1. The Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have been working closely to support our children's holistic growth, be it physical, mental or emotional. To me, Grow Well SG is taking our efforts to the next level, where we use data, experience, and insights that we have gained over time to formulate what we believe would be helpful for our students.
2. Partnerships across agencies are important, and another equally important partner is our parents. Our schools will do their best to inculcate good values and develop good habits in our students, whether it is in sleeping, eating, exercising or device use. But for this approach to be successful and impactful for students, parents have to be part of this. We will be working closely with parents to help them understand their individual child's health behaviours and needs. With MOH's Health Plan and the lifestyle prescription, we hope that parents can play a stronger and more active role in promoting healthy lifestyle habits among students.
3. Parents can also play an important role if they have a strong relationship with their children. Besides the four SEEDs (Sleep, Eat, Exercise and Device use), there is a fifth area that is quite key – the bond between the parent and child. We believe strongly that with a strong parent-child relationship, parents will be more effective in guiding their children in developing healthy habits from young at home and this will continue in school.
4. I am happy that Parenting for Wellness (PfW) is now available on the Health Promotion Board's (HPB) Parent Hub website, where parents can conveniently access the resources available. We introduced the PfW in September last year, and over the last few months, we have been sharing with our schools and Parent Support Groups (PSGs) on how the PfW can be used. For example, it contains a deck of conversation cards, which I personally find useful. Sometimes, parents may be unsure of how to communicate and connect with their child. They may be worried that their child may become defensive or prefer to talk to their friends instead of sharing their thoughts with them. This set of conversation cards can be a useful resource for parents to tap on.
5. It is important that we help our children take ownership of their health. Through Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons in schools, students understand the importance of having sufficient sleep, why the use of device before bedtime is not a good idea, and why having enough rest helps them to learn better and do more in the day. We also equip them with knowledge and provide activities for students to develop their interests and passion in physical activities. For example, students participate in at least two hours of Physical Education lessons per week. Outside of classrooms, we encourage our students to join in co-curricular activities in sports and explore physical activities with their families.
6. MOE has issued some guidelines to schools on the use of smartphones. For example, primary schools could provide safe places for students to put away their devices, so that students do not use their smartphones in school. Students' use of device in class is also supervised by their teachers. I would like to emphasise that it is best for our students to learn from various platforms and learning experiences. Learning through devices in a regulated and purposeful way can benefit our students' learning and complement our teachers' teaching methods.
7. On eating well, schools will continue to ensure that the food served in our school canteens comply with HPB guidelines, regardless of whether the food was provided through vending machines, canteen stallholders or alternative catering models.
8. Ultimately, besides supporting our children by providing a conducive environment for them to develop healthy lifestyle habits and working with parents as partners, it is equally important that we get our students to take ownership of their health. It is not just about being healthy when they are in school, but also staying healthy after they leave school.