PSLE Oral – Water Conservation

The preliminary English Oral testing has begun for the P6 students. One of the themes that were tested so far was Water conservation.

Every year, I work on the themes of both water conservation and recycling with my students, and fortunately, we had done so during the June holidays.

Below is the model based on the theme of water conservation. We wish all P6 students all the best for Preliminary oral examinations.

PSLE Oral model answer on the theme of Water Conservation

Question 1: Do you agree with the ways to save water in this poster?

Thought

Yes,  I do.

Reason 1 & example

The ways stated are practical and apply to children as well as every member of the family. Everyone takes showers, brushes their teeth and flushes the toilet, and washes dishes!

I never knew that so much water is used for a 4-minute shower. Unfortunately, I am guilty of leaving the shower on while I soap myself. Even though I know that I should turn it off I often forget! Sometimes, my mom will yell for me to hurry up and not waste water but I love my showers! Especially on a hot day.

Reason 2 & example

I do follow the way to save water when brushing my teeth.

I always turn off the tap after I wet my brush and I use a cup to rinse my mouth with water. I have been taught this habit since young and as brushing my teeth is an activity I do twice a day, I am mindful not to leave the tap running. When I was 8 years old, I read an article in a Science magazine that my school subscribes to. The article talked about the different ways to save water and the dangers of wasting water. It was only then that I realized how important it is to use water sparingly.

Reason 3 and Example

We do not have a dishwashing machine so we need to wash our dirty several times a day. My domestic helper usually washes the dishes and unfortunately, I know that she leaves the water running. I will show her the poster and explain to her why she shouldn’t be doing that.

Opinion

In my opinion, every household should take water conservation seriously. Water is precious, especially in Singapore. There is always a campaign about how we can conserve water so it will not be too difficult for everyone to follow the ways at home.

Question 2: Why is it important to conserve water?

Reason 1 & Example

The price of water in Singapore is quite high. The monthly bill for water can be a lot especially for a family of 5 like mine. My mother constantly reminds us that each of us should play our part in conserving water at home, especially when taking showers. Sometimes, we forget to turn off the tap while we are washing our hair and soaping ourselves. Thus, I think that my mother’s reminders are useful.

Reason 2 & Example

Recently, I read an article that Singapore’s population and economy are growing and it is estimated that by 2060 we will be using 860 million gallons of water per day! It will be double of what we are now using. We will need to develop good conservation habits if Singapore is able to sustain such a demand.

Reason 3 & Example

Singapore imports most of its water supply from other countries. Even though we have tried to produce our own water, it is very costly to do so. As Singapore relies on other countries, we should be mindful that those countries could stop exporting to us and Singaporeans may suddenly not have enough water for our daily needs. We should not waste water and develop good habits of conserving water.

Experience

Two years ago, my school took us on tour at the NeWater facility. The staff gave us a guided tour of how water is recycled. The visit really emphasized the theme of water conservation and that every drop counts. We also visited the factory where water is recycled and made safe for consumption.

I felt that it was a very educational and informative visit and helped me understand the importance of water conservation.

Suggestion

I suggest that every member of the household puts in the effort needed to conserve water and keep the water bill low. This is especially important as family members work from home and we spend more time at home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Question 3: How can you raise awareness about saving water in your school?

Reason & Example

I believe that once a year, a talk about water conservation should be held in school during assembly. 

One year there was even an interesting play about what happens when we waste water. This talk is useful because as children we sometimes forget to use water wisely. Also, we may not understand how much water we waste and why we should conserve water.

Reason 2 & example

Aside from the talk, we can also put up posters in the school toilets, reminding students to make sure that the faucets are turned off properly after washing their hands.  There could also be posters about the importance of water conservation pasted around the schools.

Posters should be eye-catching and informative to encourage students to conserve water in school and at home.

Reason 3 & Example

Schools can also hold an art contest on designing posters about water conservation. They can sponsor attractive prizes to motivate more students to join the competition and learn more about saving water.

Experience

Some students can’t be bothered to follow the different ways to save water. Some students leave the tap running and simply walk out of the toilet after washing their hands! Others have water fights in the bathroom, wasting a lot of water! My friends and I have witnessed this in school many times and we have to remind the younger students about the importance of saving water.

Opinion

In my opinion schools have a responsibility to educate their students on important topics such as water conservation. Schools should not focus only on academic work but make the time to teach students about moral values and protecting our environment.