Education, Culture and the Singapore Developmental State

Yeow-Tong Chia is Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Australia.

"This book provides an insightful analysis of policies to create a sense of national identity in Singapore. Through an analysis of policy documents and interviews, Chia documents changing conceptions of citizenship, and citizenship education. Chia notes that while state formation founded on economic growth has been successful, that growth and the state's distribution policies have made the fostering of an authentic and deep rooted sense of citizenship more problematic in the new century. A valuable addition to the Asian citizenship literature in particular, and citizenship literature globally." - S. Gopinathan, Adjunct Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, Singapore "Education, Culture and the Singapore Developmental State provides a highly original and important case study of forging national identity through education. His research suggests that educational changes were driven by the state's deep sense of vulnerability in Singapore's economic and geo-political milieu and the perceived fragility in Singapore's social fabric. His research illustrates the strong relationship between the state and society in shaping citizenship education curriculum and programs, and thus also contributes to research on education and state formation. While Dr. Chia's work focuses on the unique elements of Singapore education and state-building in the post-1955 era, he situates his topic within internationally current themes and issues relating to multiculturalism, history, public memory, citizenship and state-building. This book will make an important contribution not only to the growth of community understanding within Singapore, but in history and citizenship education circles around the globe." Ruth Sandwell, Associate Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada "Singapore has often been viewed as the quintessential 'development state.' This volume gives a vivid depiction of the ways in which successive waves of curricular reform most notably in the teaching of history have shaped the minds of young citizens. A meticulous analysis of primary documents over a 50 year period provides striking insights into the educational and cultural underpinnings of a uniquely Asian approach to state formation. A provocative and highly readable account!" - Ruth Hayhoe, Professor, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Canada

• 1. Education and the Developmental State: Importance of Culture 2. Crisis of National Survival 3. Crisis of 'Deculturalisation' and Invention of 'Asian Values' 4. Intensification of Asian Values 5. Historical Amnesia Crisis and 'National Education' Response 6. National Education Institutionalized in Curriculum 7. Final Thoughts on the 'World-Soul' of Singapore