Sports Education Programme

The Sports Education Programme (SEP) is a collaborative partnership between Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the Ministry of Education (MOE). Schools eligible for SEP are Primary, Secondary, Junior College, Centralised Institution and Special Education Schools. Under SEP, each school is provided with a S$10,000 dollar-to-dollar matching grant for them to take up sports programmes from an endorsed list.

The SEP aims to advocate the importance of sports education, encourage sports participation in schools and increase sporting opportunities for the young. It also serves as an integrated and structured approach to link sports service providers with schools to ensure that innovative and quality sports programmes are delivered.

Sports programmes are assessed by a panel comprising representatives from SportSG, MOE, schools, sports educators and practitioners to qualify for endorsement under the SEP.

SEP sports programmes caters for development of skills and sports knowledge of students and help promote active participation of sports in schools. The programmes also promote team spirit and character building, and aim to arouse interest in continual sports participation amongst students.

Coach Criteria

1. NROC SPORTS

Sports Providers offering NROC Sports will need to have their instructors/coaches registered under the National Registry of Coaches (NROC). During the two-year endorsement period, instructors/coaches will also be invited to attend clinics, workshops, and conferences as part of the NROC requirement on continuing education (CCE).

For application details on NROC, please visit NROC Registration. Sports Service Providers are strongly advised to inform your coaches and instructors to obtain regular updates and information from the Coaches page.

2. OTHER SPORTS

a. National Coaching Accreditation Programme (NCAP) Technical Equivalent

Sports service providers will be required to submit your coaches’ relevant technical certificate equivalent if your coaches are not equipped with NCAP Technical Level 1.

b. NCAP / SG-Coach Theory Courses

Coaches and instructors will be required to complete either the NCAP Theory or SG-Coach Theory course. The SG-Coach Programme replaces the NCAP. As all existing NCAP certificates remain valid, obtaining accreditation from NCAP to SG-Coach is not required.

c. NCAP / SG-Coach Theory Accreditation

If your coaches are not equipped with NCAP / SG-Coach Theory, but have other prior learning, experience or certification, you may seek NCAP / SG-Coach Theory Accreditation. The accreditation level depends on evidence of prior learning. To seek NCAP / SG-Coach Theory Accreditation, please:

Complete the NCAP / SG-Coach Theory Accreditation Form
Attach evidence of your relevant documentary proof of prior learning, e.g. academic / coaching certificates, transcripts and brief course descriptions, evidence of coaching experience (letters of appreciation, coaching awards, etc.)

Note: The NCAP / SG-Coach Theory accreditation process would take up to 4 weeks. For enquiries, please email sport_coaching@sport.gov.sg

3. VALUES AND PRINCIPLES IN SPORTS (VPS)

With effect from March 2015, the National Standards for Youth Sports (NSYS) workshops will be replaced by the Values and Principles in Sports (VPS) workshops.

Apart from covering key content from the previous NSYS course, the new VPS workshop will also enable participants to develop their own personal coaching philosophies, design sports programmes with the ‘Game of Life’ Framework and leverage values and attributes to develop of a successful sports team.

Please take note that attendees of the previously offered ‘NSYS for Coaching in Singapore Schools” (NSYS) workshop are deemed to have fulfilled Ministry of Education’s (MOE) requirements for registration of all sports coaches and instructors in schools and they do not need to attend the new VPS workshop. Coaches who had completed modules 1-3 in the previous NSYS will be required to sign up for a bridging workshop with MOE on the fourth module to fulfill MOE’s requirements.

The new VPS workshop is one of the six topics under the Singapore Coach Excellence (SG-Coach) Theory Level One Programme and exemption of attendance from the VPS can be sought. You may click here to find out more information on the SG-Coach Programmes.

For registration and more information on the VPS workshop, please visit the VPS page.

4. STANDARD FIRST AID

Instructor(s) / coach(es) are required to be equipped with a valid recognised Standard First Aid Certificate at point of submission and at point of conduct of programme. Please view the list of SportSG-recognised First Aid courses.

5. COACH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FORM

Sports providers with the exception of individuals are required to have their instructor(s) / coach(es) listed in their submitted SEP programmes to complete the Instructor's Coach's Acknowledgement Form (valid for the endorsed year).

Programme Criteria

For a programme to be recognised as a sport activity endorsed under SEP, the programme should reflect activities that not only include a physical exertion and the development of a skill, but is also governed by a set of rules that are recognised internationally. The programme submitted must align with MOE’s objectives, whose focus is to provide students with sports opportunities in a safe environment.

1. DEFENSE AND MARTIAL ARTS PROGRAMMES UNDER SEP

Sports programmes incorporating physical contact striking or sparring between participants will not be endorsed. Judo, wrestling and similar programmes may include only safe grappling. Any form of striking and choking are strictly not allowed. This must be clearly indicated in the programme submission and will be further evaluated by the panel.

2. CHEERLEADING PROGRAMMES UNDER SEP

Cheerleading programmes should not incorporate the following activities and must be clearly indicated in the programme submission:

No cheerleading formations that are more than 2-tier. For execution of 2 tier formations, trained adult spotters will be present.
No stunts without a trained adult spotter.
No stunts above shoulder level.
No tumbling with flight, with or without hand support. (Exception: Roundoff)
No tossing.

3. SWIMMING PROGRAMMES UNDER SEP

All Sports Providers offering swimming programmes will require their instructors/coaches to be SwimSafer Certified in addition to meeting the requirements of having the minimum NCAP Theory Level 1 (or its equivalent), NCAP Technical Level 1 (or its equivalent) and a valid recognised first aid certification.

Instructor to Student Ratio at 1:10

Instructor to student ratio for all swimming programmes must be kept at 1:10, with the exception of programmes offered to Special Education schools, which will be at a lower ratio.

SwimSafer Instructor Course

Please note that it is a requirement for all swimming instructors to be registered with NROC before they can enrol in the SwimSafer Instructor Course. Places for this course will be allotted on a first-come-first-served basis.
For more information on the SwimSafer programme, please visit the SwimSafer page. For registration of the SwimSafer Instructor Course, please call the SwimSafer Hotline 6500 5439 or email: sport_swimsafer@sport.gov.sg

4. LIFESAVING PROGRAMMES UNDER SEP

Lifesaving programmes must not be conducted at open waters and this must be clearly indicated in the programme submission.

5. RISK ASSESSMENT

A Risk Assessment Management Plan (RAMS) will be required to be submitted as part of the SEP programme submission.

All vendors conducting OAL activities must comply with the criteria on the respective compliance checklists.

A compliance checklist has been developed to ensure service providers meet the management and operation standards for water-based and height-based OAL activities. All criteria must be met before services may be procured by schools. Compliance with the checklist must be clearly indicated in the programme submission.

Please refer to the appended file for the compliance checklists which service providers must submit to schools.

For further clarifications, please contact: sport_sep@sport.gov.sg