Education: SAP culture and its self-defeating relevance in multicultural Singapore

Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools, juxtaposed in the context of rising China, has gradually lost its imperative of enabling Singaporeans to be effectively bilingual. Instead, it has been seized as a self-advancing mechanism to further the legacy of Chinese medium schools, whilst simultaneously undermining the fabric of social cohesion in Singapore as a result of creating a selective brand of Chinese-esque education.

23rd February 2019 marks the 40th anniversary since the inception of the Special Assistance Plan schools in Singapore. The SAP schools are historically Chinese medium schools, that have been accorded SAP status as a result of the incumbent’s desires to preserve the heritage of these schools. When introduced in 1979, it primarily caters to academically strong students who excel in both their mother tongue as well as English. It is offered as both Primary and Secondary, some of these are CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, Dunman High School, Catholic High School and Maris Stella High School. The latter is the former secondary school of current Minister for Education, Ong Ye Kung.

It is considered to be a variant of the Gifted Education Programme (GEP), which attracts academically-inclined students, albeit with a stronger focus on bilingualism and Chinese heritage. Four decades forward, its primary objective - preserve and promote the learning of Chinese language and culture, has remained static amidst the waves of social, political and economic changes that has swept across Asia and the rest of the world. The Minster for Education, Ong Ye Kung, has reiterated the importance and relevance of having a Chinese-centric education, citing bilingualism as a hallmark educational outcome of SAP and as an economic advantage, especially in the context of growing China.

Ong came up with three reasons to rationalise his entrenched belief in the SAP system: Economic, International and National (Mothership, 2019).

Economic - the position that China is Singapore's largest trading partner has precipitated the notion that Chinese mastery is an essential communication toolkit and that the implied absence of it would indefinitely lead to an economic loss of opportunity.

International - that being effectively bilingual in today's highly competitive climate is no longer seen as an advantage but rather a necessity, given that other nations are catching up in this unintentionally conceived linguistic-arms race.

National - SAP schools, in line with the Ministry's education objectives, can be galvanised to "be part of the balancing act to a nation's multi-racial identity" (Mothership, 2019).

By construing the belief that SAP's Chinese-centric education can ultimately be used as a strategic tool to amalgamate the different racial groups is unequivocally fallacious. Under no circumstances, can such a policy be perceived as an integration tool as the primary basis of it is based on the deliberate preservation of Chinese-centric schools to perpetuate this elite Chinese school brand. In spite of its well-intentioned outcomes to equip Singaporeans with an essential, future-ready language toolkit to promote bilateral exchanges with China, we must also consider that the policy has the unintended consequence of SAP being a highly exclusive and selective brand of Chinese education that may not be within reach to all levels of socio-economic classes.

Ong noted that while SAP schools have good initiatives to promote inter-cultural learning, such as co-organising and co-celebrating Racial Harmony Day and other national events, he urged them to do more than just getting students to interact occasionally with students of other races. Based on my personal experience in a SAP school, I can indubitably admit that co-organised events tend to be very superficial and has no bearing in getting us students to be integrated into a racially-diverse melting pot, much less a synergetic tapestry of cultures. Citing my personal experiences, I vaguely remember that my school organises various Chinese-cultural events like the Chinese New Year Celebrations and Mother Tongue Fortnight, where we were exposed to traditional lion dance performances and Chinese chess competitions and calligraphy workshops. In hindsight, I could not fathom the intended meaning of engaging in such cultural activities other than it being fun, amusing and comical (at least in my circle of friends). To a typical student, these “cultural activities” are mere cookie-cutter, co-curricular activities that the school advocates for students to partake in, in hopes that they develop an interest and understanding towards their own culture. Reality is that we find it hard to see the more profound implications of being acquainted with Chinese culture. Despite the good intentions behind it, the outcomes may not reflect as expected. That is case in point, to why I feel these activities organised by the school are plain superficial.

Promoting such policies, in a bid to conceive a core group of Chinese-proficient Singaporeans that has extensive understanding of Chinese culture-history, would result in an inequitable state of affairs. Chinese-medium schools, with its rich heritage and legacy, has a historical contingency of attracting more affluent students. Coupled with the SAP policy introduced in 1979, the Chinese-centric brand will only result in greater entrenchment of socio-economic stratification. It will systematically amplify the effects of widened socio-economic inequality and could possibly escalate into an apparent divide between SAP and non-SAP students.

Most recently, at a book launch at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre, Ong mentioned that “the (SAP) objective is not just getting students to interact occasionally with students of other races, but also developing mutual trust within our multi-cultural society.” On this very basis, the presence of SAP schools goes against the primary belief of building a multi-cultural society as it reflects the favoured treatment towards the Chinese community, relative to their Malay and Indian counterparts. Factually, SAP schools are also “sites where several forms of privilege and elitism are compounded” (EqualityDemocracy, 2019).

SAP, a variant educational programme that does not necessarily fall within the primary trajectory of meritocracy, should be scrutinised in greater detail as it has the potential to dismantle the sanctity of equality. To equalise the playing field, it must be seriously considered to mandate SAP students to learn another Mother Tongue language that is not Chinese. To promote the Chinese culture with SAP, on top of obscene alumni-affiliated funding that such schools receive, would be wholly noxious to the fundamental belief of multiculturalism. Given that Chinese is the majority and would remain as such, it would be unfounded to even think that abolishment of SAP schools would lead to loss of Chinese culture and heritage.

Hence, it is crucial for the Ministry to re-evaluate the merits/drawbacks of this language-social policy, especially so when it chooses to construe the policy as an efficacious solution.