Pupils swim in 'polluted' pool to understand plastic problem

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Teacher Grace Wong, 29, leading the pupils through a reflection session after their swim in the "polluted" water last Tuesday. Grade 4 pupils from Gems World Academy (Singapore) took on the role of sea turtles and navigated the "polluted" water in th
Grade 4 pupils from Gems World Academy (Singapore) took on the role of sea turtles and navigated the "polluted" water in their school's Olympic-size swimming pool to finish different tasks, such as finding food and hiding from predators, last Tuesday. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Teacher Grace Wong, 29, leading the pupils through a reflection session after their swim in the "polluted" water last Tuesday. Grade 4 pupils from Gems World Academy (Singapore) took on the role of sea turtles and navigated the "polluted" water in th
Teacher Grace Wong, 29, leading the pupils through a reflection session after their swim in the "polluted" water last Tuesday. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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Given the chance, most young people would jump into pristine clean water for a swim, but last Tuesday, 80 pupils from international school Gems World Academy (Singapore) in Yishun dived into the school's Olympic-size swimming pool, which was filled with plastic bottles.

They thrashed about amid the trash, using their hands to bat away the rubbish to clear a path through the "polluted" water.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on November 10, 2019, with the headline Pupils swim in 'polluted' pool to understand plastic problem. Subscribe