SAF Commemoration Day - NS Engagement Sharing

Department: CCE 

Leaders: Annie Koh

Members: Tye Seck Moy, Eliza and co-opted CCE members

1.  What was the current need/gap that you were addressing?

The school identified an inclusivity gap in their SAF Day commemoration practices. Previously, only active NSmen teachers received recognition and tokens of appreciation, while past/non-active NSmen teachers were excluded from formal acknowledgment despite their contributions to national service. In 2024, the school addressed this gap by expanding recognition to include all past and present NSmen staff, ensuring comprehensive appreciation for everyone who has served the nation. However, this created a new challenge where no physical tokens could be distributed (due to the larger, mixed group), requiring the school to find alternative meaningful ways to show appreciation - ultimately settling on a collective round of applause from students as the token of recognition.

2.  How had it been experimented and enacted?

This year, the CCE team is tasked to be in-charge of the SAF commemoration. The team brainstormed to add value by inviting the alumni to come back to conduct sharing with students. Educating our students on the significance of National Service is an integral part of our Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum. While our students are not required to serve in NS, we believe that the insights and experiences of the alumni will help to achieve the following objectives: Foster awareness and appreciation of NS and its role in safeguarding Singapore’s security and defence. Highlight career opportunities within MINDEF, broadening students’ understanding of potential pathways in defence and security. Express gratitude to all servicemen and servicewomen for their dedication and contributions to Singapore’s defence. This is also to support the recruitment of female regulars. Morning assembly and CCE period dedicated to the commemoration of SAF Day on Tuesday, 1 July 2025. Students assembled in the school hall. In recognition of this occasion, all past and present NSmen join the Principal on stage for the school community to honour their service and contributions in safeguarding our nation. Following up with that, 2 alumni were invited to share with the Ang Zyn Yee (Graduated in 2017), who is a Lieutenant serving in the Republic of Singapore Navy. Esther Tay (Graduated in 2021) who is with the Republic of Singapore Air Force, training to be a RSAF Pilot.

3.  Which group(s) had benefited?

Students (Entire Cohort), All Teaching Staff

4.  What was the positive impact?

From the students reflections, Overall Impact Assessment: Highly Positive The NS engagement achieved exceptional impact with students demonstrating highly positive responses across four key areas: career awareness (strong insights into SAF paths and scholarships), gender representation (profound impact seeing female leaders in male-dominated fields), values development (reinforced perseverance, resilience, and national appreciation), and practical military understanding (detailed knowledge of training and overseas opportunities). Student engagement was remarkably high, evidenced by thoughtful reflections, specific follow-up questions, and expressed interest in exploring similar career paths. The initiative successfully transformed student perspectives by broadening career horizons, challenging gender stereotypes, and increasing national service appreciation. The use of female alumni speakers was particularly effective in inspiring students to consider non-traditional paths while reinforcing core values of discipline and purpose. The high-quality student feedback and genuine curiosity demonstrated that this outreach effectively communicated SAF's value and opportunities, making it a highly successful educational and recruitment initiative.

5.  What is a future need that this IdEas@work could meet?

Based on the student reflections, a key future need this NS engagement could meet is creating structured pathways for interested students to gain hands-on military experience before making career commitments. Students expressed strong curiosity about military life but need practical exposure - from expanding access to programs like the Singapore Youth Flying Club, to organizing SAF facility visits and short-term attachment opportunities. Many students asked specific questions about training processes, daily routines, and whether they could handle the physical demands, indicating a clear need for experiential learning that bridges the gap between inspiration and informed decision-making. This would allow students to explore military careers through direct experience rather than just presentations, ultimately leading to more confident and committed recruits.