Initiative to Adopt Aspects of Japanese School Lunch Programme to Foster Civic-mindedness and Responsibility Among Students

9 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has considered adopting certain aspects of the Japanese school lunch programme, such as involving students in serving, cleaning up and recycling, to foster civic-mindedness and responsibility among students; and (b) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the initiative for students to clean their own classrooms, including whether the initiative is ongoing and whether the scope and duration can be expanded to further instill these values in students.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: Schools are committed to nurturing citizens of good character and teaching our students to be civic-minded and responsible. Through "everyday responsibilities" in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE), students take on daily cleaning duties of their classroom and common areas in school. This is Singapore's way for students to learn about the dignity of labour and the fulfilment of serving their community, that achieves the same intent as Japanese schools' lunch duties. Schools also design Values in Action experiences, such as service learning, recycling drives and energy conservation efforts, to enable students' civic participation. We seek and appreciate the support of parents and society in our CCE programmes to inculcate such values in our young.