SOC for students

In an attempt to remake Singapore and improve its education system, the Ministry of Education has released a statement explaining their intent to improve the overall physical fitness of students. Students of all levels will be affected, starting from Primary one to Junior College. Students from the Polytechnics and ITEs (Institute of Technical Education) will not be affected however.

The move to include the SOC (Standard Obstacle Course) into the existing PE (Physical Education) curriculum, which already includes NAPFA (National Physical Fitness Award) test, comes as no surprise to many. Already the minimum average weight of a school bag for a primary school student is 3kg and up to 10kg for a secondary school student. This does not include other essentials like files and water bottles.

Speaking to the Straight Times, Minister for Education, Mr. Ang Moh Pai explains the change in curriculum. “Recently, the ministry has discovered that students have not been bringing the necessary textbooks to school. Students are complaining that the books are too heavy and some that do bring the books, complained about tiredness and their inability to focus in school. As a result, the lessons become less effective and this affects the curriculum that teachers have to follow strictly.”

“Instead of lessoning the workload, we will be implementing the new system to make students fitter so that they will be able to carry heavier loads and also be more focused in school. We will not compromise the quality of education for health reasons. That is for the Ministry of Health to worry.” said Mr. Ang.

Students will now have to pass both the SOC and NAPFA test before they can be promoted to the next level. They will be equipped with a standard school bag filled with all the textbooks for their level, a One-liter water bottle and a file. Failing to pass the tests will result in RT (Remedial Training) twice a week after school.

Mat Love,
Straight Times