Total Defence Day 2008 at West View Primary School

Every year, on 15 February, Singapore schools will commemorate Total Defence Day. This year, West View Primary School had a line up of interesting events for the students.

The students took a pre-test survey to assess their understanding of Total Defence. A display of panels was set up to provide students with information on the five pillars of Total Defence. Students were also encouraged to share the learning points with their families and friends.

With the support of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ready Bag served as a focal point for the activities. Students had the opportunity to discuss the rationale for the Ready Bag and the importance of being prepared for emergencies. The students were also encouraged to share this message on awareness and preparedness with their parents and friends.

Here’s a look at the host of activities the students took part in.

Level-Based Activities

P1 & P2 students – Ready Bag Art Work

Lower primary students worked in groups to complete equipping a “Ready Bag”. The students were given pictures of essential items and they were asked to select the items which they thought were appropriate for use in emergencies. Each group then coloured and completed a “Ready Bag” picture. These “Ready Bags” were displayed on the class notice boards. Following that, the teachers reinforced what the essential items could be and why it is important to have them in times of emergencies.

P3 & P4 students – Online Quiz on Exhibition Panels

The students viewed the exhibits on the five pillars of Total Defence. Teachers discussed the content of the panels displayed and the students were encouraged to do an online quiz in the computer labs.

P5 & P6 students – What’s Up Article Discussion & Quiz

The students first read two articles:

1. “The sibling who did it” (Learning point: Being strong and coping with our daily life’s demands.)
2. “Next stop: Heroism” (Learning Point: Willingness to sacrifice and help others in need.)

The teachers then discussed the stories and highlighted the main learning points. They also guided the students in summarising the articles and completing questions related to the articles.

Adrian from class 6D commented: “Total Defence is important and we can play our part by being vigilant at all times. I think the idea of having a Ready Bag is great because in case of any emergencies, you are always ready.”

Evacuation Exercise by Pupil Management Department

The emergency alarm was sounded for all the students to evacuate the school buildings as a test for their responses and reactions during an emergency. The exercise was a grim reminder to the students that danger could happen anytime.

Brandon from class 6D commented: “ As pupils, we also have important parts to play in Total Defence. We should listen carefully to our teacher’s instructions to facilitate evacuation in an orderly fashion during a fire emergency.”

Journal Reflections

All the students were encouraged to write their reflections about Total Defence Day in their journals. The main aim was to write about their views on the importance of the Ready Bag and to share their ideas on any other item/s that they would pack into the bag and why.

Shamin from class 6D reflected: “ Total Defence is important to Singapore in the event of any national crisis. When that happens, our Civil Defence plays an important role in rescuing Singaporeans from harm. When the aerial bombing alarm that is activated, we have to switch on the radio for listen for instructions. The most important thing is to be calm and go to the nearest shelter as soon as possible.

We must also inform our family members what Total Defence is all about. All household must have a ready bag for emergency use. In the ready bag, you must have a torchlight, transistor radio, important documents, extra batteries, whistle and all items must be in working order. First aid item must also be in the ready bag.”

Putri from class 6D penned out her thoughts: “ Total Defence Day is important to Singapore because this is the day when the Japanese invaded Singapore in our history. On that day, Singapore was not ready for the devastating bombings. Total Defence Day is for us to commemorate the fateful day in history and be ready in the future. I think the idea of preparing the ready bag is very good because if unexpected aerial bombings are going to occur again, we can quickly grab our ready bags and head to the bomb shelters for safety. I hope that our following generations will commemorate Total Defence Day as like today.”

Assembly Talk for Closure

An assembly talk was conducted to summarise the importance of Total Defence to Singapore as a nation. It also reiterated to pupils to be prepared in times of emergencies and urged them to convey this important message to their families and friends. The students were given a parting message that “Everyone Can Play a Part for Total Defence”.

With thanks to:

Mr Chong Kiat Kiat
Form Teacher of P6E

Mrs Tong Ong Chai Yen
Form Teacher of P6A

Mrs Chan-Esther Lim Siew Hiang
Form Teacher of P6A

Mdm Suriati Djuahir
Form Teacher of P6B

Mdm Mary Thomas
Form Teacher of P6C

Mrs Tan-Karin Chan Yee Tuang
Form Teacher of P6D

Mr Tan Coon Wei
Form Teacher of P6F

Miss Wee Soo Ting
Form Teacher of P6G

Mdm Reina Aslinda
HOD English

Mdm Poh Lian Choo
HOD Mathematics

Mrs Vijay
HOD Science

Teachers from West View Primary School