Application for incoming Exco 2009

Hello! Those who intend to take up the challenge as part of the incoming Exco, please download the application form from KM under the NE Club page and email the completed form LATEST by 7th October Tuesday, 10pm to Aaron at imkianwee@hotmail.com

Please note that applicants are to be present for an interview held on Wednesday at 340pm in LT2.

Thank you.

Feedback and Exams

Hey everyone!

Dreadfully sorry about the posts (or lack thereof) although we'll definitely be keeping everyone updated on the major NE announcements! If anything, our House Coordinators will still pass down a message should there be urgent matters to attend to, but you guys have got to do your part and write into the chatbox at times so as to help us make this club an effective and responsible one. Feedback, comments, suggestions.. anything. We're all open to whatever ideas everyone have here and will seriously consider implementing them. (but only if they actually sound reasonable, ok? Nothing that'll fry our brain cells or anything...) =D

In the mean time, please get serious about the upcoming academic exams and if there's no pressing need to be on the internet... Why, do consider getting right back at preparing for them!!

Good luck, all the best and work hard everyone!! :)

NE Dialogues and Applications

Hello everyone! We're all a little busy at the moment and apologise for any inconvenience and the like..

In any case, we've a few upcoming matters to attend to.

1. JC2/IP4 NE Dialogue Session

• Closed door session with guest
• JC2 and IP4 NE ambassadors, please read the notice on KM and be prepared to ask relevant questions
  

2. JC1/IP3 NE Dialogue Session

• We are in need of volunteers
• Please note that your contributions, if any, will be included in your CAAL portfolio

3. Application for 08-09 Exco

• We strongly encourage all NE club members (with the exception of J2s and IP4s) to apply for the next exco.
• Please do seriously consider an application. Thank you. =)
  

Ignis Article III

EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE APPLICATION OF THE EXISTING FRAMEWORK OF PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE.

Ever since Singapore government gained independence in 1965, it has been guided by four key principles: “Reward for work; work for reward”, “leadership is key”, “opportunities for all” and “anticipated change, stay relevant”. These principles have guided Singapore through many challenging times despite the country’s unique environment. In my opinion, the application of the existing framework is effective in terms of the economic, social and political stability it has brought us. Although it has some drawbacks like the rising income gap, these drawbacks are actively being minimised by the government.

The existing framework of principles of governance is effective as it has helped Singapore attained political stability. The principles have been focusing on the theme that leadership is not just to lead by democracy nor systems to hold bureaucracies; it is mainly to eschew corruption, to do what is right and be pragmatic. After the fall of communism in Asia in the 1960s, Singapore government has been taking measures to ensure strong political foundations. One measure is to promote meritocracy. This is done by electing people based on their own ability and performance. This is evident in the processes of the selection of government ministers and civil servants. Consequently, the government sector has people who work at their maximum potential and rarely succumb to corruption. This provides the solid foundation for social and economic stability.

Also, the framework has improved Singapore economy. It has allowed Singapore to adopt and continue to prosper economically. Despite the recent entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by China, which drastically diverted many investments from Singapore manufacturing sector to china, Singapore managed to implement counter measures. Firstly, it turned its focus to tertiary industry, making Singapore a financial hub and a tourist attraction spot. Moreover, it has exploited the opportunity of investing in the biomedical industry, which has been a thriving industry since the recent epidemics. Just beginning this year, Singapore has organised talks with foreign firms to further invest in this industry. Such development of new industry is not new to Singapore. The Jurong Island was created to spur Singapore’s economy by investing in the oil refinery industry. To date, it is one of the major oil refineries in the world. As such, the principle of staying relevant to global economy has benefitted Singapore by giving it a stable economy.

Moreover, the framework has promoted social stability. The principle of “opportunities for all” promotes collective responsibility. An example is the “Many Helping Hands” approach. It brings into play family support, community support and government support for the needy. Moreover, Singapore government has taken great lengths to ensure almost equal rights to all the ethnic groups in Singapore. This is in hope of preventing another possible social riot from occurring in Singapore again.

However, in reality, the issue is more complex. No matter how ideal the principles are, it is almost impossible to apply all the principles and gain total positive impacts from them. One evident drawback is the increasing income gap. This is shown by the rising GINI coefficient. The detrimental effect is worsening by the recent spike in inflation rate. The lower income group are currently facing problems of not being able to support themselves with the spike in prices of goods and services. To curb this problem, the Singapore government has been giving out tax rebates and financial packages to defray the rise in the food prices for the lower income families. This way, the government is actively trying to minimise the drawback of the principles.

In conclusion, the principles have been rather effective and Singapore should continue to apply them in the future. However, it still has to pay attention to the potential drawbacks of the implementation of the principles.

Goh Wei Yang Brian

07S08

Terra NE Article-Priciples of Government

ARTICLE [To be done by assigned J2/IP4 from each house]

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the application of the existing framework of principles of governance [with substantial research material as support]
• Standard rules in writing the article apply

According to me, the existing framework of principles of governance is largely effective. Of course, it depends largely depends on what we define as being effective. Firstly, we have to concede that any framework of principles cannot be 100% perfect. But, I feel that our framework has managed to be largely effective in providing each of us equal opportunities, implementing meritocracy, giving the citizens are desirable environment to live in and lastly helping out the disadvantaged people in our society.

Our government’s principles have been largely in emphasizing meritocracy. Starting from getting the best colleges, to getting a good career preference is given to those who show the best qualifications and abilities. In this way, our government has provided the right incentives to Singaporeans to continually improve themselves. It has also gotten rid of any biasness in terms race, religion, sex or nationality or corruption. These benefits have helped to create a sense of fairness and equality emphasized in all aspects of Singaporean life which makes Singapore feel as a desirable country to reside in. Even though some critics argue that Singapore is creating a elitist culture in this process in the sense that only the best get the opportunities, we have to understand that the governments gives out ample help to the groups get disadvantaged in each of its policy. We can see this in the creation of ITEs and polytechnics that are continually being developed to remove the elitist stigma that only those who get into JCs will do well in life. In work places, we see people are able to discover their talent from a multitude of career options. In this way, Singapore has continued to remain as a desirable country for both the smart and talented and the average workers.

By:

Santhiya

NE Ambassador

07S17

Terra House

Aqua Article III - Principles of Governance

One of the key principles of governance of Singapore is 'Reward for work; work for rewards.' In Singapore, the government places great emphasis on meritocracy for the best use of talent. This is commendable as the only resource that Singapore has is people. This is extremely important in order to ensure a pool of local talent that will chart the future of Singapore, lead the people into the future and lead Singapore to success.

However, this has led to rising inequalities in Singapore which has caused much unhappiness among those negatively affected. The problem with meritocracy is that it favours the talented, i.e. the smartest, strongest and all the high-end people. Due to the problem of elitism, there is greater segregation within the society than before. With the incidence of elitism, there is much concern over the social gap between the elite talents and the non-talent. This is due to the fact that the elites have an seemingly unfair advantage over the rest and are able to scout for a higher paying job than their counterparts. This in turn leads to greater income disparity as can be seen that the Gini coefficient of Singapore has been rising over the years from 0.436 in 1990 to 0.481 in 2000. This raises dissentment amongst the non-talent, non-elite majority due to the emphasis placed on meritocratic talent. The Ministry of Education (MOE) also implemented the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) in 1984 to allow students with higher learning capabilities to progress at an accelerated pace. This GEP programme caused much public concern and whenever the mass media reports of any changes or improvements to this programme, there seem to be Singaporeans who start groaning.

Although it seems that the meritocratic use of talents is not the best solution as it neglects the minority who are non-elites, in my opinion, countrites do require talents in order to progress even further in future. Elitism permits the government to select and groom only the most capable and efficient amongst the rest as well as those who are academically-inclined. This gives these talents the more opportunities to be guided properly and to excel. Should a policy not apply in Singapore or in any country, there would be a compromise of leadership standards and this would surely negatively impact the future of Singapore.

In Singapore, it is commendable that the government is trying their best to reduce elitism in society as we can see from the fact that the government is channeling additional funds to create more opportunities in every domain so that everyone (not only the talented) can benefit.

Thus, I conclude that the use of meritocracy for the best use of talent is justifiable and effective to a large extent. Society needs to remove the social stigma attached to the non-elites and learn to treat elites and non-elites more fairly. Only then can Singapore truly benefit from meritocracy.

-Chin You Chuen, 07S15

Topic III - Principles of Governance

Hey everyone! We are terribly sorry for the delay in updates. From now on, updates will mostly be bi-weekly.

This week's topic is about Singapore's principles of governance. Do scroll down to the bottom of the page in the link and note the governance imperatives and key principles.


ARTICLE [To be done by assigned J2/IP4 from each house]

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the application of the existing framework of principles of governance [with substantial research material as support]
• Standard rules in writing the article apply

QUESTION [Opened to all]

• Give a real life example [whether a narrative account, a reflection etc.] on how one or more principles of governance have been applied.

Please note that the blog is still used to track members' participation and attendance. [especially for J2s and IP4s!] This will be one of the main avenues through which we can account for your contributions so please do visit and share more of your viewpoints on National Education!!!

We really appreciate each and every one of our members' viewpoints. =D

Thanks!!

Update to blog: Labels

Hi. Another update to our blog here.. All the submitted answers and articles from each house are sorted by LABELS [check the right sidebar]. Yep.

I would like to stress the importance of submitting your Topical Answers, because each one of you can contribute to the club by helping us with your insights!.. And also, each submission is worth a point each, so if you want your house to win.... do remember to submit your answers then.

Oh and articles. Please be punctual about them.

...

Keep yourselves updated with the posts labelled "Announcements". New updates and events will be up here. Yep. =)

Solaris NE Productions - II

Solaris NE Productions

presents

A Glimpse of Last Week’s Entry
Part 1 – An Introduction
http://njcneclub.blogspot.com/2008/06/solaris-article.html

What is culture?
What determines culture?
What should cultural education be like?
What is the greatest problem faced by current cultural education?

What more effort is needed to instil culture appreciation to youths of today?


The Value of Cultural Education
Part 2 – An analysis into Racial Harmony Day

Compiled by Jolyn Ke, 07S12

Background knowledge

Singapore's population is extremely diverse: 76% are Chinese, 14% are Malays, 8% are Indians, with the remaining 2% made up of Eurasians, Arabs, Jews and other minority groups. We do not, however, take racial harmony for granted. Instead, we constantly worry about not offending one another and not threatening inter-racial peace. It has thus become part of our cultural DNA to show respect and tolerance to one another.

The Singapore Government has also created institutions, policies, laws and practices to enhance inter-racial harmony. For example, there is the Presidential Council for Minority Rights to ensure that no law or subsidiary legislation is enacted which discriminates against any racial group. An enthnic quota is also enforced to prevent any ethnic group from being over-represented in any apartment building in our public housing estates. Racial Harmony Day is also celebrated each year.

Racial Harmony Day

Racial Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21 July in Singapore. The event is to commemorate the 1964 Race Riots, which took place on 21 July 1964. The 1964 Race Riots were a series of riots that took place in Singapore during two separate periods in July and September between Chinese and Malay groups. The first incident occurred on 21 July during a Malay procession that marked Muhammad's birthday. In total, the violence killed 36 people and injured another 556.

Racial Harmony was first commemorated in 1997 when National Education (NE) was introduced into schools. Being among the four core events celebrated by schools every year since, it represents a day for “schools to reflect on, and celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and a society built on a rich diversity of culture and heritages” as enshrined in the NE message "We must preserve racial and religious harmony: though many races, religions, languages and cultures, we pursue one destiny.” Racial Harmony Day also serves to remind our pupils that social division costs us dearly and that race and religion are potential fault-lines in Singapore society.

On Racial Harmony Day, students are encouraged to dress in one another's ethnic costumes, to eat one another's foods, to enjoy the different types of music and dance.

Problems

Although well-intentioned, taking into consideration that there were no specific threats to Singapore’s multiracial and multireligious social fabric when NE was introduced, the annual commemoration of Racial Harmony Day may have inadvertently made Singaporeans see the issue of race as a fault line they may not have recognized prior to its inception. After all, threats only become existential if it is perceived and believed to be so by those it threatens.

Moreover, celebrating racial harmony in its current manner may also belay the attainment of true harmony due to the manner in which it is celebrated. The majority of such events often consist of cultural performances attended by participants in ethnic costumes. While this allows for the interaction of people of all hues in a non-threatening environment to foster closer bonds, it does not accurately reflect the natural setting in which the different races interact on a daily basis. In fact, the constant compartmentalization of Singaporeans into their CMIO (Chinese, Malay, Indian Others) moulds may accentuate stereotypes of each race and discipline individuals into focusing on each other’s skin colour while, ironically, being constantly reminded to look beyond the superficial.

Not all efforts at celebrating Singapore’s heritage will lead to this end. Nevertheless, taking into consideration the current global climate, to advocate inter-racial cohesion by accentuating simplistic stereotypes of the different racial groups serve more harm than good. This is because in order to bring to attention the differences between races that have to be bridged, there is a tendency to resort to stereotypes to illustrate its existence before work can be done to eradicate it.

Add-on by Wee Siang, 08S18:
Racial harmony day has often been overlooked and neglected by many individuals especially when they have other matters to look out for, such as their career and their family. This problem is exacerbated with the fact that relations among the different races seem to be harmonious for the past decades and people tend to get complacent when it comes to such issues.

Racial harmony day only occurs once a year. It cannot be said to be too physically and mentally taxing for an individual to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of amicable relationships among the different racial groups. The occasion was created with the aim to remind people of the adverse effects that can be caused when relationship among the different races is compromised. Humans tend to be forgetful, without constant reminder, we might make the mistakes that our ancestors have made in the past. Racial harmony , a once in a year thing will help to ameliorate relationships among the races.

Add-on by You Jie, 08S19:

It is important to note that mere exposure, recognition and awareness is never enough to accept a culture. One has to understand that other cultures are part of them. Racial Harmony Day alone cannot achieve this. While government policies have ensured that citizens of different races live in the same block, and be exposed to different cultural festivals, as well as heritage activities there is a significant minority (largely based in cultural heritage sites in Bugis, Little India and Chinatown) who had not received enough exposure other than these instances, mostly because they are restricted by their social sphere and hence they fail to see the race as a part of them, even when 4 cultures live under one roof.

In addition, there seems to have an emphasis to merge the cultures together into a Singaporean identity, an attempt to decrease the cultural gap by placing a link. While this would reduce the possibility of over-stating the differences that arise from the concept of races, perhaps the only flaw in this tendency is that culturally minded people tend to look at “Singaporean”, widely agreed as a nationality, differently from races such as “Chinese”, “Malay”, “Indian”, etc. While a majority will accept this notion, the remaining minority who has not been regularly exposed to the similarities between cultures will not be likely to so. And a significant number lives near their heritage zones. This should be where the government is working on, and it must made in a way that would not threaten their existing cultural beliefs. That’s where the difficulty lies – there is no one-size-fit-all for cultures.

Conclusion

Singapore remains a safe and secure society only because it is our collective will to make it so. The Government is committed to ensuring that every Singaporean has the opportunity to realise his full promise in life, regardless of race, language or religion. And to providing, through our housing policies and schools, ample opportunity for Singaporeans to grow up together, live together and play together. However, multiracialism only comes about if we each do our part, as we go about our daily lives, in making the small efforts to get to know each other better, and develop a sense of comfort with each other.




Sources
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2004/sp20040717.htm
http://www.ips.org.sg/pub/sp_tommykoh_Singapore%20Multiculturalism%20Sucess%20Story_16%20Sep%2004.pdf
http://www.idss.edu.sg/publications/Perspective/IDSS0542006.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_Harmony_Day

Aerius Answers II

To a great extent, I think it is important to celebrate Racial Harmony Day, although it does not really matter.

It is important to celebrate Racial Harmony Day as it is important for us to remember how racial problems could hurt the social fabric of this country & consequently lead to the collapse of the economy as well; we remember the importance of maintaining good ties with other races to bring further progress to this nation.

However, it does not really matter, as Racial Harmony has over the last 40 years, been well “ingrown” into Singapore culture; the government has various policies to encourage racial harmony e.g. the Ethnic Integration Policy for HDB, etc. that I feel it is effective in bringing/integrating different races together. Also, there’s no racial quota for schools such that students of all races can be admitted into any school as it’s based on merit, hence this enables us to integrate with other races throughout our growing up years, irregardless of any Racial Harmony Day.

Teck Ian
07S07

__________________________________________________________________
The day commemorates the 1964 Race Riots but has, over the years, been the day for the celebration and reflection of the harmony among the different races that Singapore has been enjoying thus far. I feel that racial harmony should have already been integrated in all of us and should not only be recalled on 21st July. In fact, racial harmony is being celebrated every day. Therefore, I feel that it does not make a difference whether we celebrate racial harmony. However, it is a great day for Singaporeans to immerse themselves in the cultures of other races and to HAVE FUN! =)

Eunice
07S19
___________________________________________________________________
Racial Harmony Day serves as an emphasis and a reminder to all Singaporeans that Singapore is a multi-racial society. Celebrations of Racial Harmony Day in schools and in the community is important as it helps to breakdown the different cultural barriers between each race and to have better understanding among each other. Only when people of different backgrounds can become tightly knitted together as one, Singapore could continue to prosper towards a peaceful and better tomorrow.

Zhirong
05IP04

Congratulations to Aerius!! =)

Congratulations to Aerius for receiving the most number of votes for the first ever topic!!!

Thank you all who contributed to writing the articles and may we have another good selection to vote for next round! XD

Ignis Answers 2

Racial Harmony Day is a day to celebrate Singapore as a multi-racial society and thereby reminds people the importance of racial harmony. The impact of not celebrating Racial Harmony Day is insignificant because people of different races are interconnected in terms of the values they hold as citizens of Singapore. Even without celebrating this day, our citizens will be aware of the disastrous effects of not embracing people of different races through the education of Singapore history. No doubt that such a celebration helps to enhance people’s appreciation towards other races. Yet without it, we still get to interact with people of different races in our neighbourhoods, schools and/or workplaces.

Lee Hui Ying

08S14

Ignis

___________________________________________________________________________________

Shirley Lee
08A02

Racial Harmony Day serves as a reminder of the many obstacles our tiny, diversly and densely populated country went through before achieving today's peace, stability and prosperity. These obstacles include the many casualties and social implications due to racial riots.

The first racial riot, the Maria Hertogh riot in 1950 where Muslim rioters attacked Europeans, Eurasions and Christians resulted in 173 injured and 18 deaths. In the 1964 Sino-Malay riots, instigated by outside forces, casualty numbers came high; over 500 people were injured, and 36 lives lost. Later, Sino-Malay tensions resurfaced in 1969 following the racial riots in Malaysia after the General Election, and many Sino-Malay clashes erupted that had to be brought down by force.

During these racial riots, it was inevitable for the safety of the public for nation-wide curfews to be set. Strict security sweeps, although neccessary in eradicating tension instigators, interferred with the normal life of the people. People lived in fear of being caught in the middle of a riot. In short, the economical and social implications of such riots are not to be trifled with.

In a small country as such, and with the people as our only resource, such economic and social implications come with dire consequences for the development of our country. They stunt the growth of our nation.

It is hence important for the celebration of Racial Harmony to remind us of the road we've travelled thus far, just to reach where we are, where different racial groups can live comfortable and work efficiently alongside one another. Without this reminder, perhaps poignantly, future generations may be inclined to forget the difficult path we've taken, and unknowingly rewalk this path.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sim Chaiying
08S02

if we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day, Singaporeans will not be able to understand the meaning of racial harmony in this multi racial country. This might result in misunderstandings among the different races. The fact that the younger generations have no knowledege on the racial harmony, if we do not celebrate this special occasion, will only result in these innocent little children to accidentally say something racist to their friends of a different race. This can be serious because if the parents of the children got to know of the matter, this issue between two little children might be blown up into a national matter. Therefore there is a need to celebrate Racial Harmony Day.

____________________________________________________________________

Faris Bin Ridzuan
07S14
Ignis

Racial harmony day has often come under criticism by those who view it as merely Singapore's way of showcasing the harmony that it so covets and promotes in a very publicised nature, centering mostly around schools. Yet for me, it has become something that I personally look forward to as a day when we can don other ethnicities' or our own traditional costumes and take part in various activities that are both fun and integral in such a multi-ethnic society. Thus, there might not be a very big and obvious difference but as Singapore delves deeper into the concept of what makes a Singaporean in these times, where there is an influx of "foreign" residents, perhaps this racial harmony day is important in ensuring that we have a platform to explore the meaning of being a Singaporean. Eradicating it only makes young Singaporeans of the future confused about their own identity and the Singaporean identity, with the tensions rising in the layman's streets. Racial harmony must not be foregone, but revamped to be an arena where the Singaporean identity, and not the ethnic identities of the people are emphasised. That way, we see the ethnicities in Singapore as diverse yet unified under the same identity, uniquely Singaporean. Thus, being congruent with the plans to mould our nation into one which celebrates the juxtaposition of diversity and unity.

____________________________________________________________________

Goh Wei Yang Brian
07S08

How much of a difference will there be if we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day?

During the 1960s, Singapore was engulfed by a series of racial riots. Such traumatic incidents compelled the government to announce a day to commemorate racial harmony. After nearly three decades, some question on the extent of change if Racial Harmony Day is removed. In other words, there are people asking if such an action will cause a significant change in lifestyle of an individual. Those who believe that there would be little change in lifestyle is because they feel that Singaporeans have already understood and appreciated the importance of racial harmony through the various measures that the government implements. As a result, Racial Harmony is viewed by them as something existing for a shallow meaning. On the other hand, there are people who are not convinced that the current measures are sufficient to allow the removal of Racial Harmony Day. They argue that when a symbol loses or compromises its significance, there is a high tendency for its meaning to diminish or even disappear eventually. In my opinion, no one can be certain the extent of difference such an action would result. However, there are too many factors affecting the possible consequence if Racial Harmony Day is removed. The two major factors are the extent of government intervention and the effectiveness of current measures.

For the past three decades, Singapore has not faced much major racial disputes. This may be due to the extensive measures that the government implement. One significant measure is to incorporate the morals of racial harmony into the education system. As all the children in Singapore are made to go through compulsory primary education, the young may already possess the basic foundation of practising racial harmony at the end of the education. In order to complement this measure, the government has been actively promoting racial harmony via advertisements, campaigns and school-based competitions. Even the national pledge contains the concept of racial harmony. As a result, there are people who believed that Singaporeans generally understand and appreciates racial harmony. Hence, there are people who believe that there is little difference to the lifestyles of Singaporeans without Racial Harmony Day.

However, throughout the history of humankind, when a symbol loses or has its significance compromised, the entire meaning will diminish eventually. For example, in the past storms and natural disasters are viewed as the Gods wanting to punish people for their deeds. As a result, many people fear committing crimes. However, ever since science has disproven this myth, the fear of committing crimes has generally diminished over time. Similarly, if racial harmony day is removed, Singaporeans may take racial harmony for granted. As a result, they may eventually feel that there is little need to maintain racial harmony. From this viewpoint, the lifestyles of Singaporeans may change drastically. Racial harmony may become racial tolerance. Races might start to discriminate against one another. This is evident in Singapore. For example, some job application criteria require the interviewee to possess a sound foundation of Chinese, limiting the races qualified to apply for the jobs. Such discrimination may worsen till a conflict arises. Also, certain races may start claiming superiority over other races. For example, the Malays in Malaysia enjoy special rights that the Chinese there do not enjoy. If the conflict is not properly controlled, an internal strife may occur in Singapore just like the Tamils fighting against the Sinhalese in Sri Lanka. This may cause economic, political and even social unrest.

All these are mere speculations by various people. Given the current situation of Singapore, it is rather difficult to estimate the extent of change that Singapore will face due to the possible government intervention and the extent of impact the already implemented measures have on Singaporeans.

Firstly, the Singapore government has been responsive and might prove to be able to handle any conflict that arises. For forty three years, Singapore has experience many arduous incidents like recessions and racial riots. As a result, the Singapore government has been taking preventive measures over the years. For four decades, the government has been responsive to wards global changes. Such being the case, if racial harmony day is removed, it may result in racial disputes. However, the government by then might have sufficient power to control the situation, the extent of this ability is questionable as the time lag between the removal of racial harmony day and the eventual racial conflict is unknown. Moreover, the severity of the racial conflict is hard to predict.

Also, the extent of influence the current measures have on Singapore is hard to estimate. This is because Singapore has been experiencing peace between races and the effectiveness of the implemented measures has not been tested. The integration of racial harmony ideals into the education system may already have formed the foundation of the young that racial cohesion is vital for peace and prosperity. Moreover, reminders from neighbouring countries like the recent riot between the Chinese and Indians or India, may show the possible consequences of racial disputes. At the end of the day, racial harmony may just deteriorate to racial tolerance, which is the scenario where races coexist in harmony with each other for the sake of not having any unwanted disputes. Such outcomes depend on the effectiveness of measures being implemented by the government.

In conclusion, the removal of Racial Harmony Day will inevitably result in a change in lifestyle for Singaporeans. The question is the extent of change there would be and the impact of it. The removal of that day is secondary. The primary importance is to educate Singaporeans that racial harmony is vital and must never be compromised.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Rachel Tong
07IP06

There will be a large difference if we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day.

Racial Harmony Day is celebrated to remind Singaporeans of the importance of racial harmony in order for peace, (economic, social, and political) stability, and progress within the country. If we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day, over time, some might forget the importance and principle of Racial Harmony, while the younger generation (which one day will become the leaders of the country) will not know of it at all; and this might lead to a re-enactment of the racial riots in the 1960s. In turn, the riots will make Singapore vulnerable to foreign attacks due to internal unrest. Moreover, Singapore is a small country with limited resources, thus even the slightest bit of vulnerability in the walls of our defence fortress might lead to the downfall of our country.

Ignis Article 2

The Origin of Racial Harmony Day in Singapore

Racial Harmony Day is celebrated annually on 21July in Singapore. The main purpose of the event is to commemorate the race riots that took place in 21July 1964. Today, this event celebrates the years of success Singapore has achieved in maintaining a racially harmonious society that is built on a rich diversity of culture and heritage.

The need to celebrate racial harmony

Every year, schools celebrate Racial Harmony Day as an attempt to let students understand that racial harmony is something that should not be taken for granted. Students are encouraged to wear their traditional costumes and traditional games are played, sometimes as inter-class competitions. Also, traditional food from the various races is sold in the canteen.

Indeed, racial harmony is something that we cannot take for granted. Racial issues have caused wars, violence and unrest in many parts of the world. Even till today, many of these issues have not been resolved. Singaporeans should consider themselves fortunate to be living in a society with hardly any racial disputes.

However, does this necessarily mean that we need to celebrate racial harmony? Many claim that this annual celebration is just a showcase of our success. With or without it, racial harmony will still prevail. In my opinion, there is no need for a day to celebrate racial harmony; what is more important is that we instill in our children the mindset that racial harmony requires everyone’s effort.

Yes, racial harmony will prevail in Singapore whether or not we celebrate Racial Harmony Day, but it will be non-existent when races become intolerant of each other’s behaviour. The relationship between the different races is actually a very fragile one. We need to learn to be tolerant and understanding of different races’ customs and traditions to maintain this racial harmony that is difficult to come by. This message is what needs to be brought across the younger generation in order for Singapore’s racial harmony to last.

A celebration is only for a day, but racial harmony needs to be sustained. Rather than remembering the importance of racial harmony only once a year, students, even the general public, should be constantly reminded of its importance. Without it, we will lose our advantage of relative peace to other countries, which may result in the stagnation of our economy. The Singapore government acknowledges the importance of this and has imposed strict rules for those who attempt to bring up racial conflicts. So far, a few bloggers have been jailed for their racist comments.

How much of a difference will there be if we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day?

As mentioned earlier, there probably would not be too big of a difference if we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day. However, schools can try to be more innovative in their methods of the celebration so that students would not have to sit through the same celebrations every year and gain nothing out of it. Interesting and innovative events can be used not only to let students understand the crucial importance of racial harmony, but also allow both students and teachers to have fun.

Aerius Article II

Origin of Racial Harmony Day and the need to Commemorate this day

Racial Harmony Day was first launched on 21 July 1997. On this day in 1964, Singapore saw racial riots. Celebrations of Prophet Mohammad's Birthday at the Padang had turned riotous that day, incited by extremist communal leaders and influenced by the inflammatory language of the vernacular press. It registered the highest number of casualties in a local riot with 22 dead and 454 injured after five days of rioting between Malay and Chinese factions. Racial Harmony Day was first observed in schools. This day serves to remind the pupils that social division costs us dearly and that race and religion are potential fault-lines in Singapore society. It is a day for schools to reflect on, and celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and society built on a rich diversity of cultures and heritages. Three years later, in July 2000, all nine Community Development Councils (CDC) joined in the celebrations. It included multiracial festivals and fairs with festivities extended to the end of July.

In the recent years, especially after the 911 incident in 2001, there is a greater need to remind ourselves not to take things for granted. History is not merely a thing of the past. The lessons learnt from the past should be critically used to live our present, and prepare for our future. Here comes the need for the commemoration of Racial Harmony Day. When we commemorate this day, we should bear in mind the losses that we had to bear many years ago, and make ourselves stronger as a nation by living in harmony. Unity is strength.

I think it is essential that schools do commemorate this day, because the younger generation has not gone through any racial riots. The younger generation has lived in a peaceful nation, and this makes it even easier for us to take racial harmony for granted. By commemorating Racial Harmony Day, it is hoped that students will take the time and opportunity to get to know the other cultures and heritages. It is only when we have knowledge of the other cultures and heritages that we know how to appreciate this rich diversity and learn to live in harmony with all the other races.

References:

http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2005/sp20050716.htm

http://sam11.moe.gov.sg/racialharmony/

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_965_2004-12-31.html

Done by: Lee Cui Lin 07S13

Aqua Article II - Racial Harmony

The origin of racial harmony in Singapore as stated by the government's website, is to "...[serve] to remind our pupils that social division costs us dearly and that race and religion are potential fault-lines in Singapore society. It is a day for schools to reflect on, and celebrate our success as a harmonious nation and society built on a rich diversity of cultures and heritages." Indeed racial differences can cause conflict as we view others who we feel are different from us as not part of our group and we do not trust them nor even feel safe around them. Racial harmony tries to remove that and also remind us that what we have today is not granted but made.

Racial Harmony is something which we live with in Singapore. Although it is unseen, it is still an integral and important part of our lives. Racial harmony allows our race in Singapore to be colour blind to each other and allows us to see each and everyone as human. As Singapore is a multiracial country with many races and is increasing in variety and amount of different races due to its policy encouraging immigration in, we have to work together to have freedom to move everyone and work together to help make people prosper. Furthermore, the people of Singapore are Singapore's only resource. Singapore is able to reach at its current state mostly due to its educated and highly efficient workforce with good governance. These two reasons are the most important reasons for racial harmony.

If Singapore did not celebrate racial harmony, the harmony we have in Singapore which we take for granted would soon corrode away with time. People would start mixing around in their own groups of their own race. This slowly creates distrust and subsequently disgust. A spark, like a radical or some misunderstanding or a purposeful effort, would be all that need to cause a raging racial riot and cause deaths and instability in Singapore's political and economic fields.

Yong Chun Hon, 07S21

Topic II - Racial Harmony

Hi all! Hope you are enjoying your holidays. With Racial Harmony Day coming soon, do think about this day of celebration. Here are a few pointers.

Article
Comment on the origin and need to celebrate racial harmony
Usual rules apply

Topical question
How much of a difference will there be if we do not celebrate Racial Harmony Day?

Yep. Thanks for all your responses previously. We'll be confirming the winning entries soon.


On a side note, it seems as though people have been spamming in the vote poll. =[ As a result, it's really unfortunate but we won't be counting the previous poll.

And yes, we know some people have spammed because we don't have =checks=... 93 members. >>

Yep. We'll see if we can replace the blogger-based poll with something else.


JUST DONT SPAM NEXT TIME. IT'S REALLY REALLY DISHONEST AND EVIL! ><

Enjoy your holidays!

EDIT: Ok. While it's high-possible to spam votes, it seems to be quite difficult to do so... So yeah ok, great.... Do get support from your peers and classmates, that's nice. But make sure they read the articles too k? =)

Terra NE Article

-Recent pace of modernization that has been eroding our heritage, both in terms of physical structures as well as the values placed on understanding our heritage. To address the consequence of the second point, the Singapore government has sough upon several measures to promote our heritage and the importance of it.

(1) The introduction of Singapore Heritagefest

Heritagefest 2007 for example invites Singaporeans to share their personal stories and in the mean course, strengthening our bonds and develop a better understand of each other.

-According to the government, this is an “effort to better appreciate our cultures, heritage and national history to give us a sense of purpose and belonging.”

-Story-telling tradition that was once a way of life with our grandparents has developed in them a strong identity and appreciation for Singapore’s heritage. With modern media, this practice has been vanishing.

-For a long time is human history, civilization passes down value systems, cultures, customs and folklores which encapsulated key moral values and aspirations, through story telling. This effective form of practice that has been with us as a tradition is the measure we are using to promote our heritage.

However, though this is creative, the effectiveness has provoked me to address it here. In my opinion, such programmes or campaigns do not effectively address the root of the problem. The root of erosion of heritage values and curiosity has been much the effect of not solely modernization, but the emergence of pragmatism among our youths of today. With the many roles and responsibilities youths as well as working adults faces, such as grades and career advancement, their mindset eventually puts the understanding of culture and heritage to the lowest of their priority, if they are at all concerned with it. These ‘concerns’ to them have no real implications of their successes or well-being in life. However, as a society, this is an issue for us. Why should be concerned about it? It is not the idea of knowing who we are. It is about being committed to our identity as a nation. The lack of such a commitment to an identity, or a place we would call home is causing what we now see as a brain drain away from Singapore. Hence, empasis on heriatge promotion should be based more on the education system.

(2) Incorporating Heritage into schools

-Heritage has been incorporated into schools such as in the history and social studies syllabus

-Schools like National Junior College promotes cultural mapping to increase the heritage awareness among students, collect and compile the heritage at bukit timah, as well as to organize heritage trails to promote the heritage of Bukit Timah to other schools.

-Learning journeys has been in place for secondary schools to various learning journey sites to inculcate in pupils a idea of the diversity of cultures in Singapore.

(3) -Peranakan Museum was set up to cover more aspects of Singapore’s diverse heritage culture.

-peranakan culture was one of our unique heritages.

(4) Conservation of physical heritage

-Heritage conservation center under NHB seeks to conserve artifacts through preventive as well as interventive conservation. -conducts research and ensures that proper storage and display conditions are achieved for all the collections in the care of NHB.

-Restoration works carried out on some old historical buildings rather then destroying them.

-Conservation of historical buildings and heritage sites to preserve the physical landscape of Singapore, such as the shop houses along Chinatown.

-Chinatown heritage center was jointly set up by STB and NHB to portray the Chinatown’s heritage.

. http://www.mica.gov.sg/pressroom/press_070404.htm

http://www.nhb.gov.sg/WWW/

www.ne.edu.sg/lj.htm

compiled by caijie

Aerius Article

Singapore’s Measures to Increase the Awareness of Heritage among the people:

-The formation of the National Heritage Board (NHB) by merging previous institutions such as the National Museum, to allow for greater coordination of various outreaches to promote Singapore Heritage

-NHB directly recruited teachers for its Education Unit, to enable more effective promotion of Singapore Heritage to local students

-NHB began to convert various former school buildings of some of Singapore’s most well-known schools into Museums, for example the Singapore Arts Museum (former St Joseph’s Institution) in 1996, and Asian Civilisations Museum (former Tao Nan School) in 1997. This was done in a bid to encourage more local students to visit these schools, and indirectly expose them to more of Singapore Heritage that are exhibited in these premises.

-NHB charges minimal fees for students visiting the various museums in Singapore. The admission prices range from $1 to $5, roughly half-price of the admission fees for working adults. Moreover, several areas such as the Heritage Conservation Centre & the National Archives of Singapore have free admission. This is to make it more affordable for students to visit these Heritage spots.

-NHB directly collaborated with various drama troupes such as ACT3 in 1999, to choreograph and direct a drama skit “Home Together” that played to more than 30,000 students in primary schools

-NHB launched 2 Heritage Mascots in 2000, Heri & Musee, to re-image the Heritage of Singapore to a more fun & exciting experience -NHB converted a bus to bring a more mobile cultural experience to students in 2003 -NHB launched a Singapore Heritage & Museums blog, www.yesterday.sg, in 2006 to encourage more local youth to visit such blogs & appeal to younger audience with local Heritage, as there’re more & more youth including students having blogs or reading blogs

-NHB started the Singapore Heritage Festival (SHF) in 2003, to celebrate the Singapore’s Heritage & Culture. It has been an annual event ever since. There has also been an increasing number of activities in SHF dedicated/targeted to local students & youth. For example, in the 2007 SHF, activities such Culture By the Bay celebrate not only culture in conjunction with National Day, but the exhibits are mainly artworks by students, in a bid to attract more students to participate in such activities. Also, SHF has another segment entitled Sound Stories. This activity is held at Zouk, a very popular hangout for Singapore Youth. Older bands like Jive Talkin, Max Surin, etc. performed and shared about the evolution of music in Singapore, while younger bands such as Reverie & Dubious Brothers also performed. This activity hopes to attract more local young people to come as the local music scene has been booming.

-NHB has also opened up more spaces for volunteers among the students in Singapore. In various museums such as the Memories at Ford Factory, students guides are welcome to help the museum by being guides to visitors. They would be given free training and would learn many facts about the exhibitions & indirectly get exposed to Singapore Culture. Also, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has began to encourage more student participation in such activities, by incentives such as CIP points.

-NHB also encourages students from various schools to plan Cultural Trails similar to that of the Civic District Trail in 1999 & the Singapore River Trial launched in 2003. The Bukit Timah Trail was launched as another of such heritage trails in 2007. The NHB hopes to collaborate with more education institutions to plan for more of such heritage trails as this will enable more students to get exposed to Singapore’s Heritage while planning for such activities.

Teck Ian
07S07

Vote Now!

Hello! The first of the articles are up now! Do have a read at them and remember to vote for the article which has best allowed you to further your insights.

Also, do pen down your comments at the sidebar and maybe write in why you feel ____'s article was good. =)

Thank you to all contributors and may we have more PUNCTUAL articles next week as well. ^^

Keep yourself updated!!

Vivien
Ignis House Coordinator

Aqua Article

Cultural heritage [308 words]
Education and Outreach Division of the National Heritage Board

-plays an active role to promote awareness and appreciation of the cultural and historical heritage of Singapore

-Aim: to foster nationhood, identity and creativity through education, outreach and community programmes and events

-create programmes and activities to engage the public in debate and discussion on what makes them truly Singaporean

-promotes Singapore's national symbols to encourage Singaporeans to have a sense of place and pride in the nation.

E.g. of programmes:
-highly interactive and educational traveling exhibitions, the Singapore HeritageFest
-a 12-day celebration of Singapore’s unique heritage
-marks historically significant sites, designs heritage trails and hunts


How we may help to promote awareness of out cultural heritage

NJ may want to join the National Heritage Board School Membership.
-offers a host of membership privileges
-provides unlimited free access to NHB National Museums including the Asian Civilisations Museum, the National Museum of Singapore, the Singapore Art Museum and the upcoming Peranakan Museum (opening in April 2008

Disadvantage: this requires a membership fee.

Suggestion:
NE club may want to collaborate with IT club to create an online game regarding Singapore’s cultural heritage and attractions where NJ students can play. More house points can be awarded to those who achieved a higher level in the game. This can not only engage and entertain students but also educate them. There can be many different versions of the game on different topics e.g. Little India, Chinatown etc. so that students can play and learn throughout the year. Points can be accounted for at the end of each term.

This may be done during CAAL, GC or contact periods to provide time for all students to attempt the games. Perhaps feedback surveys can be given out to find out more areas of the game to improve on.

http://www.nhb.gov.sg/PE/


Compiled by Meikwan 07S09

Ignis Article

How Cultural Awareness Is Instilled [933 words]


INTRODUCTION

With our post-modern trend of modernisation and alienation, we of the 21st Century have already begun to feel the effects of having lost a large portion of our cultural identity. This is somewhat regrettable especially in the Singaporean context, owing to the very rich variety of cultures we have here. Not only do we nationally recognise at least 4 ethnic races, Singapore also enjoys [and often takes for granted] a relatively deep sense of racial harmony. To counter the dangers of losing the rich heritage values in our country, several measures have been spearheaded by the government. The question remains though: Are they effective? Will they be enough? .. This article attempts to discuss a few of these measures.


MEASURES
A. Government Branches/ Organisations

=> National Heritage Board

The multi-faceted programmes offered by the National Heritage Board do have a certain section dedicated to the development of youths in particular. As of now, preparations are undertaken for the Singapore Heritage Fest, of which the NHB is a big part of. Volunteering opportunities, as well as workshops and tours [tweaked to fit into students' curriculum] are often availible.

The NHB is generally perceived as the leading forefront of government bodies on dealing with cultural heritage matters.

However, though it has been active, we find that its efforts have not always been so effective. After all, often enough, government budget has to be allocated to maximising the economy, as well as other concerns [e.g. environment] as well. In balancing multiple priorities such as civil rights, the economy etc. , it appears as though not enough publicity for the NHB events has been generated, so that it somewhat limits the level of outreach to the public.

Nevertheless, as long as a certain level of maintenance of the government body is kept to, it is unlikely that the preservation of heritage matters by the government would ever be entirely overlooked. [Especially since the rich cultural heritage here is also a tourist attraction in the first place! =P ]

=> OnePeople.sg

Though a smaller scaled organization, OnePeople.sg capitalizes on racial harmony and often focuses on ethnic , as well as religious issues. Strengthened by numerous volunteers coming from all sorts of places, programmes and workshops are commonly hosted for the benefit of students.

The organization is an example of how subsidies are provided so that students would be more willing to attend workshops so as to enrich themselves. This suggests that with subsidies [sometimes provided by various bodies], there lies a seeming incentive for students to find opportunities to increase their awareness of the cultural issues of the island.


=> Others

There are quite a few other organisations that specialise in creating such awarenss and countering the apathy often present in students. The media too, has taken to showcasing programmes about certain featured cultural landmarks in the country. A recent Straits Times article also muses the defining places of the past and the trademark buildings.




B. Education Curriculum


=> Social Studies/ Civics and Moral Ed

Not only is CME a compulsory subject in all schools [or else they are recognised by MOE], but at the secondary level, Social studies is a compulsory subject that is often paired to an elective [Literature, Geography, History], under the 'Combined Humanities' section so as to provide a more comprehensive study of the skills required to dissect and sieve out information regarding the country's cultural background.

Evidently, the failure of such a system is that too much emphasis is placed on memorising content rather than fully appreciating our reading of, for example, the Maria Hertogh race riots in the 60s. Yet, overemphasis on academic excellence is a problem that is not privy only to our understanding of cultural heritage, of course but it does dampen efforts to cultivate a healthy interest in these matters.


=> National Education

Now and then, with support and subsidies from MOE, schools organise certain activities such as programmes and performances, all to allow a chance for students to know more about Singapore's heritage. If it were not for many of these ethnic performances, for example, we would not have had known what we do of other cultures' defining traits in the performing arts etc.

Army officials are sometimes also invited to schools to give talks, all part of the Total Defence programme to let students know more about NE issues.


=> School Based activities

Schools themselves do arrange activities for students to participate in. One example is the pre-university institution, National Junior College, of which the well-established Cultural Mapping system has formed the basis of the annual efforts to get students to be aware of the heritage values in the Bukit Timah region.

Generally, at least a minimal sense of understanding of the area has been created among the students and this suggests a certain level of success within the community in this area. To maintain this level of success is another challenge that has to be dealt with upfront and though difficult, it is not impossible as long as information and programmes are constantly reinvented and refined. All the more effective in achieving its goals of creating awareness of Singapore's cultural heritage.


OVERVIEW


The list of programmes and avenues to generate interest and preservation of our unique Singaporean culture is not exhaustive. In order to remain rooted in our values, we cannot but be proactive in our endeavours to retain our cultural landmarks, as well as constantly reinvent ways in which to instill further generations to come: The importance of maintaining our cultural integrity.


Compiled by Vivien 07A02

More events to sign up for!

These are some long-term opportunities for everyone to sign up for. You are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to sign up for at least one of the many upcoming activities.

Just a reminder: If you are interested in signing up for any of the events, obtaining more information about them, signing up for Ad-Hoc commitees or interested in applying for an EXCO position, please do contact Aaron at imkianwee@hotmail.com or your own House-Coordinator.

Thanks!



VOLUNTEER: Festival Greeters, Liaison Officers
Night Festival 2008 (18,19, 25,26 July 2008)
• A large scale open-air serial performance, live music, film screening, interactive programmes and food and drinks
• From about 7pm till late night 2am
• In the public green spaces, with late night openings and special events in local cultural venues like the National Museum of Singapore, Singapore Art Museum, The Substation etc.
• Briefing date for selected volunteers: 4pm – 6pm on Thursday, 10 July 2008
• Festival Greeters: 16 – 19 July (7.30pm onwards) & 25 -26 July (5.30pm onwards) 2008


Spot & Shoot (photography competition & exhibition) Oct 08 – Jan 09
More details to be confirmed


Regular Opportunity
VOLUNTEER: Gallery Helpers/ Hospitality volunteers
National Museum of Singapore
National Museum of Singapore’s Hospitality Department
Bernadette Yew
Assistant Manager, Hospitality Services
nhb_nm_hospitality@nhb.gov.sg



Special Exhibitions
VOLUNTEER: Gallery Guide
Doubleness: Photograph of Chang Chien-Chi (10 October 2008 to 1 January 2009 )

• Photography works by award-winning photographer, Chang Chien-Chi
• Themes of connection and alienation between individuals, familial bonds, as well as the individual’s relationship with society
• Initial briefing for selected volunteers - Friday, 22 August 2008 at 3pm (weekday volunteers) and Saturday, 23 August 2008 at 2.30pm (weekend volunteers)
• A briefing and gallery walkthrough by the curator - Friday, 10 October 2008 and Saturday, 11 October 2008 at 2.30pm
• Dateline for applications: 15 July 08

Aerius Answers

The government, through organizations and agencies such as the Ministry of Education, have implemented measures such as the commemoration of certain days, providing free access to the National Museum of Singapore and Learning Journeys to historical landmarks.

These activities provide foundational knowledge in Singapore's history and thus, have achieved the aim of increasing student's understanding of history,

However, it has to be noted that many of these measures are compulsory activities for students. Given the low importance given to these activities by practical and realistic students as compared to studies and CCA, many feel “forced” to attend. This results in poor attitudes during these activities, severely limiting the effectiveness of the transfer of knowledge.

In conclusion, measures implemented have been relatively effective in increasing awareness of Singaporean Heritage among students, but are still relatively ineffective in increasing their understanding.

Edmund
08S01

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How Successful are the Measure?

-Survey held in 2007 revealed that:

-The Heritage Index, which measure the awareness, knowledge, appreciation & involvement of the people in Heritage, increased by 20%

-More Singaporeans enjoy Singapore Heritage, an increase of 38.1%

-90% of Singaporeans surveyed feel that the government’s policies to promote local Heritage has been successful

-90% of Singaporeans surveyed felt that the government should continue to preserve our heritage as Singapore progresses as the greater globalization may erode away our cultural distinctiveness

-87% felt that the greater understanding & awareness of Singapore heritage will increase their rootedness & their sense of belonging to the country

Teck Ian 07S07

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Measures to increase Singaporean Heritage awareness in students have always been incorporated into education. During primary and secondary school years, students learn about the Singapore culture and history events through Social Studies, a mandatory school subject. This addition to school curriculum has effectively allowed students to be more aware of Singapore’s heritage. In addition, on events such as Total Defence Day and Racial Harmony Day, activities have been put together by various schools to commemorate these events annually. However, without the students active participation in these events, efforts placed by the Singapore government will be wasted.

Huiqi 07S01

Solaris Article

Ok… We are answering more of the second question than the first, but this is something for all of us to ponder on.

The Value of Cultural Education

The UNESCO, in a follow-up of the CONFINTEA V in 1997, had signified the influence of culture on man - "Adult education is being provided not only by educational institutions, both private and official, but also by cultural institutions, such as libraries and museums." While formal education provides many basis and foundational rules for the economic, social and moral values of man, institutions that represent the cultural heritage provides affirmation of these social and moral “rules” that is accepted by the community, just like workplaces and finances that affirm the economic, and empirical knowledge. Cultural education cannot be downplayed.

Before we can discuss the implications of cultural education, we must come to terms on its elements - What is culture? Culture differs in many nations, many societies, many communities, and many individuals. It is a description of life in a society. It is a guide passed down through generations on how we eat, how we sit, the hairstyles we should don, the clothes we wear, the way we talk, the way we walk, the way we express our thoughts and emotions… the list is endless. But it is agreed that culture is a guided principle behind our lifestyles, the blueprint of the society’s past and present. That is why cultural museums are tourists’ hotspots.

History predefines culture. There was a reason in the past for certain ceremonies like weddings, and funerals to be held in an elaborate manner and why certain food is preferred over others. Even when that reason no longer applies, a new reason emerges – we continue such practices to honour our past, to give value to our past. A prerequisite is that the society must be proud of upholding such a practice; cannibalism is one practice that few would consider desirable. Culture is not merely an identity of the society; it is an appreciation of its history.

Note that “society” includes any organized community, like nations, institutions, corporations and even neighbourhoods. But in this article we shall focus only on races and nations.

Hence, cultural education must enforce this appreciation into its protégés. Moral and civics education in formal education provided the rulebook. While such “rules” are easier to follow during childhood, it is not uncommon to find one, especially an individualistic youth or teenager, would dispute certain “rules” that he/she deem as “useless” or its basis questionable. He/She may ask, “Why should I follow these rules?” Without adequate enforcement, the “rule” would then fail.

Let us assume that each individual is logical, since disagreement based on illogical basis would normally be dismissed. Then the “individualist” disputes a culture due to a conflict of interest. This is perhaps the biggest problem that cultural associations encounter – competition for significance between culture and personal wants. It would be more complex involving necessities and economic efficiency. For example, elaborate weddings take much time, money, and manpower, so now couples could simply register their marriage, have a photo-taking session, and maybe have a good dinner at a restaurant.

With globalization integrated in youths today, another potential problems seen today is the schism between formal education and cultural education. Be reminded that formal education is based on Western standards – just look at the ‘O’-Levels, ‘A’-Levels, and the SATs. Moral and civics education would be heavily influenced by Western culture, and tailored to fit all. On the other hand, cultures remain mostly Asian based. A one-size-fit-all model cannot exist for cultures; the uniqueness and appreciation would lose their meaning otherwise. It’s appalling, but true that even when trends in visitor numbers are rising, today’s museums are now appreciated by few, and remembered by fewer.

We must be aware, however, that cultural appreciation should not be overdone such that it becomes an obsession to protect culture. Throughout history, we have seen measures attempting to achieve this aim that are more destructive than desired. Nazi Aryans certainly are proud of seeing themselves as the best of men as they attempted to cleanse the world, while the Chinese Cultural Revolution aimed for the political purity of the Chinese citizens. Both governments were highly successful in their education of culture and identity. But both concluded as unacceptable due to their over-protective and destructive nature. Remember that the culture represents the society. Hence most cultures place an emphasis on the society it represents. The society, in a way, should be glorified and made important. The society aims to be significant. Racial wars and riots result due to the conflicting clashes of this significance. This is a reason why Singapore has so little culturally-heavy schools, only political associations that protects the cultural interests.

This is what the Singapore heritage associations currently have in their bag…

Education and Outreach Division, National Heritage Board (set up in 1993) has been proactive in its promotion, awareness and appreciation of the colourful cultural heritage through its programmes like:

• 12-day Singapore HeritageFest


• MuseumFest (1999 – 2002)


• Fun On Foot (2003) – A heritage-based treasure-hunt series.


• Heritage On The Move – Demonstrations of cultural elements like festivals, games and films.


• Travelling Exhibition – Cultural exhibitions in Community Centres, Schools, and Libraries.


• Cultural trails such as the Civic District Trail (a trail linking historic and cultural institutions / museums in the city), Singapore River Trail (historical sites along Singapore River), Monuments Trail (historic monuments in the city) and Fort Canning Trail.


• Incentives such as the National Heritage Badge (for Secondary Schools Uniformed Groups upon completion of a heritage project)


• Heritage newsletters and publications like Discover Singapore Heritage Trails

The Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts too have actively played its part in maintaining and promoting the heritage infrastructure and monuments, like:

• Opening new cultural sites like the Asian Civilisations Museum, Empress Place, state-of-the-arts Heritage Conservation Centre and Reflections @ Bukit Chandu.


• Marking of national monuments, of which 52 historically significant buildings, and 80 marked historic sites have been identified.


• Funding and tax deduction for donations to ensure a healthy fund for the heritage and museum promotional programmes.

While there are indeed numerous programmes in store for us, it is important that a more direct education is needed to involve youths deeply and integrate such appreciation into their lives. Tolerance is evident, but more effort should be made to increase awareness and knowledge into the youths.

How? Stay tuned next week!

(1080 words)

I am proud of those who contributed!

Compiled by
You Jie
Solaris House Coordinator

Contributed by
Solaris NE Ambassadors

Some new guidelines

Ok. Owing to some feedback, we'll have a few changes to our Article and Questions system.


ARTICLE

• Word limit for Article is [at least 500 words]
  
• Point system for 'Article' is changed. With each submission from each house equaling 5 points, with the winning entry of the week earning 8 points.
• Once again, just a reminder that the article can be in whatever format really, as long as it's readable.
  

TOPICAL QUESTION

• Send in your answers by EMAIL. [No more sms-es.. please.... ><]

POLL

• Yep. Check back and get ready to vote for those winning entries. [Try not to vote only for your houses.. ^^]
  

UPDATES AND REMINDERS

• I know that we all are busy with our own schedules and matters, but please do consider signing up for the events. They are meant to help you prepare yourself and broaden your experience as a NE Club member! So don't let yourself pass up these opportunities ok? =)
  
  

Vivien
Ignis House Coordinator

Lignum Article

Education in Cultural Heritge
- Through the use of events.
- E.g. in commemoration of Total Defence Day, Racial Harmony Day, National Day
- Purpose: to tell them the purpose of the celebration or the important values to be imparted.
- Letters by the MOE are read during assembly to notify the students on the purpose of celebrating the event.
- E.g. :
» Carry out rationing during school hours like during Total Defence Day. Total Defence day was introduced in 1984 to improve readiness in matters related to the defence and national security.
»Racial Harmony Day there may be a Fashion Parade showing costumes from different ethnic groups to showcase the different cultures in Singapore and to highlight the importance of racial harmony in a multi-cultural city like Singapore . This also acts as a reminder to the 1964 Race riots and to prevent such a riot from occurring again.
»Advertisements relating to how Singapore rose to become a strong nation as it is now are also broadcasted sometimes.
- Through the different activities in school.
- E.g.
»NJC organised the Bukit Timah Heritage Tour in order to bring greater awareness to students regarding the historical information and cultural heritage in certain Bukit Timah areas like The Old Ford Factory.
»Learning Journey Programmes in Secondary and Primary School whereby students would go on field trips to places with rich historical background. E.g. Fort Canning Park , Labrador Park , Little India , etc. Enables students to know more about Singapore ’s history as well as her culture. Professional tour guides would give an account regarding the place.
»Programmes adopted by various schools to train students to be like professional tour guides and give tours to exchange students on places which marks Singapore ’s heritage.
- Providing incentives for students to find out more about Singapore ’s history based on their own free time.
»Free access to National Museum and through this way the student has opportunities to find out more about her heritage, it also encourages further interest towards taking a student’s own initiative to become more aware about Singapore .
- Effectiveness of such programmes:
» Some programmes which are forced on students are not effective as they do it without having fun and will not remember the important cultural facts. In the case of Learning Journey’s students would grumble when asked to stay back late in school just for this programme. Hence, inculcating such programmes in curricular time would be a much better idea since the programme for students to go on such field trips are an eye opener to many.
à However, though some programmes are forced, they allow certain important information to be kept to students. Because if such programmes were not introduced some students may not take the initiative to find out more about Singapore .

Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1964_Race_Riots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Day_Parade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Defence

Compiled by Kellie 07S04

Ignis Answers 1

So proud of everyone. =)

Rachel Tong

07IP06

These measures have been effective to a small extent.

Events like Total Defence Day and Racial Harmony Day, during which speeches from the ministry are being made in schools, where the events are commemorated/celebrated, have allowed students to understand the meaning of aspects of our country’s heritage. Membership for schools for the NHB also encourages students to attend exhibitions and activities (due to waivered admission fees), increasing their understanding of the country’s heritage. However, this only forms a basic understanding, and further knowledge can only be learnt with the cooperation of the students. In order to increase the understanding of the country’s heritage in students, efforts have been taken by the government and schools to offer places in workshops and events for which might enrich students (in the abovementioned aspect), however, without the willingness of the students to actively participate in these events, the efforts will be wasted.

Zhang Chunmeng

06IP06

Education in cultural heritage

Measures to increase Singaporean Heritage awareness include The Singapore HeritageFest, Chingay Parade of DreamS during CNY and so on. According to the survey conducted by Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, there has been a significant 20% rise in the Heritage Awareness Index. People visit heritage places like China Town, Little India more often, they also support Singapore government to invest in National museums and other places to preserve national heritage.

In NJC, our cultural heritage education include National education, “Culture mapping@ Bukit Timah” project, amazing race during the orientation and visit to National museum, ect. These measures are effective in the sense that when Singaporeans are involved in exploring or even map out the cultural heritage in Singapore, they gain a more complete understanding about their country. They also realize their responsibility to protect the heritage increase the awareness of appreciating and protecting cultural heritage among other Singaporeans.

Reference:

http://www.mica.gov.sg/pressroom/press_070718.htm

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/288922/1/.html

Kok Chee Hao

08S08

The education system is an effective measure to increase student's understanding of the country's heritage. For example, in Singapore, students are taught a compulsory subject such as social studies or an optional subject like History of Southeast Asia and Malaya in 'O' levels. They gain insight knowledge of the past history of Singapore, appreciate the beautiful fact, and foster a patriotism and nationalism towards our country's heritage. In addition, schools also organize tours to the national museum to see artifacts, documentaries, historical monuments to learn about our past time periods like the Japanese Occupation In WWII, the struggle for independence during post-war periods and the pursuit of sustained development of economic growth of the country. Hence, the education system increases the awareness of students to the country's heritage and therefore, they will understand better about about their roots.

Goh Wei Yang Brian (16)

07S08

How effective have these measures been in increasing student’s understanding of country’s heritage?

In the recent years, the Singapore Government have taken a change in focus onto promoting Singapore heritage to the youths of Singapore. Such measures include competition, tours and school base activities. Usually, the implementation of measures involves 3 stages – “promotion”, “recognition”, and “understanding”. For Singapore, it seems to be well in the second stage. After all, it just started its plan to raise students’ understanding. As shown in survey done by companies, Singapore youths lack the basic foundation of their heritage, yet with these measures, the situation seems to be improving, which is a great sign. In the short run, such measures seem rather ineffective. However, in the long run, the ends should justify its means.

Faris Bin Ridzuan

07S14

Singapore, being a multiracial country has certainly accomplished its goals in heightening the level of tolerance and mutual understanding between cultures. She has also made the public aware of its cultural diversity and the migrant origins of its populace to highlight how Singapore’s diversity has made Singapore the unique city that it is. Yet, Singapore has yet to prove how effective and profound the impacts left by government programs in increasing cultural awareness. The recent racist blogs proved an important point, that though one may increase cultural awareness, what is truly important? Cultural awareness per se, callous in nature, or true racial harmony? Singapore should truly work towards the latter as a clear-headed goal and publicise this aim.

Vivien Leung

07A02

With particular reference to the Singaporean Education System, no doubt a certain section of the syllabus [Social Studies] is allocated to cultivating students’ interest and awareness regarding the country’s cultural background and history. E.g.. Civics and Moral Education is made compulsory in all schools so as to somewhat ensure a minimal understanding of Singapore’s ethnic issues. However, owing to modernization and increasing globalization forces, the country is also not excluded in the deepening apathy and loss of an integral cultural image. For our students, the tendency is to view the government as overly emphasizing practical results rather than the preservation of heritage. The competing demands for space, funds as well as time however, can be managed if there is made available perfect information and even more channels for contributions and work done in cultural fields. Hopefully, Singapore would continue its work in developing its unique integral cultural heritage.

Lee Hui Ying

08S14

I feel that the efforts to promote awareness among the students about our cultural heritage have limited successes. In terms of educating students about Singapore’s cultural heritage through textbooks in schools, this is implemented only in the earlier education. Although National Education is emphasized in every school today, many students view activities related to our cultural heritage mechanical and hardly understand the importance of them. I personally feel that visiting museums is very effective to intrigue students about our cultural heritage because students can be exposed to varied elements of our cultural heritage which they might have never come across in textbooks or in schools.

Shirley Lee

08A02

Measures to increase cultural awareness in students have always been part of education. During primary and secondary school in the form of the compulsory topic social studies, and this compulsory addition into the education system effectively helps students in making the effort to understand the country’s heritage In tertiary education though, the onus falls on the students themselves to find out more than the basic knowledge of sport’s heritage already introduced to them, and I find measures at this stage inefficient, almost non-existent.

Ha Quang Son (Shawn)

07S20

Measures taken by the government in ensuring cultural tolerance amongst different racial groups and promoting appreciation of local history have been largely effective annual events such as Racial harmony day have indeed fostered a strong bond amongst citizens from different cultural and religious backgrounds and instilled the sense of social understanding. Moreover, our very own heritage and historical knowledge have been spread to the masses by frequent campaigns and free tours initiated by local museums and National Heritage Board.