assess the applicant’s aptitude and interest for his or her selected course, and an optional 1,000-character write-up about one’s talents and achievements.

Ms Liew strongly encourages students to do the optional write-up.

“Showcase non-academic achievements to boost one’s chances. This could include leadership roles, community involvement programmes, national awards, businesses or an IT programme that they have developed,” she says.

NP’s deputy principal, Ms Looi Mei Fong, advises students to approach both write-ups as if they were pitches.

“The stronger the evidence presented, the easier it is for us to shortlist the applicant for an interview,” she says.

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Students shortlisted for an interview would need to prepare a portfolio showcasing relevant works, certificates or documents.

They should also familiarise themselves with the assessment criteria and stay updated on industry trends. For example, if a child is keen on a diploma in information technology, he can read up news on artificial intelligence (AI), generative AI or careers in the information and communications technology industry.

“This will allow him to engage in a meaningful conversation with his interviewers,” says Ms Looi.

The assessment modes could range from taking an aptitude test to delivering an individual pitch to a group interview to assess teamwork or emotional intelligence.

They may need to respond to scenario-based questions or complete an activity to demonstrate their analytical, critical thinking and communication skills, as well as their awareness of current affairs.

For instance, applicants for the diploma in biomedical science may encounter questions that give them the opportunity to discuss research in diseases and drugs that have been in the news.

“While students will not be expected to have technical knowledge, those who are able to discuss such news with confidence are more likely to stand out,” says Ms Looi.

Mr Sng Choon Leng, director of academic affairs at Temasek Polytechnic, says interviewers are keen to find out about applicants’ interest in a course and how they had pursued this passion.

For example, students could share if they had read up on related topics, participated in training courses, or done some part-time work or community service.

RP’s Ms Liew adds: “Don’t be shy to share about past events and activities that you participated in.”

Miss Jolene Chong, 20, graduated in May with a diploma in applied AI and analytics from Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP). She shared during the EAE interview that she was involved in freelance work during her secondary school days, developing websites from scratch for clients from a job portal.

Miss Jolene Chong, 20, who graduated in May with a diploma in applied AI and analytics from Nanyang Polytechnic, entered the institution through the early admissions exercise. PHOTO: NANYANG POLYTECHNIC

“It gave me something else to talk about beyond my leadership experience, and also showed my interest in the field,” she says.

Her preparations for the interview paid off.

“I asked about one of the projects that the school was developing and the interviewers seemed impressed,” adds Ms Chong.

She topped her diploma programme with a 4.0 GPA and will be studying computer science at the National University of Singapore.

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How parents can guide their child

Parents play an important role in helping their children discover and nurture their aptitudes and passions, says Mr Wee Hau Yap, acting director at the department of academic services at Singapore Polytechnic.

He encourages parents to familiarise themselves with the EAE process, eligibility criteria and available courses to better advise their child.

Parents can also initiate conversations with their child to help him or her discover which way he or she learns best.

Mr Russell Chan, principal of NYP, says parents should ask if their child prefers applied learning or theoretical learning, which is the key difference between a polytechnic and junior college education.

He also suggests that they attend the parents’ seminars held by polytechnics.

“Every polytechnic has its unique selling point and culture. Visit them to experience the feel of the institution and various schools within, and ask questions about the syllabus, teaching model and culture,” says Mr Chan.

He added that four out of the eight NYP Distinguished Award winners at the 2024 graduation ceremonies joined the polytechnic through the EAE.

At NP, five out of the 10 top graduates in 2024 entered via the EAE.

NP’s Ms Looi says parents could consider if their child has the right skills and inner drive to succeed.

“Delve deeper into your child’s motivations, as this will sustain them on their journey towards their dream careers,” she adds.

If a child already has an idea of what he or she wants to pursue, parents can help him or her narrow down his or her options and match them to specific diploma courses.

Ms Looi says it is important to look beyond the course names, to read the course descriptions and module details, and to understand how they will learn.

“Some courses offer a project-based curriculum, while others provide longer, real-world experiences outside of campus,” she says.

Mr Nur Aziman Rostam, 23, entered RP through the EAE and recently graduated with a diploma in sport coaching. He had the chance to do a six-month internship as an assistant football coach from October 2023 at the Bangkok FC Academy in Thailand.

Mr Nur Aziman Rostam guiding a young trainee during his assistant football coach internship at the Bangkok FC Academy in Thailand. PHOTO: COURTESY OF NUR AZIMAN ROSTAM

“Coaching in Bangkok was a very enjoyable experience and I learnt a lot from international coaches about planning each training session,” he says.

He credits his father, Mr Rostam Mohd Hashim, 56, a driver, for introducing him to a variety of sports since he was young.

“My dad triggered my love for sports. I started with soccer, then badminton and canoeing,” said Mr Aziman, who represented Singapore in handball at the SEA Games and Asian Men’s Handball Championship.

He studied fitness training and sport management at ITE before his mentor at the school suggested that he apply to RP.

Despite his busy schedule of studies, part-time work and national handball team duties the past few years, Mr Aziman says he is excited to move closer to his dream of becoming a handball coach.

Mr Nur Aziman Rostam (centre, foreground) taking part in the Men’s Handball Competition at the 2022 SEA Games in Vietnam. PHOTO: NUR AZIMAN ROSTAM

Currently waiting for national service enlistment, he says: “Training six times a week was tiring, but I told myself to trust the process and work towards my goal.”

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plwd biasses

As society ages, efforts are afoot to enable seniors to live dignified and meaningful lives. But ageism – prejudices based on a person’s chronological age – remains entrenched. While ageism in the workplace is not uncommon, is there ageism in healthcare too?

Patient A was a 78-year-old man with mild dementia. A degenerative spine disease meant that he also needed assistance in daily activities.

He was referred to a colleague for consideration for bile duct (biliary) stones, given his recurrent bouts of biliary infection. However, he was told that he was too frail for the endoscopic procedure and that the risks outweighed the potential benefits.

Patient B, with moderate-stage dementia, was treated for pneumonia. She had been physically well and mobile before she was hospitalised. But the attending team told her son that if the 82-year-old woman turned seriously ill, she would not be offered treatment in the critical care unit as her advanced age and dementia would render her unlikely to survive, even with intensive care.

Evidence of bias

There is both anecdotal and published evidence that seniors tend to receive less evidence-based treatments on account of their age and apparent frailty. The World Health Organisation’s 2021 Global Report On Ageism highlighted the lesser known yet widespread impact of ageism on quality of care for seniors. One study found doctors were quicker to write up do-not-resuscitate orders for patients aged over 75, regardless of clinical prognosis.

A close corollary to ageism is dementia-ism, where people living with dementia (PLWDs) are discriminated against. PLWDs have been known to receive lower rates of general health screenings and surgery consultations, and are less likely to be considered for intensive care.

In a large cohort study published in 2023 by Age And Ageing, the journal of the British Geriatrics Society, the one-year survival rate of PLWDs following a critical care admission was similar to that observed in general older populations.

Decisions not to offer resuscitative treatment to frail seniors are often justified on grounds of futility. Similarly, when treatments are assessed to carry a greater risk of harm than benefit, they are typically not recommended.

It is not unreasonable to construe that treatment will be futile in situations where patients are clearly in an advanced state of frailty or dementia. It is more challenging to decide on appropriate intervention in cases of less severe frailty or dementia.

Hence, treatment decisions depend on how futility is determined. An intervention can be deemed futile either because it has little likelihood of succeeding or because it may add little to quality of life.

Such decisions, underpinned by clinical experience, knowledge and personal values, are also susceptible to biases. It has been shown that when doctors are under time pressure, they are more vulnerable to implicit biases towards disadvantaged groups such as frail seniors and PLWDs.

But to base treatment decisions on age or subjective appraisals of frailty does not stand up to scrutiny. Even as patient A was assessed to be frail because his spine condition limited his mobility and independence, he did not suffer from conditions such as heart disease or stroke that would heighten the risk of adverse outcomes from endoscopy.

Similarly, patient B was denied intensive care on account of her advanced age and dementia.

The attending medical team could have unwittingly based their judgment on ableism – the notion that the value and quality of life of a person with a disability, such as dementia, is so low that medical intervention would be too burdensome and hence not worthwhile.

But such an approach could mean that older patients and those with dementia can be discriminated against. How can we prevent that?

Imbalance of power

We would do well to first consider, as a default, well-evidenced and standard-of-care treatment, even for frail seniors and PLWDs. A patient’s age or cognitive function should not be the foremost consideration.

Instead, treatment decisions should rest on the tenets of research evidence, a patient’s state and circumstances, a patient’s preferences, and clinical expertise. Securing the patient’s best interests after carefully weighing all factors is what matters, especially whether the modality of treatment is appropriate and proportionate to the desired outcome.

In the case of patient A, you’d weigh the slight chance of adverse outcomes from the endoscopic procedure against the benefit of resolving the recurrent biliary infections which would inevitably lead to eventual death.

In situations of clinical ambiguity, such as the case of patient B wherein the benefits of intensive care may be uncertain, time-limited trials of treatment can be considered.

It involves an agreement between the attending team and patients or their families to undertake treatment for a predetermined time period. The treatment can be withdrawn if certain pre-defined outcomes are not attained.

This balances the benefits and burdens of treatment, and affords time for the situation to evolve and bring about greater clarity.

In the case of patient B, the decision was taken largely based on the attending team’s opinion, which could have been influenced by ageism. There would be greater equity if the patient and her family could weigh in with their preferences.

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However, power asymmetry between doctors and patients remains. While patients can choose not to undergo a treatment offered, they cannot insist on treatments that are judged by doctors to be of no benefit.

The patients and their families are supposed to make informed decisions, but these decisions are still liable to being nudged by choice architecture – the way choices are presented. 

Moreover, when the attending team does not recommend a particular treatment option, it is unlikely that the patients and their families will want to take it up. In the case of patient A, this would mean not undergoing the endoscopic procedure that might have potentially benefited the patient.

Ableism, ageism and dementia-ism are real, and even seniors may devalue their own lives. To combat this, a whole-of-society approach is necessary. This would entail emphasising the dignity and intrinsic value of people beyond utility. We have to transcend the divides between the old and young, and the able and disabled.

Intergenerational mingling can help, as would initiatives such as the NUS Longitudinal Patient Experience. This offers students in healthcare-related disciplines the opportunity to journey with seniors over time to foster greater empathy and appreciation of the lived experience of seniors.

In his timely ST Forum letter, emeritus consultant Quah Thuan Chong lamented the lack of love in medical practice. Love, according to philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas, involves willing the good of the other.

Treatment decisions involving frail seniors and PLWDs are often complex, nuanced and multivalent. It behoves us to navigate them with wisdom, humility and love, so that no one is discriminated against.

Philip Yap is the chairman of Dementia Singapore. Gabriel Wong is a volunteer and Jason Foo is the chief executive officer of the same organisation.

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property rich cash poor

It’s all very well buying a second property to help fund your retirement, but if you deplete your savings in the process and leave yourself without enough cash to meet expenses, you could be forced to sell the property – a fate that befell one couple here recently.

The couple had owned a condo unit for over 10 years while they still lived in their HDB flat.

The property was rented out, but the income was not enough to live on and they had to sell it in 2023 to reap much-needed cash. It was during the sale process that they discovered a relative had staked a claim on the $1.3 million in proceeds.

While the claim was dismissed by the High Court, the couple’s predicament shows that having an extra property is not a done deal for retirement if buying it depletes your savings.

Another couple featured in Invest recently were caught in a bind when interest rates started rising in recent years.

They had also bought a private apartment with the hope of earning rental income, and continued to live in their Housing Board flat. But soaring interest rates meant most of the rental income went into servicing the mortgage, so there was not much left over for their own expenses.

To make matters worse, they did not plan for medical care and so were hard-pressed to pay for such expenses. They were unable to ask their grown-up children for more support because the children had their own families and expenses to worry about.

As a result, the couple had no choice but to rent out two bedrooms in their HDB flat to supplement their income.

Here are three things you should know before putting your money into an extra property.

1. Recurring costs

If you buy a private home, you will not receive any government subsidy to help you defray property-related costs. This means you have to meet maintenance fees that can be up to a couple of thousand dollars a quarter.

If the estate’s common facilities need fixing or replacing, the costs come from the residents’ “sinking fund”, which must be topped up if it is running low.

If you are late with maintenance payments, you will face high interest charges that could hit 20 per cent or more. There is also the higher property tax to consider if you are not living in the unit.

2. Rental income

You cannot spend your rental income without considering the costs of being landlords. In addition to taxes on such income, you may also have to pay expenses related to the replacement of appliances and maintenance cost.

If your unit has a mortgage, a large portion of the rent is likely to go towards monthly repayments.

Make sure you do your sums properly and that you can still service the loan, even without the rental income, because there is no guarantee that you will always find a tenant.

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3. Sustainable lifelong income

If your purpose in buying another property is to fund your retirement, you should first consider the benefits offered by CPF Life, which offers a better and “cheaper” option to get lifelong income.

From 2025, those reaching 55 can opt to join the national annuity scheme at its highest tier, by topping up their Retirement Account to the new Enhanced Retirement Sum of $426,000. This will provide up to $3,300 monthly from the age of 65.

So couples who plan together can enjoy a lifelong income of over $6,000 a month, tax- and fuss-free, by setting aside about $850,000.

Those who are older can also top up to the new sum, but their monthly payouts will be lower as they will start receiving them earlier than the cohort in 2025. Use the CPF Life Estimator online tool to check your numbers.

Just remember that it is always smarter to plan for continuous cash flows that come without any fuss because the task of managing assets will become more burdensome when you are older.

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