Pupils get their hands dirty for clean environment

Huamin Primary School teachers Teo Siew Hong (second from right), 46, and Ng Poh Lin (right), 37, picking up litter with the school's pupils along the banks of Lower Seletar Reservoir, as part of the Waterways Clean-up @ North West programme yesterda
Huamin Primary School teachers Teo Siew Hong (second from right), 46, and Ng Poh Lin (right), 37, picking up litter with the school's pupils along the banks of Lower Seletar Reservoir, as part of the Waterways Clean-up @ North West programme yesterday. ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

AROUND 175 Huamin Primary School pupils had a hands-on experience at keeping the environment clean yesterday morning.

They picked up 50kg of trash along the banks of Lower Seletar Reservoir, as part of an awareness programme organised by the North West Community Development Council and Waterways Watch Society (WWS).

Under the guidance of WWS volunteers, the Primary 6 pupils sorted out garbage, such as plastic wrappers, from natural debris like fallen leaves during the two-hour exercise.

They were joined by MP for Nee Soon GRC Lee Bee Wah, who was there to launch the environmental awareness programme, Waterways Clean-up @ North West, for primary and secondary school students in the district.

Ms Lee said: "Any habit, once started, can be carried on and hopefully (the students) will be able to influence those surrounding them."

Since July this year, the programme has reached out to seven primary and secondary schools in the area.

The programme, which consists of an educational talk by WWS volunteers on waterways here and a trash- picking exercise conducted at Lower Seletar Reservoir or Yishun Pond, will connect with another three schools by March next year.

About 10,000 students will benefit from the assembly talks, with another 550 taking part in the litter-picking exercise via the nine-month initiative.

Said Huamin Primary 6 pupil Kristian Yeo yesterday: "When people passing by see us picking trash, they might feel guilty and stop to help us."

The school's principal Edmund Lim said: "The activity was highly meaningful as pupils learnt the importance of protecting water sources and keeping the country clean."

audreyt@sph.com.sg

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