POLITICAL EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education if he will consider introducing political education in the secondary school curriculum to promote the political consciousness of our younger generation.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Sir, I am not sure what the Member means by political education and political consciousness. If he wants our school children to be more aware of the big problems facing citizens of the Republic, I agree with him that this is a desirable objective.

In schools this is being achieved in a number of ways in both formal and informal courses. There are lessons preparing for the General Paper in Pre-University classes: civics, current affairs and history in secondary schools; and education-for-living in primary schools. The regular weekly assemblies of school children addressed by school principals and the annual Pre-University seminars are specifically held for this purpose. Also a great part of the extra-curricular activities in the uniformed groups, namely, the National Cadet Corps, the National Police Cadet Corps, the scouts, girl guides, boys brigades, etc., are good training for citizenship. Of course, there is room for improvement. In particular, there is need to inculcate the best traditional values of Asian societies in our school children. This subject is under study by a team of Members of Parliament headed by the Acting Minister for Culture.

The terms "political education" and "political consciousness" can be interpreted in a number of ways. If by political education the hon. Member means the system practised in schools in communist countries, this is not something I approve of. Nor can it succeed in an open society like Singapore. In a closed society where contacts with the outside world are controlled and reduced to a minimum, the government can expound any set of theories favourable to its continuous rule. Since no competing ideas are allowed to reach the general masses, political education in this sense becomes effective, in that all or nearly all people think alike. If this is what the hon. Member means by political education, I can only say that I find it reprehensible and without any merit whatsoever.