Experiential Learning Trips - Update 30th September 2015 (M)

7/23/2019 Experiential Learning Trips - Update 30th September 2015 (M)

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An examination centre for Cambridge International ExaminationsEdexcel InternationalThe International BaccalaureateMember of The Federation of British International Schools in AsiaMember of The Association of International Malaysian SchoolsMember of The Boarding Schools Association

Jalan Sungai Satu, Batu Feringgi, 11100 Penang, Malaysia.

Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778

Website: www.uplands.org Email: [email protected]

01 October 2015

Dear Secondary Parents,

Experiential Learning TripsUpdate on the haze situation

It has been a very challenging period over the last two weeks with the haze levels ranging from Unhealthy

(AQI 101150) to Good(050). As you are aware, the school has been closely monitoring the situation

here in Penang as well as in Thailand and Indonesia. As I write this letter the air quality in Penang is rapidly

changing! I would like to use this letter to update everyone on the current situation in each of the locations

that we will be travelling to next week and the actions the school will be taking.

All the locations we are travelling to currently have better air quality than Penang! We have been

monitoring each of our destinations very closely. All the Malaysian and Thailand destinations have been

very easy to check as there are air quality monitoring stations nearby each location. Checking the situationin Bintan and Sumatra has not been as simple but we have been fortunate to have people there in both

locations.

Although this letter is predominantly focused on the three international trips (Year 10, 11 & 12). It applies

equally to all the trips in Malaysia (Years 7, 8 & 9). As I mentioned above the Malaysian locations have

been easy to monitor electronically and by telephone.

I am pleased to be able to feedback from Dr. Marc van Loo, the CEO of Loola, who has provided these very

insightful comments and observations regarding the haze and the effects on all the trips.

With respect to the concerns about the haze, the following:

Living in Singapore myself, and suffering the effects of this years very bad haze, I understand the parental

concerns exactly.

However, local geography has dealt us some extremely lucky cards:

Bintan:For some reason that has apparently mostly to do with the prevailing winds, which tend to blow over the

length of South and Central Sumatra and then cross the Malacca Straits from a South-Westerly direction,

Singapore, KL, and occasionally as far North as Georgetown gets hit by a good dose of haze.

But, apart from the occasionally here and there where you notice a bit haziness, the haze mostly simply

completely by-passes Bintan, especially its East coast.

To give an example: when, on 24 September the haze reached peak PSI levels here in Singapore above 300,

and visibility was less than 500 meters, at Loola we could easily see islands 15 km (!!) far.

Weve had guests throughout the whole month this September, and not a single guest has complained about

the haze, and all activities went on as per program. The document that I attach herewith (sorry for hastily

cobbling some of the maps together, but I figured youd rather have the information fast) features some of

the satellite maps that show the odd distribution of the haze that covers Singapore but leaves Bintan free.


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


On top of this, the haze this year is different, politically speaking.

Whereas Indonesia has done nothing in all these years to stop the problem, this year there are 3 hugedifferences:

1. The E.U came down hard on Indonesia a couple of weeks ago, and announced that it will banIndonesian palm oil from the European market if there would be no credible policies put into place

to combat the haze and bring palm oil plantations in Indonesia (the key cause of the haze) to heel.

2. There is a new type of President in Indonesia, Mr Joko Widodo, the first common man AsianPresident. Instead of beating national drums when criticised, he went to work and announced that

plantation owners who didnt control fires on their land would lose their licenses. Now THAT hurts

plantation owners where it counts

3. For the first time ever, we have a massive (and very popular) intervention of the army to help put outthe fires.

These efforts have focussed on Central Sumatra, as this area affects many people, including Singaporeans

and Malaysians.

Penang has been the beneficiary of actions 2 and 3; I believe the haze in Penang has been much reduced

from the time I went to visit Uplands.

In other words, despite what the media may be saying, the interventions are working, and Indonesian people

- being the main victims of the haze - are massively in favour of the interventions 2 and 3, and I suspect thata good many Indonesians are thankful to the E.U too, because I havent seen any nationalist backlash on

account of 1.

In other words, to sum it all up, there may be a freak whiff of haze in Bintan, but, going on our experiences

of the last decade, the chances of having a bad haze at LooLa are close to nil; invariably, our guests

describe LooLa as a very welcome respite from the haze.

Moreover, another week of this massive intervention as in point 3 above should really have an additional

effect.

Sumatra:Much the same story as above.

I believe in this case the main reason why the haze very rarely reaches Harau, let alone Maninjau lake, is

because the "ring of fire mountain ridge runs right along the length of Sumatra and channels the winds

along these mountains. Harau is well up the plateau, and Maninjau is over the hill, so they, too, have not

suffered any serious effects from the haze these last 2 months.

I asked my staff to arrange for some photos, just to make sure its not a matter of local perception, and we

then received a small picture from a mobile phone, but sure enough, it showed clear visibility.


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


In the very unlikely case that, for the first time during this haze season, the haze would cross over to Harau,

we have a back-up plan, which is to go to Maninjau for the entire trip.

Krabi.

They are even further up North than Penang, and hence benefit even more of the interventions 2 and 3.

I called Elke, and she said that people noticed a bit of haziness a week back when the haze hit 300 in

Singapore, but theres no effect on the activities or peoples behaviour. I, for one, cant wait for my annual

holiday to Krabi on 12 October.

Regards

Dr Marc van Loo

And additional comment from Dr. Loo was:

We have just got in a photo from Harau canyon in Sumatra this morning - nice and sunny and clear ;-)


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


On 30 Sep 2015, at 9:13 am, LooLa CEO Desk wrote:

Ive done some more research and thinking as to how one can explain that Singapore and KL are so oftenexposed to the haze, while LooLa and West Sumatra are so little affected, but, looking at the wind directions

on the maps I supplied yesterday, I believe I may have the answer:

The satellite photo above, together with all the other maps, offers another explanation for why LooLa and

West Sumatra are spared the haze:

As we know also from long experience, the wind in Bintan at this time of the year is consistently coming

from the East, blowing in clean air from the seaall weather maps above show this very consistent wind

pattern clearly.

Closer to Singapore, however, the winds frequently turn and take a Northerly direction (see all 3 charts in

the documents I sent you yesterday to see this), and it is the same for the winds near Padang in WestSumatra: they blow in a North-east direction as well, pushing the haze back to central Sumatra.

This explains why Singapore and KL are so often affected by the Sumatran haze but Bintan and the West

Sumatran highlands are not.

Naturally, our reputation here is at stake as well, and I do not want to send students on trips where I know

the haze will be a problem.
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


In that case I would host Uplands once but never again, and I risk untold damage to our reputation.

We thrive on long-term partnerships with schools, as our long list of clients show, and our 11 internationalawards (refwww.loola.net/Eco)demonstrate that we have an international reputation for honesty and

sustainability, and well do everything we can to keep deserving these accolades and trust.

At the moment, and on the basis of similar events in the last decade, I can honestly say that none of our sites

have ever experienced haze to levels that would make outdoor activities unadvisable.

On the basis of this history, and on the basis of geography, Im confident that things will be no different this

year.

However, we are constantly monitoring things here on a daily basis. We expect the massive interventions by

the Indonesian army to bear fruit soon, so we expect things to get even better, but should things take anunexpected turn for the worse, I will let the school know immediately, and then we re-evaluate.

Because, as I said, it is not in my interest, nor anyone else interest, to send students to a site that is not

suitable.

But I do hope that parents understand that there is strong historical and geographical evidence to say that

the risk for dangerous haze at any of these sites is extremely low, and that it is for this reason that we feel

that it is safe to assume that the trip will go ahead and that it will be a success as planned.

Hope this helps,

RegardsDr Marc van Loo
http://www.loola.net/Ecohttp://www.loola.net/Eco


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


Uplands School Action

The school has paid for the insurance for the trips, the fees to each service provider and the transport costs(coach and airfares).

Please see the end of this letter for a copy of the insurance policy (we have taken out the Premiere Policy).

We are committed to attending the trips unless there is a major change in circumstances.

As demonstrated in this letter there is no reason, due to the current climatic conditions at each of the tripsites, for not attending, the conditions are currently better than we are experiencing in Penang.

The school will continue to monitor the conditions at all the trip locations, before and during the coming

week. Should the air quality change at each of the locations the school staff will take the appropriate action

in line with the schools published policy on air quality. Decisions will be made based on the prevailingcircumstances and conditions. The safety of the students and staff is of the utmost importance.

I have been asked three direct questions by several parents over the last few days

Can the trips be postponed to another time later in the year?

No. The curriculum at Uplands is so tight that there will be no other opportunity to repeat the Experiential

Trip Programmes this academic year.

Willmy child be academically penalised if they withdraw from the trip?

Another very short answer, No. Non-attendance will not have any reflection on their academic studies or

results. We do think however, that they will be missing out on a fantastic educational / social / development

opportunity.

Can I get a refund if my child does not attend?

As I explained earlier, the school has made all necessary payments for the organisation of the trips. Any

refund would be due to a claim against the purchased insurance policy. Please refer to the insurance

documentation at the end of this letter. A refund claim for not attending the trips would probably have to be

made for medical reasons.


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


In conclusion

The school will be departing on the Experiential Learning Trips this Sunday / Monday. The school willcontinue to monitor the situation closely as it has done for the last few weeks. If there is a change in air

quality during the period of the trips the staff on the trip will make the appropriate decisions.

The school is fully aware of the concerns over haze and is getting the best information it can from its sources

at each location.

We look forward to sending you updates from each of the trips as we celebrate the successes and challenges

overcome by the students on their adventures.

Yours sincerely,

Matthew Bristow

Principal


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


1. Is the resort safe?

Answer: the resort has won the 2012 award of best Eco resort in Asia, it is one of the world's best three community tourism

operators in 2013, just won two of the 10 Sustainable Business Awards Singapore (2014) and it is a Tripadvisor winner for three

years running from 2013 to 2015!

In other words, Loola resort is the most highly decorated resort in all of Asia.

Moreover, it is the leading destination in Indonesia for Singapore based school's overseas trips, and it gets audited every year, so

yes, the resort is as safe as it gets!

2. Are there any problems with Dengue or Malaria?

Answer: nowhere in Asia is there zero risk with regards to insect-borne diseases, but, to put it in perspective, the risk of

contracting Dengue is higher in Singapore than in Bintan.

Malaria, in the neighborhood of where Loola operates, is as much under control as it is in Singapore.

3. Are there problems with mosquitos or sand flies?

Answer: LooLa employs a highly sophisticated chemical-free insect control program. As a result, on most of the days, there are

hardly any biting insects. Sand flies have been absent for many years now. Occasionally the wind brings some insects in, so, just

to be sure, bring in some insect repellent.

For questions 47, please refer to the maps on the next page.

4. Will there be problems with haze?

The location of (the east coast of) Bintan with respect to the Sumatran bushfires is MUCH better than that of Singapore or KL,

which is why Bintan is so much less affected than SG by the haze: typically you dont notice the haze in LooLa even when there is

bad haze in Singapore.

For instance, when the haze in Singapore reached over 300 PSI on 24 Sep 2015, with less than 500 m visibility, LooLa had more

than 15 kmthe distance between Singapore and Batam! visibility, meaning more than 30 times better than SG!

We had guests all throughout the very bad Singapore haze of September 2015, but only on one day there was a mild effect on

visibility at LooLa. No guest has EVER complained of haze in LooLa, and weve never had to cancel any activity on account of it;

its simply a non-issue on account of a lucky fluke of geography, please refer to the maps below.So, in other words, if you want to escape the Singapore haze, theres no better nearby location: come to LooLa!

Note for the future: there has been profound pressure by the E.U on Indonesia: they announced in Sep 2015 that they would

ban Indonesian palm oil from the European market if there would be no credible policies to bring the fires under control.

Combine this with a visionary new President in Indonesia, Mr Joko Widodo, who announced that plantation owners who dont

control the fires on their land would lose their land title, and the result is wide-spread expectation in Indonesia that the fires will

come to an end in October 2015, and wont ever return again in the manner that has plagued parts of Asia for so long.

Expectations run especially high in Indonesia since the Indonesian military has been very publicly mobilized (for the first time in

such an all-out fashion!) to help with a massive fire-fighting exercise, an exercise that enjoys huge popular support: the

Indonesian people, understandably, bearing the brunt of the haze, are even more upset with the haze.

LooLa school trips parents briefing Safety FAQSome words of reassurance


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


5. What about a volcano erupting?

All volcanoes are too far to have any direct impact on either SG or Bintan.

And if ashes were to blow all the way our way, we're all equally affected.

Conclusion: the risk in the Riau islands is identical to that of Singapore, which is to say, a fully negligible risk.

6. What about earthquakes?

The so-called "ring of fire" (with volcanoes and earth quakes) runs around the southern and eastern rim of Indonesia, so both

Singapore and Bintan are equally shielded by land-masses in between from tremors. Occasionally such tremors reach SG, but as

we know, it's never severe, and in LooLa our buildings are only single storey with wooden flexible roofs, so even in the super-

unlikely case of a super-severe earthquake close-by, you'd be better off in LooLa than in a multi-storey building (such as most

schools) in Singapore!

7. What about tsunamis?

Please refer to the map below and the above point on earthquakes.

Since both Bintan and SG are completely shielded by land masses in between, tsunamis have never in history affected ourshores, and never will.

Good luck with your parents evening!

Best regards

Dr Marc van Loo

Haze map (arbitrary screenshot, 28 Sep 2015, a period when the haze was bad in Singapore)

This map is typical: The Kalimantan haze VERY rarely reaches Singapore/Bintan on account of the distance.

The Sumatran fires are typically in central or South Sumatra and they often affect Singapore and KL quite badly because of the

prevailing winds from the South West, but Bintan, especially the East coast of Bintan is typically almost completely spared. For

instance, when the haze reached a peak in Singapore of over 300 PSI and less than 500 meter visibility, LooLa had more than 15

Padang


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Tel: (6) 04-881 9777 Fax: (6) 04-881 9778


km visibility (which is the distance from Singapore to Batam, i.e more than 30 times better than SG!!)

The map of 22 September, below, simply is a random example which we happened to keep after we looked it up at that day, but

the map below, of 29 September, shows that even throughout a period of very bad haze in Singapore, Bintan remains out of the

serious haze zone.

Padang

Padang


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16/22Please refer to policy wordings for the full terms & conditions.

Description of CoverageA1. Medical expensesReimbursement for medical expenses incurred during trip.

A2. Medical expenses in MalaysiaReimbursement for follow-up medical expenses incurred in Malaysia, within 30 days upon arrival.

A3. Daily hospital incomeCompensation for every day of overseas hospital admission.

A4. Alternative medicineReimbursement for alternative treatment expenses incurred during trip.

A5. Emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of mortal remainsTransporting you to a medical facility or Malaysia for medical treatment; Repatriation of mortal remainsto Malaysia and reimbursement for expenses incurred.

A6. Compassionate visit

Reimbursement for covered expenses incurred by 1 person if you are hospitalized (more than 5 days)or suffer death.

A7. Child GuardReimbursement for covered expenses incurred to accompany your child/children back to Malaysia if

you are hospitalized and there is no one to look after your child/children.

B1. Accidental death and permanent disablementPays for accidental death or permanent disablement.

C1. Travel Cancellation/CurtailmentReimbursement for expenses not recoverable if you cancel your trip prior to departure from Malaysiaor curtail your trip and return directly to Malaysia due to covered reasons.

C2. Travel DelayPays for common carrier or chartered flight delay, as stated in the schedule of benefits.

C3. Travel Reroute/Overbooked/Misconnection/Missed DeparturePays for every 6 consecutive hours of delay due to covered reasons.

C4. Baggage DelayPays for delay of your accompanying checked-in baggage.

C5. Damage or loss of baggage and/or personal effectsReimbursement for damage or loss of baggage or personal effects due to theft or common carriernegligence.

C6. Loss of travel documentReimbursement for replacement cost of passport/visa due to theft, and additional covered expenses incurred.

C7. Loss of moneyPays for loss of currency note or travelers cheques due to theft.

C8. Personal LiabilityReimbursement for expenses incurred on defense of claim, if you are held legally liable to a third party

for death/accidental bodily injury or loss/damage to property.C9. Home Inconvenience AllowanceReimbursement for loss or damage of household contents due to theft while your place of residence isleft vacant.


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24/7 Emergency Assistance anytime, anywhere

24/7 Doctor On Call

Up to RM10 million coverage of medical expenses

Low premiums that everyone can afford

Per trip or annual plans customized for individual, spouse, family

No maximum age limit

Business or leisure? No difference, part business/part leisure too.

Acts of terrorism, hijacking and natural disaster? Covered!

Feel just like home with 24/7 multi-lingual interpreter service

Trip Cancellation benefit begins even before you travel

No MaximumAge Limit

Up To RM10 MillionMedical Expenses

(Premier Plan)

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NaturalDisaster


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Experiential Learning Trips - Update 30th September 2015 (M)

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