MORE students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) will go on overseas trips, now that more money has been reserved for this purpose.

The $400,000 which the National Youth Council (NYC) set aside - nearly twice last year's budget - will enable 550 students to take part in Youth Expedition Projects in the coming financial year, up from 360 in the current one.

NYC will provide up to half the amount needed for the projects, leaving ITE to gather the rest through fund-raisers or student contributions.

And, under a new arrangement, it will be ITE rather than youth council which will approve the proposals for such projects.

National Youth Council director Koh Peng Keng explained that this was to encourage ITE to build its own contacts and 'develop ownership of the projects'.

Sixteen ITE projects were organised with funding received last year.

One of them sent a team of more than 70 students and staff to Hainan in China last September.

They built sports facilities, installed solar-powered street lamps and braved unpredictable weather.

Mr Chia Ming Hong, 19, who was on that trip, said he experienced his first typhoon there, huddled in a school building.

He said: 'You learn to appreciate what you have here when you see what it's like there.'

CHERYL ONG

This article was first published in The Straits Times.