By Elysa Chen

LIFE in polytechnics is about to get tougher, physically speaking.

The New Paper has learnt some polytechnics are enhancing their physical training activities to better prepare students for their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) during National Service.

The move follows a meeting between the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) and the five polytechnics two months ago, where Mindef raised concerns about whether their students were able to pass the IPPT tests.

In June last year, The New Paper had published a report on the issue of whether polytechnics should introduce compulsory physical education, like in junior colleges.

The debate was sparked by the death of Army recruit Andrew Cheah Wei Siong, a 20-year-old graduate of Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), on 10 Jun last year.

He was on an enhanced 15-week basic military training programme for those who had failed to attain the silver or gold standard in the National Physical Fitness Award (Napfa) test.

Napfa is one of the compulsory pre-requisites for all National Service pre-enlistees before they embark on their national service.

Republic Polytechnic's deputy director for office of student and graduate affairs, Mr Wilson Ang, said that to better prepare students for NS, its male Singaporean students will undergo a 26-hour preparatory course.

It would start six to eight months before they take their Napfa tests, he said.

The students will go through physical conditioning to build up muscles, and train for the different stations which they will go through during their Napfa tests.

Mr Ang said: 'We are shifting from the voluntary basis to a more directed approach, where students are arranged by cohort and diploma, and if only a few students from a particular class turn up, the school directors will be informed. But it is still not compulsory for students to attend.'

A Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) spokesman said that it will be introducing a personal fitness management module from April this year. This is on top of its compulsory sports and wellness module for all first-year students.

The module, offered to third-year male and female students, is aimed at enhancing students' understanding of personal fitness and training, and providing another platform to improve fitness on campus.

The 26-hour module will be conducted over a period of 13 weeks.

The spokesman said: 'Although the new module is an elective, it will be actively promoted among male students who will be enlisting for National Service.'

Temasek Polytechnic will also be introducing a non-compulsory fitness module this year to complement their existing healthy lifestyle programme for students.

All are welcome

The module will cater primarily for NS-eligible male students and provide them with another avenue to maintain their fitness level, but female and foreign students can also participate in it.

The spokesman was unable to reveal more details as the school is still working out the programme.

Over at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP), a physical fitness training, in preparation for the Napfa tests, has been in place for second and third year students since 2005.

Fitness training programmes are also conducted weekly for students to improve their fitness levels for enhanced performance in the Napfa tests.

A spokesman said: 'As a result of these initiatives, NYP has been ranked first for four times among all the polytechnics for achieving the highest percentage of pass rates since Napfa was introduced.'

However, not all are introducing such fitness modules.

A spokesman for Singapore Polytechnic said it was not making any changes, although it may be planning to increase the number of sports activities on top of having its usual sports day.

This article was first published in The New Paper on 4 Jan 2009.