Schools must remain open communities: Ong Ye Kung

He says SAP schools need to do more to expose students to peers from other backgrounds

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung with cast members from a film about CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School at its premiere at Capitol Theatre yesterday. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID
Education Minister Ong Ye Kung with cast members from a film about CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School at its premiere at Capitol Theatre yesterday. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

It is crucial that schools remain open communities that give students chances to interact with peers from different backgrounds and races, and grow up in a multicultural Singapore, said Education Minister Ong Ye Kung yesterday.

In the light of this, Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools need to make extra efforts to expose their students to their peers from other backgrounds, he stressed.

Mr Ong was speaking at the premiere of a documentary-drama at the Capitol Theatre.

The film pays tribute to the contributions of former educators from CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, which is a SAP school.

Set in the 1950s, the 70-minute film, From Victoria Street To Ang Mo Kio, was directed and produced by former St Nicholas Girls' student Eva Tang. It revolves around two students and their relationship with their principal and teachers.

It also features interviews with past and current students and staff.

The premiere was attended by more than 900 alumnae, staff, students and other guests.

SAP schools place a heavy emphasis on Chinese language and culture, and generally have fewer non-Chinese students.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of SAP schools, which were established to preserve the traditional Chinese school environment in the wake of Chinese-medium schools closing due to falling enrolment.

Mr Ong said that such exposure needs to go beyond the occasional or one-off event, such as celebrating Racial Harmony Day. "We will need to find platforms for deep, regular and meaningful engagements; for example, partnering other schools to offer outdoor learning, Values in Action programmes or even joint co-curricular activities," he added.

He also stressed that SAP schools are still relevant today.

"We have to remember the historical context of setting up SAP schools - which is to uphold the traditional Chinese school cultural environment, at a time when English education had become very popular and Chinese schools were closing down rapidly. If we had not had SAP schools, we would have lost an important part of our culture."

The SAP schools are part of a larger ecosystem, he added, and along with government schools, clan-based and church-based government-aided schools, and madrasahs, they make up a diverse education landscape.

SAP schools are also one example of a range of efforts to promote the learning of mother tongues, he said.

"We want our students to be multilingual and multicultural, ready to embrace a future where we must be anchored to our roots and confident to face the world," Mr Ong added.

"More than ever, knowing multiple languages and cultures will become a competitive advantage."

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 12, 2019, with the headline Schools must remain open communities: Ong Ye Kung. Subscribe