CCE lesson on Gaza conflict to be customized for varied age groups, says Chan Chun Sing

SINGAPORE: Education Minister Chan Chun Sing on Monday (4 March) announced that lessons on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, part of Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) classes, will be tailored to suit different age groups of students.

In response to a Member of Parliament’s request for the release of the CCE lesson slides, Mr Chan confirmed that MOE decided against it.

He emphasized the limitations of slides in representing the nuanced teaching context and stressed the importance of face-to-face interactions to provide a more comprehensive understanding to concerned parents and the public.

Minister Chan reiterates the importance of CCE in shaping national identity amid multicultural influences

Mr Chan, during the budget debate for MOE on Monday, reaffirmed the importance of CCE in shaping the national identity of Singaporean students, especially in a multicultural society facing various civilisational and religious influences.

Reflecting on the recent escalation of the conflict, Mr Chan acknowledged the potential impact of external events on Singaporeans, underscoring the need for effective management to prevent societal fractures.

He recognized feedback from both teachers and parents regarding the lesson materials and stressed the significance of addressing these concerns.

Mr Chan highlighted Singapore’s active stance on the Israel-Palestine issue, including support for international resolutions favouring an immediate ceasefire, contributions to capacity-building for the Palestinian Authority, and ongoing efforts towards a two-state solution at the United Nations.

To enrich teachers’ preparation for the CCE lesson, MOE plans to conduct extra training workshops, allowing educators to review lesson plans with specialists and experienced teachers.

“Where appropriate, we will involve resource persons to assist with these workshops. This is in addition to the current suite of teachers’ preparation within schools.”

The ministry is also enhancing teacher training more broadly, utilizing the Singapore Centre for CCE established at the National Institute of Education in May 2023 to support professional development for CCE educators.

Mr Chan emphasized the inclusion of diverse views in lesson materials, as understanding how to manage differences and diversity is a key learning objective.

He acknowledged schools adopting effective approaches, such as having teams of teachers with different backgrounds and faiths conduct the lesson together.

This, he noted, serves as a powerful example to students, illustrating how diverse beliefs can coexist for respectful and sensitive discussions on complex topics like the Gaza conflict.

Insights gained from the CCE lesson episode

Mr Chan acknowledged that managing differences respectfully is an ongoing challenge, and the MOE has learned valuable lessons from the recent episode.

He illustrated how certain online commenters selectively chose one slide from MOE’s lesson deck, wrongly asserting that schools were informing students that the situation in Israel and Gaza began only on 7 October 2023.

“This insinuated that MOE was pro-Israel and that we characterised one side as aggressor and the other as victim.”

“This riles up many, but actually the words on the slide were events since 7 October and it came after the slide that emphasizes the long, complex, and often violent history of conflict in the region.”

“This is indeed a sobering reminder that in the online space, it is not always easy to separate those who question the material with well-meaning intention, from those who join the fray with ulterior intent to stir up negative emotions on an already sensitive topic,” he added.