) or https:// as an added precaution.The Role of CCAs in Holistic Education
Mr Speaker,
1. I thank Mr Kenneth Tiong for highlighting the importance of access to CCAs in our schools and its role in social mixing, which I spoke about this morning. Other Members, like Mr Shawn Huang, Ms Mariam Jaafar, Mr Melvin Yong, Miss Rachel Ong and Mr Gerald Giam have also made similar calls in the past.
The Purpose of CCAs
2. Sir, education in Singapore has always been about more than just grades and academic performance. In 1966, during our early years of nation-building, then-Minister for Education Mr Ong Pang Boon identified extra-curricular activities (ECAs) as a means to inculcate moral values and a sense of national identity and pride among our youths. By the way, if you recognise the term "ECA", like me, you are probably of a certain vintage.
3. But that aspiration has remained unchanged. We want to nurture our students holistically into people who are intellectually curious, morally grounded, physically active and socially responsible. In 1999, we reflected these aspirations and we increased its importance by renaming ECAs as CCAs. It was a simple change of a letter, but it sent a deeper message that CCAs are not "extras" or add-ons, but they are an integral part of our holistic education. Education must go beyond academics and the confines of the classroom to also foster character, teamwork and resilience.
4. In this regard, CCAs provide authentic settings where students build character and apply values learned in the classroom – teamwork, resilience, empathy and leadership. Many of us here will recall our own school experiences or hear stories about this: friendships forged through a uniformed group, perseverance tested on the sports field or creativity sparked in a performing arts ensemble.
5. A few years ago, the hockey boys from St Hilda's Secondary School trained hard for their first post-pandemic National School Games competition and they won their opening match. But hours later, they would receive crushing news. Their coach had just passed away sadly from a heart attack. The school and alumni rallied around them. Their CCA teachers, Glenn and Caleb, would check in on them every day. Team Captain Nabeel would continually remind them of their coach's belief: "Never stop fighting till the final whistle is blown". Alumni would take time off work and school to coach and train the boys.
6. One of the alumni, Kishon, said "The team needs support now, more than ever. They are family to me. How can I abandon them in a time of need?". The team would go on to complete their games. As a tribute to their coach, the whole team wore T-shirts under their jerseys that read "For you, Coach Kader".
7. Why do I tell this story? I tell this story because CCA is important to us and to our students. It enhances their confidence, teamwork skills, communication abilities and a sense of school belonging. Studies have shown this and these are consistent with global studies.
8. But these outcomes are only possible because our principals, teachers, parents and students heeded our call in 1999 and made CCAs an integral part of our education. I also want to take this moment to thank our educators, parents and Members for their strong support for CCAs so that we can achieve holistic education outcomes for our students.
9. Mr Speaker, our CCA policies have also evolved in tandem with the broader vision of education. In earlier decades, CCAs placed more emphasis on discipline and school identity. Over time, they have also become platforms for nurturing leadership and civic engagement.
10. To encourage students' continued participation in a broad and diverse range of non-academic activities, a CCA grading scheme, LEAPS, which the Member mentioned was introduced in 2003. The introduction of LEAPS 2.0 in 2014 also marked another step forward. It was a deliberate step to focus more on quality over quantity and to reduce the excessive competition to 'chase' down to the last point. This reflected the feedback from parents, educators and students who felt that the previous framework had been overly competitive, including some of the other things that the Member has mentioned.
11. Nevertheless, Mr Speaker, we acknowledge the CCA landscape is not perfect and challenges remain, something that many Members of Parliament have raised over the years, including the ones that the Member has just mentioned.
12. Let me assure the House that we will continue to review and to improve. On access, and selecting one's favourite CCAs, we are working to further widen access for students to a greater diversity of CCAs.
13. I had a very serious conversation with the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth about widening this access, but in case you are in doubt, that is also me. But that is the benefit of having multiple portfolios. We can bring together the strengths of different Ministries to work better for Singapore and Singaporeans.
14. The Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY), in particular Sport Singapore and the National Arts Council, are working together to share facilities and provide professional coaching across schools.
15. Members may also be aware of the Strategic Partnership-CCA (SP-CCA), the Member mentioned it as well, which enables secondary school students to pursue activities beyond what their individual schools offer. There is also the multi-school CCA, which is another ground up initiative where schools come together to offer CCAs to students that they could not otherwise have done.
16. I thank the Member for agreeing that we can expand these CCAs to more students and more schools so that students can get to choose and participate in their choice CCA. I will further expand on these efforts, so that students, regardless of school size, have access to quality and diverse CCA experiences. I will announce more details at the MCCY's Committee of Supply (COS) debates later.
17. I am also glad that the Member agrees with Assoc Prof Kenneth Goh and my discussion this morning about the need to account for potential over early selection, and our improvements and the shifts in DSA. We will continue to ensure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are supported. Our schools, as the Member has pointed out, already bear the cost of running CCAs, including fees for instructors and equipment.
18. Minister Desmond Lee, in his COS speech this morning, has also said that students from lower-income families can tap on the MOE Opportunity Fund for learning experiences and any additional CCA expenses. We will continue to do what we need to do to make sure that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are not deprived of CCA participation because of financial reasons.
19. CCAs are a part of a much larger educational experience that develops our students to their fullest potential. MOE also provides a range of avenues such as the art, music, and physical education curriculum and various Applied Learning Programmes and Learning for Life Programmes. Of note also, is the Junior Sports Academy programmme for primary school students to discover their sporting strengths and interests, something that the Member has also spoken about. And yes, we will explore how to increase access to the Junior Sports Academy programme as well.
20. The Member also spoke about availability of coaches, and as I am sure he will know, during our debate earlier this year about the Singapore Sports Council (Amendment) Bill that National Registry of Coaches (NROC) certification is required for the safety of our students. And it is something that is very welcome by Singaporeans. I think you will have to continue to require that our coaches do possess NROC certification.
21. While we have done much, we will continue to improve. Looking ahead, we will work across ministries, both MOE and MCCY, to continue to strengthen the role that CCAs play in nurturing the holistic development of our students. And as part of this, strengthening access to CCAs for students is a key priority, including allowing more of them their first choice and strengthening access for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
22. As our Prime Minister has said in his Budget Speech, "Every Singaporean, regardless of where they start in life, should have a fair chance to pursue their aspirations and realize their full potential." I believe this is no different in terms of gaining access to CCA.
Conclusion
23. Mr Speaker, I thank the Member once again for his very many suggestions. It is not possible for me to reply to every single one, but I also want to thank him for recognising the importance of CCAs in our schools.
24. CCAs are very much an integral part of our Singapore's education system and one that endeavours to develop every Singaporean into confident citizens. They give our students space to discover their passion and to contribute to their communities, and to develop into confident persons and concerned citizens.
25. As our society evolves, so must our approach to holistic education. MOE remains committed to working closely with teachers, parents and partners across Government and the community to ensure that students continue to be able to access CCAs and that CCAs continue to nurture both the heart and mind so that we continue to shape a generation that is not just ready for work, but for life.