FY 2007 Committee of Supply Debate 3rd Reply by MOS on National Education

Enhancing NE: Strengthening Heartware and Rootedness

INTRODUCTION

1. Mr Chairman, as we prepare our students for a future of opportunity, we are also mindful that we need to work on strengthening their heartware and emotional rootedness to

Singapore so that they will continue to regard this place as home, and will be committed to contributing towards making this a better home for future generations.

2. Let me thank Dr , Dr , Dr

Amy Khor and Mdm for their interest in and questions on how National Education will be enhanced. Dr Faishal asked how we can deepen the sense of rootedness and patriotism in our young to . Dr had questions on the teaching of NE, the syllabus, making NE come alive and the relevance of teacher training. These are aspects which the review of NE has covered and which I will touch on in my reply.

3. When NE was introduced in 1997, the objectives of NE then,

1 were to develop national cohesion, the instincts for survival and confidence in the future. The concern was that our younger generation, who had not gone through the struggles of nation- building, would not appreciate or value what it is we have in

Singapore, how it was painstakingly wrought by earlier generations over the years.

4. We infused NE in various subjects, particularly Civics and

Moral Education, and introduced Social Studies. Through these, we sought to develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for

Singapore’s challenges and achievements, heritage and way of life.

We also introduced some common NE experiences for all students, through the Community Involvement Programme (or CIP), Learning

Journeys and the commemoration of 4 core events, such as Total

Defence Day and Racial Harmony Day, to help them internalise important values.

5. Over the past decade, some key events have shocked us out of our comfort zone. The Asian Economic Crisis, the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre and our subsequent concerns over domestic and regional terrorism, and SARs come prominently to mind. We were tested and we stayed united and cohesive; we responded decisively and we emerged stronger. We must imbue in

2 successive generations these same instinctive responses to crises.

Our young will need to be resilient, have a robust sense of nationhood and determination to stay united as one people.

6. Over the past 10 years, we have had more opportunities for more Singaporeans to study, work and live abroad. We expect this trend to continue. So it is vital that as we prepare our young well with the skills and confidence to engage in a globalised world, we also grow their emotional attachment to Singapore so that they continue to regard this place as home no matter how far they journey and how long they are away. It is this context that prompted

PM Lee to speak about developing “heartware and rootedness” in his National Day Rally last year and which is also the reason why there must be greater emphasis on ‘emotional rootedness’ as an NE objective.

GREATER OWNERSHIP, ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT

Background

7. The Committee on National Education was set up in August last year to look at how we can enhance NE in our schools and

Post-Secondary Educational Institutions, or PSEIs. The Committee was asked to look into how we can better engage our young and

3 encourage them to shape the character and life of our society. We were mindful that the objective was not to do more NE but to make it felt more.

8. We consulted a wide range of stakeholders -- students, school and PSEI leaders, teachers, parents and community groups – close to 1200 in all. We asked them to share with us what worked and what did not work about NE. Let me briefly share some of the key findings.

Findings

9. Our educational leaders, teachers, students, parents, community organisations agree that NE is important and the core programmes are sound. They understand the context for, and necessity of, NE. Over the years, these programmes have created better awareness among students of the key messages and some appreciation of the attributes that make Singapore special as a country. But students, especially those older, would like to be engaged in thinking through national issues through open and candid discussions and empowered to give back to the community in their own meaningful ways.

10. Feedback also shows that implementation of NE programmes

4 has been uneven, resulting in differing student experiences.

Students shared that while they enjoyed NE at primary school, they became somewhat sceptical of NE at the secondary school level and beyond. A good number found Social Studies which they equated most with NE, as burdensome, boring or worse, relegated it to ‘propaganda’. This affirms the comments by Dr Amy Khor about

Social Studies. She used ‘dry’, ‘uninteresting’ which are kinder and milder descriptions. A small minority felt that CIP was more about meeting the required number of hours than about helping others. I would stress that this was only a minority.

11. But where the approach has been holistic, where school leaders have thoughtfully structured programmes, where teachers have skilfully and openly engaged students, NE was well received.

For these students, Learning Journeys and Social Studies opened their minds, caused them to re-examine their assumptions and deepened their understanding of the challenges we face, while CIP, they felt, empowered them to care for others and caused them to reflect on how their efforts can make a significant difference.

12. Based on the feedback, one of the conclusions the Committee made is that the present articulation of “love, know and lead

Singapore” as the respective NE outcomes for primary, secondary,

5 and post-secondary levels may have unwittingly led to an over- emphasis on one particular outcome at each stage to the exclusion of others. So, as students progressed from ‘love’ in primary school to ‘know’ in secondary school, the intellectual component took precedence.

13. As students grow, we have to engage their minds in ways that do not lose touch with their hearts. For us in the Committee, our realisation is that for some older students, NE has engaged the mind sufficiently but has not warmed the heart adequately. I note Dr

Faishal’s feedback; we recognise that there is more that needs to be done to reach the heart.

Refinement in approach

14. Going forward, our refinements seek to give greater focus on emotional rootedness as an objective of NE. We need to refine, not increase, our NE programmes; we have to customise them to suit our students’ age, interests and inclinations. As always, the educator is the fulcrum on which our efforts and outcomes rest.

15. To guide us in the next phase of NE, the Committee recommends the “Head, Heart and Hands” framework. You will find a copy of this framework among your handouts. This framework

6 essentially builds on the current desired outcomes of “Love, Know and Lead Singapore” but stresses a continuum in the engagement of Head, Heart and Hands across different educational levels, building on affections formed and knowledge imparted at the earlier stages.

16. In addition, the new framework expands on the outcomes of

“Love, Know and Lead Singapore”. If I may draw your attention to words which describe Head, Heart and Hands, you will see that the words Love, Appreciate and Belong describe the concept of ‘Heart’,

Know, Think and Understand the concept of ‘Head’ and, Contribute,

Create and Lead, the concept of ’Hands’.

17. These expanded outcomes are important to capture the essence of what it means to engage Head, Heart and Hands. In engaging the “Head”, we want students to be actively involved in their own learning; we want them not only to know the facts but to think through issues and arrive at a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Singapore and what it means to be Singaporean.

In engaging the “Heart”, we want students to connect emotionally with the Singapore story; we want them to love, appreciate and feel a deeper sense of belonging to this place we call home. In engaging the “Hands”, we want students to give back to society and

7 to want to do their part to contribute to and create Singapore’s future and, where possible, to lead in different fields of society.

18. The middle ring in the framework articulates the principles which underline all the recommendations – they are ownership by all, emphasis on quality and a customised approach for students.

One example of a customised approach is that as students progress from primary to secondary level, they should advance from just knowing the basic facts of our nation’s history to understanding how

Singapore is evolving in the present and the current challenges confronting Singapore. As they move from secondary to post- secondary levels, it is worthwhile for them to ponder the possible futures for Singapore and the trade-offs that we need to make in each of them. Mr talked about health and trade- offs we need to make. It is useful for our young to think about these issues, and arrive at their own reasoned conclusions about what future they want for Singapore.

19. The outermost ring indicates the 3 main stakeholders in the

NE effort. We will need the commitment and contributions of students, educators and the community for NE to succeed.

20. The Committee has made 16 recommendations grouped

8 under three key thrusts, addressing educators, students and the community. Let me highlight some of the recommendations.

Thrust 1 - Equipping and Enabling Educators

21. The first thrust is Equipping and Enabling our Educators. Our teachers and education leaders are vital because they directly determine the quality of NE our students receive and influence their values and attitudes. Emphasis must be given to deepen our educators’ convictions and ownership of NE and equip them with the skills, knowledge and resources to make NE more engaging, a point raised by several members and which we acknowledge is important.

22. MOE and NIE will enhance teachers’ knowledge and skills through professional development, starting from pre-service training. We will help them develop the art of storytelling to bring lessons to life and the art of facilitating discussions on current issues. Dr Amy Khor raised the point on the relevance of teacher training and we agree on its importance. We also need to help them access a richer variety of resources. To this end, the Committee has recommended that MOE create a one-stop online repository as part of the effort to develop and provide access to quality NE

9 resources. All educators are encouraged to contribute their lessons, ideas and what things work for them to this repository, so that they are accessible to other educators. To facilitate classroom discussion on current affairs at home and around the world, MOE will develop timely resource packages with think tanks, news and government agencies. Such discussions we hope, help to emphasise that NE is relevant and develop students’ interest in the world beyond the classroom.

23. Collaboration, innovation and sharing can unlock great potential in the teaching community. There are many good ideas and practices on the ground about how to make NE more effective.

Across schools, there is great scope for sharing lessons and collaborating on new and better ways to deliver NE to their students.

Within schools, principals work with their teachers to foster the right school environment for new ideas to flourish. At Bendemeer

Secondary School, all students who receive their NRICs go through a simple but meaningful ceremony to highlight the significance and responsibilities of being full-fledged Singapore citizens. This was actually an idea from a member of the staff which the Principal enthusiastically took up and implemented school wide.

Thrust 2 - Engaging and Empowering Students

10 24. The second key thrust is to engage and empower students to make NE “come alive for our young”, to use Dr Amy Khor’s words, and give them a greater sense of ownership and responsibility for the future of Singapore.

25. One of the recommendations involves reviewing Social

Studies. Done well, this subject is useful for students to explore differing perspectives on issues which we face and come to their own reasoned conclusions under the guidance of their teachers. We note students’ feedback reflect that Social Studies lessons are often too focused on exams. MOE will review the Social Studies curriculum to look into how it can be better taught and assessed as part of the regular syllabus review cycle.

26. Another recommendation is for schools to provide more opportunities for greater student action. Students consulted shared that they would like a greater say in what they do and how they can best contribute. MOE will work with schools to make student-initiated CIP more pervasive at the secondary levels, as it presently is at the post-secondary levels. In response to Ms Denise

Phua’s question, we removed mandatory hours for JCs. However, we found that the vast majority of JC students actually continued with CIP as they find it meaningful. As for Dr Faishal’s observation

11 of students stuffing cans with coins so they have more time for other activities, I have seen it taking place myself. Some of them collect money for a cause they know little about. But selling flags to raise funds is a good and humbling experience. But we must get students to understand the objective of the activity and who it will benefit. Then they will better understand the significance of such a collection. There are no plans to increase the CIP requirement beyond the 6 hours for primary and secondary school students but we are mindful that we need to find ways to make it more interesting and more meaningful. As Dr Faishal has suggested, we will place greater emphasis on facilitating reflections after the CIP activity to reinforce important values.

27. Besides CIP, student action is also about shaping school life.

I mentioned Seng Kang Primary, Cedar Girls’ School earlier. At

Pasir Ris Secondary, the Student Council embarked on the Blue

Ribbon Project, which aimed to give students a second chance to regain certain privileges they had lost through careless behaviour.

Beyond the school, student action could also involve setting up project teams to explore issues of national interest and propose ideas for improvements. The NE Student Taskforce is one example.

It was formed by a group of JC and Polytechnic students, entirely of

12 their own accord. They brainstormed ideas on how to take NE forward and gave their proposals to the Committee. MOE co- organised two NE symposia with them to share their findings and recommendations with and receive feedback and suggestions from close to 600 students from secondary and post secondary institutions. I believe what they have done will inspire other students to take a more active interest in national issues and find ways to contribute and make their voices heard.

Thrust 3 - Enhancing NE Experience by Strengthening School-

Community Linkages

28. The third key thrust is for schools and PSEIs to enhance NE through strengthening school-community linkages. Through encounters and interactions with people from all walks of life and backgrounds, young and old, at home and abroad, students learn about life and themselves as Singaporeans. The Committee thus recommends bringing the community more into schools for NE activities, and bringing more of our students out into the local community and abroad, something which Minister Tharman also touched on.

29. The family and alumni can play an important part in NE. I

13 spoke about the parents’ role in giving our children a holistic education. Our NE Perception Study shows that where the influence of teachers declined with age, the influence of parents remained fairly constant throughout the students’ schooling years.

So we encourage more structured and continued efforts by schools to involve parents in holistic education and NE. These are long-term investments that will yield good fruit over time. In Bedok Green

Secondary, members of the Parent Support Group introduced students to dining etiquette for the different races, as part of Racial

Harmony Celebrations. Through their efforts and involvement, students now better appreciate Malay, Indian and Chinese etiquettes. This contributes to social cohesion and demonstrates the role parents play. Contributions by the alumni are no less important as they are wonderful examples on how former students can return, give back to the school and demonstrate their affection and loyalty. Top school bands like Tanjong Katong and Bukit

Panjang owe much of their success to the untiring efforts of their alumni. But more than skills, alumni members are important role models for our students and contribute to shaping their values and attitudes towards the school and nation.

30. Beyond the family, the wider community, non-government

14 organisations, community agencies and the private sector can play a part in reinforcing values and attitudes in our young towards

Singapore. Interactions with the community can take various forms

-- dialogues with leaders from different walks of life or interviews with grandparents, sharing by veterans about their war experiences, or nurses about their experiences during SARS. The community can also provide meaningful opportunities for our young to participate in and contribute through community work and internships.

31. Beyond Singapore and interactions with Singaporeans, cross-cultural exchange and international exposure allow students to reflect on the differences between different cultures and countries, and so that they can come to a greater appreciation of why Singapore is special. Students have shared about how going overseas on exchange programmes or overseas community service projects have made them feel ‘more Singaporean’. Their overseas experiences will be complemented by the increasing cultural diversity in our schools and PSEI campuses as more foreign students come to Singapore.

32. This brings me to Dr Lily Neo’s point about the integration of new immigrants. Local and foreign students interact and bond as a

15 natural part of school life -- within the classroom, through discussions and project work, and outside of the classroom, through

CCAs and school camps. They offer fresh perspectives on issues in classroom discussions, and help us understand others and ourselves better. We should keep it this way and adopt an inclusive approach as we learn what it means to be gracious hosts to our overseas friends. Through our school and NE programmes, our foreign students learn more about and come to appreciate

Singapore’s diversity and values. One such experience is the NE show, the preview of the National Day parade that is attended by all

Primary 5 pupils. We heard of one pupil from India who was so excited and impressed by what he saw that he kept the goody bag long after he had returned home when his family relocated. In the years ahead, there will be more opportunities both for our students to be enriched through their interactions with people from other countries as well as for us to enrich foreign students with happy memories of Singapore. We hope that in all cross-cultural exchanges, our students will be good ambassadors and emissaries for Singapore.

CONCLUSION

33. In conclusion, we have a good base of practices and

16 programmes which we can build upon. The success of NE will depend on how well we implement the recommendations in the coming years. It will require the collective and sustained effort of all educators and the active support of parents and community networks to make the critical difference in this important endeavour to nurture young citizens who are proud to be Singaporeans, and who will rally as one people, to bring our nation forward.

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