Observations with Resumption of National School Games This Year
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Mark Chay’s inquiry into observations regarding the quality of competition and student experiences following the resumption of the National School Games. Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing noted that all 29 sports resumed with safety adjustments like shorter durations and more substitutions to ensure safe participation. Participation rates matched 2019 levels, though competition standards varied as younger athletes had less training time compared to older students who maintained performance. The Minister highlighted the high motivation and sportsmanship shown by students, emphasizing that the games contributed to their character development and social-emotional competencies. He concluded that while teachers managed safety protocols, they observed significant student growth and expected a return to pre-pandemic play levels by next year.
Transcript
101 Mr Mark Chay asked the Minister for Education whether there are any critical learnings or observations on the resumption of the National School Games this year with respect to the quality of competition and experience of students, teachers and schools.
Mr Chan Chun Sing: For this year’s National School Games (NSG), all 29 sports resumed but adjustments were made to ease our students back into competition, such as having a shorter playing duration, longer rest intervals, more substitutions and additional water breaks. These adjustments enabled students to participate safely and did not compromise the quality of the competition experience for the students. The number of participants this year is comparable to that of 2019 when the last full NSG was organised.
Despite the COVID disruptions, our students, teachers and coaches were highly motivated and prepared well for the competitions. Students were yearning to return to competitive sports, especially for those affected by partial suspension of NSG in the last two years. High spirits, great sportsmanship and the determination to give one’s best were observed during the games.
The standards observed at NSG this year are mixed when compared to previous years. Generally, older students who had continued training since October 2021 were able to demonstrate comparable competition standards. As CCA training for primary level resumed only in January 2022, it is understandable that we had observed a slight drop in competition standards among younger athletes for some sports. Nevertheless, given the enthusiasm and resilience observed among our student athletes, we are confident that they will be able to return to pre-COVID level of play next year.
Parents were equally excited to support and encourage their children’s participation. While teachers had the additional task of ensuring that Safe Management Measures were adhered to, they were happy to see their students’ growth in their area of passion and in social-emotional competencies.
The students demonstrated high levels of personal and social responsibility throughout the NSG. The lessons learnt during the pandemic and the NSG experience have contributed to the character development of our students.