Singaporean education to tackle character and values
Singapore, a country that consistently ranks among the best in the world on international assessments, is embarking on a new phase of education - one that emphasizes character and values, according to Education Minister Heng Swee Keat.
“We need personal values to enable each of us to have the confidence, self awareness, grit and determination to succeed,” he said, as reported by Channel News Asia. “We need moral values, such as respect, responsibility, care and appreciation towards others to guide each of use to be a socially responsible person. We need values of citizenship.”
The push for this holistic education comes after the ministry spend three months collecting feedback from educators and parents. The resulting plan, dubbed the Character and Citizenship Education, will be put in place by 2013.
Part of the new curriculum will combine elements already existing in Singaporean schools such as Civics and Moral Education and co-curricular activities. The Ministry of Education will develop about 60 percent of it and leave the rest up to individual schools.
