Are students spending too much time on CCAs?

Striking a balance in school activities

WE THANK the writers of recent letters on co-curricular activities (CCAs) in school for sharing their views.

As part of holistic education, CCAs provide an important platform for the character development of our students. Through CCAs, students acquire attributes such as grit, determination, resilience and teamwork.

The Ministry of Education recognises the importance of balance in providing students with holistic development opportunities.

Apart from time spent in schools, students need to have time for revising school work, family bonding and rest.

CCA time is planned to allow for students' meaningful participation and development.

The ministry's guideline for CCA hours in secondary schools and junior colleges/centralised institutes over a 30-week calendar is an average of five to six hours per week. This includes both lull and peak periods, in accordance with the calendar of CCA events at the national level.

As each school has its own distinctive student profile, schools are given the flexibility to implement their CCA programmes to cater to the breadth of their students' interests and in accordance with the schools' niches.

Hence, there could be some variation in implementation from school to school. Nevertheless, schools have been advised not to go overboard in terms of time spent on CCAs.

We will continue to work closely with our schools to strike a good balance in the various school activities to ensure the overall well-being of our students.

Liew Wei Li (Ms)
Director
Student Development Curriculum Division
Ministry of Education
ST Forum, 16 Apr 2014

Little time for homework and rest, say some, but others say hours worth it

By Amelia Teng, The Straits Times, 31 Mar 2014

MADAM Lee Hui Ling's daughter was in for a shock when she joined her secondary school band.

She has practice three times a week - a total of 12 hours - and there is even more during performances and competitions. This was a jump from her once-a-week Chinese orchestra practice of five hours in primary school.

As a result, the Secondary 2 student in an independent girls' school is exhausted when she goes home around 7pm. By the time she goes to bed after homework, it is past midnight or 1am.

Like her, many students involved in co-curricular activities (CCAs) - compulsory for those in secondary school - end up with little time for rest and homework, say parents, who are asking if the Ministry of Education should review the time spent on such activities.

Highlighting this in a letter to The Straits Times' Forum page last Monday, Madam Lee said the amount of time her daughter dedicates to her CCA is excessive.

"It is not that she does not like her CCA - she likes music, so she pushes herself to go for practice," said the part-time operations manager who is in her 40s. "But she sacrifices sleep to finish her work. The next day, she wakes up at 5.45am for school again. It is exhausting."

Six other Forum letters followed. Most were written by parents who, while recognising the value of CCAs, echoed Madam Lee's call for the ministry to review the time spent on them.

Readers also weighed in on ST's Facebook page, raising similar concerns.

Ms Michelle Sim said: "How can you expect the child to wake up at 6am, come home at 7pm to 8pm after CCA and still be productive to deal with homework, tests and studies. They are humans, not robots."

For the Secondary 1 daughter of senior manager Gina Lee, 45, two days a week of National Cadet Corps training was too much, and she left to join the choir after two months.

But some parents and students feel CCAs are an integral part of school life, and their worth outweighs the gruelling hours.

Xinmin Secondary student Cassandra Lim, 16, stays in school until almost 7pm for guzheng ensemble practice twice a week, and up to four times before major performances.

"Even though the hours are a bit long, CCA is worth it because it releases study-related stress, I learn new things and mix with friends," she said.

Madam Esther Yap, 48, a sales coordinator, said her Secondary 2 son's badminton CCA is "good exercise". But she added: "It must be balanced, too. Students cannot neglect their studies."

When contacted, a ministry spokesman said secondary schools and junior colleges have guidelines for CCA hours - an average of five to six hours a week over a total of 30 weeks.

She added that some CCAs, like school sports teams, "do require more time in order that students may progressively develop the skills and physical conditioning to peak at the right time".

The ministry will continue to work closely with schools to ensure that CCA time does not "compromise the overall well-being of our students", she said.

Principals interviewed said schools monitor students' CCA time to ensure a balance. CCAs also stop about a month before mid-year and final examinations, for students to focus on studying.

At Anglican High School, each CCA has, at most, two sessions a week, each lasting about three hours. Its principal Maureen Seah said parents are informed when there are extra sessions.

Ang Mo Kio Secondary principal Abdul Mannan said: "For traditionally time-consuming CCAs like performing arts and sports, parents are given a schedule of the official timings. Anything more is the students' initiative."

Maris Stella High principal Joseph Lim said some CCAs such as sports set aside time before training for students to complete their homework.

He added: "Teachers in charge of CCAs monitor students who are not doing so well academically and give them extra help."

Review time spent on CCAs

IN RECENT years, I have observed that students are spending increasingly longer hours in school for scheduled lessons and co-curricular activities (CCAs).

While I agree that CCAs are an important aspect of our students' education, it is perhaps time to review the amount of time students spend on this pursuit.

My daughter studies at an independent secondary school. She is required to stay back after school for her CCA three days a week, each time for up to four hours.

If there are forthcoming performances or competitions, she may need to stay back on additional days for practice.

Many of her schoolmates who take public transport wake up as early as 5.30am to make it in time for school at 7.20am.

Lessons end around 1.30pm and, following lunch, CCA starts at 2.30pm and ends at 6.30pm.

Taking public transport home sets them back by another one to 11/2 hours and some manage to reach home only after 8pm.

Following a quick dinner and wash-up, they start on their heavy homework load or revisions after 9pm. By the time they go to bed, it is way past midnight or 1am.

They wake up a few hours later at 5.30am, with barely five hours of sleep, to start another long, tiring day.

Most of us are aware of the long-term health risks of sleep deprivation.

While these students are young now and thus seemingly able to withstand such long hours of activities, they will suffer the ill effects later on in life.

In their quest to excel in not only academics but also CCAs, some schools may have imposed gruelling hours on students.

In the process, students, and the teachers who stay back for equally long hours, get caught up in a system that drains them mentally and physically.

The primary purpose of CCA is to develop the interests and talents of students; winning accolades is secondary and this should not be done at the expense of students' health.

I urge the Ministry of Education and the Health Promotion Board to look into this issue.

Perhaps a good starting point would be for the authorities to set a maximum CCA time limit, say nine hours a week, and mandate that all school activities should end by 5.30pm each day.

Left to their own discretion, schools may impose differing CCA standards, which students have no choice but to adhere to.

Lee Hui Ling (Madam)
ST Forum, 24 Mar 2014

Limiting CCA time may impede development

MADAM Lee Hui Ling urged the Ministry of Education to limit the amount of time students spend on their co-curricular activities ("Review time spent on CCAs"; Monday).

I understand her worry, having gone through the Singapore education system myself, but I disagree with her call for a nationwide review.

Madam Lee said "the primary purpose of CCA is to develop the interests and talents of students; winning accolades is secondary".

If this is the case, she and her daughter's school could work out a schedule where her daughter joins a CCA for leisure and attends fewer sessions.

In Singapore, the aim is to nurture all-round students exposed to different fields. Given how competitive society is, however, many students and parents take this to mean obtaining the highest honours in every field the children participate in.

If parents are worried about their children's health, they should take a step back, decide that they do not need their children to be the cream of the crop, and their children can have the rest they need.

Many other students may not excel academically but are competent in their CCAs. Limiting the time they spend on these activities could impede their development.

Singapore's national athletes may even suffer in the long run if they do not get enough time to hone their skills.

Benjamin Eu Jun Liang
ST Forum, 26 Mar 2014

Examine true purpose of CCAs

I CAN relate to Madam Lee Hui Ling's description of a typical student's gruelling schedule and her call for a review of the time spent on co-curricular activities ("Review time spent on CCAs"; Monday).

In reality, it is difficult to impose a blanket cap on the number of hours spent on CCAs. This is true especially for schools with niche CCAs linked to the Direct School Admissions scheme. Extra hours may be needed to maintain standards, and also when there are competitions.

It is worthwhile to examine the true purpose of CCAs.

It would be worrying if the desire to win accolades to boost the school's standing overshadows the ideal of developing the interests and talents of students.

The key is for the student to engage purposefully in his CCAs; the time spent is immaterial.

While long hours may take a toll on students in the long term, we run the risk of mollycoddling them by shielding them from tough CCA schedules. This is a chance for them to learn about time management and work-life balance in a protective environment; this knowledge will stand them in good stead in the working world.

Students who take up CCAs outside school ought to be given credit. This should be reflected in the official transcript, especially if significant time is spent on these activities.

For example, a student in the National Youth Orchestra should get more credit than one in the school ensemble.

In a society that prizes academic excellence above most things, there seems to be a perception that CCAs and studies cannot coexist. Parents may consider CCAs a distraction from studies, but do not realise that studying without CCA participation can be equally exhausting.

As far as regulating CCA hours goes, it is up to teachers to judge whether the students under their charge are coping well. The students should also be counted on to juggle their CCAs and studies.

Paul Sim Ruiqi
ST Forum, 26 Mar 2014

Mentally and physically exhausted by schedules

I AGREE with Madam Lee Hui Ling's views ("Review time spent on CCAs"; Monday).

Last year, as a Secondary 1 student, I joined a co-curricular activity that required me to stay back in school a few times a week. It was really tiring and stressful as we would reach home only in the late evening, and we had to stay up till late into the night or early the next morning to finish our homework.

Of course, we could have chosen a less hectic CCA, but we needed to be actively involved and take part in competitions to obtain the CCA grade needed to hive off two points from our O-level scores.

Even though we enjoy our CCAs, my friends and I feel mentally and physically exhausted due to the hectic schedules, which also deprive us of our school holidays. What is the point of having school holidays if we cannot enjoy them?

I hope the Education Ministry will do something about the situation to make our childhood and school life more enjoyable and less stressful.

Christy Yong Hui En, 14, Secondary 2 student
ST Forum, 26 Mar 2014

Heavy school workload dampening love for learning

I AGREE with Madam Lee Hui Ling that the Ministry of Education should review the amount of time spent by students on co-curricular activities, as well as the impact on their health and studies ("Review time spent on CCAs"; Monday).

My child studies in a school offering the Integrated Programme (IP). I am shocked by the amount of time she needs to commit to non-academic activities in school every afternoon - thrice-weekly sessions for CCAs, one afternoon for house practice or peer support leadership, and another afternoon for music or art elective.

As indicated by Madam Lee, many students wake up at 5.30am to prepare for school, and get home at about 7pm each day.

With a heavy academic workload comprising conventional assessments and non-routine assessments in the form of project work and research, the majority of students in my daughter's school stay up past midnight. As a result, many of them are sleepy and inattentive in class.

My child complained that it does not pay to work hard and do well in the Primary School Leaving Examination to earn a place in a top school, only to realise that the road ahead is much tougher.

I am not advocating a relaxed curriculum for our students. But parents sincerely hope the ministry will review the unreasonable workloads imposed on IP school students, and the amount of time they should spend staying in school for CCAs and other commitments.

Education is a lifelong process and we need our children to love school and love learning. Also, our children need time for family bonding.

Ng Sout San (Ms)
ST Forum, 26 Mar 2014

Choir practice leaves little time for study and rest

I SHARE Madam Lee Hui Ling's sentiment that students are spending too much time on co-curricular activities ("Review time spent on CCAs"; Monday).

Last year, my daughter, who is in her secondary school choir, spent so much time practising for the Singapore Youth Festival that she came home late every evening, with little time to do her homework and prepare for tests.

She had to stay up past midnight every night and wake up at 5.30am to take the bus to school.

Secondary school students are still growing and need enough rest and sleep. They should enjoy schooling without feeling drained by the long hours in school.

This is probably why a growing number of young people are suffering from poor health.

During the week-long March holidays, my friend's son, who is also in secondary school, was called back for school activities on four days.

The Education Ministry needs to review and limit the time spent on CCAs each week, and keep school holidays as just that - holidays.

Catherine Ngiam Sok Huang (Ms)
ST Forum, 26 Mar 2014

Can students join CCAs 'for leisure'?

IN HIS response to Madam Lee Hui Ling's letter ("Review time spent on CCAs"; last Monday), Mr Benjamin Eu Jun Liang suggested that her daughter join a co-curricular activity "for leisure" ("Limiting CCA time may impede development"; last Wednesday).

To my knowledge, many schools - especially those offering niche CCAs linked to the Direct School Admissions scheme - do not offer CCAs for leisure.

CCAs, especially those relating to sports or the performing arts, are taken up by students who want to win accolades for their schools.

Many of the sports CCAs require students to train for up to three times a week throughout the year, with sessions usually ending after 7pm.

The students may reach home only after 8pm. After bathing and having dinner, they start doing their school work and go to bed only around midnight or later.

Nearer competition dates, some sports CCAs require the students to report for physical training at 7am, five times a week, on top of the normal training.

Although participation in CCAs is important for nurturing all-round students, having enough sleep is equally important.

Many students are getting by on less than six hours of sleep each day, and they are so tired that some fall asleep in class.

Over the long term, is this good for their mental and physical health?

As a parent, I hope that my children can be given the option of joining a CCA for leisure - but is this possible?

Lau Huei Lee (Madam)
ST Forum, 31 Mar 2014

Curbs on CCAs not feasible in JCs

I UNDERSTAND Madam Lee Hui Ling's call for a cap on co-curricular activity hours and for all such activities to end by 5.30pm each day ("Review time spent on CCAs"; March 24).

But such curbs are not feasible in junior colleges, where the school day often ends at around 4pm or 5pm. It would be almost impossible for any meaningful CCA to be carried out between then and 5.30pm.

While Wednesday is often set aside for CCAs and students are dismissed early, it is not feasible for training to be held only once a week for certain CCAs. More regular sessions are needed in order for students to perform well in their CCAs.

Also, some CCAs enlist volunteer or part-time coaches and vendors who are working professionals or students, and they can attend sessions only after 5pm.

Many students have a strong passion for their CCAs and are willing to put in the effort and long hours in order to find fulfilment.

Is it fair that they be denied the opportunity to pursue their interests because of a blanket policy that does not take into account their specific needs?

Sleep and family time are important, but so are CCAs in giving students a fulfilling school life.

Ng Qi Siang, 18, junior college student
ST Forum, 2 Apr 2014

Self-discipline key to managing CCAs

I AM a final-year dance ensemble student from an independent girls' school. My practice sessions take place only once a week, unless there is a competition or the Singapore Youth Festival coming up, when training would be held more regularly.

I do not think students are spending too much time on co-curricular activities ("Are students spending too much time on CCAs?"; March 31).

It is very important to have self-discipline. Managing time well and balancing work and play should be the student's top priorities.

In my school, the teachers are very understanding. This is especially so when competitions are approaching and CCA schedules get more packed.

When students explain that they may not be able to hand in their assignments on time and ask for an extension, the teachers will usually accede to their requests.

CCA sessions should be held only on weekdays, so students can have the full weekend to either catch up on their schoolwork or simply take a breather from school.

Dion Quek, 17,
Secondary 5 student
ST Forum, 9 Apr 2014