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Some of us might had reservation about the extensive use of computers and digital media in today's classrooms. A recent OECD report confirms this: Computers 'do not improve' pupil results - latest OECD report warned. The OECD's education director Andreas Schleicher says school technology had raised "too many false hopes.. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34174796 The report also mentioned: Students who use computers very frequently at school get worse resultsStudents who use computers moderately at school, such as once or twice a week, have "somewhat better learning outcomes" than students who use computers rarelyThe results show "no appreciable improvements" in reading, mathematics or science in the countries that had invested heavily in information technology.High achieving school systems such as South Korea and Shanghai in China have lower levels of computer use in school.Singapore, with only a moderate use of technology in school, is top for digital skills

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/despite-longer-hours/1204752.html Survey found that singapore teachers work an average of 48 hours a week - 10 hours longer than the global average - of which 17 hours are used for teaching, and only 5 hours a week are spent on administrative duties (I suppose this includes CCA and meetings). Is this even believable?? Or because this is just average number and the standard deviation is very large? I know some teachers complain 60 hr+ spent on work a week. And one mindless meeting is already 2 hr at least. On the other hand, only lower secondary school teachers were surveyed - so how can this justify being generalized for the entire population of teachers nation-wide? MOE of course puts a positive spin to it, and says our teachers work extra because they want to do the best for students (and not because of extra admin stuff dreamed up by them?) What is interesting is that, up north: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/malaysian-teachers-spend-29pc-time-admin-says-study-005400214.html "On average, Malaysian teachers spend 17 hours each week teaching, compared to the survey average of 19 hours. In comparison, they spend six hours per week planning and preparing lessons, and seven hours per week marking and correcting work." That means only 4 hours on admin duties. All sounds very comparable, actually, maybe due to similarities in education systems inherited from same british colonial history.

ZURICH - The OECD has branded 46 countries and territories for 'insufficient progress' in meeting standards on tax cooperation and banking secrecy, a Swiss newspaper reported on Monday. Swiss daily Tages Anzeiger reported that in a letter dated March 5 to British Chancellor Alistair Darling, OECD chief Angel Gurria had provided a list including Switzerland and Singapore, as well as territories such as the Cayman Islands, Andorra and Montserrat. The list also included Costa Rica, Chile, Grenada, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Liberia, Panama, the Philippines, San Marino and Uruguay, as well as Gibraltar, Guernsey and Jersey and a host of Pacific and Caribbean islands. France and Germany have been leading the charge to clamp down on tax havens, calling for an international 'sanctions mechanism' to be imposed on territories that are on a list due to be prepared for a full G20 summit on April 2. Swiss Finance Minister Hans-Rudolf Merz said last week that the OECD list was drawn up at the request of the G20. Amid the pressure, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Austria, Monaco, Belgium, Andorra and Liechtenstein - all of which are on the March 5 list - said late last week that they would relax their bank secrecy laws to provide more cooperation against tax cheats. Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey also criticised the OECD for providing a blacklist, in remarks published Sunday. 'It is unacceptable that the OECD secretariat acts secretly on the orders of single member states. We have protested against this course of action. Such an error should not be repeated,' she told newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. -- AFP