SINGAPORE: Even though Senior Minister of State for Education Lui Tuck Yew has taken charge of post-secondary education, the education of young minds is still very much an area of keen interest for him.

Speaking at the 40th Speech Day of Bukit Merah Secondary School on Saturday, Mr Lui urged his young audience to develop a wide range of skills.

And one way in which schools can 'Teach Less, Learn More' is to help students learn away from the classroom.

BM Dot Café, which was set up with a S$50,000 grant from the Education Ministry's Innovation Fund, has everything – from fan to vending machines – powered by solar energy.

Not only can students learn about solar cell technology and energy conservation at the cafe, it is also a safe and conducive environment to hang out, play pool, and run small businesses to raise funds for needy students.

Everything in the cafe is initiated by the students, for the students – from the name of the cafe to the design of the place, and the kinds of activities students want to have.

The cafe also provides a marketplace for students to hone their retail skills.

Mr Lui said: "Not everything that is worth learning is learnt within the four walls of the classroom or found within the covers of the textbooks. Over here, you get to decide what sells well, what do you push, how do you push it, and how to garner greater support from the student population. There's a whole range of different skills you'll learn."

Skills like how to interact with others and adapt to changing demands are life skills that will serve students well, long after they leave school.


- CNA/so