The Nanyang family of schools is an intrinsic part of the history of education in Singapore. The recent observance of its centenary was an occasion to recall and celebrate the fundamental contribution which the family - Nanyang Kindergarten, Nanyang Primary School and Nanyang Girls' High School - has made to the education of generations of culturally confident students, especially girls. As a Special Assistance Plan institution aiming to produce students who possess high competency in both English and Chinese, Nanyang attests to the need for bilingual excellence, not least at the higher reaches of the education system. A cherished cultural identity is a component of Singapore's inclusive multiracial milieu.
However, it is important to ensure that cultural integrity and institutional loyalty, although they are legitimate in themselves, do not override the national need for social cohesion. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong drew attention to this critical social function when he said that all schools, including those that are popular, should remain open to children of all social and racial backgrounds and not become closed communities. After all, elite institutions such as Nanyang, Hwa Chong and Raffles thrive only because the economic vitality and cultural inclusiveness of Singapore at large permit them to do so. That inclusiveness is the work as well of Singaporeans who did not attend popular schools but graduated with first-class honours from the University of Life. They, and their children, form the national ecosystem which sustains the endeavours of renowned institutions.
The rightful preservation of culture and values embodied in such schools would be diminished if they were to become gated communities of learning inaccessible to the national mainstream. Whether at Nanyang or at other popular schools, Primary 1 admissions are related to some past or present association, and most pupils have parents who are professionals. While the social profile of successful parents cannot be held against their children, the absence of such profiles should not exclude other children. Hence the requirement that all primary schools must set aside 40 places for children with no connections to them.
School administrators should not only stick to the letter of this rule but embrace its spirit. Apart from opening the door to children from diverse backgrounds, schools need to ensure that their pupils interact with other children sufficiently for them to understand that Singapore is not their school writ large but that their school is a valuable part of Singapore. Diversified admission schemes at higher levels must be supplemented by efforts at the primary level. A notable example is the opportunity for students to visit hawker centres to remind members of the public to return their food trays. Nanyang, and other good schools, must help nurture the future of Singapore.
