of a series of focus-group interviews, that Singaporean youth had “little interest in and affinity for nature.”5 The prevalence of a utili-
tarian worldview, coupled with societal growth within a highly urbanized setting, may explain why Singaporeans conceptualize the environment and, by extension, environmental education, from an anthropocentric (human-centered) perspective. This relationship between lived experience and worldview emphasizes that the ideas people have about the environment represent a wide range of back- grounds, beliefs and cultures. The hope is that this article will explain the state of environmental education in Singapore and provide possible reasons for the unique ways in which the nation and its citizens relate to the environment.
Environmental education in Singapore
As in the United States and China, environmental educa- tion is not a stand-alone subject in the Singapore education system; instead, environmental topics are infused into main- stream disciplines.6
Science and geography, in particular,
are frequently used as “content-vehicles” for environmental education. Students might explore fossil formation in sci- ence, learn about the environmental impacts of land-use change in geography and discuss environmental ethics in civics. This infusion approach exposes students to environ- mental education, but the wide and often random dispersal of environmental topics across the curriculum makes it difficult for students to establish connections between the
The singular focus on test scores has led to a dependence on pedagogical techniques that stress repetition and content mastery rather than critical thinking.
school curriculum and their experiences in the real world. For example, students may not recognize the links between energy consumption (science) and land-use change (geog- raphy) unless teachers make those relationships explicit.
In addition, science and geography are not accessible to all students in Singapore; the former is typically reserved for the academically elite, while the latter is offered only as an elective. In other words, environmental education retains a veiled presence in the Singapore education system because it lingers in the shadow of traditional school subjects. Kong et al. add that environmental education has not
been successful in Singapore schools because curriculum and instruction is typically geared toward performance outcomes in high-stakes standardized tests.7
Since environmental
education is not a stand-alone subject, let alone an exam subject, it makes little sense for teachers to devote time to it. The singular focus on test scores has also led to a dependence on pedagogical techniques that stress repetition and content mastery rather than critical thinking. Given that environmen- tal education is not part of the national curriculum, the burden falls on individual administrators and teachers who may not be prepared to implement environmental education due to a lack of related professional development opportunities. Nationally prescribed syllabi in Singapore allow little
room for variation and ensure that whatever shape or form environmental education takes is consistent throughout the country. In such a conservative country, where politics is synonymous with opposition, administrators and teachers
Facts about Singapore
• The high population growth rate (1.275% per year) and long life expectancy (81.8 years) of Singaporeans lead to increasing demands on resources in a country that already relies heavily on imports for basic essentials such as fresh water and food.
• Approximately 800,000 vehicles ply the streets of Singapore (mostly privately owned cars and taxicabs), despite efforts by the government to improve public transportation. In addition, 45% of solid waste in Singapore is incinerated (landfi lls are impractical in a land-scarce country). The emissions from vehicles and incinerators cause serious concerns about air quality.
• As a nation, Singapore has one of the highest literacy rates in the world (92.5%), and students consistently rank among the best on international math and science tests. There are, however, almost no data on Singaporeans’ levels of environmental literacy, that is, their ability to understand and solve local and global environmental problems.
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