What happens when your CCA is on life support? 

Some of us have wondered if our CCA would be next to shut down. 

Fortunately, this does not happen often. Before Scouts was disbanded this year, the last time a CCA was closed in NUS High was around eight years ago, when the Gamelan ensemble was dissolved.  

We talked to Scouts members and teachers about their thoughts following their disbandment, as well as other students on the prospect of their own CCA meeting the same fate. 

On the day of Convocation near the end of 2025, Scouts members were informed that it would be disbanded the next year. It was weeks past the last CCA session of the year, but members had already anticipated the result for a while. Only eight members remained excluding graduates, the lowest of any standalone CCA in the school, and all but one of them did not initially enroll in Scouts as their first choice. Aside from participating in regular CCA sessions, this was also a warning sign of declining interest levels.  

The CCA teacher-in-charge initially hoped that it would survive for one more year but noted that the disbandment was justified. He acknowledged that many members had left for a variety of reasons, such as interest in other CCAs such as Watersports which opens signups to Year 3s and above only.  

In recent years, Scouts has consistently received smaller enrollments than our two other uniformed groups. In addition, some scouting activities done in school have an element of risk, such as pioneering (building structures using ropes and wooden spars), so two supervising teachers are required. After discussion, the school deemed continuing to support the CCA unsustainable due to these factors. 

This alone does not mean interest in the CCA has hit rock bottom. Indeed, there are still passionate members who are most impacted by the change.  

“I feel like Scouts is a CCA where you’ll only see how much you enjoy and learn when you join, and I think our other uniformed group counterparts would agree,” said a Scouts member who declined to be named. He says the disbandment is really a pity, as the experience is more fulfilling than many of us initially thought. 

“I was in denial in the beginning, mostly because I have been scouting for more than half my life, but I need to accept that it’s time to move on,” He, with most of the remaining members, collaborated to submit an appeal to give the CCA another chance, preparing testimonials and collating reasons to keep Scouts alive, though it was not sufficient. “Was there something that could be done? Maybe,” he added, knowing that reversing the school’s decision was unlikely given the circumstances. After all, the disbandment was floated and discussed by school leaders for quite a while before they made their final decision. “It probably was a lost cause from the start.” 

With the precedent set by Scouts’ disbandment, could any other CCA be next to go?  

The two remaining uniformed groups, NCC and St John’s Brigade are likely to stay, due to a combination of MOE and school requirements (for example, one of the CCA choices during signups must be a uniformed group). Enrollment numbers have increased slightly after the disbandment, said a uniformed group member we talked to. “Our CCA will not shut down,” he said, with some confidence. 

Though perhaps, if you foresee a future where your CCA is on the verge of disappearing, then it would be helpful to think of how you might work to keep it alive when needed. How would you convince the school of the value of preserving your CCA?