“This is the first foreign young reporters’ group in the world to attend the Olympic Games,” says Mr Quek Swee Nee, Head of PE/CCA/Aesthetics at Bukit View Primary School. A firm believer in the value of sports in building character and broadening horizons, Mr Quek took the opportunity in Beijing to bring the pupils to tournaments that they would probably never get to see back home. “We chose boxing, where we witnessed a 58-second knock-out, and beach volleyball as we wanted to expose the pupils to the less common sports.”

Getting into the Olympic mood

Like the athletes they were watching, the pupils spared no effort to prepare for the Games. Before they left, they attended numerous workshops to beef up their interviewing, reporting and presenting skills. They also went on an intensive diet of information on China’s heritage as well as the themes, mascots and venues for the Games. The pupils were so revved up by the time they left that they bagged their first story at Changi Airport, with a team of Beijing-bound Croatian waterpolo players on a stopover!

Pupils interviewing the Croatia Water Polo players who were leaving Singapore for the Beijing Olympic Games.

In Beijing, the pupils were soon gazing in awe at the spectacular “Bird’s Nest” Olympic Stadium and “Water Cube” National Aquatic Centre. They also visited cultural landmarks such as the Forbidden City, the immense Beijing Books Building, Qian Men Da Jie (an entire street dedicated to Olympic memorabilia) and Dr Tea, a renowned Chinese tea house.

Nor was it all sightseeing and photo-taking. A walk through a peach orchard bore unexpected fruit - in the bonanza of an interview with Bill Nelson, a member of the US wrestling team in 1948.

An appreciation for China and the Chinese language

“The programmes and activities were relevant and meaningful as they integrated the Games, sports, character development, language, culture, aesthetics and life skills,” says Mr Quek. “As China is an emerging world power, it makes sense for the younger generation to learn more about the country’s culture.”

Mdm Ng Siew Hong, Head of Department for Chinese at Bukit View Primary School, agrees. “A lot of learning takes place when a pupil is fully immersed in a local environment,” she explains. “Our pupils interacted with their Chinese counterparts and conducted interviews in their mother tongue.”

All this real-world practice paid off in class, as Mdm Ng found that her charges improved by leaps and bounds in their oral and writing skills. “The pupils learned to speak up and converse with ease and showed a marked improvement in their attitude towards Chinese Language.”

She adds, “Not only did they improve their language and communication skills, the trip also promoted an understanding of Chinese culture, and enhanced relations between the two countries.”

Mr Quek with Cynthia, Willard and Zi Jie, outside the National Aquatic Centre.

Learning to be independent

The trip brought to life lessons from Olympism@W4, a programme launched at Bukit View Primary that combines physical education with Olympic values such as integrity, tenacity and sportsmanship. For instance, security rules kept the team from entering the Bird’s Nest stadium or visiting the Great Wall. But the pupils demonstrated a high “adversity quotient”, recalls Mr Quek, “as they learnt to handle disappointment and accept that circumstances are sometimes just beyond their control.”

It was also an exercise in independence. Even though the two teachers and five parents accompanied them on the trip, the pupils “had to take care of their own belongings, pack their bags, do their homework and prepare for interviews in an unfamiliar environment,” remarks Mr Quek, who was a winner of the Outstanding Youth in Education Award 2008 for his efforts to promote sports as a character-building activity amongst his pupils and fellow teachers.

The pupils gave the thumbs-up to the trip, returning home with a new zeal for Chinese culture and lasting excitement from visiting new places and making new friends. Many are eager to embark on more trips and Mr Quek is ready for future adventures with his bunch of budding journalists.