Situating language in the home and school through the lens of Singapore's Chinese-educated graduates

• Main Author: Lee, Isabel Ying Yi
• Other Authors: Florence Mok
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Humanities::History
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/165353
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Singapore’s ruling party prioritized the fostering of civic unity amongst ethnic groups upon her independence in 1965, with the closure of all vernacular schools by 1987 being arguably the most hard-hitting measure as part of nation-building efforts. This paper examines how the education and home systems in Singapore perseveres through time, accompanied by the shifting value of the Chinese language. Crucially, it studies how the national myth of English as a neutral working language and the ability of mother tongue education to pass down moral values is situated in both the Chinese-medium school and the home. Firstly, this paper outlines how education was institutionalized after the arrival of early Chinese migrants, and how this community negotiated their identity building in light of rapid decolonisation. Next, oral interviews will be analyzed to deepen our understanding about lived experiences in Chinese-medium schools, exploring how students felt towards the way that language is situated within the school, the home and society at large. Finally, this paper lends a voice to the Chinese-educated graduates in telling of the systemic discrimination, as well as their attitudes towards the use of the Chinese language in society today.