CHILDREN OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN MARRIAGES

CHILDREN OF EUROPEAN-ASIAN MARRIAGES:

(Race classification in Primary One registration): 8.

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Education whether he will consider allowing children of European-Asian marriages to be classified as Eurasians for the purposes of registration into Primary One and, if so, whether he will confirm that the race of such children will be recorded as “Eurasian” and not “Others”.

The Senior Minister of State for Education (Mr S Iswaran) (for the Minister for Education): The current practice is that a child’s race generally follows that of the father. If the father is a Eurasian, the child’s race will be recorded as "Eurasian". Where one parent is European and the other is Asian, the child’s race by default will be recorded following the race of the father. However, in such a case, the race of the child can also be recorded as "Eurasian" if both parents so desire.

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While the Ministry of Education is not the authority for the registration of citizens, our schools can facilitate such requests for change of race. This can happen at key points including when such information is being verified for school admission formalities. For example, parents are asked to verify their child’s personal particulars, including race, prior to starting Primary One, or when students enter our school system mid-stream. Both parents need to indicate consent and show the necessary supporting documentation. The schools will then update the records accordingly and also convey the changes to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

On the second point raised by Mr de Souza, I want to clarify that “Others” is not a race classification. The term “Others” is used by the Department of Statistics and other agencies in the presentation of statistical data by race, usually to denote all other races apart from Chinese, Malay and Indian.

Mr Christopher de Souza (Holland-Bukit Timah): I would like to thank the Senior Minister of State for graciously allowing the initiative in the suggestion to come into force. I do have a follow-up question, Mr Speaker. Would MOE liaise with MHA when the student having entered into Primary One comes to the vesting age for his IC because it is at that point that the race is recorded officially in an official document? And if he has called himself a Singaporean Eurasian for nine years before that, would MOE liaise with ICA so that he will continue to identify himself as a Singaporean Eurasian?

Mr Iswaran: Mr Speaker, Sir, as I said in my reply, certainly when the student and his or her parents make their preferences known to MOE during the admission process, or rather the key times during their school education, that will be

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recorded by MOE and also conveyed to ICA. And I will assume that at the age of 15 when the time comes for the IC to be recorded with the race identification, MOE will also similarly have the records but I would say that the parents of the students equally have an obligation. Having conveyed their preferences clearly to the Ministry, and the Ministry is of course in liaison with ICA and MHA, I think there is an equal obligation on the part of the parents and the students to ensure that their preferences are actually reflected.

Mr Michael Palmer (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Can I just ask a supplementary question of the Senior Minister of State: firstly, when it comes to the age of 15 and the MOE liaises with the ICA, that will be the obligation on the parents, but will there will be a sort of an opt-in or opt-out system in terms of the race? So, if they have opted in at Primary One for Eurasian, will there be a need for them to proactively again opt at the point of registration for the IC? And, secondly, if we are looking nine years down the road, how will we implement this process of registration when they turn 15?

Mr Iswaran: Essentially, the liaison between MOE and MHA occurs at the point of information being communicated to MOE. I would say, at the age of 15, that is a critical point and, in fact, ICA is the body which actually records the identity by race. So, I think it is quite incumbent upon parents and families as well to ensure that whilst they have communicated their preferences to MOE and MOE will in turn communicate that, and this will be reflected in both the Ministries' records, it is quite important that the parents and the students reflect their preferences once again at that point. Because it is possible that from the time of Primary One to the time when the child is of age 15, there may be a change of opinion, as this is by mutual consent of both parents, and therefore it is quite

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important that the parents communicate that point clearly at that point as well. I just want to make the point that it is not about opt in or opt out, it is more about ensuring a very important part of the IC reflects accurately the preferences of the parents and the child.