Moral Education for Young People in Singapore: Philosophy, Policy and Prospects PDF

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Moral Education for Young People in Singapore: Philosophy, Policy and Prospects Charlene TAN Associate Professor, Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Yew-Leong WONG Teaching Fellow, Policy and Leadership Studies A...

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Moral Education for Young People in Singapore: Philosophy, Policy and Prospects Charlene TAN

Associate Professor, Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Yew-Leong WONG

Teaching Fellow, Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

Moral education in Singapore is underpinned by a communitarian ideology that emphasises the centrality of the community and the importance of social harmony. We explain how this communitarian philosophy is promoted through the subjects “Civics and Moral Education” (in primary and secondary schools) and “Civics” (in pre-university institutions), and show that this emphasis has inadvertently resulted in a neglect of the personal moral development of young people in Singapore. We maintain that more needs to be done to encourage young people to critically reflect on, construct, internalise and apply their own moral values both in and beyond the classroom. In the final section of the article, we explore the prospects for doing this in a way that is consistent with a communitarian outlook. Keywords: moral education; communitarianism; personal moral development

Singapore is a highly cosmopolitan citystate, with a diverse population. Foreigners

residents) from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Oceania and the other parts of Asia form about

(including both permanent residents and non-

36% of Singapore’s population of 4.9-million

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Charlene TAN, Policy and Leadership Studies Academic Group, National Institute of Education, 1 Nanyang Walk, Singapore 637616, Singapore; email: [email protected]

 Journal of Youth Studies July 2010 Vol. 13 No. 2 (Serial No. 26)  2010 The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups

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people. Of the residents (Singapore citizens and permanent residents), 72.4% are Chinese, 13.4% are Malay, 9.2% are Indians and 3.2% are Eurasians, Arabs or members of other ethnic minorities. Cutting across these different ethnic groupings and nationalities are a variety of cultural and religious practices. No single demographic group is truly homogenous. Singapore is also one of the most densely populated countries in the world (7,022 persons per square kilometre). (See Singapore Department of Statistics, 2009.) With this amount of diversity co-existing in

It seems plain that the subject-matter of moral education is morality: it seeks to nurture in young people a set of beliefs and values about right and wrong, good and bad, justice and injustice, fairness and unfairness, etc. But what specific beliefs and values are we supposed to nurture in our young people? It is important that we get this right, because our moral beliefs and values guide the way we live our lives—they determine the standards of acceptability and admiration in action, thought and emotional response.

such close quarters, social harmony becomes extremely vital in maintaining social and political

Many people today are uncomfortable with

stability and ensuring generally uninterrupted economic growth and prosperity in the country.

the idea of a universal standard of morality. Motivating this discomfort is the pluralistic notion

The presence of social harmony in turn depends on the ability of Singaporeans to consistently

that our particular way of doing things may not be the only way that is right. (This is an

make morally appropriate decisions in an environment where they are constantly exposed

acknowledgement of the possibility that there may be other value systems that are just as valid

to myriad influences and an overwhelming amount of information from other parts of the

as ours, not the relativist view that all value systems are equally valid.) Nevertheless, there

world. Acutely aware of this, the Singapore government makes the teaching of moral values

seems to be a core set of moral beliefs and values that are shared by almost all human

a key feature of the school curriculum. Moral education is explicitly taught in Singapore

beings. For example, very few would challenge the claim that acts of murder, theft, rape, slavery,

schools through the compulsory subjects “Civics and Moral Education” (CME) at the primary and

genocide, torture or systematic racial discrimination are wrong and should therefore

secondary levels and “Civics” at the preuniversity level. This article critically discusses

be prohibited. Most people would also agree that freedom is worth pursuing and protecting, and

the philosophy, policy and prospects of moral education for young people in Singapore.

that respect, responsibility, resilience, honesty and integrity are worth cultivating. This gives us

But what is moral education? What should we teach in moral education? How should we

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What is Moral Education?

an initial list of specific moral beliefs and values to include in the curriculum for moral education.

teach it? The answers to these questions will provide us with a basis for evaluating Singapore’s

However, a moral education that seeks to nurture in young people just this core set of moral

moral education.

beliefs and values is inadequate. Such a moral

education will leave young people in a state of confusion when confronted with moral

act is interpreted or described by particular societies or cultures. See Bell, 2009).

controversies, moral dilemmas and novel moral situations. Simply acquiring a set of moral beliefs

2. The self is essentially a social entity; the

and values will not tell us what we ought to do in situations where the morality of the options is

notion of the self as something that is separate from the social roles one plays is meaningless.

unclear or complex, where some of the values we subscribe to conflict with one another, or

3. The well-being of the community takes

where we are not even sure what all the relevant moral questions are. A good moral education

precedence over the interests of the individual.

must not only nurture in young people a core set of moral beliefs and values, but also teach them how to apply these beliefs and values in critical and creative ways to solve the real moral problems that they encounter. In short, a good moral education should teach morality as well as moral reasoning skills. (For detailed arguments for this view, see Law, 2009; Lipman, 2003.) With this in mind, let us now turn to moral education in Singapore.

Philosophy of Moral Education in Singapore Moral education in Singapore is underpinned by a communitarian ideology. Communitarianism may be characterised by the

A number of writers have pointed out that an Asian version of communitarianism exists in East and Southeast Asian countries, like China, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore (e.g. Bell, 2006, 2009; Chua, 1995, 2005; Kennedy, 2004; Lee, Grossman, Kennedy & Fairbrother, 2004; Tan, 2008a). East and Southeast Asian communitarianism emphasises the centrality of the community in the formation of the individual’s values, behaviour and identity. The concept of community is premised on the principle of social harmony, which features prominently in East and Southeast Asian societies and is reflected in citizenship education across these parts of the world (see Chew, 1998; Cummings, 2001; Thomas, 2002; Lee et al.,

following three claims (see Bell, 2009):

2004; Ahmad, 2004; Roh, 2004). In his research on values education in the Pacific Basin,

1. Standards of morality are located in the

Cummings (2001) found that the concerns common to East and Southeast Asian

cultural factors of particular societies, in the interpretive framework particular societies

educational leaders are also collectivist in nature; he gave the following examples: “providing a

use to understand and navigate the world. (This is not the relativist view that the morality

guide for behaviour in daily life,” “encouraging civic-consciousness,” “fostering an appreciation

of an act depends on whether that act is regarded as good or bad by particular

for the heritage and strengthening national identity,” and “fostering family values.” It is

societies or cultures, but rather the view that the morality of an act depends on how the

therefore not uncommon to find East and Southeast Asian leaders exhorting their fellow

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citizens to sacrifice a personal right or a civil or political liberty so as to fulfil their duties and

family, coupled with the key values of consensus and harmony. Chua (1995) commented that the

responsibilities towards their family and community in cases of conflict between personal

Singapore government privileges Confucianism as a good foundation for propagating Asian

interests and social or national interests (Bell, 2006, 2009; Kennedy, 2004; Tan, 2008a). In

values among the younger generation. The Confucian influence can be further seen in the

return, East and Southeast Asian governments generally see themselves as having an obligation

values listed under the heading “Singapore Family Values” in MOE (2006a, p. 9): love, care

to provide the social and economic conditions that facilitate the fulfilment of these duties and

and concern, mutual respect, filial responsibility, commitment, and communication. The reference

responsibilities (Bell, 2009). Thus, in China, Japan and Singapore, it is mandatory by law for

to filial responsibility points unequivocally to the Confucian teaching of filial piety.

children to provide financial support for their elderly parents; in Korea and Hong Kong, the state provides tax and housing benefits to make it easier for children to care for their elderly parents at home. In Singapore, communitarianism further takes on a paternalistic flavour. It is therefore no surprise that the Singapore government has prescribed the specific “Asian values” that

21 Vision”:

l Every Singaporean matters l Opportunities for all l Strong families: our foundation and our future

undergird the communitarian ideology. These values were introduced officially in 1991 as a

l The Singapore heartbeat

national ideology under the heading “Our Shared Values” (MOE, 2006a, pp. 10-11):

l Active citizens: making a difference to society

Our Shared Values:

l Nation before community and society before self

l Family as the basic unit of society l Community support and respect for the individual

l Consensus, not conflict l Racial and religious harmony The communitarian values stated here bear semblance to Confucian teachings, with its accent on the nation, community, society and

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B e s i d e s “ O u r S h a r e d Va l u e s ” a n d “Singapore Family Values,” communitarianism in Singapore is also promoted through “Singapore

The “Singapore 21 Vision” was launched in 1997 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. It aims to “strengthen the “heartware” of Singapore in the 21st century—the intangibles of society like social cohesion, political stability and the collective will, values and attitudes of Singaporeans” (Singapore 21 Report, http:// www.singapore21.org.sg/menu_s21report.html). The final platform for the Singapore Ministry of Education to transmit communitarian values is citizenship education, known locally as “National Education.” These are its key

messages:

l Singapore is our homeland; this is where we belong.

l We must preserve racial and religious harmony.

l We must uphold meritocracy and incorruptibility.

l No one owes Singapore a living.

through these two subjects. In fact, moral beliefs and values are inculcated in Singapore schools both directly and indirectly through the school ethos and various academic and non-academic programmes. We have chosen to focus on these two subjects because we are interested in the manner in which the state ideology is translated into moral education policy through the official syllabi.

l We must ourselves defend Singapore. l We have confidence in our future. Since 1997, National Education (NE) has been implemented in all Singapore schools. NE aims to develop in all Singaporeans national cohesion, the instinct for survival and confidence in the future. It is infused into the formal curriculum through subjects such as Civics and Moral Education (CME), Social Studies and History, and through sports and enrichment programmes. Again, we see here the strong presence of Confucian values in the emphasis on strong families as the foundation of society and the key to social cohesion, racial and religious harmony and nation-building. The emphasis on citizenship in the communitarian philosophy of East and Southeast Asian countries explains why moral education in these regions tends to combine and conflate citizenship and morality (see the essays in Grossman, Lee & Kennedy, 2008). Such is the case in Singapore. In the next section, we analyse the syllabi for CME for secondary students (aged 13-16) and Civics for preuniversity students (aged 17-19) to see how communitarianism is promoted in these subjects. It should be noted that we are not suggesting here that moral values are transmitted only

Moral Education Policy in Singapore Schools Civics and Moral Education (CME) for Secondary Students CME aims to nurture a person of good character, one who is caring and acts responsibly towards the self, family, community, nation and world (MOE, 2006b). The syllabus adopts Lickona’s (1992) framework of moral knowing, moral feeling and moral action in the development of a morally upright individual. Moral knowing refers to the students’ knowledge of what is right and their ability to “define good values, formulate sound moral principles and explain what constitutes good character and right conduct” (MOE, 2006b, p. 5). Moral knowing thus concerns the cognitive aspect of morality. Moral feeling refers to the affective aspect of morality. It involves a conviction and motivation to uphold and apply good values while considering the consequences of our actions and the feelings of others. Moral action refers to doing the right thing that proceeds from moral knowing and moral feeling. The syllabus emphasises the need for students to develop such skills as moral

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reasoning, critical thinking, responsible decision m a k i n g , p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g a n d e ff e c t i v e communication, and be given “many and varied opportunities to put good values into practice” (MOE, 2006b, p.5). The designers of CME identify six core values as the foundation for good character: respect, responsibility, integrity, care, resilience and harmony (see Table 1 for their official definitions). That the CME syllabus is designed to support communitarian values is evident in its statement that these six values “complement and reinforce Our Shared Values, the Singapore Family Values, the Singapore 21 Vision and the National Education messages” (MOE, 2006b, p. 7). The syllabus document suggests a number of approaches that schools may adopt when teaching CME:

l The Cultural Transmission Approach, which seeks to impart desirable social and cultural values.

l The Consideration Approach (PerspectiveTaking), which aims to develop an empathic and caring personality.

l The Modified Values Clarification Approach (Responsible Decision Making), which hopes to help students clarify their values through examining their personal feelings and behaviour patterns.

l The Cognitive Development Approach (Moral Reasoning), which is based on Kohlberg’s theory about students’ progress from a selfcentred perspective to a higher stage of moral development.

students are encouraged to engage in projects in the school and in the community.

Civics for Pre-University Students The Civics syllabus for pre-university students aligns itself to the CME syllabus for primary and secondary students. Identifying “Making a Difference” as its central theme, the Civics syllabus aims to nurture students “to play an active role in helping to improve the quality of civic life in the community and to take the lead in service to others” (MOE, 2006a, p. 1). Specifically, students should learn about the importance of active citizenship through service to others, the necessity for everyone to take an interest in the needs of the community and the belief that everyone can play a role in effecting positive changes in society in their own way (MOE, 2006a, p. 1). Four main ideas come under the theme of “Making a Difference” (MOE, 2006a, p.2):

l Our Growth and Development: Taking a proactive approach to becoming a leader in service.

l Our Families and Communities: Leaders serve to meet the needs of the people and the community.

l People Who Inspire Change: Everyone can play a part by leading in service.

l Singapore Our Future: Everyone can lead in making Singapore unique. The Civics syllabus recommends an

helps students to clarify their values through

inquiry-based teaching approach, with specific discussion questions designed to enable

the process of story-telling and reflection.

students to learn more about the community they

l The Narrative Approach (Story-Telling), which

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l The Action Learning Approach, in which

live in, reflect on the meaning of service in leadership and recognise their roles in the

political socialisation (Chew, 1998; Tan & Chew, 2004).

community they live in, and to enable teachers to provoke thinking and discussion among

Second, although a number of teaching

students (MOE, 2006a, p. 4). The syllabus adds that process-based approaches are also useful in helping students reflect on, inquire into and internalise the values of good leadership. The syllabus includes a practical component that involves students in service-learning projects that aim to meet the real needs of the community.

A Critique of Moral Education in Singapore Three comments can be made about moral education in Singapore schools. First, the overarching objective of moral education in Singapore is the inculcation of communitarian values for the purpose of nation-building. The communitarian thrust in the CME syllabus is clearly seen in the number of topics devoted to the community (26) as compared to the number of topics devoted to the self (11) (see Table 1). The slant towards communitarian values is even more apparent at the pre-university level, where the words “moral education” have been dropped from the name of the subject. Although the nurturing of moral beliefs and values is still going on at the pre-university level, the emphasis is on exhorting students to translate those beliefs and values into action by serving the needs of the community and nation, and to lead others in performing such services. Clearly, the primary purpose of moral education in Singapore is citizenship training; students are inculcated with national values for the purpose of economic and

approaches have been suggested in the CME and Civics syllabi, and schools have the autonomy to selec...