learning from from home is actually good in a way also because the child they can actually have more flexible time to take their meals or take their bath they don't have to wake up so so early just to go for


the flag lowering at seven twenty five AM they can, they can actually wake up like, sorry ah my recording stopped leh from my phone one what should I do ah


continue ah okay you you want to me press the red one no ah okay, so like uh because uh they can actually wake up at eight thirty AM instead and then start their SLS learning at nine and by two PM they will probably be done with their online learning rather than getting up at seven AM reaching school at seven twenty five


when reaching home at one thirty so it's like very rigid type of schedule, and then when they come home they will be under the hot sun, and giving given singapore weather, you know the the the heat and the temperature everyday at twelve noon in it can actually make a person sick within three months even if you are having a fit bill of health


this


currently the government see the the local cases dropping to less than five a week that's why they keep in phase two, which also helped because this this actually allows uh working force to go back to offices also but the government is still strongly encouraging people to work from home and they will actually be checking on offices that ask the staff to go back to office


so for children, for children, for children they actually prefer to study from home my own children told me the same thing as well


after, initially when they have HBL they were dreading I was dreading it I was actually complaining every day, they have to be a teacher and don't get paid for it but now now that they have been through HBL they will rather has HBL at home via SLS and MC online rather than going to school every day waking up so early and come back in the hot sun


and having having a lot of worksheets actually is causing


harm to the environment because trees will have to be cut down just to make papers where as when you learn online you you can actually make use of cloud for storage and using cloud you don't need to waste resources or harm the environment so


learning online is definitely much more beneficial than going to school personally I have a cousin, she's living in arizona now she her husband is also singaporean, but they are like totally fused into the american society so when she had her her four children


the first two are girls the the the last the third and fourth are boys she home schooled the four of them in arizona and now her eldest daughter just graduated as a medical doctor, and she was being home schooled all the way


so I would see a lot of benefits being educated from home especially when the parent is dedicated and has the passion to help the child learn more and exceed in life


so my cousin is a very good living testimony


currently in singapore we have very good service providers where they actually allow like a fixed amount of premium a month and they can let you use uh, up to five gigahertz of speed for broadband fibre optics which definitely has a wider range uh where they can cater to multiple devices at a uh


uh simultaneously, , for the multiple devices to be used simultaneously at one time uh and it's it doesn't actually have any kind of effect from one device to another is more like whether how near you are to your


router the range so if it's too far away you can actually get a repeater to propagate the signal


part one debate topic one


, or do we can do can we do do this as a rehearsal, because what's she say was so fast I was like !huh! sorry, yeah


can we do this like a rehearsal, so we we


but my point is, the useful I mean that education should be only concern what is useful in life is for my concept is that is different because the thing what we are doing now and in the future is always changing


so I, okay as for here I would think that what we learned in now is what we can use in the future so doesn't mean that only study education will bring us to the next level of an a of a certificate


that's why I say last time you can say that last time from our our batch of group of life is different only maybe primary one than will start learning phonics or it or we didn't we didn't even learnt phonics at all, but now they are all learning phonics since maybe nursery to k one and even comprehension in k two so what it's useful in life is is changing


for the education


as you will say is is one quarter, as you say is one quarter of their lifetime but working life is three quarter of the lifetime, but, in even when we grow up


we never stop studying so is the same thing that if we learn, more when we are young so when we grow old when they grow older they'll be more knowledgeable and will be more useful in this in their life


as for this, like this debate I lose they either I don't want at air starting to say you know


because I don't know what to say this is this this question is a very, yeah education should be only concerned with, if what is useful in life


this topic is a bit Chim ah, can change topic or not , although I'm working in education what I seen from all the parents that they are all err


they why they all send their children for this essential tuition is just because that they need their children to be able to pass their exam


weak in topics how to say


even when they send for their children for tuition right they're all they're learning more more than education listening with the moral the integrity also what they gonna do in life, so is more than more than education


(ppc) as for now even they change the concepts of, the current situation for the PSLE they change in the way that for the twenty twenty one you'll be getting according to p three to p six


points instead of just PSLE alone, so education doesn't only be concerned is to be more than we should be able to use you'll be learning more things even for other country they're learning even geography science in primary school


history, so what do you mean by , like nowadays even they learning the moral


moral education, so is it useful in life


so, if you only concern that is the education is concerned which is useful is history useful to us it depends on individual because if, history is a


we have this we've learn from experience from the history so that doesn't mean that history is not useful even though we are living in the advanced technology nowadays in our life


but as for history topic, , we all are we are learning the mistake from the people that have gone through the experience


, although and even some of the, old age time even how they built the, pyramid this is the technology that we are going to trying to learn this is the levels of knowledge in in education is different


, so you cannot say that history is if if if you cannot say that history is not useful in life we learn will learn from the mistakes from the old people


, what you say make sense but also, they need to have a lot knowledge before they can get into those kind of structure okay,


Hui-Wen I don't know what to say eh, , suddenly I I'm blank,


yes, yes yeah


if I if I say I agree with what she said then she will have to continue to work to to to say anymore things, that's about what I debate in life,


, because my debates my debate strong point is in when I was speaking in chinese , so when using speaking in english I must I must keep thinking the words to use


yes if I debate in chinese it'll be better, , , talk eh talk whatever I want is it we can talk I read a lot of things because I know her for so long we can talk about children we can talk about family you can talk about life yeah there's a lot of things that we can talk about because about


ya because because education yes I'm working in a tuition centre but, the things that parents ask and the concern of the, what is useful in life doesn't link leh, to me that what is concerned to you what's what's useful in life


that's why what you need when what they need something they will come for tuition because they're weak in their subject this is from my point of view but some parents is is a Kiasu parents because that they want their children to score higher points to compete to get the first get the top in in the in the schools in the result


this is my point this is this is my education what their what what what you see even even they are young they came for enrichment classes since three and a half four years old, so this is my point that whether it's useful or concern or is this depends on individual because some parents that you don't send their children to


to enrichment classes, until they are primary two or even I have a primary three student, she's learning a b c at the age of nine, ya so my point of view that is depends on the parents thinking sometimes it's not depends on what what the children because the children don't know what they're choosing in


their life except the parents like what they want for piano they want other non essential like dancing modelling drumming, music is depends on individual parents, correct


like I said I have a class is called anna's spas uh there's there's a boss there and her and her son, she's only, giving her son musical, education throughout his life even now he's seven this year


he don't she's not sending her for any other education except for, musical like drumming dancing not even for english maths science, so that's why it really it really depends on individual parent listening for musical musical school since young


they don't learn anything except musical, so


no, ya okay I also I also partially agree with what you said, , always they they need teamwork but some of the even, the old age time like the einstein or or oh yeah all


freaks they're all, different like all the so all the famous people they have some special kind of different thinking then normal people, so there's no right no wrong to say that whether teamwork or not because they themselves they can be


they can leave their name in the history cause to to let us know what what they create what they do, so, it depends on individual also


, for movie is just a show because people using their imagination, it's not scientists is not very is is not scientific proven


based on real life event okay, but so did she success , okay, these few days I no have no time to watch movies


amanda


debate topic two


so I start first, because this the conformity of uh, should be the main aim of a school is true for me is because it role to give it do the ability to read and write at the level of comprehensive of a common population


, and also enable you to gain perspective on other things like arts computer science, , and will allow you to become a better ~rou rounded rounded person


okay, conformity is a it cause actually conformity is capable capable of, sniffing, creativity and it's actually helped to develop discipline and play an important role in shaping one sense of identity


because for my side you see school is like all must be wearing the is uniform same like a bit of army styles uniform group, so actually they have the means to obey all all the rules and regulation so it's important to for schools to teach students rules and laws for the of the society


they actually if we, you say or you continue


, community also means to go along with majority opinion the society believe so it's important for aim for schools since we need to teach, students the right and wrong example like community like everyone should wear same to wear clothes in public


actually like also eh we will argue actually we will argue about this is because the functionality of our society there are those from the business world who have said that community is one of the most desire characteristics of graduate because they're easier to fit into the business world


I have been told that the reason, conforming is desired because that is the basic of law and order


because if without conformity where would will we be in the world without millions of conforming graduates entering society every year to form the grease of the modern commercial military complex how could we function


the education the educational establishment is doing the is exactly is what is designed to, to produce a predictable complaints, populants


am I correct to say that


but if every student is allowed to wear any uh, by example if any what and if and if every student is allowed to wear anything they want then, some might anyhow dress up so they must strictly to be obeying the rule and regulation if all the if they dress up improper in appropriate bad image reputation to the for the school will be reflect on to every to every other people


(mmhmm), like behind the physical conformity with education comes the academic thats is why I was if I was a math genius I will not be inducting me to this one but could do more complex algebraic manipulation in my head


would I not receive credit for what I could do unless I demonstrate what that I could arrived at the correct conclusion in the approved manner so that's why we must do in steps order to to get, the answer we cannot anyhow jump here and there so all must be in sequence


, okay but currently there has no place for the nonconformity there are no paucity model of nonconformity society as a whole look at it, the reason and scores as nonconformities in a discussion about this in one day it would have point out that you could obtain higher degree qualification in almost any field


imaginable from physics to howard's but during our conversation they will become apparently that we were unaware of any programme for studying free thinking is all about conformity


(ppc)


okay how (ppc) okay


but when the when the, when the give when the when the teacher give a direction the extent to which the student participate in following that direction could be defined as conformity because if they have the other other other thinking which the the teacher is teaching


then if everybody's doing the same thing maybe they will get lower points in in exam in result so we have certain expectation about the what students should, have, should and should not do in the classroom environment so following the cultural rules of the learning environment is an indication of conformity to those expectation


if student perceive themselves as opposed to what teacher demand of them they will rebel against it by extension they will be rebelling against what they will perceived and as the constant that their culture would have placed on them


ya, correct if there's no rules right singapore will be very chaotic in many ways many crime


so actually conformity have to utilise our resource efficiently if everyone is working on the arts project right now the instructional focus should be brought to the bed, on the lesson at hand while the appropriate resources are available to engage in that lesson like there are many positive benefit to the diverse from


conformity in the classroom building and maintaining a positive learning environment require that the member of a group are willing to follow a sets of rules, that the government how they interact with one another as well as the idea of learning itself


okay from my point of view learning from home is not good is because that, it may be slow if the group is very big, and, there will be a delay of time time to time because waiting for the reply of the students where else when in classes in schools they are very fast respond


and, there's no waiting time spend and the teacher the the the the teacher can guide individually differently because maybe some of the levels, they some of the, level are they are going for is different cause some they learn faster some may learn slower because as for learning from home home-based learning all is in one screen all the watch is one screen you cannot differentiate who learn faster at who learn slower who understand more who understand less where else in classroom on site


this is a this is a different story and as for you say home-based learning is for more for the, older kids for the younger kids they couldn't sit still in front of the camera in front of the screen they will tend to move around when they ask for when they're being questioned for answer they'll the first the first thing they look at their parents


and they will not want to answer they wished they hope that the parents will give them answer, so educate from home is not a very good thing because somebody will learn tend to learn slower in, in, online rather than on on site


(ppc), (ppc), I have some I have some


engagement before with the parents like actually why do you why don't you open on site is because that I'm working I have no time to set up how can you how come can you expect a three-year-olds kid, to set up


uh computer by himself or turn on enter the zoom meeting, so, they will rather send their kids to on site rather than because some of them some not all is working from home only and even some essential they need to go to work because of the maybe they work in hospital


or some in essential company so not all might think that educate from home is a good thing and even some children behave differently in class, and at home, some different totally is a big difference they are and when they when they are at home they can even talk back to their mother


they can they can disrespect everyone and moving around here run around here where else in classes they're totally another person


, but it another way like example some of the topic they need to be doing can only be do on site like experiments, , where else that the if you do online you do it with you wouldn't feel feel the on site experience feeling


like when you when you mix some mixture as for chemistry you mix something or you do the bunsen burner to do the evaporation or condensation it cannot be done online it can only be done on site


although there's a is, you continue


(ppc), throughout the throughout the on uh lock down period all the parents all keep want to send they don't want to send their, children because of the corona virus COVID virus but after when we resume


we, resume our, our phase two actually all the parents they are actually they are they are they insist to send their children back on site is because that


for online learning is slower than on site learning so that's why, I don't agree in HBL


therefore you see (ppc) home-based learning is still depends on age group if they're older kids is still okay but for younger kids is hard also (ppc) not, every parent would like their children to use devices like computer laptop tablet to to do their education learning because they do not wish them to get contact with the


devices, they want to protect their eyesight, although even nowadays school also want them to do the e-learning online but the parents try to shorten the hours that's why on site learning is more effective than on site uh than than online learning


continue


but if, you say HBL learning is good right but why school isn't closing during the this circuit breaker, because, you see it's take responsibility and discipline at home to ensure effective home-based learning


correct


because I I been okay you okay you continue <mandarin>你说你说:ni shuo ni shuo</mandarin>


, partially I agree some point of view like for my secondary school students, most of the higher like upper secondary school student they will go for HBL instead of on site physical classes because due to the hazard of travelling and they want to stay at home


because maybe they feel that there's no pressure from teacher they can see even at home they can choose other doings other things than making, while while education while learning from online they can do other things as well but for some point of view for the lower kids right younger kids the parents who have told me that eh my kids is not really studying online because


they're while they are on on they're on the zoom but in the the other hand they're using their handphone or they alternate tab for youtube, so if there's no effective learning if the parents is not around the children might not be studying effectively so as well as they if they come to on site they have nothing except worksheet


and questions,


(ppc),


it depends like some school are some, like for are some instances when home-based learning commence parent may be in for a rude shock because their cosy and comfortable home may suddenly morphed into an unfamiliar and altogether defective space that feel ill suited for learning


yeah where else your children who usually head to their protect respective school now they are now cramped into their maybe shared or living room uh bedroom or living room where with multiple classes going on simultaneous like you have more than one children


so they will start asking one another when when they are where they are unable to hear their respective teacher clearly even with their head set on like throwing in another parents' conference like call with from a boss and you will be have a very frazzled household just like if


one person is using is fine but if altogether is using at the same time also your internet may slow down, because this is under zoom under online is is is uh the data will be using more


oh, part one debate topic one


okay yes so you mentioned that you know education is going to school and also, and it also uh teaches us skills yeah like you management uh like you mention such as time management


uh social skills interaction uh perseverance, yeah and what however uh I believe that you know uh what you mention about this uh soft skills, uh I think is, in a way subjective uh as it varies from student to student as you know uh let's say a student can go to school and the student only goal is to get good grades you know


so he he or she can just focus solely on just studying getting the knowledge and then one school finishes uh go back home to just revise on uh what is being taught in school and then, uh in that case really uh these students might not really pick up the soft skills that are relevant in a constantly changing world


and as you mention things such as time management uh I believe that you know in singapore our education system uh it doesn't exactly, uh explicitly uh teaches us uh time management on how to manage time as you know someone can be busy gaming after school all day long uh neglecting the studies neglecting their


uh homework and yeah so you really varies uh from students to students as you know uh it can, ya it really depends on your own personal beliefs and how important education is to each student and things such as you mentioned uh social skills


uh where you interact with friends I think that also varies as sometimes that, err, we might not as student we might not have a friend, for example in some rare cases and there can result in a student uh being alone


for a major part of their uh school life and as such they will not be able to pick up uh social skills as compared to someone who has a lot of friends and a lot of, uh social activities going after school when if you compare these two students I believe that their level of social skills they picked up uh throughout their uh schooling years would be of a very much difference


yeah and I think in singapore uh education does not exactly prepare the young, for a world that is constantly changing, but rather education would only, uh, give us the qualification for a job, but to say that it prepares us I think uh that may not be exactly true as


in singapore I uh I think we still believe that, you know uh grades there's a huge focused on getting grades and results you know, as we can have all the soft skills you know we are able to, uh we have manage our time well we have good social skills we have good situational awareness


uh but if we are not able to get the required grades, uh, to study the course that we want and to apply for the job that we want, and uh I believe that regardless of how much of uh soft skills that dark throughout our schooling years


uh it will not be uh sufficient because singapore uh there is still a huge and large focus on results and academics and I think there is no such school when a public school that there are really classes on soft skills you know


and I don't think that a huge part of education uh in singapore is focusing on soft skills, and is still muchly based on transferring of knowledge uh, where there are lessons you know it where there are lessons and the teachers will teach us subjects and then you will just apply in the exams and you get the grade uh depending on how much you prepared ya and hence I still believe that I still don't believe uh that education exactly uh prepares the young


for a world that is constantly changing maybe it does but it does not prepare the young uh in the constantly changing world to a large extent


okay, eh so you mention that how the syllabus are changing uh to a modern context where they are trying to ya change the syllabus is to adapt to how the world is changing, ya and but I still uh believe that you know uh even though uh singapore we are trying our best to really update the syllabus and trying to inculcate a sense of


uh inculcate a sense of critical thinking is different, uh but, in that sense I think is still uh lagging behind in terms of preparing uh students for a constantly changing world


uh yes it does make an effort, to try to equip students with the type of, uh soft skills such as you know ya being able to think uh quickly being able to apply what they have learnt in a real world context, ya there are attempts at that


but I still think that it is not exactly effective as, uh, there is still really a huge uh focus on pure results and academics, and there is a change there uh singapore and singapore we are slowly are moving towards uh


society where the focus and emphasis on grades is slowly a fading away yes but however I still believe that is still lagging behind and uh there can be more room for improvement and our education system in that sense of preparing the young for a world that is constantly changing


uh you have also mentioned that uh students are going home to let's say revise right away after school and they are not making uh use of, uh, the opportunities that the school has given them to interact, uh vastly


I still think that that is subjective as, uh maybe certain uh school certain subjects are more, uh demanding in that sense where you need to spend more time to revise uh such as subjects like humanities, uh and


if you do not put in the amount of hours needed to revise when your own uh and you spend that time uh outside socializing interacting with your friends uh yes you might pick up a social skill important for your job but then uh you may lag behind as compared to the other peers


will spend time revising alone at home and I think, uh that is one four of the education system, uh where if you are not able to manage your time well if you, are unable to have good time management then you will have to sacrifice something if you want to revise and do well for exams then the social aspect of your life would suffer but if you want to focus on having a lot of friends and building your social skills than your studies might suffer as a result


and, I thought of education uh there's just problem about uh tuition where if a student goes to tuition for all the subjects, as compared to another student who only does what the teacher has instructed them to do


uh surely in the long run the student uh who has tuition would, tend to fare better than the one that does not have tuition, and as such uh is it how society in singapore is like, with the emphasis on education and now the emphasis of having tuition and it's still shows


that you know uh we as, singaporeans still care about grades and results, in that sense and this does not really ah prepare the young for a world that is constantly changing because if let's say I put, my heart and soul into studying as and I get into the course that I want


uh because I did well for my exams, but then if let's say the job that I working in becomes obsolete, then, I will have to change my career, but then because of my lack of soft skills, uh due to the education putting huge emphasis on results


and even though yes the education system in singapore tries, uh to prepare the young for world, that is very volatile there is always changing but it does not do a very very good job, it does not do a effective job and preparing uh ask students uh to be able to uh embrace the world as such once we are unable to uh find a particular job due to our career path becomes


becoming obsolete then the lack of soft skills would really uh harm us and this is just a result of uh the education system in singapore is like, yeah and this is why I still believe that, yes you have made uh important points that yes singapore is trying to change the syllabus and that yes the school just provide interaction for students


and they might not see it but ultimately the emphasis on grades is still there and unless there is a radical or paradigm huge paradigm shift in the education system, uh the emphasis on education will continue to be there uh even for the next five to ten years


part two debate topic two


okay ya so ya I think it's great that you try to define uh technological development, so ya you mention how uh technology is making information, uh readily available, yeah and but you also mentioned that yeah there's a cautioned that not all information are true and then there's a chance for things like fake news where some information may be false


uh but generally you mentioned that in school technology has met lessons more engaging, yes uh innovative, uh as well as assisting those who are visual learners, ya and, that is how educate uh how is how technological developments are being


uh, use in education systems in singapore today and you also mention your personal experience and takeaways such as the interactive whiteboards uh ya using google docs during online research and learning things lah citation


yeah which are useful skills for future when you start working, ya and, you mentioned that as such uh books are starting to serve research purpose, in education, ya but, I think there was one point that you mentioned uh near the end where you say that


uh books, when reading books we have to try our best to understand what the text in books are saying uh without much help and that we, uh may perhaps uh misinterpret what is, uh say and mention in the book


uh but I think instead of that being a negative I think that's a positive as, uh reading books, as opposed to reading online which are things are mostly summarize and they're already, uh bite size information uh overtime when reading news or reading books online


uh it becomes, uh it makes you a lazy reader in a sense that you don't really think much you just digest digest digest the information, uh but then you don't really uh go into thinking and analyzing what you have read, and this is where I believe that books still serve purpose education in the sense that when you read a book


uh you are sure that is legitimate and the information uh would have to be uh accurate to quite a large extent before the book can be uh published in the first place and so in terms of credibility uh books are definitely


uh safer in that sense, uh if used an education as compared to, uh information of books that are being shared online where there are no, a strict regulations as of now, and reading physical books and that sense really forces us to uh focus on text


uh trying to understand uh what is being said, as we go through uh the different chapters as as to go as we go through what we read, yeah and uh this, is something that develops uh someone


for full then have an analytical mind as they try to digest, and dissect what they've just read and they will not become a lazy readers in that sense where they just digest, but they don't really go in depth into uh trying to uh really squeeze up what they care from what they're back


and if they are trouble understanding, uh yeah and that is that's the, a beauty of physical books in the sense where, uh where you spend time, uh going into the book really putting effort and time and trying to understand uh what uh the books


are trying to say, then when you actually get some, uh meaning out of the text that you are reading you will remember it uh for very long time you'll be an ingrained into your head, as opposed to maybe reading something online when you just skim through it


and then after a while you, read, are you actually read it but then you don't actually understand it fully and after a while you just forget what you read, as opposed to books where you really go through the whole book I believe that some key takeaways from the book that you've read a book really stick with you maybe sometimes even for a lifetime


ya and this is why I still believe that books uh still serve purpose in education, even though yes technological developments are indeed uh making lessons more engaging making it more fun interesting for students, but then there is still a need for books in that sense


ya and I believe that even though the purpose of physical books might be diminishing, but then there is still uh some purpose, maybe is decreasing but is definitely not little purpose in education


ya I think uh what you mention are ya very valid points especially the point about convenience where, you can read everything on a single device, where you maybe it can hold your bookstore and a laptop, or like now an ipad pro which is uh very popular, especially with all the tools ya you are able to annotate uh the books


yeah or ebooks especially yeah and you don't need perhaps have the hassle to carry physical books anymore, ya so I agree with what you mention that ya, err, now with all these E books and everything being online yeah they are really convenient and they really


uh makes life uh easier in a sense where you don't need to carry all your books around as compared to last time in the past, when technology technology has not uh been so advanced, but, I think that's the problem of uh distraction in that sense


uh where, yes the medium of, having books online, ebooks they are very good definitely if you compare evokes the books, uh nowadays ebooks have more value in that sense, where the books are convenient to carry around and the books will not grow old the papers will not turn yellow


uh ya and, you are able to keep the, ebook for other guests almost a lifetime once you paid for it and it's also cheaper than physical books, but the problem is the, environment that you are reading the material in


when you use your laptop to read through your books, and to read through all this information you are putting yourself in environment, where, you know you have notifications constantly popping up, and where you always have the temptation to just maybe a pause what you're doing and maybe instead go on and play a game uh talk to your friends watch some videos and watch


uh maybe even things like netflix, but when you read a physical book and you are put everything else aside you are really immersed into a space where now I'm setting aside, a dedicated time to really read the book and I believe that


in that space that is where uh the information they have taken in uh will stick with you the longest, as you've really put everything and all distraction side and you have immerse yourself uh into the book and I believe that transfer


that transfer of knowledge when you read a book in, a space where you're not been distracted uh what you get out of the books will be the most effective as compared to reading books on ipads, I'm reading books on your laptops or computer or PC, uh due to the fact that


you are facing the threat and risk of, uh distractions and even though if you off all your notifications you put, on the do not disturb, uh function, but there's always the temptation to just uh change application


uh maybe when you don't have discipline maybe uh you are unable to have self control in a sense you are just really putting yourself, uh at risk of, you know just or maybe closing the app and that's going on in doing something else instead


and despite that being said also, the, the problem of still uh false in, information uh things like fake news and what you read online, uh yes singapore government has uh introduced a law about fake news


yes uh is being implemented already, but that does not uh hundred percent stop uh the circulation of fake news, and fake information spreading online, and there is still the risk of


uh having books have been online in that sense where students may actually read up something that is false, and then that may result in then learning the wrong stuff and then, as a result of that are unable to in that case do well in school uh or to do well for their projects as they have


uh gathered and discovered false information, ya, and if someone is unable to discern what is true and false in that sense, I especially uh students who are still young and impressionable uh I still believe that


uh, ebooks and information online despite, uh technological developments making it more, uh effective making it more convenient uh there's still the risk of, being distracted as well as learning


and taking you false information, as so ultimately I believe yes technological developments are good, definitely but then we will need to balance uh with physical books and ebooks, and to try to find, a way to balance both of them so that we can use both to the full potential rather than eliminating physical books completely and hundred per cent and just for focusing a completely on ebooks and all the information that are online


so if we can find a way to balance the two of them, that is when I believe that you know the education that students received would be the most effective


part three debate topic three


okay ya, I think you mention ya some uh really good points ya and she will started off before, uh education uh is, a social leveller, ya and you really even the playing field regardless of uh circumstance uh regardless how


uh you were born, in today's world and what are circumstance you are living you are living in, as if you as you mention if you have the right attitude and you do your best and able to do well in school you are you able, to climb up the social ladder in that case uh regardless of uh where you started in that sense


uh due to education, and, you also later mention on about how, uh education uh, is able to eliminate gender inequality as you mentioned about how, uh now uh if women who are equally educated


uh are also given, uh opportunities as well uh due to education and in the past I where education ya there's always this uh gender inequality are in that case, ya and but, as you mentioned about how education is a


a social leveller and it levels the playing field, but this is important aspect that, uh you are still you still need to be able to afford education, uh in that sense, uh and if you are unable to afford education


then it will not exactly, uh regardless of how smart intelligent you are if you not able to go to school you not able to pay for school uh then it will be difficult for you in that case to really climb up the social ladder regardless of how intelligent you are


and I know these days there are, uh funds there are sponsorships for students to, who due to family circumstance unable to afford, err maybe school fees


unable to attend school due to being unable to pay for school, but, if the student is smart then yes uh this definitely will help, however the thing is that, uh for those students who are might not be as bright and but still want the education


uh if they are unable to perform well in school then they will not be able to, maybe qualify for all these scholarships, or sponsorships and then they will miss out opportunities to be able to study and their case the, playing field will not be even in that case


ya, uh as well as nowadays the emphasis of tuition, and if you are unable to afford tuition and you are naturally maybe not gifted uh in studies then you'll definitely fall behind your peers in school and, in that case that really widest the gap between


uh those who are able to afford education those who are able to afford tuition as opposed to those uh who can't go to tuition, uh yet along even pay for school fee sometimes and so uh as you mentioned how education might be a social leveller


uh I believe it is not a one size fits all model and is not something that, uh applies to everyone uh yes singapore does make a great effort, uh where if you are able to do well in school that regardless of circumstance you are


able uh to have access to education, uh but if you talk, in a sense of a worldview, uh the world is still society is still lacking in that sense where if you don't have money uh you are unable, uh


to be able to, uh had access to education all the time, and also as you mentioned about how, uh gender inequality, ya uh I believe ya is is true now due to education uh more women are getting jobs


but, even though as a women become more educated, uh I believe is still a social issue in that sense where, uh traditional businesses are still, uh not exactly hundred per cent open to having a female CEO a female leading company


and I think that is not really the issue of education vices something or that society has been facing for a long time in terms of women's rights and gender uh equality, ya and, however as she talked about how education can make the world a better place


uh, education yes indeed is a powerful tool, yes uh it does help, the world uh become better in that case to a large extent, but there is an uh issue here which is that


regardless of how educated you are, uh perhaps you are use example of a climate change, uh you you gone through research you are able to find out how uh to maybe stop uh global warming for example, uh however the most key thing about this is that you need funding for all your projects you need funding for your research


uh you need funding to be able to start implementing certain things certain practices, if someone is not willing to fund you if someone is not willing to fund your project in that case then regardless of how much knowledge and information you know you are unable to make the world a better place because in that case you can say that money is the most powerful tool that is to make the world a better place


so if you are well educated and you have to resources you have the, uh wealth then I believe that you are well equipped uh equipped to be able to make the world a better place however if you are just relying solely on education alone


then I think it really is uh difficult, in that case ya


ya I think ya you also give a good example about how uh someone who is only ten uh due to access to education ya can bring about great change, uh but I think is still uh forget the point about how, uh you need people to support you uh in that in the case where uh if no one is willing to support your course


uh financially uh, uh I don't think in this age today is not a feasible to be able to carry out your plans regardless of, uh how well, your project or how well, of an activist you are, ya as you move away from this point also uh I think


does this huge assumption that education in the first place is effective, uh yes education if being taught well if the students and the young are being well educated if the world is being well educated yes it can be a very powerful tool


but, if education is not effective then uh there's a big issue here, uh if you learn in singapore, uh there are some arguments that maybe education the education system in singapore actually limits uh creativity uh where one has no space to


uh grow that talents, uh maybe sometimes they are not able to uh develop a critical thinking uh things that are important if we want to really make a world a better place as


uh we just, have this emphasis, uh as you mentioned earlier, uh on grades and uh results, and, because of this emphasis, uh is stifles the creativity of students in that case and ones students become


uh are being forced to succumb to the format of our education system, where we have no choice but to just do well and then they would sacrifice their creativity so that you can get better grades, then regardless of how


uh you can say this case educated they are in terms of singapore context then, uh these students might not be able to really make the world a better place as uh they are just using education as a gateway to find jobs, ya but, I do agree with you you have made a lot of valid points uh where if education uh if it is effective and they


are, it education is able to really uh equip the young the old uh with knowledge and they have the passion for it I really truly believe that, uh it can be a tool that can really make a difference in the world and you really can make the lives of many in this world a better in that in that case and really improve the standard of living


ya so I think there are just some constraints about education where uh we as a society just to make sure that education is effective by does not limit creativity uh but rather uh encourages creativity in students


uh so that when they go out and work that they have the courage, uh to people and to make changes in this world, and ya, so education is indeed a powerful tool uh that can be used to make a world a better place


part one debate topic one


ah so do I start now already


that guy start now I think so uh, so I agree that education is the best tool for preparing the young for world that is constantly changing


uh I start off by defining education education to me is basically going to school so uh education, so education prepare us for


lux uh life and work by teaching us many skills that are important in an even in an ever changing world such as uh time management social skills like how to interact with your peers and your superior and uh


but the variance in things people thinks like studying for exams and tests uh, ya so this kind of skills which are soft skills uh uh you uh important


in any, people in the world there's ever changing lah is important for not only for work but for the bodies uh also life skills you you also use them outside of work


so uh one, example is, now nowadays even with the uh even with online based learning and everything


uh is it showing how it showing how education can be can be used for, can we use to bring forward other things like how what can be also done from home or


or how basically how anything you learn in school can be used also in the workplace or outside of outside of uh outside in your personal life


, so the the social you you you in school you learn a lot of social social organization skills such as how to be able to interact with peers and how to work together with them let's say in certain include


project or in, uh or just interacting with fans on a day to day basis this the this the rather important skills social and technical one or more important skills that you can learn, uh another one of course also we learn how to persevere and how to work hard which is


not which is I would say not many not if not if you don't go to school and do it do things the hard way you might not be possible okay I'm done


okay uh you mentioned that education only gives us the qualifications to get a job on the start but not for uh not but it doesn't prepare for uh ever changing world


uh I disagree with that because as it and the government uh every education, uh branch they got they are constantly rebuilding and changing the syllabus to update to a more modern context


like ah, ya I thought every yeah so every basically every every uh at our education it goes are being being updated constantly lah to to prepare for a changing world


so uh, while it may while you may not while you may still in in the end it may still be judge during uh qualification not lah but it's uh at least it's a qualification that, uh that the government thinks is useful for the economy that the government thinks uh it will be used to develop the the country well err another point is regarding the


uh, the the student simply going home to make going home studying in school and then going home afterwards to revise, uh, the point is that educates the the system is there to provide the students with what they want to do the the students the education the system is there to provide students with the resources if they want to they giving them the opportunity to make friends because you go to classroom you go to a classroom and your you everyday you see the same people everyday


and so it's really up to the student to make use of the resources and not for and, if the student chooses not to not to make use of it then yeah that's that's not the that's not the issue with the system but the issue with the students did


uh, yeah that's that's what I have to say


!hey!


uh so I think I should include that education I would also consider skills be training to be under education, so regarding of point about, uh taking up then and then your career being obsolete because of uh singapore more without orientated society there's uh


the government is the government also thus see that so that's why they are providing a lot of uh, a lot of learning opportunities lah for for anyone regardless of age uh you are most the most obvious example would be Skillsfuture


anyone from anyone from any age range can use the government credits to start learning any skills which listing, uh is useful for them uh this skill can be this skill can not only assist them in their current career but can help them totally start over from new start doing a total totally different job so is


so considering that uh learning new skills is under education, then I will say that's a very important part of the paying the young for a world that's constantly changing anytime you you if we put in the effort and we see the if we will see that uh we are slowly becoming obsolete we are our jobs are not as important as


in the past and he put in the effort to uh business online and learn other skills ourself then yeah we are I would say that we are sufficiently prepared for changing for constantly changing world, uh to end of I think that


ya education is essential in preparing us for a constantly changing world


uh no need, ya sorry sorry


part two debate topic two


uh, this question uh talk about books and education the purpose of books and education as compared to technological development uh


so certain thing to think about is uh, what's what what's define as tech technological development I think that's what that means is basically technology being make making the world or more interconnected place making information readily available online


uh but it also means there's a lot of false information not not all everything you see read online is correct, uh, so I think that no book haven't lost their relevant


books are still books are still uh books, book still serve little purpose in education uh that's because, uh using IT using things like your computer or your phone to ya using this kind of gadget nowadays will make lesson more engaging and innovative will help us will help us to enhance students' learning


uh and the and the greatly assist people who are visual learners, uh one big example of this is, now how schools in singapore nowadays are really moving toward more more IT stuff uh definitely from my own schooling years uh I've seen the the huge increase in


in movement towards technology like for example, , in back in primary school our teachers tried to use, the interactive whiteboard the kind that allows you to draw and write uh draw and write stuff and ask you to ask you to uh do a lot of things that you can't do on books lah so the impact back in primary school my teachers


tried to promote the the use of that, uh and also tried to get us to do it do it ourselves to learn how this kind of IT gadgets work, uh moving on to secondary school there was there's a big increase in exposure to computer work a lot of our subjects require us to require us to use uh things like google docs things like uh and also to search online for resources


they taught us how to do citation which is uh all the more important things, related to uh tech IT related to IT in education so


yes uh I think that books are slowly starting to lose their purpose as uh as once the world of as with information being so readily available now online


uh there's there's little reason to go to a library to pick up a book to flip through to find about what you are looking for is much faster instead to see online what is uh to search online for the information that we we are looking for so


uh outdoor there's there may be a lot of false information online it's also true that that may that may uh be that may also be through a book there's no one to uh a lot uh yeah that's


we we we have to learn ourselves we have to be we ourselves to be able to identify what is what what we think is true and accurate and what is not, so with the increasing convenience of tech of technology uh books are serving books uh books has left purpose in education


okay so you you were saying about how uh, book mark uh uh different from information that you can find online mainly because information that you can find online uh broken down stuff stuff that can uh that you can easily understand but uh one thing is also that


when you talk about technological developments in education isn't nothing about ebooks, ebook which are basically just books online books yeah in digital form so that brings me to my next point which is about convenience uh


if ya nowadays with if we can have everything on our on one small laptop if you can have one textbook or one more laptop uh, then why should we be using book cause our laptops are so much more convenient and uh they're so much so the tool on our laptops are so much more useful for example a lot a lot of app nowadays allow you to


to highlight to annotate to add to add to add point to what to the book they're reading and this all can be done in real time so a lot of useful functions such as search function if you are trying to look for certain, let's say you are doing like uh english literature and trying to look for a certain quote you tried you trying to quote something to quote a a phrase from the book


you can just use this kind of useful functions to search so you can exactly you can know you can pinpoint where your quote is instead of having to flip through having to look for what you are looking to look for what you want, so uh so


so, uh yeah !wow!, !wow! uh


!wow!, it it makes you it makes everything much more much more convenient lah while uh, so uh yeah so instead of having to instead of having to bring along all your tech if let's say I'm going to school instead of having to bring along your bag full of textbooks or having or using or using the you can just simply bring one laptop along just all the resources and all the notes that you need


ya that's all that's so I think


uh, regarding what you said about the uh being how easily is to be distracted how easily can uh you can get distracted while doing your work on things like your your gadgets uh I think not really applicable nowadays because


even if you are let's say reading from a book everyone also has their own like personal the gadget like their phone, so even if ya even if you are not using like your an ipad or computer you are still you are just reading from a book you can also get distracted very easily uh very easily


nowadays a lot of people like to uh listen to music and all that while studying so uh even if you put your phone on do not disturb cause you don't want to see, your notifications all that like let's say if you decide to change your music all that ya then is is is also very tempting to go and check your notification then see what's going on so uh it's still very you can still get easily distracted from


from even if you just you just you think of book


part three debate topic three


err so the question is is education the most powerful tool we can use to make the world a better place (ppc), , I I agree that I feel that education is is the best is a very good tool that can make the world a better place


uh let me start off by adjusting the the social impact of education education is a social leveller uh you helped to those who are less privilege by by birth or circumstance, rise up uh


is uh is uh it helps to level the the playing field, those those of us who people who possess the right attitude and aptitude uh will be able to achieve will be able to move up the social ladder through education no matter their no matter their status or circumstance


uh, this is highlighted in these especially highlighted in singapore in singapore which uh because the government practices uh meritocracy meritocratic society so


uh how, one does is largely dependent on your ability and effort, uh, so since every student is every student go through the same education system they are presented with the same skill and the same opportunities


so if a student is determined to do well and he chooses to make use of them uh he'll be able to succeed in school or and, and also I will help him later on in life so


ya uh education also can help to promote other things like uh, gender equality which is a very big situation now is a very big trend now in the world


it help as people as uh as people become more educated uh, women will be able to, know more about like their rights and especially especially in third world countries where uh a lot of uh women are mostly being discriminated and against and are being prejudiced against so uh


education will help us will help uh will be able to educate them on a lot of uh things that they don't know lah which were they they they don't they aren't unaware of which will help them to fight for their rights and et cetera


uh so you talk a lot of you say a lot about the how uh education is not uh uh one size fits all uh one size fits all system that can help


countries around the world uh I do agree with you on that to a certain certain extent but uh ya is true that many countries in the world like take the years for example a lot of people


once immediately once they finish university they are put in a five or six figure that so because of their different starting social uh starting point in life uh, it affects them differently some of them can have their parents afford to pay off for them but others will be put in that for large remainder of their life


however , because many people nowadays they see the they see how powerful to education is there's been a lot of steps to there's been a lot of measures taken to ensure that more people have


uh like everyone have access to education nah uh even in singapore you can see there are a lot of sponsorship the university's sponsorship not scholarship but sponsorship where those the affluent


uh those especially just running park their charitable foundation chose to, uh pay for the fees pay for like the university fees of those who are less fortunate and those who are who might be unable to afford so uh that highlights how


important uh education is such that that that uh there's there's a lot of the app that uh there's a lot of booths to try to make it accessible to everyone, regarding the you know my uh then another important thing about education is that it


helps to it can bring about change by educating the young from the uh but teaching the young the right thing from the very start you mentioned uh the social issue of having, uh of companies not willing to take woman as their CEO and leaders


uh that's why if we educate the young from the start to be uh more to be open minded to this kind of thing to teach to show them that women are just as, capable as man when they go to school and they see their female counterparts doing just as your or better than them and they will learn that they will be able to see that uh the social stigma is incorrect is false so that will help to slowly change the the mindset of the world lah starting from the young


uh other important example of education help uh teaching the young to make the world a better place is the environmental activists uh Greta-Thunberg she ya she uh very she is uh the one the more most famous


are princess in the fight for environmental change and she's only what I think about ten years old or something like that ya so when when we education give us the education give us to tool to


to, to to be the to be the change in this in uh to make the world a better place lah regardless of uh your age or your social background, so this example shows us how


uh how important education is ah just that a ten year girl uh can be taken so seriously around the world in regards to the with uh with uh crane in regards to uh environmental change


part one debate topic one


so I can start now, okay so, I do believe that failure is uh essential part of success because it helps you analyze and understand a better way to go about it and


truthfully speaking if you do not fail you wouldn't learn to be resilient in anything that you do, so uh as simple as it is I do agree that failure is an essential part of success what do you think


(mmhmm)


yeah and I mean is it it's more of I do agree to that but when the goal is too big and it is not easily attainable then it tends to mess people's morales or spirits because


it it it's too far fetched and then there's like time constraints or like other people that come into the play that's when most of the time they feel that they failed in a way so I think, uh like if the if you lower the expectation a bit it will be easier as well and


that that's how I go against uh your point of saying that uh people tend to feel that you know very sad or whatever when they fail a lot


(mmhmm), and so to, uh personally yes and no because it may be a period where I feel that I'm not close to my goal but then again it's if I've given up on it that's the end result that's it


but if I just continue to work at it that will be an outcome no matter it be a failure or success there is still an outcome, so in order to attain something


(mmhmm), (mmhmm)


quite a few times I uh but at the same time is a mixture of idealism, realism so you are speaking realism that you know if you uh do it and you fail you wouldn't want to do it again or you wouldn't believe that you are able to achieve anything again


but at the same time is like I like to use the slavery as an example it's like they've tried to free themselves and if they have given up the world be a totally different place right now, so how do you feel about that


ya but ya sorry, true true like you are walking to your grave per se when you, uh realize that you are what doing something again and again and you keep failing but I think if you keep quantifying the idea of like there's uh gonna be one success and then how many failures it takes to get to the success


that isn't really a good mindset to be in cause you will start seeing everything as a number and as a ratio almost so it's like I've done something and I failed ten times and I've achieved it versus this thing I'm failing thirteen times so I'm supposed to give that up


(mmhmm), maybe you can share an example of like something you feel that you have tried and then failed so you just like dropped it


okay mean similar to that example like, if the goal is to just attain something then you putting the right amount of hard work and all that in order to get the license but


when we are talking at bigger fields uh so we have like generic mundane lives and then we have scientist or people in a different field so when they don't get the result that they want that is technically a failure but they have just found


a version of do not uh a version, do not get what they want so it's not the outcome that they wanted so they have technically failed but if they have not failed they wouldn't go to push to find a vaccine or a cure or a different way to do something


(mmhmm) (mmhmm), so is it uh yeah yeah go ahead


so personal success versus like like success okay because uh


in all in like my hobby is music so whether it comes to music or art basically you that the false sense of perfection is there when people try to do things you know like they feel that something is perfect


but for the eyes of the artists he may not think it is perfect but the only way to achieve said so uh perfection per se is by failing a lot of times, if I sculpt and I do a hundred bad ones


I can kind of know on my hundred first try it'll get better the more times I do something it is not perfect but it'll get there so if you don't fail it wouldn't bring you somewhere where you actually know that okay I've done it this way and I I made a mistake so I'm not supposed to do it that way anymore


(mmhmm)


(mmhmm), I've, uh in general the idea I'm trying to get at is


uh, success will come from you are you are right about you know you can try something a million times and that doesn't mean you are going to succeed at it but that the natural born talent thing so just cause you try something doesn't mean you will succeed at it


but at the same time if you don't try something you won't know if you will succeed at it so the fear of not achieving something or succeeding at something were kind of stop people from actually trying new things, cause they quantify a number of like I've done this this many times therefore I don't want to do this anymore because I'm not good at it


(mmhmm), (mmhmm)


yeah and I find that those are the rare bunch, they are like the natural born talents or whatever ah uh people that you know always strike the lottery because when you fail it builds some of your skill set like you know like, uh resilience grit determination like would you hire someone that has failed a lot of times but knows what he's doing or succeeded once and he went only dealt with the problem of software or hardware right he just looks blink like he's just blinking at you


I it it really depends on the field and the thing cause if I'm telling him what to do and I know that this person can do exactly what I want him to do so there's direction in him so I think it will be easier to hire someone that has failed because they lacked direction and that's why


it may have led to be a failure so now with the proper mentorship or motivation they they have they know what they're doing they know how to achieve it


I mean it sounds fruitful but I feel in this like, we would want to pay something once and get it done but you want someone with experience, and experience comes from both seeing the when a project goes well and when a project goes bad cause if you only see the success then it's very idealistic it's not realistic at all in a realistic world you will fail at whatever you're good at or bad at


ya go ahead (mmhmm), , but at the same time being afraid or avoiding failure can prevent you from actually attaining through success


do not agree, , being afraid or avoiding failure can prevent you from achieving through success


or accessing through success, you can't hear, can you hear me now yeah, if being afraid or avoiding failure


will prevent you from achieving through success, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


so in this context it's if you have to build something or you want to be the builder, so if you are afraid to fail you rather be the builder being told what to build than if you are ready to fail you would actually want to be the architect himself


so in a world where uh you don't believe that failure is important for success you rather uh follow along, and help someone's else's uh aspiration or goals because that would make things uh less tedious or tiring


(mmhmm), so, that is more news grabby and you know like it's good for the


like , TMZ in a sense it's it's so it's success it's about fame and validation from others is that what success means


ya so, yeah and their that word successful what does that mean to you


and, so a successful person is someone that has never failed


so it it's more your view of a successful person rather than a successful person itself, (mmhmm) stop


part two debate topic two


a second, okay for the second topic experiences are more valuable than material possessions I would wanna start off by saying I do believe that experiences


are more valuable but I have to uh, play devil's advocate for myself and agree that without material possessions you won't be happy but material possessions alone won't make you happy


and in the current era and basically how millennials are being brought up where nothing is enough, and abundance is always expected the more the merrier so the more you more wealth you have the more items clothing whatever you have seems to give off a


a aura of success around the person, and, from personal experience and from seeing I realized that the more materials won't make you content with existence or life in general it will just help you only come across like you've made it


and yeah so I do believe that experiences are more valuable than material possessions


(mmhmm)


that's why so in value we are looking at monetary sense, , the value someone can give you or the value uh that you get uh sorry the value someone can give you or their net worth


yes of course ya, so I don't think it's about having one over the other it's about uh one more than the other so you are supposed to have both because if you don't have both it's problematic


but it shouldn't be a lifelong pursuit about materials should be a lifelong pursuit about experience because the money that you earn is going to be used to do something your experience of getting a first car your experience on going on a holiday so the money is a means to an end


but to see things as uh product or if I buy something therefore I will be happy, that ideology will always uh leave you numb because you will never be happy because you realize that once you get something and the high goes off you would want to get something else


I mean I would go on a limb to say that using that as an example is similar to saying you know you only eat once a year and you are that one meal that year is enough to fill you for the entire year it's because that is one day of


a year's worth of experiences


hold on ah


okay could you repeat your last point again, (mmhmm) (mmhmm) (mmhmm)


so like, the purchase itself is an experience but the product is the possession so going out with someone buying them something that alone is an experience but holding or encapsulating uh


love or any feelings for someone because of the product they have given you, so it it becomes this conduit of emotion so if you are not happy with the person right you only a bad thoughts about the material or if you are good with the person you have good thoughts about the material so how you feel about the person will affect how you have something


and, (mmhmm)


, that you would keep would you keep or would you sell it, you would keep a watch from someone that you don't like instead of selling it for a thousand dollars


why so it it ya fair enough but then again if it is uh uh, what money can do for you and money can buy you things so wouldn't you want to sell it away because of the ill thoughts or emotions you have about someone that you wanna sell it off


(mmhmm) so ah ha


yeah and that value apart from it being in uh pie value is it more for yourself or to show


(mmhmm), hold on a second could you repeat your question again


, I'll find that depending on the person what has been done to me and that it will be a reminder of that person whether good or bad so when I see this I have know what has been done going back to the first topic of like it will teach me to succeed in my next relationship


, and so I think the word I'm trying to get at is that happiness excitement and pleasantness so materials can give you


happiness or a sense of pleasant feeling of achieving but excitement can come in both experience and material and it is more valued when it comes from experiences


your experiences tend to hold more excitement than your material


(mmhmm)


(mmhmm), (mmhmm)


and because if we keep looking at value as in money, eh it only work so far in a first world country where uh the things that we have is seen as worth I mean to anyone in any other country a prada bag versus any other handbag is a bag the brand only uh


is given value because we see that we see in a, uh, notice its value but anywhere else and we talked about the whole world not just first world country, uh I think


food, no you don't keep food it's not a possession I don't agree


you would guess


and but I agree to that and in general you would say that material possessions triumphs experiences if we take away the uh emotions of everything


you hear what I said, uh you would you would say that material possessions


are more valuable than experiences, yeah yeah and so if do you say that looking at it with emotion or without emotion


(mmhmm), basically surviving and thriving and, I mean in order to survive yes you need certain possession or you would see whatever things that you have to have monetary value in order for you to be able to sell them or to be able to exchange them for goods or anything so it's almost same as the first one it's experiences


are quite uh idealistic the possessions are real, things that generally everyone agrees that holds value your possessions but, I think it fluctuates between both where


if you only have possessions and you have no experiences of like the first time the first the birth of your first child or, the riding in your car for the first time or like if you just have the possession and you do not have any memory attached to the possession then it would make that possession no much no matter how expensive redundant


I know but in the same example owning a car is not everyone's luxury


yeah and so it is not much about the example rather the idea of the example, that even if given and given something uh that is yours to possess it is once they've got the excitement from knowing that they're going to receive it and they received it they are eager to make experiences with it


yeah and it is a car just the car so it doesn't matter if it's a ford or a BMW, so the word valuable no matter small or big so it doesn't have to be that it is more valuable and therefore you want to make experience it is you have something that you think it is of value and people agree that is of value and therefore you would want to make experiences with it


experiences uh, material possessions material possessions are important but if not for the experiences they are redundant


(mmhmm) yes but, by having something yeah yeah of course but by having something alone


uh it means nothing it's just the base requirement you know it's what you do with it that is more important, (mmhmm) of course


(mmhmm)


part three debate topic three


okay so countries experiencing conflict should be left to sort out their own problems how far do you agree, same thing idealism versus realism idealistically you know the world is a very nice place that you know we can offer help


and not expect anything back you know the help and hand offered is the only thing but that is not really true, we expect something back so it either be their commodities their natural resources or their manpower we expect something back so


it is to what extent do we not to what extent do we realize that, we are not taking more than we should just because we help them through a issue we they are not forever indebted to us


(mmhmm), I would help him but I think it's a bigger contexts where like


foreign powers come into a a land or country most of the time with an agenda like they should be left to sort their own problems because when someone is willing to help it's usually because they have something on their mind they they need from you


but the thing is, yeah and that's where like a lot more issues can happen is when they do not understand the local situation or and the context of the place


and if the conflict is religious or racial in origin and when another first world or a country that does not face any religious or racial warfare is to come in and help, they will they won't understand and they will end up stepping on toes and making the problem even


more uh they will make the problem bigger because people in the conflict will feel that a foreign power is siding with the other party


(mmhmm), so to use an example it's by helping someone I don't know do their homework you are not actually teaching them how to do it you are just someone that they are going to come to to do their homework


and in that like did uh in that situation I'm not saying that you know since people are dying let them die but at the same time it's


(mmhmm) (mmhmm), yes (mmhmm)


so it's a uh a short term thing so it's you are helping me solve uh the problem the problem and


so I'm forever indebted to you cause I know to come to you to solve the problem so it's less about me being able to solve the problem is just I found a way to get you to do it for me


, and the thing is, I I could have done it by myself meaning if I was guided so it's the whole thing of teach a man to fish or give him a fish you know so if you are really looking to help a country or advance a nation


you would want to teach them how to do it instead of solving the problem for them most of the times when


ah, but if you step in and you messed it up it will forever I mean the whole US and iraq situation


like no if if asked for help and you decline then it's a different thing but if someone is in a states in a state suffering and you don't offer you wouldn't be looked as the evil person because they you they didn't ask you for help in the first place


at you decided to help someone and thinking that you could solve the issue but I mean not,


fair but that is very idealistic and not realistic because yes the whole world is kinda at the level where everyone has the internet and you know so we get the same access to the same knowledge and the same tools and resources that you know everyone in the world can have the same opportunity


but me who grew up here and someone who grew up in india or a kid that grew up in London are all gonna share different experiences, and for if any three of our countries have an issue and let's say america was to come in and bring an american mindset of school or religion or culture to the three of us is going to be different especially


we who grew up in singapore with an eastern and western mix to only now to embrace western uh western culture completely will find it very different, and but the thing is idealistically you are right they are solving an issue but at uh at an expense of it might start uh another riot it could start another war


because in order to get people to follow a set rule you need to abolish the things that they believe in or the things that they had


because if if you know that you can gain something for in from it and that's why you are coming in


and it is fair I understand but, you know we have to draw the line of like where when and what time to come in so when do you think is the right time for a country to come in


define helpless, okay, (mmhmm)


and what if the and what if the country declines the offer, such as


(mmhmm)


I find that to have something of higher value it is to know that it is rare in nature, so will the world ever be a uh, will the world ever be a a globe of first world


countries I don't think I want to agree to that is because if only there is poverty will there be luxury like of talents of, if everybody has uh equality it it it how to say it it's a very far fetched idea that the world will one day be uh the same it has to off balance you know the rich have to be rich and the poor have to be very poor


and, , that's the thing they they wouldn't do it they wouldn't do it for no reason they will do it because they have something to attain or gain from it and no one is ya but that is the purpose of why you would want to enter into a country to help in the first place like did the briton actually helped india


uh no so the thing is the idea of colonization in a sense of like modern day colonization where they don't actually say I own you like how china technically owns america but they don't have to say it it's they would they might start the issue in the first place


or you are the reason they managed to solve the issue and you are forever indebted and so will everybody be equal, I don't believe so if we continue to help other people to solve their issue we won't ever achieve equality we'll always be offsetting


(mmhmm), and ah ah


depends because, when you do when you are in charge of a country it is the freedom of the country over lives and so that's a very difficult decision to make so would you want to


give up uh saving a few people just so that your country is owned by you and the people of your land or would you want to uh get the help, and you know you are not in charge of anything anymore you are in a sense of foreigner to your own land


(mmhmm), fair enough, but it's it's not just about like a pandemic situation it is about other issues as well


yeah so I think when we use examples of extreme nature it only cause a agree or disagree and know the understanding


uh let's say uh, uh one second ah, let's say uh uh let's say not pandemics because those are external conflicts you know it's like the whole world suffering I'm saying like internal conflict


let's say, race or religious issue


if let's say I am because, the whole idea of like a negotiation and meeting in the middle will solve will help it's very difficult let's say I'm involved in the conflict right for an external party to come in and to say that okay equality you guys get this and you guys get this right


it's very idealistic but it's not the case and so, uh, most of the times if uh a foreign power wants to come in they either have, uh to


sign a contract in a sense that says that we will be here till the problem is solved because what happens is they come in and then they realize that it's too big to handle and then they just leave, and you know they can make headlines and say that we tried to help the situation there but by saying they tried they actually made things much worse


there's no issue unless they are not willing to help, uh, how to say almost properly they have to be able to help consistently or in a way that will actually benefit the country they are helping


(mmhmm), (mmhmm)


it will only if uh sorry to say again but only if they are willing to help to the best of their ability and that they will actually push uh the country to end its conflict


part one debate topic one


so far on my side I don't believe failure is the main like main uh essential part of success because some time after multiple failures people lose their will to


find for success because after seeing a few failures, no wins in their part for any projects they are doing, they will eventually lose the capability to think that they can achieve success


so that's how I feel on why uh failures on an essential part of success


but if you lower your expectations that's not what your end goal is, if in your mind that part of your success is, this big goal and then you know use, lower it that is not your, personal success that is just a watered down version


as in how many mistakes will it take, for you to eventually feel that I mean after a certain amount mistakes you will eventually feel that you cannot succeed right


ya but then, ya but like what you said if when you work hard and, put on it put in all your effort for maybe a project, there is a outcome, but then that outcome doesn't mean successful, after a


when you fail in the first, first project, as in how many times have you like will you fail or how many times have you ever try, to finally feel that okay successful


ya so


ya , that's why in a in a idea, idea will, yeah I mean like you know all the quotes they say you know you have to fail ten times eleven times you have to come up and then eventually you will succeed, ya this all sounds really great


but then, in reality when the person is actually, going through the ten times of failure, some of them most of them can't see the eleventh time being a success, so sometimes the number of times you fail can actually be your own downfall


okay , uh yeah so saying, because, these numbers are the ones that quantify our with success


so we can't we know, okay I have tried it once, and I failed, so I can try it second time I've trying it I'm trying it twice, and I failed, so how many times can you repeat it repeat this to yourself to finally say I have tried it


ten times, and I finally uh succeeded, in what I want to do,


like example one example is, why I say why I feel like how far is uh failure an essential part of success why I disagree to it is because, I don't think we have the time, to fail and learn from our mistakes


such as maybe one example is, when I took my driving license, everyone will say oh you have to take your driving license you will take you like once or twice or thrice, to fail and then you pass it, but I pass it in one go


because I don't believe that I have to fail to learn


but there are scientists that actually try their best to find a cure, and they failed and they give up and then someone else tried it and they succeeded


but, so that means in what I mean is maybe when person A does it and he fail he quits, but when a when person b tries to do the same thing he he achieves it in one one go or few go uh taking few times only makes so it depends on individual on how they can


achieve the goal in their own perspective, like bigger success lah


okay on on for from your example for being the sculptor, if you sculpt a statue hundred times, and all hundred times it's it just looks bad, do you think the hundred and one time it's going to be successful do you think that hundred and one time is going to be like come out as a perfect statue


ya, so that is the example on why, even if you fail hundred times, doesn't mean you have success, sometimes that's why it's called, natural born talent at times


first time they touched the sculpture and then they make it into, her art, and for example for your art uh your music case, there are some uh artistic, I I know I know what you mean you know some artistic and I failed a few times and then finally you achieve


but then there is the other case whereby some of the artist, just make one song, you could just create a song and they become very famous, so it only takes them like one try, I mean they take a lot of planning they write the song and all that, but then it only takes them one try


and then somehow the whole world knows them


but okay like I said, some people are born with certain acquired skill notes then some are born with natural born talent so if person a uh tries to sing and person b tries to sing person a can just keep trying and trying but he can never get


his, voice perfect but when person b just try singing once like any you know any kind of uh singing competition just try singing once and then they become famous, so even though their person A tries and tries but it's still not like appropriate to his success compared to the other person person B who just tries it once and then they have natural born talent


so which part of them I mean there's no part of them actually failed when they wanted to join example the singing competition only tried once, so that's that's what I mean by doesn't mean you have to fail to succeed some people just succeed only


okay, okay I give you the same example lah would you hire someone okay you are giving two people a project the same project okay would you hire person a who will fail at it ten times but somehow will get you success


or would you hire person b everything he tries he's close to success okay will get success, which one would you hire


ah okay how about the more straightforward thing like let's say you give two people a task such as create for me uh software create for me this software that does this thing so that is your, project given to them


will you give it to someone who tries it ten times, fail like fail at it and finally give you success, or will you give it to someone who can just do it once and do it good, and will give you the same success in one go


the same thing in a realistic world people look at others fail other peoples failure so even if you have


one big success and three small failures they will look at your failures and they will think he failed three different things and then he only succeeded in one but then there is the other side where everything they touch become successful


everything they touch will become successful so in that sense do you really think that failure is is needed


sorry can you say that again, can you say that again


I'm so sorry can you say that again I really I I'm so sorry


ya you go in go in just in okay yes yes, (hmm)


okay I mean there are people who, say they want to do this and they do it, they don't fail they don't have to go through the failures of if you have to go through a failure to do something that means you are not prepared for it if I want to do a certain project


and then if I keep failing at it and then you know you say okay what you said was after you failed at it you learn something new and then you try it again, but if I want to do a project why I should been learning about everything first and then when I do it once I get successful shouldn't that be the case


but this is, this is not a very ideal world people look at successful people, people don't look at the number two, the second in worldwide in whatever, competition or what I mean if you see for example running


going to space, do you know who is the second person who came who went to space, you only know the first right, everyone everyone only remembers the first person to do something right they don't remember the people who failed many times and then they finally did it


the more interesting story is the kind that, oh all I had to do is once, and I succeeded


no I'm talking about being your personal belief do I have to fail so many times to pass something or can I just do it once and can be successful for it


that I don't have to fail, and I have to just do it once to pass it, in any in any instance


no a successful person is someone that could have failed but you only see their success, you don't see their failures


part two debate topic two


, okay for me I don't believe that experiences are more valuable


because, material possession is something that you can see and cold, so I can have a, maybe ten year uh, experience in watching like identifying each and every kind of insect


but then on the other hand I have a, house which one is more valuable, the ten years of experience or that house I bought


that's ya I mean that's the difference between experiences and material possession right


okay so for this one I'm planning in like personal point of view so, no matter how much experience you have you, you have to have material possessions, that experience alone is not enough


yeah, so I don't have to get it for myself at times and you just get people to buy me buy me those things or give me, I mean okay lah give you a


maybe in uh different perspective lah, for example for like festive occasion, they don't share their experiences mainly they give gifts in exchange for other gifts


so can you see the value of material possession !hey! happy birthday I bought you a watch !hey! happy birthday !hey! merry christmas here is a bunch of chocolates, but you don't say, let's go out together on festive occasions let's go and


experience things together there is some form of material possession being exchanged


yeah but that that's why is like example the gift is a watch which I can keep for the whole year or wallet that is also, material possession and there it's also I can keep and use


for about years and years, so in that sense, people gives it give each other, material possessions compared to new experiences even when you go out with someone you actually buy something there is a kind of monetary exchange


compared to the new experience that you going to, gonna see or feel


like when people go out there is they actually buy thing, maybe for each other or for themselves so that is when material possessions are more valuable because you are seeing it and holding it compared to experiences because experiences you are like reliving what you did once or twice or many years ago


but then for the material possession you are actually seeing it right your hand


I mean if someone, hates you okay if someone buys you a expensive watch a thousand dollar watch, and then eventually you come to find out some something about them and then you start hating them and they start hating you are you gonna throw away that thousand dollar watch ya the experience is bad you have reminded experience of the watch of the person but the watch is still a material possession that


it's still worth keeping right, I will keep it, yes, because it's a possession it's a material possession it's mine it's about ownership


no it's about owning it's about owning it it's about I have a thousand dollar watch I can wear it whenever I want even though you had has bad experiences with it I choose that I can I want to keep it


because it's valuable


like I said it's about, ownership that is yours that material possession is yours, and you can show it or you can hide it, but you still have a choice, but you cannot, how then how do you explain that experience will be much more valuable in this instance or in this scenario


like for example of the for the scenario I just said right watch, how do you feel that experience will be much more valuable in this in this instance


, ya even though you fail and succeed ya ya there is an experience but whatever they have given you maybe in the relationship or your friendship my parents has given you those material possessions


you cannot buy it with experience, or you cannot get them with experience, your only your experience only can take you that this certain, like that far, but your material possessions will always have value


sorry can you repeat your last last line, uh no in that sense I disagree with you if your parents buy for you


if your parents yeah, if your parents buy for you a very expensive car, are you looking at the experience or are you looking at the car, are you going to say oh my god this is the best experience I feel or are you going to say oh my god that's a new car


you will look at the car first and then you will feel the experience later, so in that instance the car is much more valuable first right, the experiences of I I understand what you mean like happiness excitement


, cheerfulness all this yeah comes in later, but it initially started off with, the brand new car so that is after that is when you feel all these experiences, so that's why in that sense


the material possession that comes from anyone, is much more valuable compared to the experience they share with you


(ppc)


okay then would you agree that food food is a material possession


because with like material possession can also mean in another way, like poultry like all your


food that you keep in your fridge that in another term is also material possession right, okay so in third world countries, do you want them to experience joy or do you want them to experience or do you want them to do you want to give material possession such as food


so in that instance like for for your example ah in that instance right which one is much more valuable, going there taking photo with them, smiling smiling, or would you or would you or rather giving them food which is in turn uh another material possession which would be much more valuable at that


instance


said sorry can you repeat the last line


more valuable ya yes, I said that


, it can be with or without, you can say in both ways, like such as like such as


you save up to buy a house by yourself and house has value, ya the experience of finally I have saved so much to buy a house yeah it's a good experience, but the satisfaction is you actually have a house which is the material possession


so sometimes is not about, hot, yeah sometimes it's not about the emotion sometimes it's about material possession in this world, I cannot feel sad and food will come to me I have to


exchange a form of material possession, for the food to come to my, end or if I want to go from a to b I need a material possession to go from a to b like such as a car, I cannot use my experiences


to walk or I mean to travel just by experiences do you do you understand the difference


okay that that is you see ah example ah for your for your your one okay one of the experience you say it's like, the experience of child childbirth


okay, that only parents, that are expecting or parents that want kids will want to go through that experience, but you cannot tell that, a teenager do you want to experience, the the joy of childbirth but then no but then ha ya but the thing is


if you ask anyone this question would you, uh want to sit wanted to feel go through the experience of having a child, versus, do you want a new BMW car, which one will people see more value and want it right now


yeah they are yeah they are eager to make experiences with it, because they have a valuable material possession because of the valuable


material possession that they have that's when the experiences come later if you don't have a car first you can't go meet someone first, you you


yeah


ya so that means material possession is much more valuable right


that's why you have to have the material possession first in the start, to gain new experiences, at the later portion of life, you have to start from something


yes you have to have it in the first place right then only you can do something with it, so that's when that's why I say material possession is much more valuable because when you have it you can do something with it so the experiences always come later


part three debate topic three


I mean that being the indebted to us forever that is uh maybe another problem


but if let's say your country, is, having a lot of problems the other other countries or neighbouring countries or some superior countries should step in to solve their problem, because


we all live in the same world so we all have to help each other so when you see someone is the same thing lah if let's say you see someone who just fell down, will you just just look at him or will you and and you are right there will you just look at him or would you just try to help him


in a bit