New PE syllabus to promote sports for all

Aim is to encourage kids to be active after leaving school, inculcate values

By Stacey Chia, The Straits Times, 1 Aug 2013

SCHOOL life is about to get more active for secondary students.

From next year, every student has to take part in friendly matches with their schoolmates, under a new physical education (PE) syllabus whose goal is to encourage recreational sports.

The game can be in such sports as badminton, football and volleyball, but they must do battle in at least three intra-school competitions during their four or five years in school.

The move to get physical applies to primary pupils and junior college students as well, with the changes to be rolled out in stages in the next three years.

The programmes will be different for the primary, secondary and junior college levels.

But they will share one common aim: to spur students to continue being active after they leave school and to inculcate values through sports.

The stepped-up pace was announced yesterday by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat at a Physical and Sports Education conference attended by over 1,250 teachers.

Explaining its motivation, he said: "The value of such competitions lies not in winning the game.

"It is about the friendships that are forged when a team is formed and challenged to work towards a common goal. It is about the discipline and courage that competition requires, especially in facing our fears and our limitations, and working hard to overcome them."



The need for students to enjoy sports as a recreational activity, not just for competition, had been highlighted by people who took part in the ongoing Our Singapore Conversation discussions.

The ministry, too, had begun to take steps last year to provide sports for all, by first getting rid of an award system for schools that excel in areas like sports.

The pressure to win prizes has led some schools to shun sports in which they do not excel, or to train only those gifted in sports.

The new PE curriculum, however, is not all about sports.

Health education and sports sciences will also be taught at all levels.

Another common feature in all the programmes is outdoor education, where students will learn navigational skills and route planning. It will make up 10 to 20 per cent of curriculum time for primary schools and secondary schools, while the schedule for junior colleges has yet to be finalised.

Mr Heng said studies have shown students with the skills to be comfortable outdoors "would engage in higher level of physical activities as adults".

With these extras, PE curriculum time will double to two hours a week.

Teachers and principals yesterday cheered the changes, saying they will help build interest and confidence in sports.

But Mr Muhammad Suhadi Hassan, PE teacher at Si Ling Secondary, urged teachers to find out the sports their students are keen on and not insist they take up any game just to meet the new rules.

"If not, those less inclined towards sports may not participate to the best of their best abilities," he added.

Secondary1 student Nur Atiqah Mohamad, from Xinmin Secondary, said she is looking forward to competing in badminton.

"I was disappointed when I was not good enough for my school's badminton club, and it's one reason I haven't played the game in a while," said the 13-year-old member of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

Parents welcome new PE syllabus
But there are concerns over training hours and stress
By Stacey Chia, The Straits Times, 2 Aug 2013

PARENTS yesterday welcomed a new plan to have every secondary student take part in school sports competitions - despite concerns that it could add to children's already high stress levels.

They said the revised syllabus would give all young people the chance to improve their physical skills, not just those with natural talent.

Housewife Chee Yunn Tyan, 33, who has a son in primary school, told The Straits Times they are more likely to "discover that they are good at sports than if they did not try at all".

Others pointed out that the move would provide more opportunities for children to take part in team games.

"As a family we play badminton, but it's difficult to find other people to play bigger group sports," said 45-year-old procurement manager Tio Chong Heng, who has two daughters in Primary 6 and Secondary 2.

But there were also concerns about the extra hours children might have to spend training for the contests, and the intense rivalry they could cause.

"The teacher really needs to manage the competition and ensure there is no negative energy," said Mr Tio. "They need to point out that this is about challenging oneself and not about thrashing each other."

Dr Inez Perera, a 48-year-old psychiatrist and mother of two, said: "We all have a finite amount of time. This, coupled with studies and tuition classes, is likely to add to the stress levels."

The changes, to be introduced from next year, mean students will have to take part in at least three intra-school sports competitions during their time at secondary school.

Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said the events are not just about winning, but also promote qualities such as discipline and courage.

The competitions are intended to be "motivational, fun and part of their learning process," said a Ministry of Education (MOE) spokesman.

Students also welcomed the revised physical education (PE) syllabus.

When Nicole Lee, 13, applied to take badminton as a co-curricular activity this year, she was told she was not good enough.

She tried her second favourite sport, floorball, but found out it was for boys only.

Eventually, she had to choose the rather less athletic option of joining the Girls' Brigade at Northbrooks Secondary School.

"I like sports and to be better, you need to compete," she said.

Nicole - who now wants to take part in badminton, basketball and football contests - added that the changes are likely to encourage her less sporty friends to take PE lessons seriously.

"Because there is something we have to train for, we'll become better players."

Last year, MOE tried to make sports more accessible to all by abolishing an award system for schools that excel in areas such as sports. It followed complaints that pressure to win prizes had led some schools to shun games they did not do well in or to train only the physically gifted children.

"When I was a student, if you're interested in a sport, you join it and you get trained to take part in competitions," said Madam Chee. "But for a long time, it seemed that only certain kids are groomed for competitions."

Children will now spend two hours a week on the PE curriculum, twice as long as before.

Secondary 1 student Low Jia Hua, 13, said he was worried that preparations for the contests could drag on way beyond lessons. He added: "Training for competitions will take a lot of practice, and that may affect the time we have for other things."