News

The recent Itaewon Halloween tragedy once again drove home the importance of being equipped with basic survival skills. Such freak accidents are rare, but in these situations, when panic and pandemonium ensue, knowing what to do can help reduce the risk of being injured or killed. However, most Singaporeans are still largely unaware of what to do in such unexpected situations. Teenagers and young adults are especially vulnerable because they like attending mass events where such accidents are most likely to occur. Most of the casualties in the Itaewon incident were aged 20 to 30. Schools in Singapore do not have lessons on basic survival tips for such emergencies. Currently, they hold only fire drills or lockdown procedures every year. To increase teenagers’ knowledge on what to do in such situations, survival skills could be taught during civics lessons. Including a module on survival tips would engage students and better prepare them for life-threatening scenarios. We should prepare our students to deal with such emergencies before they occur so that they will be more assured and remain calm, be it in Singapore or overseas. While we want to have fun, let’s ensure we can return home safely to our parents. , 17 JC1 student