A Study On Character And Citizenship Education Curriculum Of Secondary Education In Singapore

As an important way to achieve human’s modernization, citizenship education have a major impact on the development of every country in the world. In order to cope with the challenges brought by changes of domestic and abroad situation, Singapore began a new round reform of school citizenship education curriculum in new era. In 2010, Singapore Ministry of Education published a report of the Secondary Education Review and Implementation Committee, which stressed the need to strengthen the Character and Citizenship Education(CCE) in secondary schools. According to the report’s recommendation. Mr Heng Swee Keat, the Minister of Education, further proposed the concept "student-centered, values-driven" for the future education of Singapore, and would reform the school citizenship education curriculum and introduce a new CCE curriculum. In 2014, Singapore implemented the CCE curriculum in every secondary school. Firstly, the study analyzes the factors causing the CCE curriculum’s introduction. Then, with the basis of a comprehensive understanding and mastery about the content and the implementation of this curriculum, the study deeply analyses the features of this curriculum. Finally, combined with the situation of our school citizenship education, the study proposes some feasible suggestions for the construction and improvement of our school citizenship education curriculum.At first, the study analyzes the international and domestic background of the introduction of CCE curriculum of secondary education in Singapore. In the 21st century, the acceleration of the process of globalization and the fast pace of improvement in technology increases the international competition. Under this circumstance, the best way to improve the international competitiveness of its people has become an important topic in Singapore’s education reform. The tradition of paying great attention to the citizenship education, the requirement of practice the new education concept and the need to reform citizenship education curriculum are promoting the introduction of CCE curriculum of secondary education in Singapore.With an in-depth knowing and understanding about the background of the new curriculum’s introduction, the study further describes the content system of the new curriculum. In this part, the study mainly describes the objectives, the components and the content of the CCE curriculum of secondary education in Singapore. On the basis of the Framework for 21st Competencies, the curriculum puts forward the overall goals and eight learning outcomes,which is to achieve the desired outcomes of education in Singapore. The components of the new curriculum are CCE lessons, School-based CCE and CCE Guidance Module. The CCE Guidance Module also constructed by Education and Career Guidance(ECG), Sexuality Education(SEd) and Cyber Wellness(CW). So, the content of the new curriculum describes the content of ECG,SEd,CW and CCE lessons.In the aspect of the new curriculum’s implementation, the study discusses the principles, the assurance conditions, the teaching methods, the assessments and the case study of the new curriculum’s implementation. In order to better guide every school’s implementation, the Singapore Ministry of Education proposes the principles about environment creation, teachers’ guidance and parents’ coorperation. Also, Singapore government and the society give great support for the implementation of this new curriculum, which provide the adequate assurance conditions for the new curriculum’s implementation. The effective implementation of the curriculum should have good teaching methods and timely assessments. So there are four major teaching methods that teachers can use. They are narrative approach, consideration approach, modified values clarification approach and case study approach. By self assessment, peer assessment and teachers’ assessment, students can get a comprehensive feedback of their study. In order to know some details about the implementation of the curriculum, the study chooses three secondary schools in Singapore as cases for detailed study.From the analysis of the new curriculum’s introduction, content system and implementation, there shows some features about the new curriculum. Firstly, the direction of the objectives changes from "ability-driven" to "values-driven", and the final objective is to cultivate future-oriented citizens. Secondly, the components of the new curriculum are comprehensive and coherent. Thirdly, the content of the new curriculum add a part called "family time" and different kinds of activities. Also, there are some life experience of the students involved in the new curriculum. More questions are increased into the text book of this curriculum. Thirdly, schools can implement the new curriculum flexibly. The functions of other disciplines penetration and hidden curriculum get great attention during the new curriculum’s implementation. The education network among schools, families and communities is very important for the effective implementation of the new curriculum.On the basis of full understanding and mastery about our situation of the school citizenship education, the study analyses the advantages of the new curriculum’s objectives, components, content, methods and assessments and offers some feasible suggestions for the construction and improvement of school citizenship education curriculum in our country.