Class divide by Mumin https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem Made with no regrets, whatsoever en-us 2019-03-25 10:19:12 UTC 2019-03-25 10:46:02 UTC hello@padlet.com Social Divide in Education https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344737773 1) Divide exists where students from high income families are able to attend elite schools, and afford private tuition, and devote more resources to ECAs. Whereas students from poorer background attends public schools. This enhances their children’s school performance and chances of getting into “good” (elite, brand-name) schools and universities, thus achieving credentials that employers value and reward with “good jobs” and high salaries.
(CNA, 2018) 

2) Income inequality amongst Singaporeans could be the leading cause of the education divide.

High income households are more able to afford high quality education (tuition, enrichment courses) for their children, in comparison to lower income families. 

Institutional reputation is increasingly important, and drives high income parents to send their children on education paths to lead them to elite schools (eg. Ivy League Schools)

3) Measures include: removal of streaming system, financial assistance, more placement in tertiary educational institutions based on discretionary admissions, equal distribution of resources 


]]> 2019-03-25 10:22:20 UTC https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344737773 Divide between Foreigners and Singaporeans https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344737894 The divide in question revolves around the phenomenon of xenophobia. This include anti-foreigner sentiments that dominate the Internet and social media which even resulted in "foreign trash Singapore" being a Google Search auto fill option. Foreigners make out 2/5 of the population in Singapore.  

The divide was caused when the Singaporean government continuously encouraged the migration of foreigners to Singapore (stemming from the existing strain on Singapore's economy and infrastructure), resulting in an imbalance in the demographics. The failure to assimilate into the local culture proves to be costly as the local populace has deemed their foreign counterparts to be snobby and different, leading to accusatory claims like foreigners stealing jobs. 

National Integration Council  was formed and for instance 400 integration ambassadors were introduced. The ambassadors underwent a two-day programme called "Diversity.Inclusion.You" to transform them into "positive opinion multipliers" within their schools and spheres of influence. 
Production company Big Red Button also brought together more than 1,000 people from diverse backgrounds in the Central Business District over four Mondays to have conversations on childhood memories and their aspirations over a cup of coffee or tea. 


This effort must continue for effective integration and social harmony to be achieved ]]> 2019-03-25 10:22:46 UTC https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344737894 SES https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344738470 1) What is the divide?
Socio-economic status (high, middle and low income).
"Within our system, some people have more options and more space to make decisions than others. This is what inequality looks like," -Teo You Yenn

According to the book "This is What Inequality Looks Like" by Teo You Yenn, the life of a low income household often revolves around his/her neighbourhood. While that of those who belong to the higher income often see Singapore as just an island, or a place that is small. This also shows in how the SES changes the many small aspects of Singaporeans life, based on their "SES" - as can be seen from memes online that a high SES person can afford "premium straits times article" vs the low SES who can't.

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/bringing-inequality-to-forefront-of-discussions

2) How did it start?
The upward mobility promised by the education and progress of Singapore has also enabled most in Singapore to improve their standard of living. However, those who have fallen behind, have often found it hard to catch up.
It started with Singapore embarking on the meritocracy as the governing principle. Which has often led to how it is perceived that meritocracy has led to the perception that "those at the bottom have failed to be deserving." Hence, this has led to the divide amongst Singaporeans who may view those from the "lower SES" to be undeserving because they should have succeeded if they worked hard, by the principle of meritocracy.

3) What is being done about it?
Childcare subsidies e.g. Available to all
parents of Singaporean citizens. Working
mothers receive $300, non-working mothers
receive $150.
Comcare provides social assistance for low-income individuals and families through family service centres

Organizations
AWARE - researches and advocates for gender equality in Singapore 
Daughters of Tomorrow - provides training and tries to match unemployed women with suitable employers

https://www.msf.gov.sg/Comcare/Pages/default.aspx]]> 2019-03-25 10:24:55 UTC https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344738470 Race & Religion https://padlet.com/mumin001/6e95q0ztjem/wish/344740090 What is the divide?
The divide between race and religion will be culture, language and food.

How did this divide started in the first place?
In the early colonial days when our forefathers came from different parts of the world to Singapore to seek for better opportunities - we have the Chinese from China, the Malays from the archipelago, the Indians from India and the Eurasians from other European colonies in Asia. When they came over, they brought with them languages, cultures, beliefs, and norms. As they started to settle down, these different groups of people (of different races) formed local communities among themselves to seek solace during those tumultuous years. They communicated in their native tongues, celebrated festivals that they would celebrate back in their hometowns and cooked food that they were familiar with. As a result, these groups were isolated from one another to reduce the level of uncertainty which was already immense at that time as they were trying to survive in a foreign land. 

What are the measures taken to appease this divide?
https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/policies-shaped-multiracial-nation 

One of the first things that Singapore’s pioneer leaders did was to overhaul the practice in schools of using different languages to instruct different curricular. (Use English as a common language)

To address the issue of security, there was a national mandatory regulation of National Service (NS). The military offers a shared experience where every male of every family, regardless of race or religion, has to play a role in the nation’s defence and security. NS facilitates inter-ethnic interaction between soldiers to “achieve a common national purpose”.

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). This allows citizen from different races and religion to interact with one another as they go about their daily life.


 
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