Dear The Real Singapore,
I come from a neighbourhood secondary school and currently in Sec 4 this year. In the midst of preparing for our O'Level examinations, the only period we get to relax a bit is the Values Education (VE) period where form teachers use the time to talk about non-academic issues such as traffic safety, cyberwellness etc. You get the hang of it.
This year, a FT (foreign talent or foreign teacher, in this case), joined our class as the co-form teacher. She took over the VE lessons since my other form teacher is already teaching the class for an academic subject. I never really had any issues with having FTs as teachers, since I understand that there is a demand for more teachers but not many Singaporeans are not taking on the job. As long as they teach the things we need to know and help me finish my education, I am fine.
But no, with her taking over our VE lessons, I loathed FTs more. During Racial Harmony Day or Total Defence Day, there will be slides to go through. It is simply ironic when a teacher herself do not know about what
she is even teaching. She does not know anything about Singapore's history, and even asked us where is the World War II memorial and what happened during the war.
Who are you to teach me when you don't even know what you are teaching and as students, we as students are probably in a better place to teach YOU about Singapore's history?
Just a few days ago, she was supposed to go through a NE package as part of the National Day celebrations in our school where they spread propaganda about loving your country and what not, and when we as students started playing the older NDP songs aftter criticising this year's NDP song which she describes as "catchy", she asked "Who are they? Which year was this?". When we replied "Stefanie Sun, 2003", she commented, "That's so long ago!"
I now even wonder if she can sing the National Anthem by heart or know the NDP classics like "Home" which ignites the patriotic heart of every Singaporean without fail.
I now find Singapore, no longer my home. I feel so disgusted by my own country, for having to fall to such a state. I feel so sad for my forefathers, because the country they have so painstakingly carved out with their bare hands have now landed into the hands of foreign invaders.
These are the little things that make me hate FTs and the government policies, even at a mere age of 16. Fyi, many students know Social Studies is propaganda by the PAP. We are not all that blind to that.
Dear Ministers, sir, it is easy for you to declare a future population of 6.9 million and expect the friction between foreigners and Singaporeans to slowly decrease over the years after the FTs have "integrated into our society". But no, it won't go down, but it will go up. Who are these people to call themselves a Singaporean when they don't even know the suffering of our forefathers to make this country happen? Who are these people to call
themselves a Singaporean when they don't even know the song, Home?
It's not about "intergrating into our society" through some meaningless wayang activity of letting FTs try our local food or hold a carnival at a void deck. It's about the years of roots that they can never understand, or
at least for now, they don't bother to. I don't think I want to send my future children to a school filled with foreign teachers who don't know the roots of Singapore. How are you going to make every single FT who so easily
get their PR status feel proud of Singapore and can rattle on about everything uniquely Singaporean when some are resisting it while the quieter ones simply don't care?
I fully understand the need of FTs, but letting them flood in and expecting Singaporeans to bear the brunt of the problem is NOT a solution to the low birth rate.
I really fear a day when so many young Singaporeans migrate overseas till the extent that FTs are the majority and Singaporea are a minority, especially with the new population policy of 6.9 million. While the recent elections has really broaden my mind and slapped me awake with regards to the local political scene, I cannot do much on my part but study hard and prove the government wrong with regards to "Singapore lacks talent". No, Singapore has plenty of talent, just that they don't meet your criteria of "talent" or that they aren't as good as your foreign scholars. Don't assume that students are just a bunch of harmless kids who knows nothing. We know everything and we have seen and experienced the impact of the influx of FTs ourselves too.
And don't expect our vote when we are old enough to vote.
Because this is not the Singapore I used to know and this is not the Singapore I want to live in.
Anonymous Student
Ang Mo Kio Secondary School
TRS Contributor
Editor's Note: This article has been forwarded to the MOE as well as the principal Mr Abdul Mannan of Ang Mo Kio Secondary. We will update our readers again.
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