Introduction The two interpretations of the Singapore Story overlap in their presentation of our nation-building history. A similar purpose lies behind both presentations, for the ultimate goal is to foster national cohesion, pride and belonging among citizens, but they are certainly not identical. Where the differences lie are not mutually exclusive. The two interpretations articulate different means to the same end, since I argue that they are directed at difference target audiences. The Singapore Story as presented through National Education The Singapore Story narrates the story of Singapore’s success despite predictions that it would not prosper . This narrative serves to build the very basis of a Singaporean identity. It inculcates …show more content…
As such a perceivably credible government must stay in power consistently to execute policies necessary for strengthening internal cohesion to respond to external threats to its sovereignty . The Singapore Story according to National Education has habitually ingrained a level of national pride and identity in citizens, through the sacred daily activity of singing the national anthem and reciting the pledge during the flag-raising ceremony in schools . Although I have not participated in the ceremony for nearly three years, it is nearly impossible to forget the national anthem and pledge after twelve years of formal education. As part of annual National Day celebrations, students engage in a solemn recital of the Recollections. In my memory, it was always awash with a somber mood and definitely brought across the sentiments of historical hardships and the triumph over initial vulnerabilities and weaknesses, which we cannot forget. Clearly, National Education to a certain level educates its young citizens with core Singaporean values and conditions them with an inkling of what it means to belong to a …show more content…
Indeed, such actions reflect some level of dissatisfaction with the government. However, the credibility of their claims dissipates when they assert issues in an emotionally charged manner and target specific individuals like Prime Minister Lee , because they put the blame on one individual when it takes an entire Cabinet to push through any policies. By doing so, they cannot bring real change to possibly legitimate issues. They fail to provide constructive suggestions to improve the situation they deem defective, which in part can be explained by the lack of understanding of political processes and cost-benefit considerations, which the module tries to
On the 15th of February in 1942 one of the biggest defeats of the British Empire was accomplished by the Japanese, Singapore was surrendered. The Fall of Singapore was relatively destructive to the relationship between Britain and Australia. Australia relied on Britain holding Singapore as it was the last defence against the Japanese and it was feared that Japan would go on and invade Australia if it fell, Australia openly showed that they could not rely on the British for defence by becoming a strong ally with America and asking them to help with the feared Japanese invasion. Australia feared the threat of invasion constantly throughout the war, when Singapore fell the Australian government predicted a certain attack by the Japanese.
Life is not always easy, at some point, people struggle in their life. People who are in the lower class have to struggle for a job every day and people who are in upper class also have their own problems to deal with. These ideas are very clear in Mary Oliver’s “Singapore”, Philip Schultz’s “Greed” and Philip Levine “What Work Is”. In "Singapore" a woman is likely lower class because she works at the airport and her job is to clean the bathroom. In both “Greed” and “What Work Is”, the speakers make the same conclusion about the struggle in the lower class. “Greed” furthermore discusses how Hispanics get a job first before whites and blacks because they take lower wages. All three poems deal with class in term of the society. The shared idea
Although the custom had fallen off prior to 9/11, a great many American public schools begin the school day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The recitation of a promise to support the flag and the country it represents constitutes an oath that is said by almost every student and teacher daily. We are concerned that the recitation of the pledge has gone unexamined by both teacher and student. While it may be acceptable for religious institutions to demand oath without analysis, public schools should be and are held to a different standard. Fostering the critical analysis of the documents that have supported our country is part of the rights and responsibilities of the American school system and those whom it employs.
Fukuyama, F. (1989). The End of History.The National Interest, Summer. Retrieved February 2, 2014, from http://www.wesjones.com/eoh.htm
Kyi Suu San Aung. "The Quest of Democracy." Reading The World: Ideas That Matter, edited
At the beginning of each day in many public and private schools around the country, students stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. In fact, 35 states have passed laws mandating that the Pledge be recited on a daily basis. This issue has been a source of controversy for years. On one side of the argument exists families and educators who believe in the citizenship and patriotism that reciting the Pledge brings (Chiodo, 2011). On the opposing side, families and educators argue the possible threat to an individual’s First Amendment freedoms.
Comparative advantage means that an industry, firm, country or individual are able to produce goods and services at a lower opportunity cost than others which are also producing the same goods and services. Also, in order to be profitable, the number in exports must be higher than the number in import. From the diagram we seen above, Singapore is seen to have a comparative advantage in some services. The services are Transport, Financial, business management, maintenance & Repair and Advertising & Market Research, etc. These export services to other countries improve the balance of payment. On the other side, Singapore is seen to have a comparative disadvantage in some services. The services are Travel, Telecommunications, Computer & Information,
Singapore’s education journey can be divided into three broad phases namely the Survival-Driven Education (1959 – 1978), Efficiency-Driven Education (1979 -1996) and the Ability-Based, Aspiration-Driven Education which Singapore has adopted since late 1990s. The education policies have evolved to address the context of the country’s stage of development and the challenges it faces at each point. More recently, we are transiting into a knowledge-based economy to face external challenges such as market volatility, increasing globalisation and rapid technological advancement. As Singapore does not have its own natural resources, it is a necessity to develop the people to their fullest to survive. And as the future becomes more volatile with rapid
Film critics and audiences have dubbed I Not Stupid an excellent commentary on the education system and government paternalism. The movie stars three school children who have been channelled into the undesirable EM3 stream, and shows the trials and tribulation of these children and their parents. I Not Stupid has been described as a "coming of age movie"1 for its rare ability to criticise the government and its policies and bring pertinent issues to light, so much so that many are surprised that it managed to get past the not-too-kind local board of censors. This presents us with an interesting question - with its explicit references to the government and its blatant criticisms of government policies, how did this political satire get past the censorship board? Was it a case of the censors deciding that this sort of criticism was acceptable once in a while? Or perhaps the censors just saw the movie differently. At first mention, the latter might sound very unlikely. However, if we ask ourselves what the real butt of the satire is, we might begin to realise that there is a possibility that this movie is not intended to be a political satire at all. In fact, it is my contention that the butt of the satire in this movie is the Singaporean mentality, and not the government.
1. In 1810, Sir Stamford Raffles founded the island of Singapore and later claimed it in an attempt to create a trading post for the British. This trading post was located on the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, which was important for trade from East Asia and India. In the early 19th century, Malays, Chinese, and Indians came to Singapore to begin trade. The language spoken by these ethnicities affected one another and resulted in a choppy, sing-song version of the Queen’s English with heavy accents from the Hokkien, Malay, Cantonese, Tamil, and more.
Anthony Smith argues that national identity has the feature of continuity that can transmit and persist through generations. National identity, like other social identities, engenders positive emotions such as pride and love to one’s nation. It is a cultural-political community that has become conscious of its autonomy, unity, and particular interests.
Within his research, Aaron T. Sigauke (2013) described how in some nations citizenship education is taught school-wide in all subjects and school activities, but this approach is the exception rather than the rule (p. 11). Traditionally, the teaching of citizenship is generally reserved for social studies classes and is not directly taught as a separate subject. Although the reasons vary as to why it should not be its own course, most educators and politicians agree that it should be indirectly taught in the social studies curriculum because it can be incorporated into the study of history and civics, as well as an analysis of the great citizens (military leaders, politicians, scientists, et al.) that contributed to the nation’s chronicle (Keating, 2011, pp. 762-765). When this practice is combined with national holidays and other local or state celebrations, then the study of civilization becomes more significant and meaningful for all of the students (Keating, 2011, p.
This speech was composed of messages towards his people claiming the standard of ‘greatness’ not only to himself but also to his people. Marcos used of rhetorical devices had help him to convince his people about this idea. Rhetorical devices such as anaphora, alliteration, rhetorical question, metonymy and hyperbole were used in his speech. The intensity of Marcos’ speech was built through gallant statements and anaphoric repetition. Every repetition constructs on the one before and strengthened by Ferdinand Marcos’ increasing passion. For example, “By your mandate”, brought ideas about how Marcos connects with and asked for his people’s permission for making the Philippines a better nation. He used inclusive language to express that he includes his people, not only his dream but also his people’s. Examples of this were “It is our nation.” and “We are in crisis.” Marcos also used hyperbole “I have heard the cries of thousands and clasped hands in brotherhood with millions of you.” for example, to let his people know that he listen and he understand the grieve they had. These were the ways he approached his people with the sense of nationalism, reminding them that similar to their ancestors, they could also achieve heroism by considering and living the principled culture of a useful
Wee, L. (2010). ‘Burdens’ and ‘handicaps’ in Singapore’s language policy: on the limits of language management, Language Policy (9), 97-114
Singapore. Is it an island, a city, or a state? Surprisingly, this exotic sounding name applies to all three. The island is a diamond shape. It is a diamond in the sea, sparkling with bright lights at night, and a gem of great value to the world with its important port, and financial center of the world. It is one of the largest in the world. It is necessary for Senior Enlisted Leaders (SEL) to understand the importance of economics and the military strategic for the United States military because Singapore plays a major part of east politically and economically and the headquarters of the Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific (COMLOG WESTPAC) and the Commander, Destroyer Squadron Seven for the United States Navy. This essay discusses the background,