NANYANG RESEARCH PROGRAMME Exploring Heritage Values of Chinese Schools As Cultural Spaces: Case Studies
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NANYANG RESEARCH PROGRAMME Exploring Heritage Values of Chinese Schools as Cultural Spaces: Case Studies Wang Ziyi Qu Jingyi Dunman High School School of Humanities Qi Siyi Nanyang Technological University Hwa Chong Institution (College) ABSTRACT The dilution of the cultural traditions of the Chinese Schools (or huaxiao) in Singapore calls for a scrutiny of its underlying causes and insights that can contribute to its revitalization. While it is generally agreed that the astringent cultural dilution sprouts from changes in education policies starting from the 1960, with efforts to build an English-speaking nation, and the perceived lack of relevance and attractiveness that contemporaries associate with the Chinese culture, existing literature on the subject lacks comprehensiveness and by adopting an overly top-down approach, seldom surveys in detail into case studies. Furthermore, there is little exploration on the commendable aspects of existing cultural features that can shed light on questions of cultural preservation. This paper seeks to understand the culture of traditional huaxiao in relation to Singapore society past and present by considering both the tangible and intangible aspects of cultural features, from two case studies, namely the school identities (school motto, mission and uniform) and architectural spaces & cultural memories of Dunman High School and Hwa Chong Institution’s Chinese drama. Problems are recognized, and merits are not dismissed. Adopting a historiographical approach backed up by oral history, interviews, surveys as methods of primary data collection, in addition to digital and non-digital secondary research, the research findings are affirmative to the reasons traditionally attributed to this cultural phenomenon and yield insights on revitalising cultural identification. Keywords: Chinese Schools in Singapore, Cultural Identity, Cultural Preservation, Dunman High School, Hwa Chong Institution 1 Exploring Heritage Values of Chinese Schools as Cultural Spaces: Case Studies 1. INTRODUCTION Despite being phased out in 1970s, the contributions of traditional Chinese Schools still remain deeply relevant in the context of modern Singapore, especially in terms of the emphasis in moral education. However, although the Chinese Schools (or huaxiao) nowadays still form an indispensable part of the Singapore education system, many of the traditional cultures and heritage values in Chinese Schools are no longer followed by students attending these schools due to the influence and influx of Western cultures. Furthermore, while school identities (such as school motto, mission and uniform) may remain the same since the founding of the different Chinese Schools, the significance and the possible hidden meaning behind it, to the school population, may have varied greatly over time. The same goes to the tradition of cultural activities, with their significance to students evolving and emerging. Thus, while aiming to explore and understand the heritage values and traditional cultures of Chinese Schools (both past and present), by focusing on both the tangible and intangible aspects, this paper also wishes to yield insights correspondingly in promoting cultural identification to such valuable heritage and cultures. Chinese Schools in this context are of interest not only as sites of an exclusive identity, limited in relevance to a particular social network that carries certain social capital, but also as cultural spaces where various literary and cultural practices of the Chinese tradition have been transmitted exemplarily over decades in the last century, as part of Singapore's emerging national identity. Therefore, it is recognised that the heritage values of Chinese Schools do not exist in a void, but lie crucially in the intersection between its cultural meanings and students’ identification with it. Guided by various prominent cultural identity theories, this paper seeks first to understand the level of identification students have with contemporary Chinese schools using empirical methods, by a survey of students’ identification to various cultural features. The paper then proceeds to an analysis of the underlying reasons behind the results. After which, by using a contrasting case study that goes in-depth into its cultural values through the spans of more than half a century, which despite changes in various circumstances, have maintained a commendable cultural basis, this paper seeks to extrapolate insights on enhancing students’ cultural identity to Chinese Schools in general. Due to constraints of time, resources and manpower, this research is inherently limited in scale, especially in the number of schools surveyed and the areas of focus. The research materials of this paper come from case studies of two prominent Chinese Schools in Singapore, namely, Dunman High School and Hwa Chong Institution albeit different areas of focus are attached to the two schools. Two different sections are dedicated to each case study. The first section involves the case study of Dunman High School which emphasises largely on the tangible component: School identities & architectural spaces and the change in 2 Exploring Heritage Values of Chinese Schools as Cultural Spaces: Case Studies their significance over time, coupled with slight discussion on the cultural memories present in the school. On the other hand, the second section involves the case study of Hwa Chong Institution, which focuses mainly on the intangible component : The history of Chinese Drama and its relevance with the school motto, 自强不 息 (Tireless self-improvement with tenacity, innovation and passion) Furthermore, this research centres around the broad environment of the two Chinese Schools explored as a whole, and not zooming into the behaviour of each individual (students and teachers) in the school population. However, the data and analysis from any school should not be seen as disparate from each other, but rather as, answering to the same questions that this paper aims to illuminate. Therefore, the same survey or investigation may not be administered to both of the two schools, if one of the more suitable case studies provides a sufficient answer. That being said, when extrapolation is transferred from one case study to another, a trial survey is still administered, albeit to a smaller scale. Even with that, this paper does hope to yield insights on enhancing students’ cultural identification to Chinese Schools in general after understanding the heritage values of Chinese Schools (or huaxiao) past and present in Singapore and reasons for the phenomenon of dilution of Chinese heritage values in Chinese Schools. Therefore, generalisations deemed appropriate by the researchers will be made in order to abstract characteristics broadly applicable to most, if not all, Chinese Schools in Singapore. 3 Exploring Heritage Values of Chinese Schools as Cultural Spaces: Case Studies 2. CASE STUDY I: DUNMAN HIGH SCHOOL I. METHODOLOGY The main methods used in this part of the research are interviews (oral history) with the relevant parties/authorities, general surveys to find out more about the cultural spaces among a larger group of respondents and last but not least, detailed digital and non-digital secondary background research on the past of the Chinese Schools and other relevant information. Carefully-designed surveys and interviews were carried out in Dunman High School to find out the level of identification students have with their school. Underlying reasons are analysed from the results. A. PARTICIPANTS & FOCUS GROUP A survey is conducted among the current Dunman High students to check on their awareness of school identities, school culture & heritage and architectural spaces in school as well as their opinions on Dunman High School as a traditional Chinese School. 54 responses are collected from students from all levels in the school (with the age group varying from 13 years old to 18 years old), ranging from the Year 1s who spent barely a year in the school to Year 6s who will be leaving the school soon after the six-year journey in Dunman High. Three experienced staff of Dunman High School are interviewed too, together with three student leaders from the student population. (See Appendix A for a summary of the respondents’ demographic composition and background. In order to protect the privacy of the interviewees, the names have been changed accordingly.) The six interviewees, despite coming from different backgrounds and age groups, are however able to represent and offer a range of views in which the culture and heritage are (not) exhibited in the school, and their opinions on the significance behind the main school identities and architectural spaces. With differences observed among the group of interviewees, there are definitely constants too. All interviewees exhibit good knowledge of the school background/history. This is complemented by their full awareness of the current situation in Dunman High School, which allows us to have a better comparison of the past versus present situation in Dunman High School. B. SURVEY METHODS & INTERVIEW PROCEDURE A survey was distributed to selected students (100 in total) from all levels in the school during May 2017 (Refer to Appendix B for the survey questions). Taking into account their classes, Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) and/or any other enrichment activities that may differentiate themselves from their other 4 Exploring Heritage Values of Chinese Schools as Cultural Spaces: