This article examines the nature and purpose of the social studies curriculum in the light of the demands of citizenship education in Singapore. The development of social studies at the secondary school level is located within the history of citizenship education in Singapore. While the core focus
of the subject continues to be that of nation-building, the introduction of social studies is also a significant milestone in the development of citizenship education in several ways. A major initiative is the emphasis on developing more thinking citizens. As a result, social studies is best taught apart from an explicitly moralising context, and in a context in which divergent thinking and views are
tolerated. It also suggests ways in which social studies can provide young people with the skills and knowledge to function as citizens in the 21st century.