By Yeo Shang Long & Karen Zainal

EFFORTS have been made to address the lack of integration among junior college (JC), polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students, including a successful programme that has since fallen by the wayside.

Youth Avenue, which brought teenagers from these post-secondary schools together for two days of activities such as debating, treasure hunts and rock climbing, began in 2006 with 160 participants. It had another run in 2007, with 240 JC, polytechnic and ITE students.

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Ms Rafidah Yusoff, 21, who took part in the inaugural Youth Avenue and helped organise the second one, said the camp was successful in 'helping us realise that we are not so different as we originally thought'. But personal commitments had taken organisers away from convening Youth Avenue in the last two years.

Today, sports is one arena where students from JCs, polytechnics and the ITE mix and where the acknowledged 'social gap' dissolves.

The M1 Rugby 10s Competition, for example, is one such tournament. Republic Polytechnic's sports and exercise science student Daryl Chia, 19, said he got to know other rugby players and their game strategies through it.

Activities outside school are also paving the way for friendship among students from these institutions. Temasek Junior College second-year student Jan Lim, 19, has become good friends with several ITE students she met in church.

She now believes that 'the ITE stereotype is not representative of all ITE students', and that friendships should not be based on one's school.

However, Miss Sandra Chong, 19, said the notion that shared experiences can melt away segregation may be too idealistic.

'Yes, it becomes less awkward after a while, but we hardly go beyond shallow talking points like movies and food,' said the former Anglo-Chinese Junior College student who has colleagues from polytechnics and the ITE in her part-time job.

Ms Rafidah, drawing on her experience in organising the youth camp, said it is still better than not talking at all. She agreed with Mr Victor Looi, who wrote to The Straits Times' Forum page to propose community involvement programmes as the way to go.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.