Case Study:

The Integrity of Music Ensembles in Singapore Schools

ALL Students Most students Many Students

Undergo Develop Join music

school music some musical Co-Curricular
curriculum interest Activities
(Ensembles)

(National Arts Council, Singapore, 2017). (Ministry of Education, Singapore(MOE), 2016)

To produce fine music as an Ensemble, students need to learn to: unite + harmonize.
Hence, measures to promote integrity are introduced.

Teachers set rules encourage students to adopt a mindset for excellence + more self-
discipline improve their playing skills by practicing more passion for music is developed
more meaningful live (The Freeman, 2016) + firmer personal morale framework. This cycle
repeats itself whenever students practice. Furthermore, it increases their readiness for group
practices motivate Ensemble to be ready: more harmonizing music can be produced
boosting morale + more effective practices. Performance quality also increases better
reputation: students will enjoy and have more pride in their Ensembles.

Lessons learnt:

1. Motivation occur when peoples needs are met

2. Guidelines create routine which creates habit

3. Tiered strategy

1
Choice of Topic:

Yishun Residents Integrity when faced with external

pressure
Reasons:

Yishun

- Immense media attention for many unfortunate incidents (Lhu, 2017)

o possibly inevitable (large population)
o more effort can be put to:
encourage care among residents
enhance Yishuns structural integrity
(reduce negative portrayals)
- humiliated
o hurt Yishun residents(Yishuners) feelings & pride (Koh, 2017).
o Yishuns safety is questioned

Pictures depicting some unfortunate incidents in Yishun (Lhu, The Yishun Dream, 2017)

2
Current measures

Organizer Activities Participants Aim Loopholes

1. Residents Outings Resident Promote Only provides

Yishuns superficial
integrity through understanding
interaction & among neighbours
forming
neighbourhood Attendance reliant
friends on self-motivation

Not attractive
2. Singapore Neighbourho Increase safety
Develop enoughtoo energy-
Police od Watch
community consuming
Force Zone spirit (Singapore
Police Force, Narrow outreach
2016)

Measure to promote Yishuners integrity:

Quarterly Residential Welfare Clinics

Target: Low-income Yishuners

Rationale:

Frequent incidents main cause:

Lack venting outlets

high stress level + volatile emotions experienced by some residents due to

lower-than-national-average education level(Fig. 1) lesser career
opportunities, lower gross monthly income(Fig. 2) inferiority complex
pessimism.

3
Choice of Topic:

Yishun Residents Integrity when faced with external

pressure
Reasons:

Yishun

- Immense media attention for many unfortunate incidents (Lhu, Facebook, 2017)
o possibly inevitable (large population)
o more effort can be put to:
encourage care among residents
enhance Yishuns structural integrity
(reduce negative portrayals)
- humiliated
o hurt Yishun residents(Yishuners) feelings & pride (Koh, 2017).
o Yishuns safety is questioned

Pictures depicting some unfortunate incidents in Yishun (Lhu, The Yishun Dream, 2017)

4

Feasibility & Manageability of Topic

Active participation from different income groups is needed to solve the problem effectively.
Cautious measures should be implemented to overcome sensitive income issues so they do not
backfire.

Accessibility of Information required

Qualitative survey to understand residents attitudes towards governments measures is needed

to compare Yishuners with other areas residents (e.g. Hougang) to understand its
ineffectiveness in Yishun despite similar measures implemented throughout Singapore.

5
Statistics

Fig. 1Statistics showing that Yishuns population has a lower education standard than the national average
(Department of Statistics, Singapore, 2015)

Fig. 2Statistics showing that Yishuns population has a lower gross monthly income than national average
(Department of Statistics, Singapore, 2015)

Fig. 3Statistics showing that Yishuns population has a slightly higher percentage of health & social service
workers than national average (Department of Statistics, Singapore, 2015)

6
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