Source: TR EMERITUS
Compulsory NS fitness programmes for poly students?
April 6th, 2014
The life of a male Singaporean is tough. Not only does he have to compete with foreigners for jobs, he has to undergo 2 years of national service (NS) and be an “Operationally-Ready” National Serviceman (NSman) for the next 20 to 30 years, protecting Singapore and, of course, the foreigners working in Singapore.
As if the life of a male Singaporean is not tough enough, some participants at a public forum organised by MINDEF yesterday (5 Apr) proposed having compulsory fitness programmes for male polytechnic students. This is to help them gear up for NS.
The forum was organised by MINDEF to discuss ways to boost physical fitness before NS. It also discussed ways to help NSmen keep fit. The suggestions will be considered by a high-level committee which is set to announce its recommendations in the middle of the year.
It was noted that the passing rate of fitness tests among polytechnic students is only 30%, lower than JCs and ITEs. Educators at the forum said the pass rate for JC students is between 70% and 80%, and about 50% for ITEs.
Choo Keng Hui, director of student development at Singapore Polytechnic, said, “In Singapore Poly, there are about 50 different courses, or close to 50 different courses, and every course has a different curriculum.”
“A compulsory structure (fitness programme)… will require a lot of planning and coordination, and we need some time before we can put this programme through.”
Chan Chun Sing, Second Minister for Defence, said:
Question: Is this not the purpose of the 2-year NS stint – to boost the enlistees’ physical fitness and train them to be soldiers?
What if the passing rates of fitness tests at polytechnics, JCs and ITEs are still deemed not good enough? Do we then initiate compulsory fitness programmes at secondary or even primary school level to ensure that our boys are all “commando-fit” when they enter NS?
Meanwhile, PRs who can opt out of NS, and foreign students who are sponsored by Singapore taxpayers, do not need to worry about such “hassles”. They just need to focus on their studies to get more scholarship funding from the foreigner-loving Singapore government.
Compulsory NS fitness programmes for poly students?
April 6th, 2014
The life of a male Singaporean is tough. Not only does he have to compete with foreigners for jobs, he has to undergo 2 years of national service (NS) and be an “Operationally-Ready” National Serviceman (NSman) for the next 20 to 30 years, protecting Singapore and, of course, the foreigners working in Singapore.
As if the life of a male Singaporean is not tough enough, some participants at a public forum organised by MINDEF yesterday (5 Apr) proposed having compulsory fitness programmes for male polytechnic students. This is to help them gear up for NS.
The forum was organised by MINDEF to discuss ways to boost physical fitness before NS. It also discussed ways to help NSmen keep fit. The suggestions will be considered by a high-level committee which is set to announce its recommendations in the middle of the year.
It was noted that the passing rate of fitness tests among polytechnic students is only 30%, lower than JCs and ITEs. Educators at the forum said the pass rate for JC students is between 70% and 80%, and about 50% for ITEs.
Choo Keng Hui, director of student development at Singapore Polytechnic, said, “In Singapore Poly, there are about 50 different courses, or close to 50 different courses, and every course has a different curriculum.”
“A compulsory structure (fitness programme)… will require a lot of planning and coordination, and we need some time before we can put this programme through.”
Chan Chun Sing, Second Minister for Defence, said:
"This is something MINDEF will want to work closely with the polytechnics to see how we can institute more structured programmes in the form of… more regular NAPFA (National Physical Fitness Award) fitness testing, diet and lifestyle recommendations to help them keep fit, and also how to institute the mindset whereby individual students take ownership of their fitness."
Question: Is this not the purpose of the 2-year NS stint – to boost the enlistees’ physical fitness and train them to be soldiers?
What if the passing rates of fitness tests at polytechnics, JCs and ITEs are still deemed not good enough? Do we then initiate compulsory fitness programmes at secondary or even primary school level to ensure that our boys are all “commando-fit” when they enter NS?
Meanwhile, PRs who can opt out of NS, and foreign students who are sponsored by Singapore taxpayers, do not need to worry about such “hassles”. They just need to focus on their studies to get more scholarship funding from the foreigner-loving Singapore government.
