A Classroom Without Walls

Many might think that outdoor education merely involves giving students a chance to try their hands at fun outdoor activities. However, converting an otherwise concrete classroom into one that is surrounded by the natural environment actually provide learners with more than just that. This inspired Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School to set its vision to be a place where all learners have access to the great outdoors as part of the curriculum.

(From left) Yao Zijian, Michael Loke Wing Cheong, Lilian Loh Yen Cheng, Tan Boon Seng, Ryan Fong Tjen Shan and Toh Wei Xiong Tommy

What better way to get students interested in the natural environment than opening up opportunities for them to experience learning beyond the concrete classroom?

In 2005, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School (AISS) did just that when the Outdoor Learning Experience (OLE) programme was conceptualized. Led by Mr Tan Boon Seng and five other colleagues, their primary focus is to expose students to their environment to inculcate their love of the outdoors and a sense of belonging to the place they live in.

“The exposure to outdoor activities develops students’ physical skills, knowledge and attitude,” Boon Seng explains. “It also encourages them to be active and adopt a healthy lifestyle.”

The Outdoor Learning Experience

“The exposure to outdoor activities develops students’ physical skills, knowledge and attitude; it also encourages them to be active and adopt a healthy lifestyle.”

– Tan Boon Seng, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School

The school’s effort was further affirmed when the Learning for Life Programme (LLP) was introduced in 2014 by Minister for Education Mr Heng Swee Keat which emphasizes real-life experiences to develop character and values, among many others.

“We have been running OLE since 2005 so when the LLP was introduced, our school leader decided to make OLE the school’s niche programme under the LLP initiative,” shares Boon Seng. “Before this, our niche area was in shooting.”

Jasmine Ser, a household name among Singaporeans, is one of AISS’ notable alumni who began her shooting journey with the school’s previous niche programme.

However, shooting as a sport could not be offered to every student – a requirement under the LLP programme – due to the large expenses involved. As such, OLE was a more practical alternative for the entire school.

As part of the new LLP structure, OLE now revolves around three main domains: outdoor, personal and social development, and environmental education, which is a new addition.

“Since they are outdoors, it’s a good chance and avenue for us to get them to know about their environment,” Boon Seng shares, adding that “more importantly, we feel that they can familiarize themselves with the places we have in Singapore so that they know what they have locally.”

Taking Learning Outdoors

Secondary 1 to 3 students at Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School participate in various outdoor activities that build up their soft (personal development) and hard skills (sports abilities).

Secondary 1

Focus: To build resilience and teamwork, develop a sense of awareness to oneself and others, and instil an interest in exploring Singapore’s natural heritage

Students at this level are not required to stay overnight. For them, the focus is on honing their outdoor skills. In kayaking, students can attain their one-star certification after learning how to capsize, recover, paddle and manage the kayak. They also have the chance to do sports climbing, a sport similar to rock climbing. Students also hike from Henderson Waves to Mount Faber as well as the Hort Park. The external vendors assist in ensuring students’ safety as they are required to get around by themselves via the public transport. This helps build their confidence.

Secondary 2

Focus: To build self-confidence, develop an adventurous spirit and enhance a sense of belonging through a shared common experience

At the Secondary 2 level, the entire cohort camps at one of MOE’s Outdoor Adventure Learning Centres (MOE OALCs). They go on expeditions at different parts of Singapore during the day, which usually take between 6 and 8 hours to complete. For instance, students will go on a kayaking round-trip from Punggol to Pasir Ris. Every evening, they return to the OALC and begin a new day of activities the following morning, such as hiking from McRitchie to Bukit Timah and cycling along the many park connectors around the island.

Secondary 3

Focus: To apply outdoor skills in nature, develop character strength and enhance environmental awareness

Before OLE became the school’s LLP programme, Secondary 3 students ventured overseas to Malaysia. The entire cohort was split into three groups of roughly two classes each which went at different times to keep the numbers small and manageable. However, after the unfortunate incident in Sabah, activities are now held in Singapore instead. In the span of three days, students alternate between staying at three different campsites each day – Pulau Ubin, St John’s Island and Home Team NS. In 2017, an additional day is added for students to take a day trip to Malaysia to climb a mountain in Kluang, Johor which is about twice the height of Bukit Timah Hill.

This revamped 3-year programme changes the focus from adventure to journey-based expeditions. The advantage is that the new programmes are less reliant on technical skills and instructors, but instead focus more on cultivating a sense of place and creating greater opportunities for teacher involvement. Through cultivating in students the sense of place, the school hopes that as the students enjoy nature and appreciate the rich natural heritage in their own backyard, they will have a desire to protect such places of nature and perhaps even develop a conviction to champion environmental causes.

Learning from and Reflecting on Challenges

To build resilience in students; for Boon Seng, that is also something he hopes to achieve through the OLE programme on top of inculcating a love for the outdoors in them.

When students first hear of the long travel distance they have to embark on for some activities – such as kayaking a total distance of 16km – many think it is an impossible feat to achieve. “It is okay if some students cannot achieve it,” he says. “We will talk to them about the things that they have learned through the activity itself.”

Following these OLE activities, students pen down their reflections and share their thoughts on how they have fared with their classmates. “Normally, when students write their reflections, they are quite superficial – ‘tired’, ‘boring’, ‘interesting’, ‘exciting’,” Boon Seng shares. To address this, Boon Seng and his team provide students with a structure that helps students to reflect better. “In this structure, students talk about what happened, how they feel, what they learned and how they can apply it,” he adds.

Boon Seng feels that doing reflections on the activities are equally, if not more, important to the completion of the activity itself. Focusing on students’ personal and social developments through the outdoor experience, reflections encourage students to share more meaningfully about what they learned about themselves, others and the environment. This way, the internalization of learning goes much deeper and further.

“Students will share whether they enjoy the activity, whether the activity is challenging, and whether there is learning opportunity,” he says. “We hope to take them out of their comfort zone so that they can grow through the challenges they faced.”

And much like the students, the teachers involved also benefit from OLE.

“It is okay if some students cannot complete certain activities – we will talk to them about the things that they have learned through the activity itself.”

– Boon Seng believes that doing reflections of the activities is important for students’ learning

Learning alongside Students

To say that “it is challenging” to get teachers on board OLE is an understatement. Boon Seng shares that it wasn’t easy to get them involved in the beginning and even if they were, their involvement varied. But those who fully participated in an experience with their students were surprised to find it especially rewarding.

“It’s actually very meaningful because when you walk with the kids, you hear them talk and you really get to know them,” Boon Seng shares. “You can see them out there when they help each other naturally and you just get to know who they really are. It’s very genuine and authentic.” This is something that teachers rarely get to see and experience in the classroom setting.

Boon Seng also noticed that increasingly, the AISS teachers are participating in the outdoor activities with the students and even organizing a cycling trip among themselves. “Before this, they were non-cyclists. Suddenly, a teacher bought a bicycle for himself and started cycling at the park connector,” he shares.

For AISS, OLE is now very much a part of the school identity so much so that the OLE t-shirt has even replaced the school uniform on the school’s graduation bear. There is also strong support from the school principal, Ms Chew Ing Lim, who speaks with students about their OLE experiences.

Ultimately, Boon Seng admits that a lot of planning and manpower is required for OLE to be sustainable in the years to come. However, he believes it is beneficial in the long run. He says, “It achieves many purposes – physical activity, healthy lifestyle and getting to know a place better. It is definitely worth the effort.”