PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS:

(Sports as a co-curricular activity): 11.

Mdm Cynthia Phua asked the Minister for Education (a) for the last five

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years, what is the breakdown of the number of students in Primary 4, 5 and 6 as a percentage of each year's cohort who are taking up sports as part of their CCA; and (b) what opportunities are given to those who are not in a sports CCA to get a taste of sports.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M) (for the Minister for Education): Mr Speaker, Sir, the proportion of P4-6 students who are taking up sports CCAs increased from 29% in 2004 to 33% in 2006.

Pupils who are not in sports CCAs are introduced to sports in other ways.

Firstly, sports and games skills are taught during PE lessons. Teachers introduce students to three categories of sports and games, namely: territorial games (like basketball, soccer and floorball), net/wall games (like badminton) and striking and fielding games (like softball). Schools select sports and games from each category to teach their pupils.

Secondly, schools have introduced Learn-to-Play schemes to expose more students to sports and games. From this year, MOE, with the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), introduced the Sports Education Programme (SEP) which aims at providing opportunities for students who are not in CCA sports to be involved in sports through the 'Learn-to-Play' sports scheme. Besides the usual sports and games like soccer, netball and basketball, schools have also introduced in-line skating, rockwall climbing, floorball and in-line hockey. SEP, therefore, provides students with wider exposure and opportunities to develop an interest in sports. Given that it has just started this year, the take-up rate has been encouraging as 155 of the 175 primary schools (89%) have signed up for SEP.

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Thirdly, schools organise sports day, carnivals and inter-class and inter-house competitions on a yearly basis.

Taken together, these various means provide our students with the opportunities to be involved in sports on a regular basis. Nonetheless, schools are actively looking into ways to expand the CCA sports programme to encourage broader participation in sports for pupils in the lower primary. CCA sports will be promoted vigorously to give more opportunities for pupils from the primary level upwards to experience and enjoy sporting activities.

Mdm Cynthia Phua (Aljunied): Sir, I would just like to ask the SPS whether the Ministry is happy with these statistics and, if not, what are the new targets and review of the new targets.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: At the current level, of course, we are satisfied with the progress that has been made. Certainly, we want more students to be exposed to the sporting activities. This, as I have mentioned, is not only through sports CCAs. There are other opportunities. I think even the community can provide sports activities organised at CCs or the RCs for the schools to participate in.

Mr Speaker: Mdm Ho. Last question.

Mdm Ho Geok Choo: Sir, I would like to ask the SPS: in view of the wider range of sports activities that are being introduced, eg, inline skating and even bowling in some of the schools, for the poorer students who are game at taking competitive sports in some of these more expensive sports, I would like to know to what extent is the MOE actually subsidising some of these expensive sports, such as bowling and inline skating.

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Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: It is for the purpose of encouraging widespread participation in schools that the SEP was actually formulated so that all students, regardless of their financial background, are able to take up interesting sports like inline skating and so forth.