Left: Young zoologist at a Fun with Mammals program conducted by Nature Society (Singapore). Right: Students from Raffles Girls’ School send a recycling message to litterbugs during the 2007 International Coastal Cleanup.


largely accept conformity to the national curriculum. Thus, core values and views of the dominant political party are embedded in a homogeneous curriculum that lacks critical social dimensions. Despite Singapore’s being a diverse soci- ety that promotes a belief in the principles of “multi-racial- ism,”8


in the Ministry of Education’s mission statement or educa- tional outcomes. Yet cultural views do vary. For example, Wee et al. found that Malay students tended to view the environment from a holistic, ecology-centered perspective that differed from that of their Chinese classmates.9


water, waste management, nature conservation, public health and international environmental relations.10


Environmental there is no acknowledgment of culture-specific views


education, however, is not explicitly addressed in the Singa- pore Green Plan; instead, the plan focuses on numerical indi- cators of environmental success, such as reducing per capita domestic water consumption to 155 liters per day by 2012. Likewise, the National Parks Board (NPB) in Singapore


Histori-


cally, Malays in Singapore largely resided in rural areas and had more exposure to nature, which could explain this dif- ference in views. Therefore, even though students are taught the same content in a similar manner, they construct differ- ent conceptions of environmental phenomena that reflect personal, social and cultural realities. Admittedly, all curricula and policies related to envi-


ronmental education are inevitably political statements about what is (or is not) valued in a particular social context. Given the pluralistic nature of Singapore society, however, a deeper understanding of its citizens’ diverse thoughts and actions in relation to environmental education provides opportunities to (a) predict the impact that Singaporeans will have on the local and global environment and (b) support the develop- ment of an effective, inclusive environmental curriculum.


Other environmental efforts in Singapore


The Singapore government established a federal agency within the last ten years, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR), to develop, implement and enforce environmental regulations. The MEWR is charged with overseeing land, air and water quality, but its responsi- bilities also include public health issues such as hygiene and communicable diseases. Efforts to improve environmental health are evident in the Singapore Green Plan, which is a ten-year national blueprint to build a sustainable environ- ment in the following core areas: air and climate change,


is an advocate of the environment but is part of the Ministry of National Development. The NPB is dedicated to develop- ing and managing green spaces (parks) for people to use and enjoy; this is the same multiple-use, utilitarian philosophy that guided Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt when the U.S. national parks system was founded. In addition to promoting Singapore’s image as a “Garden City” through extensive landscaping, the NPB is responsible for natural areas and is considered to be the scientific authority on nature-related matters.11


While environmental education


plays a more significant role in the NPB than in the MEWR, it is generally limited to volunteer programs, workshops and guided tours on park properties. Coupled with the Singapore Green Plan, these examples of environmental education reflect an anthropocentric worldview (with ecological over- tones) that prioritizes human benefits while mitigating the negative environmental effects of economic development. In contrast to government agencies, the Nature Society


(Singapore), or NSS, represents the interests of individuals and groups in local communities in their efforts to conserve biodiversity. As one of the few nongovernmental organizations in Singapore, the NSS has generally succeeded in campaign- ing for the protection of natural habitats and increasing appre- ciation for nature through community outreach programs (e.g., school field trips), guided walks and conservation projects.12 Environmental education is a formal part of the NSS, and there is even an education “special interest” group that designs and implements nature programs for children and adults. Like the efforts of the NPB, however, these efforts are typically pack- aged as a series of workshops and exhibitions whose primary goal is environmental information rather than education.


Global Green Teaching: Spotlight on Singapore GREEN TEACHER 83


Page 37


Photo, left: Nature Society (Singapore). Right: Vu Tinh Ky


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