Forum: Parental guidance can add to in-school civic education

The Public Hygiene Council (PHC) agrees with Cyril Seah Chen Chuan that a shared responsibility for our public spaces must be inculcated from a young age (Time to deal with longstanding rubbish disposal behaviour, June 18).

PHC’s CleanHood programme takes a community-driven approach to maintaining public cleanliness, with residents, schools and businesses taking active ownership of their shared spaces. Since the programme was enhanced in 2025, 230 schools have integrated clean-up activities into their MOE Values-in-Action programme through CleanHood@Schools, where student Clean Champions lead Keep Singapore Clean efforts – from litter-picking to maintaining clean canteen tables and toilet facilities.

To further support schools, PHC has run networking sessions and a train-the-trainers programme, through which more than 80 school representatives have shared best practices and more than 120 students have been trained as cleanliness champions.

Our initiatives begin from the youngest of us, and extend to institutes of higher learning. To mark our 15th anniversary this year, PHC has partnered the Early Childhood Development Agency to introduce resources specially tailored for pre-schoolers.

More than 1,000 pre-schoolers and family members have also taken part in litter-picking drives with PCF centres, with Keep Singapore Clean-themed games and activities making learning fun.

At primary schools, Primary 3 and 4 pupils learn to perform routine cleaning activities independently through PHC’s Buddy Clean Workshop, thus learning from young the importance of taking responsibility for maintaining the cleanliness of their common spaces and toilets at school.

This has reduced the litter in schools participating in this programme, and has led pupils to better appreciate the work of cleaners.

Hundreds of students from secondary school have also participated in PHC’s Bulky Waste to Wonder competition since 2023, to address discarded bulky waste and find creative solutions to upcycle and reuse them.

PHC has built two of its 26 CleanPods near schools, in Bishan and Tampines, giving students and residents easy access to litter-picking tools and resources.

While schools have been doing their part, PHC also calls on parents to join our cause. Before learning about keeping shared spaces clean, children should first be taught to keep their homes clean. After all, parents are the first teachers of our children.

With a multi-touchpoint approach, we can nurture early civic habits and a nation that cares for our shared spaces.

Andrew Khng
Chairman
Public Hygiene Council