This is a topic close to heart because I am a strong believer in education. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because of the grades, I’m not a supporter of grading systems. Instead, it is because education exposes you to everything there is in the world and gives you an idea as to what you might want to become in the future. Education passes down knowledge and instils awareness of current global issues, and then helps you develop skillsets to apply the knowledge learnt to tackle these issues that matter to you. To me, education is the first and the most important step in solving many of our global issues today.
In 2016, the syllabus for Junior Colleges in Singapore was revised to make it more applicable to current issues. The topics of sustainable development and climate change were added to the Geography and Biology syllabus respectively[1], and it’s not just the JC syllabus. Topics related to climate change, human impact on the environment, and other environmental issues are already incorporated into science and humanities subjects in both primary and secondary schools[2]. Our language subjects are also used to raise awareness of such issues through articles and discussion of current affairs.
Curriculum aside, most schools have clubs or societies that are related to environmental protection. They also have initiatives to allow students to play a part in protecting the environment, even at a young age. For example, at Elias Park Primary School, biodigesters and compost bins were set up to not only turn the waste into compost and fertiliser for their school garden but also to educate the children on the reduction of waste[3].
Water Wally! PUB’s mascot to spread the message of water conservation[4]. I remember this mascot since Primary School when we were exposed to this issue.
We have gone a long way in the development of our education syllabus, making it more applicable and to give our students more exposure to the real-world situation. However, the development does not stop there.
With the increasing importance of climate change, there have been suggestions to make climate change a subject in schools, instead of just incorporating them in current subjects. While there are its pros and cons, here’s a Facebook post by our ex-Education Minister Ong Ye Kung on his view of this issue. How about you, what do you think? Let us know below in the comments!
SDG4: Quality Education
References
[1] Teng, A. (2016, February 4). JC syllabuses revamped to keep up with the times. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/education/jc-syllabuses-revamped-to-keep-up-with-the-times
[2] MOE. (2020, June 12). Syllabuses. https://www.moe.gov.sg/education/syllabuses
[3] Min, A. H. (2019, October 27). Greater participation in green workshops, amid calls for more climate change education in schools. CNA. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/climate-change-lessons-singapore-schools-12034894
[4] PUB. (2018, June 13). Water Wally. https://www.pub.gov.sg/about/waterwally
[5] Image Credit: “Water Wally” by chooyutshing is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Hey Ernest,
I am supporter of education as well! I believe that it is the catalyst of change for most of us. In fact, it is exactly because of the incorporation of sustainable development into the Geography syllabus that I developed my interest for the environment. Do you think that education, especially quality ones, is a form of privilege considering that many marginalised groups (women, lower-income families, LGBTQIA+ members etc) do not have equal access to it? Also, how do you think this would play out in our current eco-political climate?
Thank you and sorry for the many questions!
chuan
Hi Chuan! Thanks for reading my post. No worries about the questions, just ask away 😀
Yes, I do agree that quality education is a form of privilege. Global leaders recognise the importance of basic education, so much so that ensuring access to inclusive and equitable quality education is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. While there have been improvements in primary enrollment numbers around the world, there are still high rates of dropouts due to various reasons such as political instability, safety, and poverty. Individuals of different genders or sexual orientations may also face difficulty in obtaining education, especially in regions where there are inherent cultural and social structures in place. Nevertheless, the numbers seem promising and access to education is becoming available to all, without any discrimination. However, I cannot say for sure if the quality of education received to each group of individuals will be the same, and it is tough to obtain studies regarding this on a global scale.
Regardless, I feel that the first step would be to ensure that every individual has access to a basic form of education. It is only when education is guaranteed for all can we then move on to improving the quality of education and inculcate different global concepts and values in the students.
With an increase in environmental education, I will expect more people to become environmentally literate, and I will not be surprised if we see greater support for ecopolitics especially in the younger and future generations. With ecopolitics also rooted in social justice, the gap between non-marginalised and marginalised groups will also narrow, or perhaps to a point where the term “marginalised” will not even exist. It will lead to a positive feedback cycle, with everyone obtaining equal access to different aspects of society, including education.
Of course, this sounds very idealistic, but I’m sure it’s on the minds of everyone here that one day we will live in a society full of ideals, where the grass is equally green on both sides. The question now is, how are we going to achieve it? After all, that’s what policies and development are for, isn’t it?
Hope these answer your questions!
“With ecopolitics also rooted in social justice, the gap between non-marginalised and marginalised groups will also narrow, or perhaps to a point where the term “marginalised” will not even exist.”
As my grandmother would’ve said : from your lips, to God’s ears.
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”
From the stars, shoot for the moon again. We’ll get there.
Hi Ernest,
I also believe that education is a very strong tool to solve our global issues, not just limiting to environmental ones. A person can be shaped so much just from the type of education they experience. I find it very unfortunate when individuals have a poor experience in a schooling system and end up wasting their potential (saw that a lot in my time serving in NS).
I think there is a lot to be improved on the education system, and having climate change as an subject might be a step forward. I am just concerned about how they plan to introduce it, as I worry that it may just become another subject exploited for “easy grades” or avoided because “it is too difficult to study”. The introduction of climate change as a subject should be done to provide real learning and educate the importance of the topic, and grades should not undermine that.
What are your thoughts about it? Do you think this implementation will be a flop or a success?
Hi Jia Wei, thanks for reading!
Actually, in my opinion, climate change should not be an individual subject in primary-JC education. Basically, how it is now. Just as you rightfully point out, it may become a subject that is looked at for how easy it is to score, rather than what they can get out of it. Climate change is too serious an issue that affects everyone, thus everyone should be exposed to it and not have a chance to not be. Incorporating climate change into our current subjects will “force” us to be exposed to these issues, making us not only realise the seriousness of climate change but also see how it is an interdisciplinary topic.
While it may be argued that by doing so, the focus is less on climate change and the environment but rather on the main subject itself, I still feel that this is a worthy compromise as students will be exposed to the issues of climate change nonetheless. Making it a small part of each subject feels just enough to send a message that we can’t escape from the effect of climate change, and as mentioned before, highlights how interdisciplinary this study and issue is. Furthermore, with schools implementing environmental-related initiatives, it gives students another avenue to be exposed to the possible solutions to certain environmental issues. Interested students can then be more involved in the implementation of such initiatives, such as through their CCAs or Clubs.
As such, while I agree with you that there is a lot to be improved on the education system, I do not agree that climate change should be made a subject. If anything, the main thing I will want to improve on in the education system is how it seems to place a large focus on grades. While there are reasons for doing so, removing this focus may make students focus more on the subjects rather than its grades. Maybe then will it be suitable to add climate change as a subject in our education system.
Hope it answers! Thanks!