Capitalism and ethnicity: creating 'local' culture in Singapore

National Education as a ‘Civics’ Literacy in a Globalized World: The challenges facing education in Singapore

“…At the heart of this agenda, suggested Wee, was the political desire to develop ''a multicultural and historicized sense of nationhood'' (p. 140), mixed with the government's ''established ideology of economic survival'' (p. 140). Hence, as Wee (2000) put it, whilst there was a commitment to enshrine a sense of national National Education as a 'Civics' Literacy 165 identity across the curriculum through national education there was no interest in scaring away ''free floating capital'' (p. 140). Koh (2004) pointed out that national education was part of a broader reform which came under the banner ''Thinking Schools, Learning Nation'', which he suggests was the beginning of a reform which sought to realign ''educational change in response to the trajectories of (global) economic conditions, concomitantly framed by (local) sociopolitical and cultural ideological needs'' (p. 336).…”

“…Goh made the case that the principles of ''nationhood'', meritocracy and multiracialism needed to be rediscovered since, according to a newspaper poll, the awareness of Singapore's development and history since the end of the Second World War was particularly weak. Wee (2000) suggested that an Asian regional identity was being replaced by political edict with a nationalist agenda. At the heart of this agenda, suggested Wee, was the political desire to develop ''a multicultural and historicized sense of nationhood'' (p. 140), mixed with the government's ''established ideology of economic survival'' (p. 140).…”

“…It is apparent that the government machine in Singapore sought to develop notions of civic pride and citizenship (even though this remains ill defined) and with a definite agenda of what it calls ''nation building'' and a glance at the Ministry of Education web site indicates that the objectives of national education are to develop national cohesion, the instinct for survival and confidence in the future. National education was made public as an idea in September 1996 when, at a Teachers' Day Rally, Prime Minister Goh spoke of the need for such a programme in Singapore schools (Wee, 2000). Goh made the case that the principles of ''nationhood'', meritocracy and multiracialism needed to be rediscovered since, according to a newspaper poll, the awareness of Singapore's development and history since the end of the Second World War was particularly weak.…”

“…Chua and Yeo (2003), for example, refer to a flourishing Singapore film culture, but one that has to operate from the margins given the role of critique it has assumed and the level of actual or implied government surveillance it attracts. Nonetheless, it demonstrates that no matter how ''Westernized'' Singapore has become, it has become so on its own terms (see Wee, 2000).…”

“…Examples of transcultural flows which do not emanate from the West include Bhangra music from India, Hong Kong action movies and Japanese anime. Singapore is therefore better described as a ''pastiche'' (Wee, 2000), where economic and cultural progress has used an ''Asianized'' neoliberal agenda with powerful influences from Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan in particular, to attempt to forge both its identity as a nation state and its place in the world as a major economic player. Chua and Yeo (2003), for example, refer to a flourishing Singapore film culture, but one that has to operate from the margins given the role of critique it has assumed and the level of actual or implied government surveillance it attracts.…”