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[Grp 7] Education system with common curriculum, common national examinations such as PSLE , O levels etc

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[Grp 7] Education system with common curriculum, common national examinations such as PSLE , O levels etc

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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Read the following article to understand the context of our research and discussion.

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Read the following article to understand the context of our research and discussion.

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https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/policies-shaped-multiracial-nation

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The policies that shaped a multiracial nation

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SINGAPORE - When Singapore became independent on Aug 9, 1965, multiracialism was written into the Constitution.

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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1) Look for your name for the topic assigned.
2) Type in your answer to address the following questions:
(a) What is the policy about?
(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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[Grp 2] Presidential Council of Minority Rights

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[Grp 2] Presidential Council of Minority Rights

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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[Grp 13] Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 

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[Grp 13] Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) 

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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[Grp 3] Group Representation Constituency (GRC)

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[Grp 3] Group Representation Constituency (GRC)

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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[Grp 10] Values in Action (VIA) programme

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[Grp 10] Values in Action (VIA) programme

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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It was introduced in 1989 to ensure a balanced mix of ethnic groups in HDB estates, and to prevent the formation of racial enclaves. It seeks to promote racial integration in Singapore by allowing residents of different ethnicities to live together and interact on a regular basis in public housing, where 80% of the population lives.

How does it work?
The EIP is implemented for all ethnic groups. Under the EIP, there are limits on the total percentage of a block or neighbourhood that may be occupied by a certain ethnicity.

When these limits are reached, no further sale of flats to the affected group is allowed, unless the seller and buyer belong to the same ethnic group. This is because resale transactions between members of the same ethnic group would not further increase the proportion of the affected group in the respective block or neighbourhood.

Why does Singapore need EIP?
In 1989, then-Minister for National Development S. Dhanabalan highlighted the emergence of ethnic enclaves in HDB estates, as shown in this image that was published on The Straits Times on 7 January 1989, in a speech to community leaders.

For example, the image showed that many Malay flat applicants wanted to live in Bedok and Tampines, while many Chinese preferred estates like Ang Mo Kio and Hougang.

While the Government was previously able to break up the communal enclaves in the 1960s and 1970s due to a massive resettlement and public housing programme, Mr Dhanabalan noted that such a massive programme was no longer feasible in the 1980s, when many areas were already built-up.

Hence, the EIP was introduced to nip the problem of ethnic enclaves in the bud before it became serious.

In a well-broadcasted interview with BBC's Stephen Sackur in 2015, Senior Minister (SM) Tharman Shanmugaratnam spoke about the Ethnic Integration Policy - even calling it the "most intrusive social policy in Singapore".

He said that the policy turned out to be the most important - and that "when it was first done, (I) don't think we knew how important it was going to be."

So, why was it so important?

Once people of different ethnic groups live together, they are not just walking the corridors and taking the same elevator up and down, SM Tharman explained. "The kids go to the same kindergarten, the kids go to the same primary school, because all over the world young kids go to school very near to where they live, and they grow up together."

The EIP has helped to maintain racial and social harmony in Singapore by providing opportunities for social mixing among Singaporeans of different races.
What the Government is doing to help EIP-affected owners
There have been concerns that, when the EIP limits are reached, some flat owners may find it harder to find buyers for their flats, and could end up selling their flats at a lower price. However, as Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong explained in Parliament in 2018, the saleability of a flat in the open market is dependent on factors other than the EIP.

"Flat attributes like location, storey height, physical condition of the flat, remaining lease and market sentiments" are also considered by prospective buyers, said Mr Wong.

The Government has also implemented measures to help EIP-affected flat sellers. For example, flat owners who have bought another HDB flat but are having difficulties in selling their existing one may be given more time to find a buyer by HDB, on a case-by-case basis.

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gov.sg | HDBs Ethnic Integration Policy Why it still matters

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[Grp 4] IRCC (Inter-Racial Confidence Circle)

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[Grp 4] IRCC (Inter-Racial Confidence Circle)

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(a) What is the policy about?

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

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(a) National service is a system of either compulsory or voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term national service comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939.

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b) Nothing creates loyalty and national consciousness more speedily and more thoroughly than participation in defence and membership of the armed forces … the nation building aspect of defence will be more significant if its participation is spread out over all strata of society. This is possible only with some kind of national service.-Dr Goh

- Whilst individual values can be inculcated through daily living, and an image built through living out those values, national identity is forged through common experience. Accordingly, the SAF has played an important role in all of Singapore’s key national events in the past fifty years. Whilst the SAF actively participates in celebratory events such as the organization of Singapore’s Golden Jubilee in 2015, it has more importantly come forward during national crises. For example, the SAF conducted the emergency distribution of face masks during the trans-regional haze in 2014 and when Singapore was affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. And, in the face of terrorist threats, the SAF has been mounting operations to protect key installations such as the Jurong Island refinery, which supplies a significant percentage of the world’s refined petroleum products.20

On all these occasions, the SAF has provided generations of conscripts an opportunity to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow Singaporeans during crises, thereby strengthening their identification with Singapore and also helping a heterogeneous population act and feel as one.

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(a) the IRCCs are local-level inter-faith platforms in every constituency, formed to promote racial and religious harmony. The Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle aims to be networks of trust that unite people regardless of race or religion.

(b) The Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle (IRCC) is a platform to promote racial and religious harmony in Singapore, with a presence in every constituency. This allows Singaporeans of different races to come together to build stronger bonds and to prevent any conflicts, and also allowing them to feel more accepted in today’s society, strengthening their sense of belonging.

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(a) Introduced in 1989. The Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) or HDB ethnic quota aims to maintain balanced proportions of ethnic groups in HDB estates and to stop racial enclaves from forming. Under the EIP, each HDB block and neighbourhood has a specific quota for each racial group.

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1) Role of the presidential Council of Minority rights :
- examines all legislation to ensure that they are not disadvantageous to any racial or religious community and
- consider matters affecting any racial or religious community referred by Parliament or the Government.
2) The presidential Council of Minority Rights help to adopt multi racialism as a part of our national identity. It also helps the minority feel protected.

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a) Meritocracy aims to reward people in Singapore based on talents and effort, rather than economic status, race, social class, etc. It aims to make the education system fairer as students from any sort of background can excel.

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The policy is about secondary school students having to choose a compulsory activity as their CCA. This promotes diversity as it does not limit or restrict students on their race but rather their enthusiasm and/or skill. This allows many students of different races to interact with each other all throughout the levels.

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Group 12: Chingay procession (Wen Yi and Meagan) 

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Group 12: Chingay procession (Wen Yi and Meagan) 

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(a) what is it about?
The word Chingay is equivalent to the chinese term 'zhuang yi' (妆艺), which means 'the art of costume and masquerade' in the Hokkien dialect. The Chingay procession started in 1973 as a street parade to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Since then, it has evolved into an annual iconic event that showcases Singapore’s rich and unique multi-ethnic and cosmopolitan cultures. Chingay is now a uniquely Singaporean tradition that is usually held during the second weekend of the Chinese New Year and celebrated by Singaporeans and Singapore residents from all ethnicities - Chinese, Malays, Indians, Eurasians and many others. This event offers a glimpse into the dynamism of Singapore’s vibrant multi-culturalism and global cultures.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?
- Different groups of people come together to prepare for the performance => learn to work together for the similar project => get to know each other => strengthening the relationship and fostering national identity through the same cause.

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[Grp 8] National anthem & pledge-taking  {Qian Hui, Aurelia, Yu An}

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[Grp 8] National anthem & pledge-taking  {Qian Hui, Aurelia, Yu An}

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1. The purpose of singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge during morning assembly is to reinforce a sense of belonging to the country and forge patriotism amongst citizens

2. National anthems possibly provide the strongest, clearest statement of national identity. In essence they serve as modern totems that bear a special relationship to the nations they represent, distinguishing them from one another and reaffirming their identity boundaries.

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National Day is the celebration of our nation’s independence, and is celebrated every year on the 9th of August. On this day, there are nationwide festivities such as the National Day Parade, in-school events like an assembly dedicated to the day itself, and address by the Prime Minister of Singapore and fireworks celebrations.

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[Grp 3] Chloe Lee, Ee Oon and Berenice- Group Representation Constituency

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[Grp 3] Chloe Lee, Ee Oon and Berenice- Group Representation Constituency

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a)A group representation constituency (GRC) is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore that is represented by a team of multiracial candidates.
- Purpose is to ensure that Singapore’s parliament would always be multiracial in composition and representation.
- A GRC must include at least one member from a minority community.
b)This means that political parties will not be able to take anti-multiracial stances and stand by these values even in the political process, retrenching the expectation of ethnic voting, thus forging a strong national identity.

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b) how does it help forge national identity? (Ashlyn, Jodie, Monique)

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b) how does it help forge national identity? (Ashlyn, Jodie, Monique)

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Since 1989, the racial quota in each Housing and Development Board (HDB) block and estate has been controlled to broadly reflect Singapore’s racial proportion under the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP).

The objective is two-fold:
1. To prevent any particular race from congregating in a location giving rise to enclaves
2. to give residents more opportunities to interact with those from other races as they go about their daily lives

The policy has largely met its aim, with every neighbourhood here a microcosm of society at large. This not only encouraged residents of all races formed strong neighbourly ties, they have also largely accommodated each other’s practices and customs, such as the burning of incense or the holding of wedding celebrations.

This gives most Singaporeans similar experiences with living with other races while growing up, thus encouraging the forging of national identities and stronger bonds between different races.

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b) As it is stated that meritocracy is a social system in which success and status depend on individual hardwork, talents, ability and effort, it encourages people to take more initiative in working harder towards their goals. This as whole, benefits the country by equalising opportunities rather than the outcome as well as rewarding individuals based on each of their merit or abilities. An example is the edusave scholarship, awarding the top 10% of students in terms of academic performance and have demonstrated good conduct.

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National Day Celebrations forge a sense of nationalism through the lively music, celebrations and events which thousands of Singaporeans take part in each year. Singaporeans are encouraged to tune in to local news channels broadcasting the festivities, which improves the sense of belonging in Singaporeans. This usually seems to make Singaporeans feel included in their communities and feel like they have a community of like-minded people who have experienced similar events.

Hence this will build a sense of attachment between Singaporeans and Singapore as Singaporeans feel happy that they have a group of people which they belong to.

For example, P5 students in Singapore usually perform as a part of the National Day festivities. Not only does this foster closer bonds between children in Singapore, but it ingrains a sense of belonging in the children. Furthermore, this sense will likely be strengthened by the course of even more National Day celebrations, forging a stronger national identity for the people of Singapore.

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a) SYF
- supports nation-building and develop cultural awareness and appreciation through aesthetics education;
- serves as a platform for the development of character, 21st century competencies and social emotional learning through the arts;
- encourages mass participation in arts co-curricular activities (CCAs) in schools where students enjoy the arts as CCA members or as audience members at performances and exhibitions;
- celebrates youth vitality through the showcasing of diverse artistic talents and creativity.
- SYF has seen the involvement of more than 30,000 students in the activities and performances each year. The SYF has been a fiesta for honing of skills, building friendship, strengthening bonds and a creating a common, shared experience for youths.

(b) How does it help forge national identity (i.e how does it make people feel )?

Helps to forge and reinforce a common identity and awareness of a common future for youth in Singapore by acting as a national platform for the Singapore youth, thus helping to forge national identity.

Promotes sportsmanship between different teams in different school => leading them to be more bonded having a similar experience => a strong sense of belonging in Singapore.

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VIA is a learning experience that enhances students’ development as socially responsible citizens through ownership of their contribution to community. It instills in the students a sense of empathy, rootedness and responsibility for Singaporeans and global community.

VIA brings youth of different backgrounds together in order to serve their community and develop empathy for others. This allows students of different identities interact and unite for a common cause.