Last week, all teachers gathered in small groups for an (invisible) roundtable discussion. We deliberated on Social Cohesion as the main theme.
The meaning of contemporary issue is public discourse. Discourse is a fancy word for discussion. For example, if you are debating with your family whether to have dinner at ION Orchard or Tampines Mall, that's a discourse. However, when discussions focus on national issues which in turn will affect a larger population, they are part of a discourse.
If everybody were always agreeable and cooperative, there might not be a need for public discourse. In reality, people come in all shapes and sizes. Add in racial, ethnic and spiritual backgrounds which would inevitably influence one's beliefs and opinions. What if everyone does as they wish with no regards to the consequences? It would be in absolute chaos and not how you would think a nation should be run. So, to ensure that we are still a functioning society, there need to be law, order and social expectations and these can derive through public discourse.
Discussions such as these are very common in the art realm. That's why we have contemporary art. In 2013, the play "Cook a Pot of Curry" was inspired by a story of a Singapore Indian family, who had to cook curry less frequently after their new neighbours from China complained about the smell was reported in the press. In 2017, the play "Normal" talks about the educational system where its playwright, Faith Ng, was once a Normal stream student. My favourite is "Grandmother Tongue", watch the trailer here.
The point about Social Cohesion could stem from this article and this book. Many teachers gave their inputs based on personal experiences and what they have seen on social media. I think children are capable of understanding contemporary issues and the arts are suitable vehicles to facilitate these discussions. You can see some of my attempts to incorporate contemporary issues in my lessons here and here. That said, global goals are closely related to contemporary issues. These are 17 goals towards a better world that world leaders have agreed upon in 2015.
A challenge that could arise to discuss contemporary issues is the degree of conviction of teachers. There is also a possibility of rejection of such issues from the learners when it is non-examinable. Thus, I see the logic of developing lifelong learners.
The meaning of contemporary issue is public discourse. Discourse is a fancy word for discussion. For example, if you are debating with your family whether to have dinner at ION Orchard or Tampines Mall, that's a discourse. However, when discussions focus on national issues which in turn will affect a larger population, they are part of a discourse.
If everybody were always agreeable and cooperative, there might not be a need for public discourse. In reality, people come in all shapes and sizes. Add in racial, ethnic and spiritual backgrounds which would inevitably influence one's beliefs and opinions. What if everyone does as they wish with no regards to the consequences? It would be in absolute chaos and not how you would think a nation should be run. So, to ensure that we are still a functioning society, there need to be law, order and social expectations and these can derive through public discourse.
Discussions such as these are very common in the art realm. That's why we have contemporary art. In 2013, the play "Cook a Pot of Curry" was inspired by a story of a Singapore Indian family, who had to cook curry less frequently after their new neighbours from China complained about the smell was reported in the press. In 2017, the play "Normal" talks about the educational system where its playwright, Faith Ng, was once a Normal stream student. My favourite is "Grandmother Tongue", watch the trailer here.
The point about Social Cohesion could stem from this article and this book. Many teachers gave their inputs based on personal experiences and what they have seen on social media. I think children are capable of understanding contemporary issues and the arts are suitable vehicles to facilitate these discussions. You can see some of my attempts to incorporate contemporary issues in my lessons here and here. That said, global goals are closely related to contemporary issues. These are 17 goals towards a better world that world leaders have agreed upon in 2015.
A challenge that could arise to discuss contemporary issues is the degree of conviction of teachers. There is also a possibility of rejection of such issues from the learners when it is non-examinable. Thus, I see the logic of developing lifelong learners.
