COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMME

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PROGRAMME

24.

Mr Laurence Wee Yoke Thong asked the Minister for Education in view of promoting volunteerism through its Community Involvement Programme (CIP) in schools (a) whether students are given proper and adequate orientation to mentally prepare them for it; (b) whether CIP can be made optional to achieve a positive introduction to volunteerism and ensure a better outcome; and (c) if his Ministry will consider working with MCYS to set up a joint body to ensure that CIP, being seen as a vital gateway to volunteerism, could be strategically developed further in the longer term beyond school years.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: The Community Involvement Programme (CIP) provides students with the opportunity to participate in meaningful activities which contribute to the community. It aims to nurture a sense of social responsibility and help students understand that everyone can play a part in bettering the community.

Schools prepare their students for CIP. Teachers provide proper structure, guidance and supervision so as to engage their students. For example, as a preparation for CIP, students at Nanyang Junior College discuss community needs during Civics tutorials to raise awareness of social issues in the community, while students from Ang Mo Kio Secondary School play an active part in identifying organisations they want to work with for their CIP. Not only do teachers prepare their students beforehand, they also encourage them to reflect on their learning after they take part in a CIP activity.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) agrees that the CIP serves as an important first step to encouraging long-term involvement in community service. Even though CIP is no longer compulsory at the Junior College (JC) level, MOE's surveys show that JC students continue to actively participate in CIP, with many students initiating their own CIP projects. This is a positive outcome. However, MOE will retain the current approach of mandating six hours of community service per year at the primary and secondary school levels, as this serves as a platform to introduce all students to community involvement. Students can decide whether to go beyond this minimum requirement and indeed, many primary and secondary school students choose to perform more than six hours of community service per year.

To sustain volunteerism beyond the school years, MOE encourages schools to forge long-term partnerships with community organisations to deepen the quality of the CIP experience for our students and to allow for continuity of contribution beyond the schooling years. Schools also encourage their students to tap on national platforms such as National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre's (NVPC) Singapore Cares, which is an on-line platform offering volunteering opportunities for individuals.

MOE will continue to review the CIP and work with partner agencies, such as the NVPC, to engage students in community service both while they are in school and after they graduate.

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