Singapore: education – a way towards modernisation

Enquiry question / What is the role played by education in the process of modernisation and transformation in Singapore?
Content / Related to the History curriculum (S4-6)
Related to civic and national education
Learning Objectives / Knowledge: /
  • National education in Singapore
  • Two main features of the education system in Singapore– streaming at Secondary 1 according to results in public examination and bilingual policy
  • Singaporeans’ responses to the rising global competition

Skills: /
  • Analysis
  • Comparison
  • Formulation of personal views

Attitude: /
  • Encourage a positive attitude toward national education
  • Encourage the concept of life-long learning

Teaching flow:
Teachers may select or modify the activities in this teaching plan so as to suit the learningneeds of their students.
Activities / Format / Learning Objectives / Content
A / Introduction /
  • Discussion
  • Watch documentary (complete set)
/
  • To arouse interest
  • To activate prior knowledge
/
  • The documentary on Singapore

B / Activity 1 /
  • Worksheet
  • Selected part from the video
/
  • To find out some of the ways and reasons of giving national education in schools
/
  • Flag raising ceremony
  • Reciting the national pledge

C / Activity 2 /
  • Worksheet
  • Group work
/
  • To develop empathy, imagination and creativity in historical context
/
  • Pledge

D / Activity 3 /
  • Selected part from the documentary
  • Worksheet (optional)
/
  • To facilitate learning from characters in the video programme
/
  • Characters’ reflection (Ma and his daughter)

E / Extended learning /
  • Extended reading
  • Think-pair-share
/
  • To bring students back to the HK scenario and make reflection
/
  • Education today

An Overview of the chapter

A.Introduction

Step 1 / Question: Name the 4 Little Dragons of Asia
Answer: Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea
Note /
  • If students have not watched the documentary on Singapore, let them watch the whole programme, and remind them to pay more attention on education of Singapore. After watching the programme, draw students’ attention to the overview underneath, and the enquiry question given on page 1.
  • If students have watched the documentary on Singapore, simply draw their attention to the overview given above and the enquiry question given on page 1 and below.

Enquiry question / What is the role played by education in the process of modernisation and transformation ofSingapore?

B.Activity 1: National education in Singapore

Step 1 / Teacher:
What do Singaporeans do with national flag-raising ceremony and the National Pledge?
Do you know? /
  • The national flag-raising ceremony is held in all schools in Singapore every school day.
  • A national pledgeis an oath of loyalty to an individual’s country.
  • The SingaporeNational Pledgeis commonly recited by Singaporeans in unison at public events, especially in school assemblies and the armed forcesassemblies, and during the National Day Parade.
  • According to the guidelines given by the government, the individuals reciting the Pledge shall clench their right fists to the left side of their chests as a gesture to symbolise loyalty to the nation.

Step 2 / Activity:
Fill in the missing words in Source Awhen you watch the documentary.
(Ch.4 13:30-13:51)
Source A
The SingaporeNational Pledge
We, the citizens of Singapore,
pledge ourselves as one______people,
regardless of______,______, or______,
to build a______society
based on______and ______
so as to achieve______, ______
and ______for our nation.
Suggested answers / united, race, language, religion, democracy, justice, equality, happiness, prosperity and progress
(We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion, to build a democratic society based on justice and equality so as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.)
Do you know? /
  • The Singapore National Pledge is written in four languages.
  • In 1959, when Singapore gained self-rule from Britain, it chose to become an officially multi-lingual state. Four languages were selected as official languages. They are English, Mandarin Chinese, Malay and Tamil (mother tongue of Dravidian-speaking Indians).
  • English is promoted as the ‘working language’ for inter-ethnic communication while the other three are considered ‘mother-tongues’ of the major ethnic groups.
  • All students study the core curriculum through the medium of English. Besides, they are required to reach a ‘second language’ level of proficiency in their official mother tongue.

Step3 / Questions for students:
  • Would you consider creating a pledge of loyalty for your school? Why or why not?
  • What about your class/family? Why or why not?

Note /
  • Teachers are advised to accept any logical answers.
  • Remind students the need to take multiple perspectives when they formulate their personal views.
  • Teachers are reminded not to judge. It is time for students to practice expressing their personal views freely and logically.

Step4 / Questions for students:
What are the merits and demerits of adopting the policy of reciting the national pledge in unison every school day? Answer the question with your own knowledge.
Note /
  • Teacher may remind students that when they evaluate a policy (solution), they should consider the problem(s).

Suggested answers / Merits / Demerits
  • It may help to gel people together, forge a common identity and develop sense of belonging.
  • Citizens and students will be aware of the importance of the values of their country e.g. democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality in Singapore.
/
  • It is brainwashing.
  • When people become fed up with it, they may become rebellious.
  • It wastes time.
  • Any other logical answer.

Step 5 / Questions for students:
Why is the national pledge of Singaporewritten in four languages? How will the 4 major ethnic groups feel?
(documentary time location: Ch.4 12:21-12:39, 12:56-13:03)
Suggested answers /
  • Singapore is a multi-cultural nation. ethnic harmony is important in maintaining unity of the country.
  • The 4 major ethnic groups may feel that they have equal importance in the government.
  • Any other sensible answers.

C.Activity 2: Using your creativity in history study

- Design a pledge of your own class/club/school

Step 1 / Questions for students:
If your club/society/house/school needs a pledge to be recited in unison during school events, what ideas, attitude and values thatyou want to include? You may take the Singapore National Pledge and pledges of other organisations as examples.
Note /
  • Teachers may discuss keywords that students would like to use in the pledge, and then let them design and polish the language.
  • Free expression of opinions is encouraged.
  • Teachers may further discuss with students on the aim of the pledge and the valueswhich is laid in it.
  • Other references:
(i) Pledge of the Hong Kong Red Cross (see Appendix 1)

(ii)Pledge of Allegiance (see Appendix 1)

(iii) The Teachers’ Pledge (Singapore) (visit the webpage)

Differentiated instruction / Teacher may ask students to suggest keywords, phrases and ideas only, but not to write the full pledge.
Our Pledge
  1. Activity 3: What are the reflections of Ma Guochengand his daughter?

Step 1 / Study Sources B and C. Watch the part on the interviews of MA Guocheng and his daughter. Then answer question (1) to (5).
Time location
of the documentary / Ch.5 14:37, 18:32, 19:24,
Ch. 5 12:56, 18:58, 19:32
Differentiated instruction / This activity can be done by referring to Sources B and C only.
Source B
An interview with Ma Guocheng
Ma Guocheng:
  • As a soldier, you had to hike, sometimes all through the night without sleep till morning. You’ll find such kind of pressure useful after entering society. You’ll know there’s no family without nation. If you can’t even defend your country, how then can you defend your family?
  • Iwent to study every weekday, except Wednesdays. I left work at six, and studied from seven to half past ten before returning home. The next day I went to work at about six. I studied all week for 11 months. It’s hard work... Further study keeps you from becoming obsolete. That’s the reason…
  • My mother’s generation is relatively local. My generation is exposed to investment.

Source C
An interview with Ma Xin’er
MA Xin’er:
  • Even though we have different races, different cultures, we come from different family backgrounds, but we are all Singaporeans.
  • With more foreign people, and they are also quite clever, so it’s much harder. The competition is tougher...
  • I think I will contribute to SingaporebecauseSingapore helps me a lot.

Question 1 / Refer to Source B? Why did Ma Guocheng study every weekday after work for almost a year?
Suggested
answer / Ma Guocheng wanted to keep himself from becoming obsolete.
Question 2 / What does the word “competition”in Source C refer to?
Suggested
answer / It may refer to the competition from other S.E Asian countries, Asia, other parts of the world, including Hong Kong.
Note / Teachers may remind students that Ma Xin’er does not specify ‘competition’,therefore students are expected to make inference.
Question 3 / Describe Ma Xin’er’s attitude toward ‘competition’ and ‘country’ as shown in Source C. How does her attitude reflect the effect of education in Singapore in citizenship building?
Suggested
answer /
  • She is aware of the competition she faces, and that the competition has become tougher.
  • She is grateful to the country. To return kindness, she is willing to serve the country.
  • Her attitude reflects the success of education in citizenship building.

Question 4 / In addition to schooling, how does military training help to develop an individual’s competitive power and responsibility to the country? Elaborate you ideas with the experiences of Ma Guocheng as reflected in Source B.
Suggested
answer /
  • Military training made Ma Guocheng more able to resistpressure.
  • It also made him understand that there is no family without nation.

Question 5 / “In the process of modernisation and transformation, constant self-improvement is the only way out in facing increasing competition”. Do you agree with this statement on individual level and national level? Share your view with your classmates.
Suggested
answer /
  • Any sensible answer.
  • Remind students the need to take multiple perspectives when they formulate their personal views.

Note /
  • Teachers are advised to accept any logical answers, and show empathy to personal sharings.

E.Extended learning

What are the characteristics of education in Singapore?

Source D
The education system in Singapore
Nowadays, education in Singapore is regarded as one of the best in the world. It has undergone many changes since 1965. In the colonial days, education was to develop highly efficient workers and dedicated executives for the colonial government. However, Singapore after independence needed to create a national harmony to generate a knowledge-based society to support the service industry. To get a place for Singaporein the dynamic and ever changing global market, the following initiatives weretaken by the government to change the educational landscape:
  1. Nationalismhas beenemphasized in education.
  2. Streaming at Secondary 1 according to results in public examination, distribute students to academic, vocational or technical schools.
  3. ‘Multi-racial’, ‘multi-lingual’ and ‘multi-cultural’have been promoted in schools as the main features of the Singaporean society.
...
  1. Students are educated to accommodate new economic strategies including new skills and new work attitude for the nation building process.
  2. Adopt bilingualism to balance East and West culture.
Lack of natural resources, human intellect and ingenuity is the only resources that Singapore can rely on. It has made Singapore a truly competitive country. The road is obviously in a supreme modernization process.
Question 1 / According to Source D, what is the resource which hasmade Singapore a truly competitive country?
Suggested answer / Human resources/ human intellect and ingenuity
Question 2 / What kind of society was Singaporehas to become in the mist of growing competition? Why?
Suggested answer /
  • A knowledge-based society
  • To support the service industry.

Question 3 / From the 5 initiativeslisted in Source D, suggest 4 possible characteristics of education in Singapore.
Suggested answer / Any 4:
  1. National education is stressed.
  2. Schools are divided into 3 main streams: academic, vocational and technical.
  3. Students of different ethnic groups go to the same school.
  4. Ethnic harmony is encouraged in schools.
  5. Respect to different cultures.
  6. The students will be able to speak more than one language.
  7. Students are encouraged to have new skills and new attitude as a way to serve the country.
  8. Vocation training is important.
  9. English and Chinese Languages have equal importance.

Question 4 / Are there new initiatives to change the educational landscape of Singapore for the modernisation process in the 21st century? Try to collect some ideas from government documents given in Appendix 1, compare Hong Kong’s current education reform, then present your opinions.
Reference
(See Appendix 1) /
  • “Nurturing Our Young for the Future Competencies for the 21st Century”
(
  • "Reform Proposal for the Education System in Hong Kong", 2000, HKSAR
(
Suggested answer /
  • Free discussion

Appendix 1

Source A
Nurturing Our Young for the Future Competencies for the 21st Century
(Ministry of Education, Singapore, as of March 2010)
Refer to:
Source B
Reform Proposal for the Education System in Hong Kong
The Education Commission, HKSAR, 2000


More about Singapore education:
Singapore Government ＞Ministry of Education ＞Secondary education

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