Latest news with #EurasianAssociation
Straits Times
04-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Forum: Human mentorship and AI can make learning meaningful and personalised for children
We refer to the Opinion piece 'Is AI the answer to bridging the tuition gap?' (April 30) and agree there is a place for artificial intelligence (AI) in self-help groups' tuition. In fact, we have been using AI-assisted programmes to help our students who come from low-income families. The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) provides academic tuition for eligible low-income students of all ethnic groups under the Collaborative Tuition Programme, which is run jointly with the Eurasian Association, the Singapore Indian Development Association and Yayasan Mendaki. Since 2022, we have actively introduced educational technology into our English and mathematics tuition curriculum. These learning platforms have AI features that personalise students' learning experiences and provide instant feedback. This integration has enabled us to reach a wider cohort of students and tailor our support more effectively. Over 600 students have benefited from this approach, with positive feedback on its impact. Also, the four self-help groups' annual Joint Learning Fiesta, launched in 2023, created further opportunities to spread the use of AI in learning to tutors. How do our students feel about the use of AI in tuition? A recent in-house CDAC survey revealed that while students liked the immediate feedback from AI, they would still prefer their tutors' personal touch. This confirms that while AI can enhance learning, it cannot replace the encouragement and care provided by tutors. That said, we firmly agree with the article's emphasis that emotion lies at the heart of learning. At CDAC, we place strong emphasis on nurturing relationship-based classrooms, where trust, encouragement and human understanding remain central. In line with this, we have established a Student Learning Support Team to address the holistic needs of our students, providing academic guidance alongside emotional and social support for students from more complex families. By combining human mentorship with AI-enabled customisation, we see a promising path forward – one that balances efficiency with empathy, and innovation with inclusiveness. For CDAC, this hybrid approach is not about replacing human tutors but enhancing their effectiveness, ensuring every student can access meaningful, motivating and personalised learning support. Pooja Trivedi Senior Director (Education) Chinese Development Assistance Council More on this Topic Forum: What readers are saying Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Quentin's Eurasian Restaurant's lease ends in 2025, future uncertain
One of the rarest types of cuisines I've seen in Singapore isn't something foreign or exotic – in fact, it belongs to one of the 4 major ethnic groups: Eurasian cuisine. When was the last time you saw a hawker selling Eurasian dishes, aside from a few you could likely count on one hand? It is therefore disheartening to learn that a cornerstone of Eurasian cuisine, Quentin's Eurasian Restaurant, might be losing its home at the Eurasian Association. Opened in 2007 and located on Ceylon Road, Mr Quentin Pereira has been serving Eurasian classics at his restaurant, such as devil's curry, curry feng, and prawn bostador, which are dishes seldom found across eateries in Singapore. The restaurant's lease is slated to end at the end of 2025, and the landlord, the Eurasian Association, has decided not to renew it. The reason? The Eurasian Heritage Gallery, where Quentin's is currently located, is being revamped at the end of 2025 in order to 'promote and enhance access to Eurasian heritage, including Eurasian culinary traditions, for a wider audience in Singapore'. While Quentin's has a second outlet in Sentosa, Mr Pereira is still looking for avenues to keep his Ceylon Road outlet – the restaurant is special not only to him, but also to many members of Singapore's Eurasian community, who flock to it for a taste of home. In a Facebook post from the group Eurasians International, Sandra M Galistan writes that 'Beyond his restaurant, Quentin has dedicated his life to ensuring that Eurasian culinary traditions are not lost. Through his cookbooks, such as Eurasian Heritage Cooking, and his TV series The Skinny Chef, he has worked tirelessly to document, educate, and share the richness of Eurasian food.' She continues, 'His departure from the EA, if confirmed, will cause a growing concern over how Eurasian cuisine will continue to be represented in such an important cultural space. The association has long been a custodian of Eurasian traditions, and Quentin's presence has been instrumental in making these traditions accessible to a wider audience.' She goes on to explain that the possible loss of Quentin's is not just about a single restaurant, but about safeguarding Eurasian culture and heritage for future generations. She concludes her post by urging 'fellow Eurasians, every supporter of heritage food, and every lover of Singapore's diverse history' to stand together and support Quentin's. Ang Moh Zi Char: Asian-Western fusions like chicken chop rostis & bulgogi baked rice by Eurasian hawker The post Quentin's Eurasian Restaurant's lease ends in 2025, future uncertain appeared first on
