Mar 27

MOE CCE Saga

Outraged parents took to Instagram to share their grievances when their children were taught about the ongoing genocide in Israel. Their concern arises from their children being exposed to a sensitive and complex issue without a balanced perspective.

Many said that the children were too young to be “indoctrinated” with a one-sided narrative and the parents should have been made aware about the sharing session especially for the younger age groups.

Parents were unhappy because they weren't informed of the module before it was covered with the children. Some teachers came forward to share that MOE wants the topic to be covered before the March holidays. A couple of people shared an email template they intend to send to MOE about their concerns and urged other parents to do so.

The Ministry of Education has responded to queries regarding the Israel-Hamas Conflict being taught in schools.

Members of the public have called upon the Ministry of Education to release the CCE lesson slides that have been causing the recent uproar.

The demand for the content to be made publicly available is a response after the Ministry posted a clarification on the ongoing queries. Parents and non-parents alike, have taken to questioning the need for such a lesson. Some deemed the content age-inappropriate for the schooling level the lesson was taught to.

The public has requested to judge the “neutrality” of the lesson’s content and have an “open discussion” amongst themselves.

On March 4, Minister for Education, Mr Chan Chun Sing, announced in Parliament that lessons on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) classes will be tailored for different age groups.

Younger students will focus on empathy for innocent victims, while older students will learn to discern information sources.

The materials for the most mature students will be updated based on recent events, including Singapore's response to the Oct 7 Hamas attack.

The lessons will also explain Singapore's principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue and its efforts towards a two-state solution.

Minister Chan emphasised the commitment to reflecting diverse views and promoting respect and sensitivity in managing differences. The adjustments follow concerns about the neutrality and coverage of historical context in CCE lessons on the conflict.