Publication: A historical development of the primary social studies curriculum in Singapore
Date
2002
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This study traces the evolution of the primary school curriculum in Singapore and how social studies became a part of that curriculum in 1984. Pupils in primary school studied history, geography and civics as separate subjects in the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1974, these subjects were integrated to form a new subject, Education For Living (EFL) which was shortly replaced by two subjects, namely social studies, and civics and moral education in 1984.<br><br>The purpose of social studies in Singapore is citizenship education with the main intent of enabling pupils to understand their social world and to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to participate more effectively in the society and environment in which they lived. Social studies is the main avenue in the formal curriculum for the delivery of National Education.<br><br>Adjustments were made to keep the social studies curriculum relevant to the changing times and needs of Singapore. The various revisions to the social studies syllabuses can be seen as a response to both changes in events in Singapore and emphasis in education. The first social studies syllabus was conceptualised and published in 1981 and the syllabus was revised in 1994. Both these syllabuses were developed during the phase of efficiency-driven education. While the main intent of social studies remained the same in both 1981 and 1994 syllabuses, greater attention was given to the development of values and attitudes in the revised syllabus. The transmission of a fixed body of knowledge which characterised this period of education was effected through the production of teacher-proof instructional materials produced by CDIS.<br><br>The next revision of the social studies syllabus took place in 2000 during the phase of ability-driven education. This was in response to the launch of the MOE's vision, Thinking Schools, Learning Nation, the added emphasis on National Education, the changing nature of local economy and trends abroad such as innovations in IT and globalisation, all of which impacted the Singapore education system as a whole. In the 2000 revision, greater emphasis and expectations were demanded of social studies in fulfilling its purpose of citizenship education. Like the other subjects in the school curriculum, changes were made to the social studies curriculum to help prepare the young for the challenges of the new millennium and at the same time inculcate in them a sense of belonging and rootedness to the country.<br><br>The future social studies curriculum will continue to evolve to keep itself relevant to the needs of the individual and society. Support must come from different quarters such as CPDD, NIE and the Teachers' Network to boost the morale of and the learning environment for social studies educators in Singapore.