High fashion from waste and other bright 'green' ideas
12 schools, groups vie for Preserve Planet Earth Awards for environment work
By Stephanie Tham
SCHOOLS have come up with some innovative ways to educate students about caring for the environment.
One is holding a fashion parade of recyclable clothes - made of the finest reusable waste material - where entry by waste paper only.
At another school, six-year olds eager to contribute can put their waste paper into colourful recycled paper boxes shaped like tanks and robots.
These are just some of the ideas conjured up by the 12 schools nominated for this year’s Preserve Planet Earth awards.
The awards will be presented to educational institutions that have made a concerted effort over a 12-month period to preserve and improve the environment in Singapore.
Last year, when they were launched, the awards were for companies and individuals.
The contest this year is divided into three categories - for primary schools, for secondary schools and for other educational institutions such as universities, junior colleges and uniformed groups.
Entries in the competition, organized by Hong Kong Bank, The Straits Times and the Rotary Club of Singapore, will be judged on the basis of creativity, innovation and effectiveness.
The winners will be announced on Earth Day, which falls on April 22.
The environmentally conscious fashion preview is the brainchild of Green Link, a group of young conservationists from the National Junior College. It is to be staged at the end of the month.
Since last March, the group has organized a paper collection competition and a banner-making project, and experimented with a sculpture made of damaged furniture.
Mrs Goh Chi Lan, NJC’s principal, said: "These students have come up with some interesting ideas to help promote environmental issues."
The only other junior college nominated is Anderson Junior College.
Early this year, about 1,500 students went door-to-door in the Ang Mo Kio area, collecting newspapers for recycling.
And during the Gulf war crisis early last year, the students were kept updated on the latest ecological disasters by the Current Affairs Club.
Mrs Rebecca Mok, the school’s principal, said: "The students pasted these newspaper clippings and essays about the war on mobile panels so that others would be aware of recent happenings."
Although the judges were disappointed with the poor response — more than 500 institutions were notified of the competition — they were impressed by the quality of the conservation work done.
Said Dr R. C. Cooper of the Rotary Club: "Either the schools feel shy about informing the public about their activities or they are laying far too much emphasis on academic achievements. But what was lacking in quantity was compensated for by the quality of the entries."
Anderson’s Mrs. Mok expressed surprise that only two of Singapore's 14 junior colleges nominated themselves for the award: "I'm puzzled by the response because I’m aware of environment projects going on in other colleges."
Competing against the junior colleges are the Singapore Scout Association and the Girl Guides. Their list of contributions include the nurture of forest saplings and the cleaning-up of parks.
Of the five secondary schools competing, two have conducted bead clean-ups.
Raffles Girls School held one massive "Cleanathon" along East Coast Parkway that involved about 1,400 students and parents.
On the other hand, Loyang Secondary School students head towards the Pasir Ris beach each week to help clear litter.
The three primary schools nominated have geared their projects towards the younger students.
For example, Bedok North Primary School had students convert empty milk cartons into waste paper boxes.
Mrs. Angela Tan, the school’s principal, said: "I don’t think the pupils are too young to be taught about ways to save the environment. In fact, this is the best time."
Source : The Straits Times, April 14 1992
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