Preliminary PI for PW
Alternatives are ways of tackling problems counter-intuitively. One
problem that Singapore is facing now is adolescents cannot pay attention during
first few periods of lessons1 due to insufficient sleep. Currently, all junior colleges
expect students to arrive at school before 7 30 am.
Figure 1: Student sleeping in lecture
URL: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a69/sector2005/sleep5.jpg
Reasons for this problem to exist:

Staying too far away from schools, need to get up before 6 am2

Delayed circadian cycle3
Significance of problem:

Unhealthy teenagers4

Low quality of learning56, wastage of resources
1
Khalik, S. (2009, January 11). Start school later and let children sleep longer . The Straits Times,
Retrieved from http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090109-113447.html
2 Khalik, S. (2009, January 11). Start school later and let children sleep longer . The Straits Times,
Retrieved from http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090109-113447.html
3 Carskadon, M. et. al. (2000). Adolescent sleep needs and patterns. National Sleep Foundation,
Retrieved from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/sleep_and_teens_report1.pdf
4 Stein, R. (2005, October 9). Scientists finding out what losing sleep does to a body. Washington
Post, Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/10/08/AR2005100801405.html
1

Affect Singapore’s quality of education
Case study: World Food Shortage
The world is facing food shortage 7 . Thus, people had come up with
alternatives of growing crops to solve this problem.
This case study is chosen as it deals with low productivity. The problem
statement deals with low productivity in learning while case study deals with food.
Soilless crops (Aeroponics):
Due to land shortages, people had thought of growing crops on air.
Figure 2: Cross-sectional Diagram of an Aeroponic System
URL: http://www.trendgrinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/aeroponics.jpg
5
Carskadon, M. et. al. (2000). Adolescent sleep needs and patterns. National Sleep Foundation,
Retrieved from http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/sleep_and_teens_report1.pdf
6 Baruss, I. (2003). Alterations of consciousness . W ashington, DC: American
Ps ychological Association , pg 61-65
7 Clover, C. (2008, April 22). Food shortages: how will we feed the world?. Telegraph.co.uk,
Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3340417/Food-shortages-howwill-we-feed-the-world.html
2
Figure 3: Aeroponic Plants
URL: http://www.gardeningsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/aeroponics.jpg
Advantages8:

High yield per unit land

Lower water cost

No nutritional pollution
Disadvantage:

High technological costs
GM Food
Redesigning the genetic information of the crops can also increase
effective yield.
8
Ziegler, R. (2005). The Vertical aeroponic growing system. Retrieved from
http://www.synergyii.com/aeroponic/VAP.pdf
3
Figure 4: Illustration of Production of GM Food
URL: http://www.gmac.gov.sg/images/pageimage/diagram_1.gif
Advantages9:

Greater
Disadvantages:
resistance
to
pests,

Food allergies
pesticides not required

Drought tolerance

Less crops destroyed before
harvested
9
Whitman, D.B. (2000). Genetically modified foods: harmful or helpful?. CSA Discovery Guide,
Retrieved from http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/review.pdf
4
Proposal 1: Restructuring of Timetable
Lesson Learnt from GM food:
We can solve problems by redesigning the core structure of the issue
Application:
We can restructure the timetable by pushing the lessons to a later time, and
filling
morning
schedules
with
co-curricular
activities.
Benefits
Allow brains to
warm up 
greater alertness
Exercise in the
morning (sports
CCA)
Reduce risk of
UV radiation
(sports CCA)
Do something
enjoyable to start
the day
Figure 5: Benefits of New Timetable
Similar to current timetable, if there is no CCA on any particular day,
students can choose to arrive later.
We can implement this on a few classes to make it more manageable.
Those that follow the conventional time table will be the controlled group.
This program will be implemented for half a term until lecture tests. The
tests will provide a gauge of whether the plan has been beneficial.
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Possible Problems
Solution
Timetable matters
Have lectures when both groups are
having lessons
CCA with longer duration
Split into 2 phases
CCA coaches unable to change
Source for new coaches
Proposal 2: Providing School Bus Service
Lesson Learnt from Aeroponic Agriculture
We do not need to restrict ourselves to currently available facilities.
Application:
Schools can help to provide bus services so that students do not need to be
restricted
to
public
buses.
This
has
been
the
case
in
Penang.
Benefits
Sleep on bus, not
worrying of overshooting
Parents can wake up
later
More reliable  Lower
chance of being late
Figure 6: Benefits of Having Bus Services
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We can partner with a school to carry out this procedure. There will be a
few shuttle buses fetching students from various area of Singapore that is very
far away from the school. Students will meet up at a common pick-up point and
shuttle bus will bring them to school from there.
After about one term, we would carry out surveys to see whether our plan
is working.
Possible Problems
Solution
Cost
Schools can subsidies the bus fees.
Measuring success for both proposals:
Survey
Teachers
See improvements in student’s attention span?
Students
More alert in class?
Coaches (Proposal 1)
Difficulties in adapting to new system?
Parents
Improvements in student’s performance? Behaviour?
Test results
Huge improvement shows that this timetable can
improve student’s quality of learning
- END-
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Secondary Sources Used
Carskadon, M. et. al. (2000). Adolescent sleep needs and patterns. National
Sleep Foundation, Retrieved from
http://www.sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/sleep_and_teens_report1.pdf
Clover, C. (2008, April 22). Food shortages: how will we feed the
world?. Telegraph.co.uk, Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3340417/Food-shortages-howwill-we-feed-the-world.html
Khalik, S. (2009, January 11). Start school later and let children sleep longer .
The Straits Times, Retrieved from
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090109-113447.html
Stein, R. (2005, October 9). Scientists finding out what losing sleep does to a
body. Washington Post, Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2005/10/08/AR2005100801405.html
Whitman, D.B. (2000). Genetically modified foods: harmful or helpful?. CSA
Discovery Guide, Retrieved from
http://www.csa.com/discoveryguides/gmfood/review.pdf
Ziegler, R. (2005). The Vertical aeroponic growing system. Retrieved from
http://www.synergyii.com/aeroponic/VAP.pdf
(500 words)
Tan Run Xian 10S7B
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