Schoolbag: How does MOE ensure that teachers are equipped with necessary skills to carry out sporting programmes and initiatives? What platforms are available for teachers to develop themselves professionally in this respect?

Ms Sum Chee Wah: MOE is stepping up recruitment of PE teachers. It is also setting up the Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA) to provide platforms and in-service training for these teachers in various PE methods and sports concepts.

Students will benefit from better trained PE teachers.

PESTA will garner available expertise from NIE, tertiary institutions, schools and practitioner communities in Singapore and abroad. With these combined resources, PESTA aims to provide high quality training and development programmes for teachers. Expertise from overseas will also be tapped upon to enrich the training programmes and provide overseas attachment opportunities. In time to come, we hope that links will be forged and partnerships can be made with various reputable universities around the world.

With better PE teachers, students can expect more avenues to develop the full range of their talents. The PE community can also develop a more effective delivery system to help students achieve physical wellness and access a wide range of sports and games.

At the Education Programmes Division, meanwhile, we have been conducting coaching workshops and courses to raise the level of expertise and knowledge of teachers. With assistance from respective NSAs, CCA officers have conducted coaching courses on Kids' Athletics, Sailing and Beach Volleyball, to name a few. There are also officiating workshops and courses to keep teachers current with games rules and regulations, and popular workshops include basketball, gymnastics, netball and rope skipping. Courses are also held on a needs basis to help teachers meet the demands at schools, and manuals are provided as a resource to assist teachers in assessing students' progress in games training. The zone sports development committees also contribute to the development of teachers through annual retreat and sharing sessions.

Schoolbag: How has Singapore's hosting of Youth Olympic Games influenced programmes and initiatives introduced in schools?

Sports and games contribute to the holistic development of students through the skills and Olympic values they gain from physical activity and teamwork.

Ms Sum: MOE has agreed with the Singapore YOG Organising Committee (SYOGC) to lead the several key programmes and initiatives as part of the Culture Education Programme (CEP). These include the Schools Twinning Programme, International Youth Camp, Olympic Education Programme and the International Sports Conference.
Through the Schools Twinning programme and the International Youth Camp, platforms are provided for exchanges between local and international students. MOE hopes that this will promote the learning of cultures and inculcate in students a respect for cultural differences.

Through the Olympic Education Programme (OEP), it is hoped that students will be more aware of the Olympic spirit and develop a greater interest in sports and its related societal issues. In particular, MOE is emphasising on anti-doping efforts because we see it as integral to promoting sports values like fair play. As part of the OEP, schools are exploring issues and values related to anti-doping so as to inculcate in youths the right values and attitudes in sports and in life.

Finally, the International Sports Conference is an initiative to gather international educators and academics to share knowledge and experience related to sports education and Olympism.

Schoolbag: How will these programmes and initiatives benefit the students?

Twinning programmes and an international youth camp are among the activities planned to bring the YOG to students.

Ms Sum: These programmes and initiatives will contribute towards the holistic development of our students as they encourage a sporting culture which will, in turn, raise the health profile of our students. Through the various activities, students can experience, learn and apply the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect.
As students are involved in organising the programmes (as volunteers, home stay hosts, youth ambassadors and young reporters), they benefit through the process and develop leadership skills and social-emotional competencies like self awareness, social awareness and relationship management.

There are also many opportunities for students to interact with foreign athletes, and they can develop a global outlook through an increased understanding of foreign cultures and international issues. Most importantly, the programmes and initiatives leverage on YOG to instill in students a sense of national pride as hosts of the Games, and to strengthen their sense of identity as citizens of Singapore.