National Education
NATIONAL EDUCATION
Social Studies
National Education (NE) was launched in 1997. It aims to provide our students with the knowledge, skills, and values to understand Singapore’s history and unique geo-political context, appreciate our journey to nationhood, cultivate the instincts for survival as a nation, and have confidence in our nation’s future.
CITIZENSHIP DISPOSITIONS: NE provides opportunities for our students to explore and examine their identity as Singaporeans and arrive at a common set of ideals and values. The following key dispositions for citizenship in Singapore shape the purpose and approach to NE:
A Sense of Belonging to develop a deeper understanding of who we are as Singaporeans, and a shared understanding of the values that are important to us as a nation.
A Sense of Hope to have confidence and optimism in Singapore’s future and the resilience to face the challenges ahead.
A Sense of Reality to be aware of contemporary realities — including Singapore’s constraints and vulnerabilities — which affect us as a nation amidst the backdrop of a less predictable world.
A Will to Act to be active citizens who have a collective resolve and a sense of shared mission towards building a Singapore for all.
Programmes
The Journey of Bendemeer Primary NE Champs
Selected P4 to P6 students begin their journey of being an ‘NE Champ’ of the school. These P4 to P6 students embody good citizenship of the school and of Singapore! As an NE Champ, they will be leaders at the forefront to spread the messages of being a good, caring, concerned citizen in our modern world and society. To achieve this, NE Champs use their presentation skills to interact with others when they support the 4 NE Core Events. NE Champs are the key to the events’ success! In fact, they are champions in more ways than they can think of!
NE Champs Training Session and Events
During these leadership sessions, NE Champs are informed on the roles
and responsibilities of being an NE Champ. They also discuss and reflect
on their purpose and how they can contribute to serve the school and community.
The NE Champs also undergo specialized training in their areas to learn
more about their roles in the student leadership of the school. The NE
Champs are trained to engage the other students during recess time and
during the NE Core Events. Therefore, they help anchor and spread the NE
Messages and exhibit the school values to fellow students and staff. In
2024, some NE Champs had the opportunity to attend the Chingay Parade.
This enhanced their roles as student leaders in inculcating NE experiences
and knowledge to their peers.
Core Events
Annually schools observe 4 NE commemorative days which have been identified as defining moments in Singapore's history. The aim is to entrench these events and the images they evoke in the consciousness of each successive generation.
The 4 events are:
1. Total Defence Day
2. International Friendship Day
3. Racial Harmony Day
4. National Day
Total Defence Day Commemoration (TDD) 2024 @BPS
Bendemeer Primary School commemorated Total Defence Day (TDD) in February 2024. 2024 marks 40 years of Total Defence in Singapore, since it was first introduced in 1984. To mark this milestone, a new logo was developed.
As crises and disruptions become increasingly common, it is important for our students to be prepared to respond to the potential disruptions in their lives. Students would also be prepared for future threats and challenges and would learn to show resilience when crises strike. In line with this, the students experienced a food disruption exercise in school this year. The citizenship dispositions, Sense of Belonging, Hope, Reality, and the Will to Act were triggered in the students through this wide range of activities carried out.
The six pillars of TDD were taught during the classroom-based lessons, assembly programme and interesting recess activities. Each student reflected their learning in their new BPS Explorer booklets.
International Friendship Day (IFD) 2024 @ BPS
International cooperation remains key in our complex world. Asia is the world's fastest-growing region, and Singapore continues to facilitate closer economic, political, social, and cultural cooperation within ASEAN and in Asia. By recognising the importance of connectedness between our neighbouring countries, our youth can play an active role in fostering people-to-people ties, and thus celebrate the region's diversity and vibrancy and promote the spirit of friendship and collaboration. In addition, our older students can deepen their understanding of Singapore's realities as a small state and appreciate how we can safeguard our national interest and have much to contribute to efforts at international cooperation. Therefore, celebrating “Singapore in Asia” as the theme for 2024.
The focus for this year was Lao PDR. The commemoration started off with a presentation by our international students on Lao PDR and its connectivity to Singapore. The students were introduced to the food, traditions, costumes, and customs of Lao PDR. The students had a photo booth that expressed “Friendship” in different ASEAN languages. The students were also involved in differentiated activities at the World Map where the ASEAN countries, their capitals and flags were of focus. This was a collaboration between the NE Champs, International Students, and the prefects.
Racial Harmony Day (RHD) 2023 @ BPS
The theme for this year was Multicultural Mosaic. Just like a mosaic, each community in Singapore has its own identity. This overlaps with other cultural diversity in Singapore. In BPS, we focused on the key element of living in harmony with others and not taking peace for granted. The students and staff commemorated Racial Harmony Day in July. Fun-filled activities were carried out in collaboration with the PSG and the Aesthetics Department. The students learnt more about the various musical instruments that each ethnic group plays with some hands-on experience. Students created their own paper lanterns and played with bambaram ( spinning top). The staff and students also came dressed in their colourful ethnic attires to immerse into the celebration of multiculturalism.
National Day 2023 @ BPS
The theme for this year, “Onward As One”, calls upon Singaporeans to look forward confidently and move onward together in building our shared future as one united people. The 58th birthday celebrations started with the solemn march-past ceremony and the spirits hyped up with the mini concert and mass singing of the different National Day songs. The students also exercised to the “Get Active “Challenge and concluded the day by creating their own class identity, their class flags.
P5 NE Show 2023 @ the Padang (where the first National Day was held)
The Primary 5 students get the opportunity to be a part of the NE Show yearly. This year the NE Show took place at the legendary Padang. The students were thrilled to be a part of the celebration of the nation as it was the first for many of them. They did the Kallang Wave, sang the National Day songs and soaked into the red sea of students. The various segments of the show kept the students energized and vibrant.
P4 and P5 Cohort Learning Journeys
All students experience at least one Cohort Learning Journey (LJ) per year starting from Primary 4. The Cohort LJs consist of Museum-based Learning (MBL) to the Geylang Serai Heritage Gallery (Primary 4) and Indian Heritage Centre (Primary 5). These LJs provided them with opportunities to explore their Singapore identity through the arts, culture and heritage. These LJs complement the Art, Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) and Social Studies (SS) curricula. The students were given the opportunity to explore space and etiquette in the museum and be engaged in observations and inquiry into selected heritage artefacts with a focus on the history of early Singapore. Through discussions and reflections, the students were able to make connections that developed and reinforced their Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) outcomes.
Social Studies Curriculum @ BPS
The Social Studies curriculum spans the primary and secondary levels. This subject helps students to grow in knowledge, develop skills and learn values through examining issues that are of concern to our society and the world in which we live. At BPS, the students go through different experiences in achieving the purpose of Social Studies.
In addition to game-based learning, in BPS, the students learn more about their environment, the history of the schools that have merged and the national symbols around the school during their school-based learning journeys. These customised learning journeys are curated with the key focus in the Social Studies syllabus. These journeys begin in school for the Primary 1 and Primary 2 through the use of info-technology. The young family members are introduced to Ben, the school mascot who is an explorer. He begins his exploration in school and expands to the world through the gigantic world map that we have in the school.
Enriching the inquisitive minds of our students further, many collaborative efforts take place in BPS between subject areas like Social Studies, Library (reading) and Applied Learning Programme (ALP). The P5 students are also given opportunities to design their own NE cum Camp T-shirts as a collaboration with the PE department. These collaborative efforts enable the students to connect what they learn with the real-life context.
Integration of International Students @BPS
The international students have a 3-year programme from P4 to P6 where they would go for learning journeys to Little India, Geylang Serai/Kampong Glam and Chinatown. They would learn more about the different races and cultures through this authentic experiential learning. They are also involved in the NE commemorative events where they collaborate with the NE Champs and carry out activities for the rest. Rich learning takes place through this process. The P1 to P3 international students learn more about Singapore’s old school games through the game-based learning in the class.
Some artwork done by our P1 and P3 international students through the virtual learning journeys:
Useful Links
Ministry of Education
http://www.moe.gov.sg
National Archives of Singapore
http://corporate.nas.gov.sg
National Heritage Board
http://www.nhb.gov.sg