• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

Students to cultivate cleaning habits at school, starting Jan 2017

by Neyla Zannia
12/12/2016
in Current Affairs
Reading Time: 6 mins read
0

Source : Channel News Asia.

As what the Ministry of Education (MOE) had announced earlier this year, students in all schools will be involved in and help each other in the daily cleaning of their school environment starting from the end of the year in hope that the students would have a sense of responsibility and care for their own space and for shared spaces.

MOE said that cleaning can be carried out at different periods, such as before the first lesson, during recess, in between lessons, or just before dismissal. Areas include the classrooms and common areas, such as canteens and corridors.

The learning from schools can be transferred to the home environment. Students have everyday responsibilities both in school and at home to do these chores. With this constant practice both in school and at home, students learn pro-social behaviours and cultivate good life habits. Currently, there are 365 schools in the country.

The systems have been implemented in Japan and Taiwan where almost all schools do not have cleaners since the students are obliged to keep the spaces clean.

MOE also said that there are many schools have already incorporated five to ten minutes of cleaning activities within their school hours each day.

In Xingnan Primary School, students are involved in cleaning at the end of recess and at the end of the day. To cultivate the habit from young, Primary 1 students also have an activity to document how they help their family members with household chores.

While Park View Primary School – Music is played five minutes before the end of each school day, signaling the start of the classroom cleaning routine for all students.

At New Town Secondary School, all students follow the C.L.E.A.N acronym to guide their routine at the start of the day by cleaning the whiteboard, making the classroom litter-free, ensuring windows and doors are opened, arranging tables and chairs, and placing the bags on the floor neatly.

Students of Coral Secondary School in Pasir Ris are armed with rags, tongs and disposable gloves. They have responsibility to empty the dustbins and arrange the classroom furniture, as well as sweep the floor, for five minutes at the start of the school day.

The school introduced cleanliness checks, to motivate them, which is done at least twice a term. Then classes are informed of their scores in four respective areas – floor, rubbish bin, classroom furniture, white board and notice board. As an appreciation, classes that have done well are lauded during morning assemblies at the end of each term.

While students of Teck Ghee Primary School in Ang Mo Kio are demanded pupils to clean classrooms and corridors alongside their teachers for five minutes at the end of the school day. Songs, which are adapted to suit the cleaning theme and sung by the teachers, are played over the public address system to encourage the students to clean up.

MOE said that character development is most effective when there is partnership between home, school and the community.

Jalan Besar GRC MP Denise Phua, who heads the Government Parliamentary Committee for Education, said such activities keep students grounded, and cultivate the habit of picking up after oneself, saying, “It is important to ensure that this cleaning activity is not the latest flavour of the month and will remain a habit for life.”

The Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum provides opportunities for parents to reinforce their children’s learning and values nurtured in schools. Through CCE Family Time activities, parents and children can decide, plan and carry out children’s contributions to the home. This includes cleaning tasks like making their beds, washing dishes or helping to clean the house.

MOE also noted that the Public Hygiene Council (PHC) and the Singapore Kindness Movement (SKM) will also support schools and parents in their outreach efforts. Litter-picking toolkits have been made available to all schools, and educational materials and videos are also available on PHC’s website.

Some said agree with the new implementation, while, some said that this is something that should not be rewarded as this should be a habit in the first place.

A netizen, Aan Al-Shariff wrote in response to the story, “Last time during 80s and 90s all of us already do.. Don’t know which parents complaint requested schools should not allow their kids to do cleaning duty. It is good to do cleaning job because it teach us to be more mature and understand about cleanliness. We should not depend on cleaner to clear our rubbish. Good move to implemented this education.”

Another netizen, Dave Wu wrote, “Good decision MOE ! Please don’t waiver if some parents start to complain. It is not good that our children grow up to be softies, brought up by maids. If they don’t grow up helping in house work, they are destined for marital problems when both don’t want to lift a finger. Cleaning up makes one appreciate why we need to keep the place clean.

While Raju Sharma wrote, “Great to know this is implementing! Hope my little one learn to educate herself the value of self discipline with her fellow classmates, which I believe build her true self!”

A few other netizens such as, Jojo Chin wrote, “Very, very good discipline for the students. Lots of students from privileged families do not even know what a broom is for! Discipline is part of the educational process for all students. Working together as part of a team is another skill, and responsibility and development process for them as they grow and mature.”

And Harry Chia wrote, “Finally MOE has the courage to implement this like the Japanese schools. This will only do good for the students and be an astounding success if parents butt out and let the educators do their job.”

But along with those who agree with the new policy, there were those who disagreed with the rating system that came with it.

Lyn Tan wrote in response to the newly introduced policy, “Why are some schools monitoring and rating everything? Is that single score a good measure for one’s responsibility? The rating should not be the goal or motivation. Instead the message for the children should be a clean classroom= pride and self respect.”

Cinthia Lim wrote in agreement with Lyn’s comment, “Agree with the above comment, why must rate? It should be a value and culture to inculcate. Giving grades for it has lost its meaning. We don’t grade our kids when they r at home what. So they won’t do it at home.”

Thay Chin Peng wrote, “Wait… Wait… did you say they “rate” the students. (face palm) The point is to teach the students how to keep their environment clean, etc. Don’t make it into another grade system thingy. Kiasu parents will start asking stupid questions and stress their child for no reasons again. Children will compete against themselves over this. OMG please, stop grading the kids! It’s not a competition! You never learn!!!
How to you feel if you are “rated” for being a parent and how well you do the house work.”

Aloysius Toh wrote, “How amazing is our policy head to be so oblivious and that the so called cleaning programme has always been there since the 90s but to implement it with student being rated? I see the right values.. Changing something and make it look like your own on your tour”

Catherine Or wrote, “Its good to advocate n implement cleaning as part of learning. But take away the rating. It will devalue and undermine an otherwise good move instead. Not everything needs to be rated. I understand that rating is to reward a clean classroom but a clean environment is a reward in itself already. Do not implement the rating system.”

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status
AFP

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023
AFP

Two years after Myanmar coup, UN says situation ‘catastrophic’

27/01/2023
Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health
Community

Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

27/01/2023
Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe
AFP

ICC grants new inquiry into Manila’s deadly ‘war on drugs’

27/01/2023
Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service
Housing

Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

27/01/2023
457 civil society organizations call on ASEAN to move beyond the Five-Point Consensus
AFP

Myanmar junta sets out tough new rules for political parties

27/01/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

WHO panel in talks on COVID emergency status

27/01/2023

Two years after Myanmar coup, UN says situation ‘catastrophic’

27/01/2023
Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

Grab driver supposedly earned $5,227.82 in a week prior CNY, netizens voice worries over his health

27/01/2023
Philippines to appeal ICC resumption of drug war probe

ICC grants new inquiry into Manila’s deadly ‘war on drugs’

27/01/2023
Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

Minister refutes claims of Malaysia consulting Singapore on housing policy due to its inefficient civil service

27/01/2023
457 civil society organizations call on ASEAN to move beyond the Five-Point Consensus

Myanmar junta sets out tough new rules for political parties

27/01/2023
Thai ruling party names deputy PM as main election candidate

Thai ruling party names deputy PM as main election candidate

27/01/2023
Mrs Teo says SG continues to invest in training local talent while MNCs transfer staff to work in SG

Mrs Teo says SG continues to invest in training local talent while MNCs transfer staff to work in SG

27/01/2023

Trending posts

Two Indian nationals paid about S$330 and S$730 respectively for forged certificates submitted in their S-Pass application

MOM found issuing EPs meant for foreign PMETs to PRC waitress and general worker

by Correspondent
26/01/2023
34

...

Ho Ching breaks silence over Temasek’s write down of its US$275 million investment in FTX, says it “can afford to be contrarian”

US regulator questions VCs’ due diligence work prior to investing in FTX; Ho Ching says Temasek can afford to be contrarian

by The Online Citizen
24/01/2023
28

...

Indian rupee falls 60% since signing of CECA while Singapore becomes top investor in India

by Correspondent
25/01/2023
52

...

Students to cultivate cleaning habits at school, starting Jan 2017

by Neyla Zannia
12/12/2016
0

...

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

Temasek and GIC reportedly in talks with Adani Group accused of “brazen” market manipulation and accounting fraud

by The Online Citizen
26/01/2023
46

...

“党籍不会过期失效”  前进党称已就党籍终止知会卡拉

AGC asked to explain purposes of 68 private letters of inmates illegitimately forwarded to prosecutors

by The Online Citizen
21/01/2023
16

...

December 2016
M T W T F S S
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031  
« Nov   Jan »
  • About Us
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
  • Contact Us

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2006 - 2021 The Online Citizen

wpDiscuz