Hands-on Community Activities for Singapore Students on Overseas Cultural Immersion Trips

66 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education whether the overseas cultural immersions for students can include hands-on activities by which the students can meaningfully contribute to the communities there.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: As part of the efforts to help our youth develop 21^st Century competencies, schools organise overseas trips every year aimed to expand our students in areas like cultural enrichment, language immersion and education in history or geography.

Depending on the objectives of the visit, community projects may be included as part of the trip. Where appropriate, schools could have our youths conduct English and Mathematics lessons for the local children, paint the walls in the school or refurbish the library. In the process, we hope our students develop a sense of empathy as they learn about the life of their peers in the countries they visit and draw lessons from the tenacity and resilience of these communities.