Forum: Students should ‘go beyond’ and openly express national pride
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Students around Singapore commemorate National Day in schools as an integral part of our National Education curriculum. We celebrate the Singapore national identity, integrate with society, and discuss what it means to be Singaporean.
Upon reflecting on this year’s National Day theme, “Go Beyond”, I am reminded of how we should strive to move past such general understanding.
How might we instead inspire others to be proud of being Singaporean?
Schools are already a place for the formation of national identity, and students are an integral part of that, welcoming their naturalised classmates, but we can go beyond, in the simplest of ways.
I recall recently attending a National Education NDP show, and feeling buoyed by the jubilation of the Primary 5 children. These younger pupils are a role model for all Singaporean students, to happily profess pride in Singapore, despite disagreements and differences of opinion.
Singaporean students may often express discontent with certain unfortunate realities in Singapore, but at the end of the day, we still belong to this country.
When the youth of our society openly express their love for their country, the rest of society can only follow.
Happy National Day, Singapore.
Adwin Lau Yu Tan, 17
