EDUCATION AND NATION-BUILDING: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

Abstract

Education is a vital component of nation-building in Singapore. On gaining independence in 1965, the government recognised the urgency and need to embark on economic development and nation-building, two crucial impetus for state survival. Below the veneer of racial harmony lies the painful memories of the racial riots during the infancy years of the Republic and are constant reminders of the exigency to forge a common national identity. In such an endeavour, education plays a crucial role. This thesis aims to evaluate the contribution of the school curriculum towards imbuing students with a sense of identity through the contents taught in the school curriculum. In the course of study, it has been established that the school curriculum has had limited success in socialising students because insufficient knowledge about Singapore has been taught to them In addition, insufficient time has been allocated in the school timetable for the teaching of subjects which are explicit in their transmission of national values. As a result, this thesis will show that the school curriculum will have little success in educating students with the desired outcomes of education.