Forum: Strengthening students’ resilience through Character and Citizenship Education
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We thank Ms Karen Lim for her suggestion (“ Teach teenagers to pause, breathe via mindfulness
Schools are committed to developing students holistically, including strengthening their resilience and socio-emotional competencies. Across the primary to pre-university levels, the Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum equips students with social-emotional competencies including self-awareness, emotional regulation and relationship management to build resilience.
While mindfulness is not in the curriculum, practices to help students, such as breathing exercises and calming techniques, are taught in the mental health lessons in CCE. Students also learn habits and skills to strengthen their mental well-being, such as strategies for emotional regulation, coping with stressful situations, and help-seeking.
Beyond the classroom, students can apply and practise these exercises in their daily school life. Support from peers and teachers is also available for students in distress and who require additional help. Such students can access counselling services provided by school counsellors and community partners like REACH (Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health).
The Ministry of Education and schools will continue to work closely with parents to support our students in developing healthy mindsets and coping strategies, so that they grow to become resilient and confident individuals.
Loh Wee Cheng
Divisional Director, Student Development Curriculum Division 1
Ministry of Education
