| Author | Gopinathan, Saravanan |
| Title | Towards a national system of education in Singapore, 1945-1970 : with special reference to the media of instruction in schools. |
| Institute | Thesis (M.Ed.) University of Singapore |
| Year | 1971 |
| Supervisor | Tai, Chen Hua |
| Call no. | LA1239.6 Gop |
| Summary | |
| This study examines how,
beginning from 1945 and the Ten Year Plan there slowly evolved a
system of education in Singapore which could be termed
"national". It is concerned very largely with how the
vernacular media of education came to be recognised as important and
the policies and implementation of which give concrete expression to
the concept of "equality of treatment" and the roles assigned to the
national system of education. In particular, the study
explores the issues which centre around media of instruction as
these in Singapore's case are central considerations in the evolution of a
national system.
The pre-war situation with its main characteristics of compartmentalization is first examined to throw light on the tasks faced by post-war policy makers. A lack of policy on the part of the colonial authorities and a tendency to resort to political action to counter educational shortcomings is characteristic of this period though two local educators underlined the dangers of ignoring the need to create a national system. The early efforts to bring the vernacular schools into the mainstream consisted of attempts at providing aid to all streams (Ten Year Plan), control, (Registration of Schools Ordinance) and increased demands to extend the use of English (Bilingual Education and Increased Aid, Re-Orientation Plan). Most of these proposals were resisted and a combination of political and social developments culminating in plans for limited self-government saw them rejected. The All-Party Report of 1956 was the first true attempt to formulate an acceptable national education policy based on equal treatment for all languages, cultures and streams. It led to a Common Education Ordinance and Grant-in-Aid Regulations and thus laid the foundation for the national system. Full internal self-government and the political drive into a greater Malaysia led to greater emphasis on Malay, locally trained teachers and Singapore-centred syllabi and textbooks. The teaching of Asian languages was emphasised. Integration of the four streams was attempted and measures taken to bring all streams in line as regards examinations etc. The failure of the Malaysia experiment and the experience of problems in the larger multi-racial polity led to renewed efforts at language teaching in Singapore. An analysis is made of the present position in the last chapter and shortcomings highlighted with a view to urging reform. It is suggested that the problems of the vernacular medium and the need to evaluate language policies can best be met by a representative Presidential Commission of Inquiry as this would allow us best to take stock and chart the future development of the national system. | |