No more English entry test for maids
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No more English entry test for maids
In place of the current English entry test, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will introduce a a mandatory Settling-In Programme (SIP) to help foreign domestic workers cope with living and working in Singapore.
The programme will be introduced by mid 2012.
The SIP includes components components such as adapting to living and working in Singapore, as well as conditions of employment and responsibilities of the foreign domestic worker.
It will include information about living and working in Singapore, as well as modules on how to manage stress and adapt to working in a foreign, urban environment.
The SIP will be conducted in English or the domestic worker's native language to maximise understanding and retention.
MOM will appoint Accredited Training Providers to run the SIP. It is in the process of refining the programme content and duration to keep costs manageable for employers and ensure that everyone will benefit from it.
The English entry test came under review in June 2011 after a 26-year-old Indonesian maid tried to hang herself after failing her English-language entry test three times. She subsequently died in hospital.
For employers and employment agencies (EAs) who still prefer domestic helpers to undergo a language assessment, the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) will provide clients of EAs accredited by them with other avenues, such as a written test in English or other languages where scores can be provided to employers; or opportunities to interview the domestic helper in person or via telephone or video conference.
MOM will retain other entry requirements such as educational qualifications and the minimum age of first-time domestic workers to be 23 years old.
This is to ensure that domestic workers who come to work in Singapore are more mature and better able to cope with working and living in a foreign, urban environment.
Commenting on the changes to the entry requirements, Mr Phua Boon Leng, MOM's Director of Well-Being, Foreign Manpower Management Division, said, "Through our extensive consultation process with stakeholders on domestic workers issues, we found overwhelming support to remove the entry test and replace it with the SIP, to better serve the objective of helping first-time FDWs adjust to living and working in Singapore... MOM will continue to engage and consult stakeholders on domestic workers policies, as part of our aim to ensure our policies remain relevant."
http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20111204-314299.html
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This is one rare good news.
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then how?
sir and m'am compulsory learn tagalog and bahasa indonesia instead?
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Originally posted by FireIce:
then how?
sir and m'am compulsory learn tagalog and bahasa indonesia instead?
This question left to the employer to handle. Their business, not PAP's business.
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It may be a good news
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Originally posted by FireIce:
then how?
sir and m'am compulsory learn tagalog and bahasa indonesia instead?
Yes, by right sir and m'am should learn tagalog, bahasa indonesia. Sir and m'am are too lazy to do housework so employ maid. All these Sir and m'am are equally lazy to learn new languages that they are not acquainted with. When the maids misunderstand, they blame the maid for being lousy. These Sir and m'am do not know it takes 2 hands to clap. They are equally lousy at both housework and languages.
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Lol!! Totally like it! -
Originally posted by FireIce:
then how?
sir and m'am compulsory learn tagalog and bahasa indonesia instead?
Good idea. Sir and m'am ought to know what the maids saying right in from them to another maid.
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this just shows the govt give in too easily?
too difficult for them, so scrape it
got some students scoring 100 for PSLE leh
why not scrape it too
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generally I am appalled at this, the basic guideline has been removed.. if the most basic of communication is not to be taken important, what else is?
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hidden agenda is mean allow filipino maid and bangala make babies~
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yes. comm shd be the most basic.
if they wanna be domestic helper in a foreign country, they shd oredi be mentally prepared to accept the culture of tt country they are going to work and live in.
but if unable to comm properly with sir and m'am, how to learn how to adapt?
oh, i can live in SG. i can blend into the culture and lifestyle. but im unable to understand sir and m'am.
本末倒置
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Originally posted by FireIce:
yes. comm shd be the most basic.
if they wanna be domestic helper in a foreign country, they shd oredi be mentally prepared to accept the culture of tt country they are going to work and live in.
but if unable to comm properly with sir and m'am, how to learn how to adapt?
oh, i can live in SG. i can blend into the culture and lifestyle. but im unable to understand sir and m'am.
本末倒置
Use google translate.
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For language differences.
For culture and lifestyle - jee kei bo jong.
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oh. so the marias must be given ipad2 and iphone 4S
so they can anytime check the net for translation and ask Siri "Siri, why m'am say cannot hang the clothes out when they are wet?" and "Siri, how to go to lucky plaza from pasir ris drive 6?"
and of cos, the compulsory technology 1101 lesson will be paid by employer.
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Good news.
It is not necessary in the first place.
Domestic work does not need English proficiency.
At most, use physical gestures.
If you dont believe me, try it at your home. Point a mop to a family member of yours, they would understand what you mean. You dont need to vocalize it in English "please mop the floor"
So this exam test being scrapped is good news.
More good news is if the government scrap the maid levy, and even implement a maid subsidy program. For each family who hire maid, government should grant a subsidy, to encourage more maid hirings.
In fact it would be revenue-neutral or even might encourage a surplus, because, if more families employ maids, that would encourage higher birth rate and higher female workforce participation rate, which bring in more tax and revenue.
I hope such measures is implemented in future.
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wow. if i want leticia go fairprice buy sugar and biscuits
i just point to fairprice logo, point to sugar, point to biscuit
and wala!~
a domestic helper's job is a lot more, esp if the household has elderly and/or kids
u dont want the mama lemon to go into the porridge bcos they cant read the label and it kinda looks like sesame oil
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True, you can point.
At first you go together to the supermarket.
Then next time you can point.
Mama Lemon case is also the same.....you can show that this item Mama Lemon is for washing dishes, you can demonstrate it one time. Who would think dishwashing liquid is then similar to sesame oil after you have demonstrated it.
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m'am can teach
but m'am has to teach in wat language?
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Originally posted by FireIce:
oh. so the marias must be given ipad2 and iphone 4S
so they can anytime check the net for translation and ask Siri "Siri, why m'am say cannot hang the clothes out when they are wet?" and "Siri, how to go to lucky plaza from pasir ris drive 6?"
and of cos, the compulsory technology 1101 lesson will be paid by employer.
Anything less than an ipad2 or iphone 4S is considered unethical treatment.
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Originally posted by FireIce:
m'am can teach
but m'am has to teach in wat language?
That's where google translate comes in.
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eberything oso translate, the training process is going to take 3 mths
and after 1 month, maria says the job is too tough, she is too stressed, she wanna go back to surabaya.
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Originally posted by FireIce:
eberything oso translate, the training process is going to take 3 mths
and after 1 month, maria says the job is too tough, she is too stressed, she wanna go back to surabaya.
The next stage of evolution for google translate cum Siri will be to convert different languages and instructions.
Please watch out for ipad5 and iphone 6G.
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Originally posted by FireIce:
m'am can teach
but m'am has to teach in wat language?
M'am: Ai yo, Gua ma si buay heow ang mo wei?