Debated in Parliament on 15 Oct 2024.
Ms See Jinli Jean asked the Minister for Education (a) whether there is data on the average Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) participation hours for students at (i) primary, (ii) secondary and (iii) tertiary levels from 2021 to date and, if so, what are they; (b) what percentage of students of each level recorded below-average CCA participation hours and whether steps are made to reintegrate them into CCAs; and (c) whether measures will be considered to increase CCA participation hours to strengthen students’ emotional, physical and physiological resilience for improved mental health outcomes.
Schools have the autonomy to vary Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) hours to cater to different CCAs’ learning outcomes and their students’ needs, interests and well-being. For example, a CCA offered at a competitive level will typically have more practice hours than a recreational CCA. The Ministry of Education does not track the CCA participation hours of students, but for the small percentage of students with low attendance rates, our teachers reach out to them to understand their challenges and provide timely support.
CCA is an important part of holistic development that contributes to students’ mental well-being and resilience. However, increasing CCA hours may not be the best way to achieve this as students face many competing demands on their time. Instead, we seek to enhance student mental health and resilience through various measures. These include enhancing students’ mental health literacy through the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum, providing an ecosystem of support for students through peer support and close school-home partnerships, and participating in outdoor adventure learning camps.
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