Cultural Diversity in our Social Studies Syllabus

Vani | Bernard | Zinc | Winnie | Priya

Quiz

1. What is the significance of Vesak Day?2. What is the difference between Hari Raya Haji and

Hari Raya Puasa?3. Why is Christmas celebrated?4. Why can’t the Muslims eat pork?5. Why can’t the Hindus eat beef?6. Why do Hindus wash their feet before they enter

the temple?7. Why do Christians celebrate Thanksgiving?8. Why do Muslims wear ‘tudong’?9. Why do Chinese celebrate Mooncake festival?10. Why do Sikhs wear ‘turban’?

What is cultural diversity?

Definition:-To have a diverse range of culture in a common shared space, to take pride in one’s own culture, yet respect, accept, maybe even celebrate other’s cultural uniqueness.

What do some student teachers say?

Chinese respondent: Cultural diversity is about different culturally Differences in ethnicity, language, religion, customs and beliefs

Messages of the importance of racial harmony and being tolerant of other ethnic groups was taught to her when she was a student

 Indian respondent: Cultural diversity is something whereby you get to experience and learn each other’s culture,

tradition and practices and why they do things in certain ways and why festivals are celebrated When she was a student: Racial harmony, IFD, different festivals to teach them In contract teaching: NE camp for P4 students, 2D1N camp,

Incorporate cultural diversity aspects in camp (meals-breakfast, lunch n dinner from different groups) and practices (sitting on the floor, sharing plates etc)

Malay respondent: Cultural diversity was explicitly taught and modelled as a student, through school celebrations

during festivals, through curriculum (maths problems has representation from diff ethnic grps) In contract teaching: Students in other ethnic grps join CCAs that

are not of their own ethnicity

What do you think?

Video: http://www.google.com.sg/webhp?source=search_app

Why do we need to think about cultural diversity?

National Day Rally Speech 2012, PM Lee Hsien Loong

In Schools: 21st Century Competencies

Inquiring Into Our World: P2

Bernard & Zinc

Development of P2 syllabus  P2 Syllabus

ChapterKey ConceptGuiding Question

Chapter 1: New Girl in TownCultural AppreciationWho are the people living in Singapore? How do we practise our customs and traditions?

ChapterKey ConceptGuiding Question

Chapter 3: Things so SingaporeanNational Identity and Shared ExperiencesWhat makes us people of Singapore?

ChapterKey ConceptGuiding Question

Chapter 6: Show some respectNational Identity, Shared Experiences and HarmonyWhat makes us people of Singapore?

Total no of chapters

3 out of 6 chapters

Critique syllabus with regards to teaching Cultural Diversity

Approach The three stories to cover

New Girl in Town Things so Singaporean Show Some Respect

Our Diversity Makes us UniqueNew Girl in Town

Learn about different celebrations in Singapore through Noi, a transfer student and appreciate other races’ cultures and traditions.

Cultural Appreciation

Block of Study: Our Diversity Makes Singapore Unique

Concept: Cultural Appreciation

Guiding Questions: (1) Who are the people living in Singapore?How do we practice our customs and traditions?

Generalisation: Pupils will be able to know that we have diverse communities in Singapore and to appreciate the many customs and traditions of the communities in Singapore.

Content of Story

Positives

Encourages locals to be open and receptive towards foreigners, and vice versa.

Ending teaches students to look at one another as individuals. (Good ending ++)

Content of Story

Cons

Only Noi was demonstrated acceptance.

Examples shown are poor representations of races

Lack of meaningful participation

Activity Book

Positive

4 major races

Educates students on basic information of major races.

Activity Book

Cons

Traditional Costumes

Christmas

Merely feeds students knowledge without promoting cultural

understanding and acceptance.

Visuals

Look at the faces of the children.What do you think they are trying to indicate?

Participation

Appreciation

Acceptance

Amount of Interaction?

VISUALS

Look at the various communities depicted.

How do you think they are being potrayed?

Traditions and Customs of a community Traditions and

Customs of a Community

Traditions and Customs of a Community

Variety of communities

portrayed

Positive RepresentationAmount of Interaction?

Activity(Public Holidays in Singapore)

Look at the various PH and festivals.Can you organise them into the various

communities that celebrate them?

HolidaysNew Year’s Day Hari Raya Pussa

Chinese New Year National Day

Good Friday Teachers’ Day

Labour Day Children’s Day

Vesak Day Hari Raya Haji

Youth Day (School Holiday) Deepavali

Christmas Day

Rationale of ActivityGain awareness that

Different festivals are celebrated by various communities

Communities can also involve different race and religions

Unique communities makes Singapore Unique

Each community can enjoy or share traditions and customs

Recommendations

Discuss various festivals celebrated by different communities

Show pictures of how different communities enjoy and interact with one another

Recommendations

Sharing of our own experiences Up to 2 chapters could be used instead Students can learn more about the finer

aspects of each others' culture: Their lifestyles, recreations they like, preferences

for food

Our Common Identity, Shared Things So Singaporean

Think about what makes Singapore Singapore, and in turn, makes us Singaporean.

Induces pride and belonging through facial looks, the cultures they originate from, their festivals and foods.

Celebrates uniqueness whilst reminding us our togetherness.

Block of Study: Our Common Identity, Shared Experience and Values Unite the People in Our Country

Concept: National Identity, Shared Experiences

Guiding Questions: (1) What makes us people of Singapore?

Generalisation: Pupils will be able to understand that shared experiences bind us together as a nation.

Content of Story

Positives

Promotes racial pride

Reminds students to enjoy our diversity is a strength, not a weakness.

Content of Story

Cons

Multi-culturalism is a characteristic trait of Singapore, but it does not

correctly define Singapore.

Activity Book

Positive

Serves as a possible branch to inculcate the value of Gratitude

Activity Book

Cons

Is that all students can love about Singapore?

VisualsLook at the faces of the children.

Are all the 4 races (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others) depicted accurately?

Visuals

Look at the pictures of the each community.

Do they show interaction?

Do the different communities interact in reality?

Activity(Who are my friends?)

Can you name some of your friends?

Why are the two (few) of you friends?

How do you interact with each other?

Rationale of Activity

Points out that Singapore is a place where we can find many

communities living together

This makes Singapore Unique

Recommendations

Make use of the diversity that pupils can observe around them

Example:Observe our canteen, what kinds of food are there? Why are there so many different kinds of food?

Pupils need to know that all races have their rights to live in Singapore. They share many things with other races.

Our Common Identity, Shared Show Some Respect

Looks into how easily our harmony can be destructed, and, sometimes even by ourselves

The best protection is respect, sensitivity and personal maturity.

Block of Study: Our Common Identity, Shared Experience and Values Unite the People in Our Country

Concept: National Identity, Shared Experiences

Guiding Questions: (1) What makes us people of Singapore?

Generalisation: Pupils will be able to share that common values on racial and religious harmony based on consensus and not conflict.

Content of Story

Positives

A reminder of a possible future, and reinforces the need to maintain cultural harmony.

Forgiving and Respect is the value taught here.

Content of Story

Cons

It’s always the same song.

Activity Book

Positive

Encourages students to get to know their friends’ culture through their friends, and not using a stereotypical template.

Activity Book

Cons

Given our food culture, how successful is the activity?

Visuals

Look at the costumes of Mrs Joseph.Can you tell what she is wearing?

Mrs Joseph willing to accept the cultural costumes of the other

communities

Visuals

Look at the pictures. What do they tell about how communities interact?

Cultural diversity exists across generations and this should be

maintained

Inquiring Into Our World: P4

Priya & Winnie

Let’s Look at the Syllabus! Can you pick out the chapters that

you think show / teach cultural diversity? Chapters 1-4: Different people who

contributed to Singapore’s early growth Chapters 5-8: First-Gen political leaders’

contribution (included people of different races)

Let’s Look at the Syllabus!However…

Covers breadth but not depthContent is “history”- heavy

Is it enough to learn about cultural diversity of people in the past?

Let’s Look at the Syllabus!

History-heavy Job stereotypes? Race Stereotypes?

Let’s Look at the Syllabus!

History-heavy Job stereotypes? Race Stereotypes?

Let’s look at the Textbook!The PAST “Mascots” for textbooks

Let’s look at the Textbook!The CURRENT “Mascot” for textbooks

Why did they change the “mascot”? More than 4 main races in Singapore! Influx of foreigners

Singapore as a country

But… has Sir Stamford Raffles ever become a Singaporean? Is he a good representation?

REPRESENTING INDIA

REPRESENTING INDIA P.31: More exposure given to India. In Singapore, being Indian has come to being

Tamil, which is wrong. For a long time, the representation of Indians in

books has been largely been influenced by Tamil/South Indian culture.

TamilsNon-Tamils

42%

58%

Representing India

Differences amongst a race of people who have been forcefully misrepresented

for the convenience of textbook writers/educators!

REPRESENTING INDIA

There is now a detailed description of where Indians come from and that they speak more languages other than Tamil and Hindi (which

are the languages people would associate Indians with, in Singapore).

REPRESENTING INDIASpot the error on page 30!

(clue: Something wrong with the languages)

*It is also great that Indians are depicted as more than coolies shown carrying heavy sacks

of goods upon emaciated bodies.

REPRESENTING MINORITIES WITHIN MINORITIES

P.38-41: Excellent coverage for minorities within minorities groups such as the Jews and Chitty Peranakans

*Children of today are ready to hear more about greater diversity of people such as the ones

mentioned in these pages.

REPRESENTING MINORITIES WITHIN MINORITIES

Interesting! Did you know that David Marshall is a Jew?

He has always been mentioned in the SS textbooks when teaching students about the political aspects of Singapore

REPRESENTING MINORITIES WITHIN MINORITIESFor example: There are synagogues around in Singapore, but no heritage tours (learning journeys for s/s) made to them.

Were/Are we too comfortable with sticking

to the FOUR MAIN GROUPS?

REPRESENTING MINORITIES WITHIN MINORITIES Personal experience: Never knew who

Chitty Peranakans were until I was 14 & my mother told me about them.

Recommendation: Include more variety in heritage tours. Move away from the usual Hindu temple and church visit during learning journey...go to Jewish synagogue and Sikh temples.

REPRESENTING MALAYS

REPRESENTING MALAYSHow well do we know the people of our region?

REPRESENTING MALAYS

Malays from Malacca The Javanese The Boyanese The Bugis The Minangkabaus

THE MALAY ARCHIPELA

GO

What is the meaning of ‘archipelago’?

Recommendations for the P4 Syllabus!

Recommendations

Problem Recommendations

• Content is too ‘history’ heavy. There are minimal links to the present.• Strong focus on

the past can lead to students forming stereotypes.

• Teacher can plan a consolidation lesson to tie everything up together. • Link what they

have learnt in the past chapters to people in the present.

Recommendations Chapters 5-8: How our first-

generation political leaders have contributed to Singapore• Make a link to present-day people:

President SR Nathan, etc

Recommendations

Problem Recommendations

• Sir Stamford Raffles “Mascot” for textbooks may not be a good representation of Singaporeans

• We still need to build our national identity – so the 4 races are still important.

• However, have more different representations of the 4 races in Singapore!

Recommendations

Problem Recommendations

• SS learning journeys focus more on sites which have to do with the four main races

• For heritage-based fieldtrips, Include more variety!

• Break away from the usual hindu/ chinese temples.

• Instead, go to Jewish synagogue and Sikh temples

Conclusion: The Vision….moving forward

• To see commonness and togetherness beyond the cultural sphere. Understand and respect one’s identity, cultural and religion

Mdm Nisa

• Students must be more sensitive to others than before as you will definitely find more mixed races around nowadays

Mr Arbind

Video: Colours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULIBHiQ19h4

THANK YOU!!!