Details of LEAPS Domains' Recognition
Details of LEAPS Domains’ Recognition
Participation
This domain recognises the student’s sustained participation in a school-based CCA, be it in Clubs and Societies (C&S), Physical Sports, Uniformed Groups (UG) or Visual and Performing Arts (VPA).
Purpose
This domain serves to recognise the student’s development of specific knowledge, skills and character through participation in a school-based CCA. Sustained engagement over four to five years in a chosen CCA allows for the progressive development of skills and knowledge, as well as the development of character. CCA also provides an important platform for friendships to be forged and team spirit to be built amongst students from different racial and social backgrounds. The student gets to learn about social integration and this engenders a deepening of his/her sense of belonging, commitment and responsibility to the school. Subsequently, the student may also be motivated to continue his/her participation beyond the schooling years and embrace the activity as a life-long pursuit.
Compulsory CCA Participation
CCA is an integral part of the student’s holistic education in school. Hence, CCA participation is compulsory at the secondary school level, and every student is expected to participate in a CCA from one of the four CCA groups, namely, C&S, Physical Sports, UG and VPA. Participation in a school-based CCA allows the teachers to guide and chart the development of the student beyond the learning from the subject disciplines in the classroom, in areas such as leadership and character development, and the 21st Century Competencies (21CC).
A student may opt to participate in more than one CCA to broaden his/her experience, gain more exposure and learn a wider range of skills. Such involvement will be passion-driven and students will not be awarded a higher attainment for the participation in an additional CCA.
International Students
International students who join the schools mid-stream will need to participate in a CCA in school from the year of enrolment. The student’s involvement in the various domains (Participation, Achievement, Leadership and Service) in his/her own country during his/her secondary school education (or equivalent) will be recognised with the submission of proper documentation, subject to endorsement by his/her school in Singapore. In addition, the student’s involvement in external (non school-based) activities during that time-frame, for example his/her involvement in community clubs, can also be recognised because there may not be similar provision for co-curricular activities within the school system in other countries.
Participation in External Activities
A student may participate in a non-school-based CCA or a community-based activity to pursue his/her interests which are not offered in the school, but not in lieu of a CCA in school.
These external activities will mainly be interest-driven and the additional participation will not contribute to a higher attainment level in this domain.
Participation in National Project of Excellence
For students who have been selected to undergo a sustained programme with a National Project of Excellence (NPOE), namely the Singapore National Youth Orchestra (SNYO) and the Singapore Youth Chinese Orchestra (SYCO) operated by MOE, their involvement with the NPOE can be considered as their CCA. Their participation will be based on their attendance in the NPOE and calculated according to the same participation criterion as a school-based CCA. Students who change from a school-based CCA to a NPOE during their secondary school years will be considered as having remained in the same CCA.
Participation in Uniformed Groups
As a planning guideline, schools should maintain a participation rate of one-quarter (one in four) of their student cohort in the UG.
Mandatory CCA
The National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) and National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) are mandatory CCA for secondary schools. Schools with an enrolment above 1000 should have at least two out of these three UG. Schools with an enrolment below 1000 should have at least one of these three UG.
Students in any one of the mandatory CCA are not permitted to change his/her CCA throughout their secondary school years, except for medical reasons, or once at the end of Secondary 1 or 2.
Participation in the Graduating Year
Schools are guided by the CCA Student Development Plan when they implement school-based CCA programmes for their students. For graduating students, schools may decide on an earlier cut-off date for participation in CCA and adjust the Plan accordingly. For example, a plausible cut-off date would be at the end of Term 2 of students’ graduating year respectively. By the first half of their final year in secondary school, graduating students would have been duly contributed to and be developed by their CCA.