Daily Lessons from Life 10 November 2010 - NEA launches anti-littering programme aimed at youths

Channel NewsAsia: "NEA launches anti-littering programme aimed at youths - 10 November 2010

SINGAPORE : There has been an increase in the number of youths caught littering over the last few years.

In 2006, 1,835 persons below the age of 21 were caught littering compared to 4,278 last year.

A survey by the National Environment Agency (NEA) two years ago also showed that over 40 per cent of the nearly 1,800 Primary 4 to Junior College students interviewed said they would leave rubbish behind in cinemas, parks and beaches.

To counter this, the NEA has launched a new 'anti-littering campaign' aimed at students."

It is a bit of a depressing news to learn that we are still struggling with littering despite decades of yearly anti-littering campaign and rising education!

Lessons for me are:

1. it got to start from young and the most influential place is HOME!! The parents and adults around the children will determine if the kids pick up the littering bad habit!;

2. there is something not right with our educational system IF the kids are saying they will leave rubbish behind in cinemas, parks and beaches. It shows that getting educated does not mean getting civilised and civil conscious!;

3. campaign costs money and IF there is no will to follow through with strict enforcement with people who are not self-conscious simply means money down the drain. Singaporea already has the higher fine in the world for littering (at S$1000!) and yet litterers are unmoved. This necessitated the introduction of 'shaming' sentences like Corrective Work Order (CWO) in public where the offenders have to carry out clearing duties in public. And this is also not working well as the authority is talking about increasing the CWO duration!

It has to do with self-respect and self-consciousness. If you are you will NOT litter. If you are not, you always try your luck and only react when you are caught! A sad situation. Singapore is NOT there yet!!