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Some 50 school fields all over the island will be
available for public use under a scheme to maximise the use of sports
facilities in Singapore. |
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The fields, which come with toilet and changing
facilities, will be available for booking in phases. The list of school fields
is being finalised and will be made available on the Singapore Sports Council
(SSC) website, www.ssc.gov.sg from 1 April
2005. |
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MOE Schools currently have informal arrangements
to allow recognised community groups to use their facilities for official
events. |
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In 2003, MOE and SSC started a pilot project to
manage seven school fields[1] for public booking. The feedback from
the school management and the public was positive. |
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The success of this pilot and the fact that some
school have informal arrangements for community use prompted the Ministry of
Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) and the Ministry of Education
(MOE) to open up more school fields for public booking. |
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Schools will continue to have the use of their
fields during curriculum hours, and where required, on Saturday mornings too.
Members of the public can book the fields for a small fee; full soccer-sized
fields can be booked for $50 per two-hour slots while smaller-sized soccer
fields can be booked for $25 per two-hour slots. Such bookings can be done
online through the SSC for non-curriculum hours and on weekends. |
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The fields can be used for a wide range of
organised sporting and recreational activities including football, rugby,
telematch and even line-dancing. |
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Free-play grant to develop state land |
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From 1 April 2005, grassroots organisations (GROs)
may apply for a free-play grant to develop unused State Land in their
constituencies into playing fields. |
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The Government will provide a one-for-one matching
grant which will be administered by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC). The
grant will be managed by the SSC over three years and $2 million has been set
aside for this. |
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There are more than 150 State-Land sites across
the island which are available for community and recreational activities. The
list of sites opened for community use by Singapore Land Authority (SLA) was
released in 2004. Use of these sites is on a ''first-come-first-served'' basis
and there is no booking required. |
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GROs may apply for the Free-Play Grant funding
through the SSC to develop the fields. These fields might be levelled to
remove `ankle-traps', debris and potholes to make it safer for the public to
play on. Fences could also be erected along the sides if the fields are
located next to vehicular traffic. |
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With a better developed or 'enhanced' field, these
plots of land can then be used for sports or leisure activities such as
soccer, baseball, ultimate Frisbee, and other recreational purposes including
taichi. Such activities can also revitalise the 'kampung soccer' spirit of the
past. |
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Details of the Free-Play Grant and the sites will
be posted on the SSC website, www.ssc.gov.sg
on 1 April 2005. |
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Source:
Ministry of Community Development, Youth and
Sports Press Release 11 Mar 2005 |
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[1]
The six schools are Dunearn, Serangoon, Bedok North, Sembawang
& Sengkang Secondary Schools, and Meridian Junior College. Bedok View
Secondary is undergoing PRIME upgrading. |
School fields for public use
