Singaporean Kids Learn about Nature

Getting Singaporean children to get excited about nature you can imagine – is quite a stretch.

Since I have been doing this relief teacher stint at my old sec school, I am slowly learning how children of our times are relating themselves to nature. Which is basically – not really. In their world of air conditioning and facebook, it is really a tall order to remind them again and again how much we actually do rely on nature for survival and how much they need to think about recycling, conserving etc. It’s like describing Earth to Martians. I feel more sorry for these children than annoyance. It’s totally not their fault that they are growing up in these conditions. They did not chose this life.

I showed them 2 photographs for Geog lesson last week. It was a lesson of “Natural Vegetation”

Picture A) One of a park with a bench and playground.

Picture B) The other of a lush tropical rainforest with a stream running down the middle.

Then asked them to state the similarities and differences. These were some of the answers:

1) I would rather go to Picture A than B because B looks scary.

2) Picture B looks like it may have dangerous animals that might harm me.

3) Picture A looks more peaceful

Ack.

This speaks VOLUMES of how these girls are already programmed to think. They want safety, predictability, comfort. The wild outdoors equals scary. The forest equals mosquito, sweat and discomfort. While the lovely park promises tranquility in a safe environment. No wild animal to be fearful of.

I compare our kids to the few Scandinavian people I’ve met in my travels. They live in very harsh climates but they are hardcore outdoor people. They love their mountains, their lakes, their nature. They spend most of their summers basking in the sun at the lakes, and most of their winters skiing around in the snow. And look at them. The Norwegians and the Swedes. I don’t want to generalize, but they are essentially quite progressive and successful nations despite their small populations. They have very good quality of life and people take care of each other (high taxes, good benefits). It’s almost as if there’s a link between connection with nature & being good human beings.

However, that said, I am a little encouraged. Because the government and schools are bringing across the ‘green’ message no matter how contrived and fake it might seem. Our leaders realize that to stay ahead and be progressive, we need to be jumping onto this bandwagon. Be the good guys. We’re like Exxon Mobil, doing corporate social responsibility. And I see this through the ‘reflections’ we’re always asking our kids to write. (Which by the way, I am a big fan of). In the reflections on their Sungei Buloh school trip, our sec ones wrote about their concern for the environment. How disgusted they were with the litter they saw in the mangrove. How excited they were seeing all these strange animals and plants they never saw before. Yes, they complained a lot. But I am actually thoroughly encouraged. The seed has been sown in these 13 year old girls. And I am so so proud to have been a big part of it.