I refer to the letter, “Expand Bicultural Studies Programme to more schools in Singapore” (Feb 27).

In recent years, I have seen a growing interest in bilingualism and biculturalism in Singapore.

According to the Ministry of Education, the Bicultural Studies Programme aims to nurture students to have a strong understanding of China’s history and culture and contemporary developments, and “facilitate a deeper understanding of international issues involving China, the West and South-east Asia, through a Singaporean perspective”, through talks, symposiums and overseas immersion programmes.

To my knowledge, we have no comparable programme to create a deep understanding of Singapore’s history and culture.

It would be better for Singapore’s future to focus on multiculturalism rather than biculturalism, with a more comprehensive programme in schools where students learn in depth about Singapore’s multicultural heritage, history and foundation. 

A multicultural programme could include such things as learning all four official languages, at least at a minimal conversational level. In many European countries, students routinely learn multiple languages, which help their understanding of different cultures.

The programme should also expose students to other cultures via food, visiting places of worship, music, dance and more.

Any programme that targets only one group of Singaporeans will not help students understand the whole Singaporean perspective.

Seetha Sharma