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Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew said recently that
Singapore has to develop a group of students with a deep understanding
of Chinese culture and history, and a strong command of the
Chinese language.
This will enable Singapore to engage China in depth.
This issue was discussed in Singapore's Parliament today.
Looking at the language issue, the role of the mother tongue
in Singapore is still evolving.
Emphasizing the importance of the Chinese language, Acting
Minister for Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam said.
TS: The learning of the mother tongue is, and will remain
a key part of the national curriculum in schools and junior
colleges. The government is committed to preserving these
languages and helping students recognize their importance,
and encouraging them to use the language. The reasons are
clear. Singapore has always benefited from being a bridge
between East and West, and we must sustain that position.
China's ascendance in the world makes this role indispensable
for Singapore s future. We have to engage with China, and
be part of the flow of ideas, business and culture between
China and the world.
Mr Tharman elaborated on some of the measures that will be
taken to preserve the Chinese language in Singapore.
TS: Besides developing a base of competence in the Chinese
language, and a basic grounding in Chinese culture, we have
to expose more of our young to developments in contemporary
China. Several of our schools are already providing students
with this exposure, through their informal curriculum and
immersion trips to China. And we intend to expand this base
in the coming years. This broad base of students, with competence
in the Chinese language, and an interest in China, will not
however, be sufficient. As mentioned by Senior Minister recently,
we have to nurture a group of students in each generation
who can engage China in depth. It is critical that we develop
an elite group of students, who not only have a strong command
of the language, but a deep understanding of Chinese culture
and history, including contemporary China.
One of the concerns surrounding the plan to nurture this
elite group of students, was that, while they may excel in
the Chinese language, they may not necessarily also be equally
competent in other subjects. Mr Tharman addressed this concern.
TS: The aim is to develop an elite core in each generation,
who can effectively operate in more than one channel, be able
to engage with the Chinese, and with a deep understanding
of Chinese thinking and society, and be able to relate to
the West. We will provide these highly able students with
a foundation of China-related studies, and exposure to China,
integrated within a broadbased curriculum comprising the sciences
and the humanities. We're working out the details for this
new scheme. The criteria for selection, the structure of the
programme, content of the programme, scholarships, and expected
career options will be announced later.
When asked when these announcements are likely to take place,
Mr Tharman replied that this should be within the next three
months.
Mr Tharman was also asked if Singapore's Ministry of Education
would consider issuing special scholarships for students to
study the Chinese language in China. His reply was that the
ministry was studying this very carefully as part of the new
scheme to develop an elite group of students who are strong,
not just in their command of the language, but also in terms
of their depth of knowledge of Chinese culture and society.
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