Press Room

In less than a year since its introduction in March 2004, the number of schools participating in the STEP-UP (School Social Work To Empower Pupils to Utilise their Potential) programme has seen a significant increase from 59 to 104 schools (increase of 76%).



One of the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sport's (MCYS) key initiatives for youth, STEP-UP now sees as many as 35 Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs), from 21 VWOs in March 2004, working with the schools to deliver the programmes.

STEP-UP is a multi-agency collaboration to enable early identification and intervention of students who need support and assistance. The goal of STEP-UP is to complement the school system with programmes to build and strengthen social and emotional resilience within students. This will enable them to better cope with growing-up issues as well as maximise schooling experiences.

A survey conducted by MCYS in August 2004, showed that the STEP-UP programme had received positive results. Over 90% of the schools surveyed indicated that the STEP-UP programme had met its objectives and that they would recommend the programme to other schools, as they felt that the services and programmes provided to the school were beneficial.

One of the schools that benefited greatly from the STEP-UP programme is Shuqun Secondary School. Principal of Shuqun Secondary, Mrs Chua-Lim Yen Ching is pleased that STEP-UP has helped her students to learn life skills and coping strategies.

The programme has enabled her school to work closely with the community, in particular, with Lakeside Family Service Centre and the Neighbourhood Police Centre. Together, Shuqun Secondary has established a tripartite partnership that makes home visits and does outreach to at-risk students of the school. Mrs Chua believes that such a close working relationship strengthens the family and community.

One student who shared her experiences after attending the stress management workshop said that she was now able to ''put thinking between feelings and behaviour''. At least 72% of other participants who attended the same workshop reported an improved relationship with their parents.

Mrs Soh Lan Hiang, one parent who attended the parenting workshop, found it informative and enabled her to see her children's needs and concerns from a different perspective. Mrs Soh said that ''only by understanding their needs and concerns during adolescence, can we coach, guide and handle them more effectively as parents''.

Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports, visited Shuqun Secondary School on 27 January 2005 to participate in one of its STEP-UP programmes called Aggression-Free Techniques for Effective Relationships (AFTER). AFTER targets students who face a challenge in managing their anger.

MCYS, with the support of its partners, Ministry of Education, National Council of Social Service, and VWOs, target to reach out to 200 educational institutions through STEP-UP by mid-2007.

FACTSHEET

STEP - UP
(School social work To Empower Pupils to Utilise their Potential)

Introduction

The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports had introduced a new programme called STEP-UP, in March 2004, which enhances the capability and capacity of Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO) in their provision of school social work*.

* School social work (SSW) is defined as social work services provided in schools for students, teachers and school management. It seeks to help students who may be facing difficulties in social development and/or in adjusting to school life, and to co-ordinate the efforts of the school, the family and community to help these students as necessary.

Objectives of STEP-UP

The goal of STEP-UP is to complement the school system with programmes that strengthen the social and emotional resilience of students, to enable them to better cope with challenges, and to maximise their schooling experience. The key outcomes that the programme aims to achieve include:

a) Reduction of anti-social behaviour among student at risk, in particular, reduction in the number of out-of-school youth and juvenile offenders

b) Parents who are empowered to better support and manage their children

c) Support for teachers and school management in managing anti-social behaviours among students

MCYS' supporting strategies

Funding Criteria

a) Funding is up to 75% for each school social work programme, subject to a cap of $15,000 for the first and second year. Thereafter funding will remain at 50% of the programme cost, capped at $10,000 for the following three years. The funding will be reviewed annually.

b) Training and Professionalism
MCYS will work closely with the National Council of Social Services (NCSS) and the professional bodies to ensure and support relevant training and the professional development of school social workers.

Implementation of STEP-UP

Project Selection System

A project selection system has been adopted in selecting suitable programmes to support. Each year, VWOs will be invited to submit their programme proposal for consideration. Each VWO is expected to work closely with an identified school in customising a programme for the students. MCYS, MOE and NCSS collaborated on the selection criteria and process. Selection will be based on the merit and benefits of the proposed programme, the experience and capability of the VWO, as well as on the innovativeness of the programme.

Key Statistics of STEP-UP

Increase in number of schools on STEP-UP

More schools are now benefiting from STEP-UP. VWO capacity in delivering STEP-UP has also increased. These are reflected in the increase in the number of schools and agencies on STEP-UP:

Number of Schools on STEP-UP
FY04
59

FY05
104 (76% increase)

No. of Agencies delivering STEP-UP
FY04
21

FY05
35 (67% increase)

Future Plans For STEP-UP

STEP-UP is a multi-agency collaboration to enable early identification and intervention of students who need support and assistance. MCYS, with the support of its partners, NCSS, MOE (Ministry of Education), and VWOs target to reach out to 200 educational institutions by mid 2007.

MCYS MEDIA RELEASE NO: 05/2005
DATE OF ISSUE: 27/01/2005