Patriotism Should be Propagated in Singapore Schools

Introduction – Definition of Patriotism

Patriotism is the love of and devotion to one’s country that prompts a meaningful obedience and loyalty to its government (Saxe, 2003). K. Waltzer and E. Heilman (2005) extend this definition to critical democratic patriotism, where there is an inclusion of engaged critical thinking, on top of learning about the foundations of a singular American history. For this essay, I will fuse the two above definitions and apply it to the Singapore context.

Saxe, Waltzer and Heilman raised pertinent issues with regard to the Americans which Singapore can draw parallels from. Both are plural societies, made up of immigrant stock, and a mix of distinct cultures and ethnicities. During the Teachers’ Day Rally in 1996, Singapore’s then Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong, spoke of young Singaporeans who are not in tune to Singapore’s history. This is similar to Waltzer’s and Heilman’s findings of American high school students who lack basic knowledge of American history, even at the tertiary level. Thus, I feel we should propagate patriotism in Singapore schools. Singapore is a small country unlike America where our citizens are our only resource. Through the critical study of Singapore’s history and how the founding fathers shaped our nation, only can we then instil a deeper sense of appreciation for our nation to ensure our national survival.

Purpose of Social Studies in Singapore

One of the aims of Primary Social Studies (SS) is to foster a sense of belonging to the country (MOE, 2012) and this can be achieved through instilling the right attitudes and values in pupils right from the start of formal education. Our pupils must learn to know and love Singapore as their home and from here can patriot...

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