Trim and Fit and Mindef Physical Fitness Performance Awards 2006

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The Ministry of Education (MOE) presents the Trim and Fit (TAF) Awards annually to schools in recognition of their efforts in improving physical fitness and reducing obesity in their schools. This year, TAF Awards are presented to 307 schools in recognition of their efforts and achievements in the TAF Programme for 2006. 163 schools will receive the Gold Awards while 144 will receive the Silver Awards (see Annex 1 ).

2. Each year, schools are banded according to their fitness index, results in the National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) test and percentage of overweight students. The TAF banding criteria are given in Annex 2 . Schools in Band A will receive the Gold Award while schools in Band B will receive the Silver Award.

3. The Ministry of Defence will be presenting the MINDEF Physical Fitness Performance Award (MPFPA) to 11 Junior Colleges (JCs) and Millennia Institute this year. The award is given to JCs and the Centralised Institute (CI) as their final-year students have achieved the qualifying Gold/Silver pass rate in the National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA). The aim is to recognise their efforts in promoting physical fitness.

4. MPFPA recipients will each receive a monetary award based on the number of final-year students who have achieved the Gold/Silver standard for NAPFA. In addition, the JCs/CI Best Performer Award and Most Improved Award recipients will be given an additional monetary incentive of $3,000 and $1,500 respectively. Besides the monetary award, MPFPA recipients will each receive a trophy.

5. This year, Millennia Institute will receive the Best Performer Award and Anglo-Chinese JC will receive the Most Improved Award. The Merit Award will be presented to Anderson JC, Anglo-Chinese JC, Catholic JC, Hwa Chong Institution, Innova JC, Jurong JC, Meridian JC, National JC, Serangoon JC, St. Andrew’s JC and Victoria JC.

6. The TAF Programme has been effective in raising physical fitness and reducing obesity among our students. Moving forward, schools will adopt a holistic approach in health promotion through the Holistic Health Framework (HHF).

7. In May 2006, Mr Gan Kim Yong, Minister of State for Education, announced the HHF during the CHERISH (CHampioning Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health) Award Ceremony. The thrust of HHF is the total well-being of each student. In line with this, schools’ health promotion efforts will now include physical, mental and social health. Opportunities will be given to students to develop the skills and attitudes to live healthily and sustain a healthy lifestyle even after they leave school.

8. The HHF encompasses the formal and non-formal curricula. Formal curriculum includes health education and physical education while the non-formal curriculum comprises co-curricular activities, enrichment programmes and life skills.

9. Under the HHF, schools will engage the support of their stakeholders in health promotion since the total well-being of school children is a shared responsibility of parents, schools and the community.

10. To complement the HHF, MOE and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) will give out the Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award in 2008 to recognize schools for their health promotion efforts. The Joint HPB-MOE CHERISH Award is included in the MOE Masterplan of Awards.