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62 young inmates on Monday received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) from Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
<!-- /tab-gallery-area -->SINGAPORE: 62 young inmates on Monday received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) from Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
More than 1,200 inmates have received the award since 2000, when the Singapore Prison Service began registering them for the programme.
Alkaf (not his real name), 23, has secured a place at the Nanyang Technological University to study Sports Science and Management.
He has been jailed twice, once for possessing an offensive weapon, and another for robbery.
While in prison, he decided to take the GCE 'A' Level examinations. He scored five distinctions.
Alkaf said: “While in prison, I realised I'd been wasting my life. Since young, I've been going against the law and going against my parents, and I realised that it was not getting me anywhere. And comparing myself to my friends who've achieved something in life, and me getting nowhere, I actually wanted to achieve something. So from that, constant motivation and advice from my parents made me feel kind of bad that I'm not a good son to them, so I decided it's time to stop, and just change, and start a new life, and hopefully it leads me somewhere."
Alkaf is now out of jail and on supervision.
In 2010, he got the NYAA, which recognises youths for their self-reliance and perseverance while encouraging them to develop a sense of responsibility to their selves and to society.
Having benefited from the NYAA, Alkaf hopes the award continues to spur young inmates on, as they work to turn their lives around.
To get the award, the inmates, who are from the Tanah Merah Prison School, Changi Women's Prison and Changi Prison Complex, have to fulfill requirements in four areas, including community service, skills development and physical recreation.
The inmates spent time interacting with and entertaining the elderly and participated in Zumba sessions and basketball clinics.
One of the NYAA recipients this year, Aaron (not his real name), who is serving time for drug-related offences, said he picked up valuable life lessons.
He said: "Community service lets me know that I can volunteer more when I'm out of prison, so I can give more back to the public, for the years that I lost in here and doing more for the public makes me feel happier and eventually makes me a better person."
The prisons' coordinator of the NYAA, Moganapriya Sandiramogan, said: "The younger offenders are the ones who are looking for a direction in life. And most of the time, the younger offenders do not have a very good role model or mentor, and through these programmes they get that mentor and role model they can look up to and that's an integral part of their rehabilitation."
Mr Heng said his ministry will continue to second teachers from mainstream schools to the prison school to provide quality teaching.
In commending inmates who had done well in their studies, Mr Heng said there are currently 15 teachers seconded from MOE, and 16 part-time teachers working in close partnership with the prison officers.
"MOE will continue to second teachers from mainstream schools to provide quality teaching and to help develop the curriculum, with best practices adapted from mainstream schools,” he added.
<!-- /tab-gallery-area -->SINGAPORE: 62 young inmates on Monday received the National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA) from Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
More than 1,200 inmates have received the award since 2000, when the Singapore Prison Service began registering them for the programme.
Alkaf (not his real name), 23, has secured a place at the Nanyang Technological University to study Sports Science and Management.
He has been jailed twice, once for possessing an offensive weapon, and another for robbery.
While in prison, he decided to take the GCE 'A' Level examinations. He scored five distinctions.
Alkaf said: “While in prison, I realised I'd been wasting my life. Since young, I've been going against the law and going against my parents, and I realised that it was not getting me anywhere. And comparing myself to my friends who've achieved something in life, and me getting nowhere, I actually wanted to achieve something. So from that, constant motivation and advice from my parents made me feel kind of bad that I'm not a good son to them, so I decided it's time to stop, and just change, and start a new life, and hopefully it leads me somewhere."
Alkaf is now out of jail and on supervision.
In 2010, he got the NYAA, which recognises youths for their self-reliance and perseverance while encouraging them to develop a sense of responsibility to their selves and to society.
Having benefited from the NYAA, Alkaf hopes the award continues to spur young inmates on, as they work to turn their lives around.
To get the award, the inmates, who are from the Tanah Merah Prison School, Changi Women's Prison and Changi Prison Complex, have to fulfill requirements in four areas, including community service, skills development and physical recreation.
The inmates spent time interacting with and entertaining the elderly and participated in Zumba sessions and basketball clinics.
One of the NYAA recipients this year, Aaron (not his real name), who is serving time for drug-related offences, said he picked up valuable life lessons.
He said: "Community service lets me know that I can volunteer more when I'm out of prison, so I can give more back to the public, for the years that I lost in here and doing more for the public makes me feel happier and eventually makes me a better person."
The prisons' coordinator of the NYAA, Moganapriya Sandiramogan, said: "The younger offenders are the ones who are looking for a direction in life. And most of the time, the younger offenders do not have a very good role model or mentor, and through these programmes they get that mentor and role model they can look up to and that's an integral part of their rehabilitation."
Mr Heng said his ministry will continue to second teachers from mainstream schools to the prison school to provide quality teaching.
In commending inmates who had done well in their studies, Mr Heng said there are currently 15 teachers seconded from MOE, and 16 part-time teachers working in close partnership with the prison officers.
"MOE will continue to second teachers from mainstream schools to provide quality teaching and to help develop the curriculum, with best practices adapted from mainstream schools,” he added.
