A survey of critical literacy education in Singapore

At its best, critical literacy involves the analysis and critique of social structures, texts that embed power relations, and active engagement in the reconstruction of social structures. This chapter examines the state of critical literacy within and about education in the discursive spaces of Singapore society referencing available research. We will first provide the background to the discursive parameters in the nation state which are determined hegemonically by the ideology and policies of a ruling party which has been in power over five decades. The section on the background of the prioritization of economic development and the harnessing of education to produce productive citizens within this hegemonic ecology is followed by our review of available past and present literature on Singapore’s critical literacy practices, especially within education.

Based on these, we paint a rather grey image of critical literacy within the collective process that may support the development of its members, especially young learners, within Singapore classrooms. However, we note that the reality may be more ambivalent. We also note that Singapore teachers need to understand their crucial role as intellectual labour in effectively interrogating and communicating ideational content.