By Liew Hanqing

IT was just like any other school day for them - except with an American TV crew following their every move.

For a day, ITE College East students Su Qingfeng, 25, and Kamsani Jumahat, 18, were given star treatment while they were filmed for a documentary.

It was commissioned by the Ash Institute of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government.

The documentary, 'Experiential Learners Change a Nation', was produced to recognise ITE being awarded the IBM Innovations Award in Transforming Government last year.

The Global Award recognises the world's most transformative government programme which has had a profound impact on citizens' lives.

ITE was picked the ultimate winner from more than 100 government programmes submitted by 30 countries, including the US and Canada.

Emmy-award winning producer

Produced by the Visionaries, an Emmy-award winning American film company, the documentary showcases student life at ITE and shows how it has evolved into an institution of choice for Singaporean students.

It is currently being aired in the USA through its Public Broadcasting Station (PBS).

Mr Su, a second-year nursing student, said he woke up extra early to prepare for the TV crew's arrival. The crew was in Singapore in January to film the ITE episode. Filming took place over three days.

'I wanted to make sure my room was neat and that everything looked good,' he recalled.

Added Kamsani, a second-year electrical engineering student: 'My parents were quite worried because they don't speak English very well, so they made me teach them what to say.'

The TV crew followed both students as they set off from home to school. Short segments were also filmed in the classroom, so viewers would have a better idea of what classes in ITE are like.

Said Mr Su: 'I showed them our lab, which is set up just like a real hospital ward. I wanted to show how nurses are trained here.

'We practice how to deal with different scenarios; how to handle the patient. It's different when you practice on a mannequin, but it prepares you for eventually working with a real patient.'

Kamsani added that it was a fun experience showing the visitors facets of his daily life.

He said: 'They had a close look at our classroom, which looks just like a real industrial estate.

'We learn about the basic components of devices, such as resistors and capacitors, and how they work. It's useful because I love learning more about gadgets.'

An ITE spokesman said the producers of the documentary had specifically requested students from lower-middle income families to be featured on the programme.

Both Kamsani and Mr Su viewed the documentary for the first time last week at a private screening in ITE.

But the documentary has already been on air for about a month on several US channels, and will soon be broadcast on Starfish TV, a new US network.

It is not known how many viewers in total have tuned in to the episode which featured ITE.

Said Mr Su: 'ITE has changed me as a person. It gave me the chance to go on a sponsored expedition to Yunnan, where we built brick houses for villagers there. I realised how fortunate I am here in comparison.'

Added Kamsani: 'Here, the focus really is on improving your basic knowledge, and this has really helped me.

'It's not just about academics - here, the teachers push you to explore the arts, sports and whatever you are passionate about.'

Mr Heng Guan Teck, deputy chief executive officer (academic) of ITE, describes the typical ITE student as a kinesthetic learner who is more technically-inclined.

'But we also discover that they are street-smart and creative,' he said.

In the documentary, Mr Heng said he was pleased to see real-life examples of ordinary ITE students finding their purpose and motivation in ITE.

He said: 'We gain immense satisfaction in seeing our students achieve something in life.

'Looking back, we are glad that we have made significant progress and impact on our students and the country as a whole.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on Sept 24, 2008.