Going Beyond the Classroom

GOING BEYOND

THE CLASSROOM

What is the Duke of Edinburgh (DoE)’s Award and what important role does it play in Tanglin’s education? Martin Foakes, Director of Outdoor Education, tells us more.

L to R: Vanessa F, Alice G, Rehasna K, Ella C, Ella S

We all know that His Royal Highness Prince Philip is the Duke of Edinburgh, but do you also know that he founded the Duke of Edinburgh’s international award in 1956? In fact, Prince Philip did it in conjunction with the influential German educationalist Kurt Hahn and it was devised as a framework to inspire and support young people to make positive use of their time outside of the formal school environment. According to Prince Philip, its objective is “to provide an introduction to worthwhile leisure activities and voluntary service, as a challenge to the individual to discover the satisfaction of achievement and as a guide for those people and organizations who would like to encourage the development of their young fellow citizens.”

Prince Philip may have passed away last year, but his legacy still leaves an indelible mark. It has seen a rapid growth in popularity in recent years and is greatly valued around the world. Today the Award boasts more than one million participants from over 130 countries. At Tanglin, we currently have over 150 young people who have committed to the Award.

Why is the DoE’s Award such an important part of Tanglin’s education?

Tanglin Trust School was established in 1925 by Miss Griff, and a founding principle of the Tanglin education has always been a strong connection with nature and the great outdoors since those early days at the Tanglin Club in Singapore. She firmly believed that children need to experience nature and the outdoors to ensure a healthy and happy development. The values of the Award are a very close fit with the educational values that we have always held dear, such as flourishing individuals and striving for one’s personal best. The Award continues to grow at Tanglin, despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, and around the world it continues to set the standard for positive youth development outside the formal classroom.

The DoE International Award provides a structure through which young people can work alongside their mentors to set targets and achieve worthwhile goals in life. It can open doors to new activities and interests, and it can build strong partnerships in the community. Those who achieve the Gold Award often describe the tremendous sense of achievement and increased self-worth that comes with it. It is no exaggeration to say that the Award changes lives for the better and at Tanglin it is not unusual for our Gold students to talk about how their expeditions shaped their lives for the better.

How does a participant achieve an Award?

There are four sections to the Award: Service, Physical Recreation, Skill, and the Adventurous Journey. This means that a participant must learn a skill, improve their physical wellbeing, volunteer in the community, and go on a team adventure in an unfamiliar environment in order to achieve an Award.

Participants need to demonstrate commitment, perseverance, and a willingness to challenge themselves. Every participant’s route to the Award may be different, but on completing the » 25

L to R: Last year’s Year 13 Gold participants discuss their strategy before setting off; Getting their kayaks ready for the big adventure; Cooking in the great outdoors; A row of kayaks

Award successfully there is always a tremendous sense of fulfilment. This achievement comes from the knowledge that you have completed something worthwhile, and you have overcome challenges along the way.

There is an additional component at Gold level. The Residential Project which involves working alongside a group of people that you would not normally work with and completing a project together that benefits the wider community. The world is changing, and the future is uncertain, so it is important that the young people of tomorrow have resilience and adaptability when faced with new challenges that we cannot yet imagine. The great outdoors is where we learn how to cope with uncertainty and adverse conditions. Those of us who have learned how to weather a thunderstorm together are going to be better equipped for the future and they know that the sun will come out again before too long.

What do Tanglin students do on their expeditions?

The expedition must be completed as a group of no less than four and no more than seven members, to ensure that each member can contribute effectively to team challenges and decisions along the way. The essential concept of navigating your own way through the wilderness as a team, carrying all your own equipment and managing your group safely hasn’t really changed, but I am happy to say that there have been huge advances in the quality of outdoor equipment and technical clothing. While the challenge remains, some of the suffering has been reduced!

Over the years we have built up some fantastic relationships with some really inspiring professional companies around Southeast Asia and in Australia. Knowing that the students are

in safe hands gives us the confidence to visit some pretty ‘out there’ destinations, with extended treks such as the iconic rite of passage in Australia with Outward Bound probably setting the bar for others to follow!

Before Covid-19 brought a halt to overseas expeditions, we were looking forward to kayaking down the River Kwai, an extended journey across Mongolia and even a high-altitude trek to the Himalayas. The adult supervisors and guides work alongside the students on all these expeditions to ensure that their plans are safe and sensible, while still maintaining the required levels of independence and challenge.

Any shining examples?

It has been a particularly challenging couple of years for Outdoor Educators, so just keeping going has been a source of pride and watching a group of last year’s Year 13 Gold participants getting to complete their Gold expedition successfully was a particular highlight. These girls had planned and completed their practice sea kayaking journey and were looking forward to completing their final expedition until the pandemic struck. Singapore schools went online, school outdoor activities were cancelled, and we were unable to run the trip as planned. Faced with such a situation, many young people would have simply shrugged their shoulders and given up, but they didn’t. They rallied together, got in touch with the kayaking provider and fixed a date to start their challenging four-day sea kayaking journey. Starting at dawn and four full days of purposeful effort meant that they were able to complete their final Gold expedition together during the summer holidays. It was a tremendous achievement and one which set them up really well for the start of the next stage of their lives at university. ■