Olympic Education Programme launched

LEARNING about sportsmanship during physical education classes, understanding respect in moral education classes, and measuring speed in mathematics classes.

These are ways that the Olympic movement will be inculcated into schools' curricula from 2009 onwards, as Singapore prepares to host the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

All students from primary and secondary schools, and pre-university colleges and institutions, will have the chance to embrace the Olympic values under the Olympic Education Programme (OEP).

Every school will receive teaching material in the form of the Olympic Education Resource Pack (OERP), complete with a DVD highlighting key Olympians and sporting moments.

Teachers can draw on the ideas from the package to develop innovative learning activities for students to acquire knowledge about the Olympics.

The OEP and Friends@YOG, a school and National Olympic Committee twinning programme aimed at allowing students to better understand different cultures, was launched yesterday by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence.

Speaking at the Singapore Schools Sports Council's 50th Annual General Meeting at Hwa Chong Institution, Dr Ng said: 'The OERP brings to life the spirit of Olympism and inspires our youths to apply the Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect to their daily lives.'

With the YOG placing equal emphasis on sports competition and culture and education, Ng Ser Miang, chairman of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, highlighted the many opportunities for youths to get involved.

He said: 'The scope of what can be done as part of Olympic Education is limited only by our imagination.

'The Ministry of Education has mapped out a series of activities and a long-term programme to engage our youths, which I feel will excite and inspire both Singapore youths and the YOG participants.'

Although the OEP and Friends@YOG were officially launched yesterday, some schools already have a head start.

Following the announcement in February that Singapore won the bid to host the YOG, numerous schools took the initiative to organise various activities.

For example, Meridian Primary School had their own version of an Olympic torch relay during their sports day, while Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) organised sports quizzes for primary and secondary school students.

HCI student Dina Ee, 17, said: 'We hope that the students will be able to learn about sports, even if they may not be playing any sport.'