The Education Ministry will consider introducing a module for students to better appreciate issues concerning race and religion, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
He said this at a Racial Harmony Forum on Wednesday (Jul 8) attended by 900 school leaders and teachers.
“I think that is something that we ought to consider so that over a period of years, as our students go through the primary school all the way to secondary school and then JC, ITE and polytechnics, there can be some continuity in how we mould their understanding,” he said.
“I think that will be a useful idea because today a lot of these materials are already embedded in the different Character and Citizenship Education material as well as in social studies and history and so on. If we can pool it together, in order to give it a focus, I think that is something that we should consider.”
Singapore has enjoyed racial and religious harmony in the last 50 years but the young should be reminded that it is a delicate asset that should not be taken for granted, Mr Heng said. He pointed out that fault lines can emerge, if misinformation about other races and religions are allowed to spread.
The minister said efforts to maintain harmony must be doubled, given several challenges. For instance, the internet makes it easier to post careless remarks about other races and religions, with wide-reaching repercussions.
Radicalism, the ISIS threat as well as increasing religiosity, also raise the need to facilitate understanding between people of different beliefs even more. “We first need to be aware of these issues, consider what they might mean for our students, and prepare to engage them meaningfully,” Mr Heng said.
“It also means that we need to keep a watchful eye on our charges, helping our young find meaning and purpose in their school and community, so that they will not fall prey to radical and extremist religious beliefs,” he added.
“With high internet connectivity, it has become easier to connect with others of similar beliefs from across the world, and for people to congregate around causes and movements. If you look at some of the videos produced by the ISIS, they are highly sophisticated. There is great need today for our young to be discerning, responsible users of information, as well as to navigate this terrain wisely. Now, we have to work a lot harder to keep the ideals of our nation.”
To promote inter-racial understanding among students, schools mark Racial Harmony Day on Jul 21 annually.
Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
