Why students have to go for overseas learning trip every years..

**westman** · 28-03-13, 07:41

My gal is a sec two student.. and every years since primary 4... her schools (both primary and secondary) always organise overseas learning trips for her cohort..

This is big business...
Imagine 400 x 2000 = 800000 for each cohort level

Her secondary school have 6 cohort levels and that means 4.8 mils of gurantee business for tour agency!!!!! Just for your info.. her school has a tour agency office in operating.. omg..

If we multiply that across whole nation... wow.. good GDP...

While its good to know more about foreign culture... question is: are we over doing it now?

**ahchee** · 28-03-13, 08:13

Originally Posted by westman

My gal is a sec two student.. and every years since primary 4... her schools (both primary and secondary) always organise overseas learning trips for her cohort..

This is big business...
Imagine 400 x 2000 = 800000 for each cohort level

Her secondary school have 6 cohort levels and that means 4.8 mils of gurantee business for tour agency!!!!! Just for your info.. her school has a tour agency office in operating.. omg..

If we multiply that across whole nation... wow.. good GDP...

While its good to know more about foreign culture... question is: are we over doing it now?

One of my children camped in an ulu part of Malaysia, with very dilapidated living conditions(that's according to him), and he came back appreciating Singapore more - less complaint now. Yeh!

**samuelk** · 28-03-13, 08:36

Originally Posted by westman

My gal is a sec two student.. and every years since primary 4... her schools (both primary and secondary) always organise overseas learning trips for her cohort..

This is big business...
Imagine 400 x 2000 = 800000 for each cohort level

Her secondary school have 6 cohort levels and that means 4.8 mils of gurantee business for tour agency!!!!! Just for your info.. her school has a tour agency office in operating.. omg..

If we multiply that across whole nation... wow.. good GDP...

While its good to know more about foreign culture... question is: are we over doing it now?

As a parent, did you ask what was learn from the trip ?

If she learn the value of life and financial appreciation or a new dimension that open her mind, then its money well spend.

**phantom_opera** · 28-03-13, 08:47

friend daughter just went to Shanghai, came back say very cold, dun like

learning trip better off go some ulu places

**hopeful** · 28-03-13, 08:55

4.8million, what proportion stays in singapore?
if only 30%, then a lot of money going out of singapore. Singapore wealth is being drained.

**august** · 28-03-13, 09:01

i vaguely recall there is a recent corruption case involving a Principle, something to do with outcourcing of services. anyone recall?

**lbb** · 28-03-13, 09:06

Originally Posted by ahchee

One of my children camped in an ulu part of Malaysia, with very dilapidated living conditions(that's according to him), and he came back appreciating Singapore more - less complaint now. Yeh!

Haha, same experience. Went to some remote location in Malaysia. Place was flooded by rains, and living conditions were far from nice. But it made the experience more fun. All-boys school, so we loved all the mess. Came back and appreciated Singapore more, also bonded more with new classmates!

Anyway, I think almost everyone pays using Edusave, so it's as good as a 'free' trip.

**ahchee** · 28-03-13, 09:11

Originally Posted by lbb

Haha, same experience. Went to some remote location in Malaysia. Place was flooded by rains, and living conditions were far from nice. But it made the experience more fun. All-boys school, so we loved all the mess. Came back and appreciated Singapore more, also bonded more with new classmates!

Anyway, I think almost everyone pays using Edusave, so it's as good as a 'free' trip.

Yes, I believe we all learn to be more tough-going when the going gets tough.

**hyenergix** · 28-03-13, 09:23

Originally Posted by westman

My gal is a sec two student.. and every years since primary 4... her schools (both primary and secondary) always organise overseas learning trips for her cohort..

This is big business...
Imagine 400 x 2000 = 800000 for each cohort level

Her secondary school have 6 cohort levels and that means 4.8 mils of gurantee business for tour agency!!!!! Just for your info.. her school has a tour agency office in operating.. omg..

If we multiply that across whole nation... wow.. good GDP...

While its good to know more about foreign culture... question is: are we over doing it now?

Most schools will tie up with reliable tour agency for overseas trips. Bringing other parents' kids in a large group overseas is heavy responsibility. In essence even if the service is slightly more expensive, you can treat that as paying a bit more for insurance. If anything screws up overseas, things can go really bad. Overseas trips help to broaden horizon. There will not be enough jobs in Singapore in future, the next generation has to venture a lot more overseas, possibly even to Russia or Africa where the resources are.

**Jaykj** · 28-03-13, 09:37

Originally Posted by westman

My gal is a sec two student.. and every years since primary 4... her schools (both primary and secondary) always organise overseas learning trips for her cohort..

This is big business...
Imagine 400 x 2000 = 800000 for each cohort level

Her secondary school have 6 cohort levels and that means 4.8 mils of gurantee business for tour agency!!!!! Just for your info.. her school has a tour agency office in operating.. omg..

If we multiply that across whole nation... wow.. good GDP...

While its good to know more about foreign culture... question is: are we over doing it now?

During my sec school days in the 80s, we were already going to Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan for geography, history and language field trips. So to me its not really an issue, especially when I managed to learnt some things that I can't really see in Singapore, eg Blow holes, stalactites, stalamites, or the lifes of the dayak in Long House Sarawak etc....ok, now we can see the fakes stalacites at Gardens by the Bay

My boy who is now in P2 is given an opportunity to visit Jiangnan for a 10-day immersion field trip. Some parents feel its too short and there isnt any value in going and opted out of the trip. However, I thought its a rather nice opportunity for the boy to be exposed to a different culture and the family can also treat it like a holiday alternative to Japan Disney land or Hawaii.

In bigger countries like Australia, UK or US, its common to have field or camping trips to other parts of their country. For us Singapore, once we travel more than 42 km and we are overseas already. Thus, I feel its a great idea and fully support such overseas school trips.....besides, its not really a new thing....maybe more common with the affluence of the country and lower air travel costs.

**may2012** · 28-03-13, 09:53

my son is sec 3 and going Germany this July. 10 days trip costing $3k plus. cannot use edusave cos can use one time for oversea trip only and he has went Bali last year. very hard to say no if he wants to go

**phantom_opera** · 28-03-13, 09:56

but think about it ... how would the poor students that cannot afford to go feel ??

once in a while is ok, if every year like dat ..

**ahchee** · 28-03-13, 09:57

Originally Posted by may2012

my son is sec 3 and going Germany this July. 10 days trip costing $3k plus. cannot use edusave cos can use one time for oversea trip only and he has went Bali last year. very hard to say no if he wants to go

That's a whooping sum for a Sec 3. So must get him to learn to start saving for his trip.

**shareidiot** · 28-03-13, 10:03

My daugther is 17 yrs old this year. 2 yrs ago, she was selected for an exchanged programme to New Zealand too. We paid her trip. She enjoyed & learnt and appreciate different culture.

She told me that some less fortunate students in the school went for other trips. Fully paid for by the school funds.

**minority** · 28-03-13, 10:39

Originally Posted by shareidiot

My daugther is 17 yrs old this year. 2 yrs ago, she was selected for an exchanged programme to New Zealand too. We paid her trip. She enjoyed & learnt and appreciate different culture.

She told me that some less fortunate students in the school went for other trips. Fully paid for by the school funds.

Its a good thing. always good to let the children travel see the outside world experience the good and the bad.

**hopeful** · 28-03-13, 11:16

Originally Posted by hyenergix

.... There will not be enough jobs in Singapore in future, the next generation has to venture a lot more overseas, possibly even to Russia or Africa where the resources are.

sorry, can't resist

so we will be importing additional 1.5 million non-working foreigners into Singapore by 2030?

**Jaykj** · 28-03-13, 11:31

Originally Posted by phantom_opera

but think about it ... how would the poor students that cannot afford to go feel ??

once in a while is ok, if every year like dat ..

I came from an average family, not poor but not exactly rich either. I never lack basic needs but my parents did not indulge my siblings and me. There were times when I ask my mum why can't I buy the Nike Air Max (and other things) that my school mates bought or had. She only said we were not well off and my dad had to work hard just to provide the necessities for us which were more important. If I wanted those things, either I used my Ang Pao money or buy with my own money when I started working. Thus it depends very much on the child and how the parents teach the child as well.

There were schemes in place to help those who need financial assistance in my school back then. And its the same in my son's school. So, if the parents want to, they can tap on those schemes.

At the end of the day, there will be poor people around, be it in school or when the child grows up. Imagine, how would your poor relatives feel if they see you travel every 3 months for holidays or how would they feel if they see you stay in landed and drive in posh cars? Its the same isn't? Do you now stop all your holidays or start taking the bus just because some of the poor might feel sad? I'm not saying its alright to flaunt, certainly not to boast coz its vulgar. Besides, give credit to the poor, a lot of them have back bone and refuse assistance, financial or otherwise and understand much better than many of us `contentment'. To me, `contentment' is something even the rich might fail to understand.

**Jaykj** · 28-03-13, 11:41

Originally Posted by hopeful

sorry, can't resist

so we will be importing additional 1.5 million non-working foreigners into Singapore by 2030?

Actually imo, wheather we import the 1.5m people or not, it's not going to change the fact the world is still bigger than Singapore. Just because we reach 5.9, 6.9 or 8m people doesn't mean all of a sudden my children have all the opportunities in Singapore and the outside world becomes less attractive. It cannot be....the world will always be bigger than an individual country and opportunites abound in the rest of the world. Thus, we should always encourage our children to look beyond Singapore or even Asia for that matter.

I agree with Hyenergix, while Africa seems an unlikely place to be prosperous, we never know if 1 day they would be stable politically and since they are resource-rich, it could be the next economic miracle. I will never rule out my children working there

**hyenergix** · 28-03-13, 11:43

Originally Posted by hopeful

sorry, can't resist

so we will be importing additional 1.5 million non-working foreigners into Singapore by 2030?

We need blue collar workers and talents as the economy expands. Crowding is a necessary evil as we are limited by land. The key is to relieve the financial stress (via lower inflation and subsidies for basic services for citizens) and provide good infrastructure such as medical care, schools, public transport etc.

**hopeful** · 28-03-13, 12:36

Originally Posted by hyenergix

We need blue collar workers and talents as the economy expands. Crowding is a necessary evil as we are limited by land. The key is to relieve the financial stress (via lower inflation and subsidies for basic services for citizens) and provide good infrastructure such as medical care, schools, public transport etc.

ur statement singaporean may need to go overseas because no jobs.
just pulling ur leg, so no jobs in singapore,how come we can still import 1.5mil foreigners?

i am misunderstood. lets not turn this thread into population wp discusion.

**hyenergix** · 28-03-13, 12:58

Originally Posted by hopeful

ur statement singaporean may need to go overseas because no jobs.
just pulling ur leg, so no jobs in singapore,how come we can still import 1.5mil foreigners?

i am misunderstood. lets not turn this thread into population wp discusion.

Go overseas to see and learn more things. Singapore is too small.

**westman** · 28-03-13, 22:31

Originally Posted by ahchee

One of my children camped in an ulu part of Malaysia, with very dilapidated living conditions(that's according to him), and he came back appreciating Singapore more - less complaint now. Yeh!

While I agree going to ulu place does help the kid development... but to do it year after year.. necessary?

For our generation.. maybe yours too.. without going overseas also doing fine...

Looking across all nations, I wondered which country's students are going thru the same as our kids ?

**westman** · 28-03-13, 22:33

Originally Posted by samuelk

As a parent, did you ask what was learn from the trip ?

If she learn the value of life and financial appreciation or a new dimension that open her mind, then its money well spend.

Yes, I did. Like wise, when my kids travelled with us for vacations.. I would expect my kids to write "REVIEW"after the trip!!!!

**westman** · 28-03-13, 22:34

Originally Posted by phantom_opera

friend daughter just went to Shanghai, came back say very cold, dun like

learning trip better off go some ulu places

agreed but think the frequency should be lesser...

**westman** · 28-03-13, 22:37

Originally Posted by hyenergix

Most schools will tie up with reliable tour agency for overseas trips. Bringing other parents' kids in a large group overseas is heavy responsibility. In essence even if the service is slightly more expensive, you can treat that as paying a bit more for insurance. If anything screws up overseas, things can go really bad. Overseas trips help to broaden horizon. There will not be enough jobs in Singapore in future, the next generation has to venture a lot more overseas, possibly even to Russia or Africa where the resources are.

Reliable? For this not to sure... if you recalled.. in dec 2012, a principal from a famous high school on west side of singapore was suspended and heard it was realated to tour matter... from press..

**westman** · 28-03-13, 22:39

Originally Posted by Jaykj

During my sec school days in the 80s, we were already going to Australia, Malaysia and Taiwan for geography, history and language field trips. So to me its not really an issue, especially when I managed to learnt some things that I can't really see in Singapore, eg Blow holes, stalactites, stalamites, or the lifes of the dayak in Long House Sarawak etc....ok, now we can see the fakes stalacites at Gardens by the Bay

My boy who is now in P2 is given an opportunity to visit Jiangnan for a 10-day immersion field trip. Some parents feel its too short and there isnt any value in going and opted out of the trip. However, I thought its a rather nice opportunity for the boy to be exposed to a different culture and the family can also treat it like a holiday alternative to Japan Disney land or Hawaii.

In bigger countries like Australia, UK or US, its common to have field or camping trips to other parts of their country. For us Singapore, once we travel more than 42 km and we are overseas already. Thus, I feel its a great idea and fully support such overseas school trips.....besides, its not really a new thing....maybe more common with the affluence of the country and lower air travel costs.

Am not saying no to travel.. but it seem like it's getting "mandatory" in some way... it's really that NECESSARY? Some how it's like your school going... my school must also organise too... kinda of like kiasuism....

**ysyap** · 29-03-13, 23:20

Originally Posted by westman

My gal is a sec two student.. and every years since primary 4... her schools (both primary and secondary) always organise overseas learning trips for her cohort..

This is big business...
Imagine 400 x 2000 = 800000 for each cohort level

Her secondary school have 6 cohort levels and that means 4.8 mils of gurantee business for tour agency!!!!! Just for your info.. her school has a tour agency office in operating.. omg..

If we multiply that across whole nation... wow.. good GDP...

While its good to know more about foreign culture... question is: are we over doing it now?

River Valley High is a very good sch... Lol... Anyway, guess overseas immersions, etc is here to stay. With increasing globalization via internet, etc, it is more necessary now to go out and see the real world to better understand globalization. Last time who bothers about globalization as a student?

However, every year a trip is like overdoing it a little lah... While there are always catered time slot for level camps, etc, it need not always go overseas lah... sometimes just stay in Singapore also quite educational...

**hyenergix** · 30-03-13, 07:38

Originally Posted by westman

Reliable? For this not to sure... if you recalled.. in dec 2012, a principal from a famous high school on west side of singapore was suspended and heard it was realated to tour matter... from press..

It was the way the principal allowed a tour agency to have an outlet in the school. This is not about getting tour agencies to run the overseas trips, which is usually open in GeBIZ and allows schools to tap onto the agency's ground knowledge and manpower.

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2...22-391184.html

**ysyap** · 30-03-13, 11:10

Originally Posted by hyenergix

It was the way the principal allowed a tour agency to have an outlet in the school. This is not about getting tour agencies to run the overseas trips, which is usually open in GeBIZ and allows schools to tap onto the agency's ground knowledge and manpower.

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2...22-391184.html

That principal already bypassed the GeBIZ system which awards tenders to the agency that can best meet the needs of the school at the lowest possible cost. The school specifically make some demands which can only be met by that in-house agency therefore no other competitors will even bother to place a bid. Sigh!

**eng81157** · 01-04-13, 09:20

Originally Posted by ysyap

River Valley High is a very good sch... Lol... Anyway, guess overseas immersions, etc is here to stay. With increasing globalization via internet, etc, it is more necessary now to go out and see the real world to better understand globalization. Last time who bothers about globalization as a student?

However, every year a trip is like overdoing it a little lah... While there are always catered time slot for level camps, etc, it need not always go overseas lah... sometimes just stay in Singapore also quite educational...

there are other elements at plat and that is why he has been suspended from duties while waiting for CPIB's investigation.

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