Racing for racial harmonyStudents from secondary schools across the island learnt about racial harmony and Home Team values while competing in an "Amazing Race"-style competition.
By Haikal Jamari. Reporter
Central Police Division's SGT Fajar Syawal (right) helping students from Queensway Secondary School at the Social Responsibility pit stop of the PLUS Race for Harmony Challenge. PHOTO: Haikal Jamari
For more than 500 secondary school students, 'racial harmony' and 'Home Team' were no longer confined to the pages of their Civics and Moral Education or Social Studies textbooks.
Instead these terms came alive when they participated in an adrenaline-pumping competition similar to the popular television reality series "The Amazing Race".
Called the Play.Learn.United thru Sports (PLUS) Race for Harmony Challenge cum futsal coaching clinic, teams from various schools within the northern, southern, eastern and western sectors of Singapore raced against each other to learn more about different ethnic cultures in Singapore.
Spanning over four Saturdays in January 2011 for each sector, the Home Team Academy (HTA) was the centre stage for all the action.
The inaugural PLUS Harmony Challenge is jointly organised by the Home Team under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
Aiming to strengthen racial harmony and promote Home Team values, the games are part of the Play. Learn. United through Sports (PLUS) programme.
The competitions culminate with the PLUS Futsal Grand Finals which will be held on 26 Feb 2011 at Toa Payoh Indoor Sports Hall.
Throughout the course of the competition, officers from Home Team agencies such as the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) were attached to students from a particular school.
One such officer was SCDF Staff Sargeant Yusman Mion who found it a joy to work with students.
"It's a very cheerful environment," the Section Commander of Banyan Fire Station said, "the kids are a bunch of fun people to work with!"
Volunteers like Staff Sargeant Yusman helped students learn more about the Home Team and overcome the challenges encountered during the various pit stops of the race.
Each pit stop tested the students’ knowledge and awareness on Singapore’s multi-racial culture and Home Team values.
Some were themed after famous ethnic districts – Chinatown, Geylang Serai and Little India.
At the Chinatown pit stop, a Malay girl was challenged to sing a Lunar New Year song as her male counterpart performed the traditional lion dance.
That garnered cheers from their schoolmates.
Meanwhile in Geylang Serai, teamwork among the students was vital to accomplish the challenge of kicking the capteh – a traditional Malay game involving a shuttlecock with colourful feathers attached to its rubber or plastic base.
The students are challenged to keep the capteh in the air by kicking itat least 25 times.
In addition to teamwork, students also had their creative juices flowing when they used coloured rice to come up with a kolam decoration in Little India.
The kolam is a floor art decoration adorned at the entrance of Hindu homes during Deepavali festivities to attract the Goddess of Wealth.
Complementing the cultural segments were the Home Team and Social Responsibility pit stops where students answered Home Team-related questions and designed words of encouragement on ice-cream sticks for less privileged children.
The final pit-stop challenge was a mini-game of futsal. A futsal expert was present to observe the students' skills and gave them feedback on how to improve their skills.
PLUS Challenge 2011 Organizing Committee Chairman Kok Mun Loong was happy with the outcome of the event.
"We had a good turnout and they're (the students) enjoying themselves very much," said the Commanding Officer for Bukit Panjang Neighbourhood Police Centre, "the students got to understand more about what the Home Team does and community engagement messages could be easily passed on to them."
Students from New Town Secondary School, who formed the group Dinosaurs, clinched first place for the southern sector race.
The girls said they were happy because they could do the school proud.
"We learnt about futsal, the different cultures and about the Home Team Academy. We found that very enjoyable!" the girls cheered.
With thanks to Home Team News at www.hometeam.sg
Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Home Team News article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from Home Team News.
This article first appeared on Home Team News on 24 Feb 2011 here
