Outdoor adventure education sites to be consolidated from 8 to 4; public golf course to make way

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Friday (Feb 23) it will be consolidating eight outdoor adventure education sites to four locations, allowing all schools to conduct upper primary and lower secondary cohort camps at those locales.

The four consolidated locations include the existing MOE outdoor adventure learning centre (OALC) at Dairy Farm, which is in Bukit Timah, as well as two new centres to be built in Mandai and Sembawang. 

The location for the other new centre is being studied in consultation with other government agencies and details will be shared when ready, said MOE.

The Mandai centre will be developed on the site currently occupied by the Mandai Executive Golf Course at Upper Seletar Reservoir after its tenancy expires.

This centre will potentially allow students to participate in water activities - depending on an environmental impact assessment - and accommodate larger-scale camps by uniformed groups, said MOE.

Meanwhile, the Sembawang centre will be developed at a site near PAssion WaVe @ Sembawang.

This centre will support water activities like kayaking and outrigger canoeing, and allow uniformed groups to participate in land and sea expeditions, added MOE. 

The exact locations and development of the Mandai and Sembawang centres will be guided by environmental impact assessments, which are expected to start next year. 

Nature groups such as Nature Society (Singapore) and Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity have been tapped for the preliminary phase.

The Education Ministry also said it will work closely with the National Parks Board (NParks), the National Environment Agency (NEA) and national water agency PUB, while public feedback from stakeholders in the vicinity of the new centres will be taken into consideration. 

RETURNED TO THE STATE

The current MOE outdoor adventure learning centres at Changi Coast, Jalan Bahtera and Labrador, which is in Pasir Panjang, as well as the campsites operated by the Singapore Scout Association, Girl Guides Singapore, Red Cross Youth, and the Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade, will be returned to the state when the new centres become operational.

This is to "support Singapore’s longer-term land use and development needs", said the ministry.

The eight existing sites currently meet about 60 per cent of schools’ camping needs, while the remaining 40 per cent are met by schools conducting camps at external locations or within their school premises, which may not be purpose-built for outdoor adventure learning and camping. 

On the consolidation of the sites, MOE said that these four locations will "enhance the capacity and quality of outdoor education". They are projected to fully meet the camping needs of some 100,000 students participating in cohort camps and uniformed group programmes each year, from 2032.

“The new OALCs will be designed to provide richer and authentic outdoor education experiences for students, while incorporating sustainable and safe practices,” the ministry added.

“The centres will also utilise its surrounding green and blue corridors to create more journey-based expeditions for students to develop a greater affinity to nature, develop ruggedness and learn about sustainable living.”

It also noted the experiences at these centres have contributed to the holistic development of students, helping them build a "strong foundation for active and healthy living" as well as giving them more confidence.