The Importance Of Global Education

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Global education is defined in many ways by globalists. Banks defines it as “the knowledge, attitudes and skills to function in [our] cultural communities and beyond [our] cultural borders” which “goals should be to help the students understand the interdependence among nations in the world today, to clarify attitudes toward other nations, and to develop reflective identifications with the world community” (Banks, 2004). On the other hand, Spencer defines it as “[dealing] with diversity at the global level and focuses on the interrelated systems that affect the [world]” and which “primary goal is to build understanding and respect for people and nations outside [one’s own]” (Spencer, 1998). In essence, global education is a curriculum which…show more content…
This makes our society more diverse than before with the integration of immigrants of different nationalities. It has also resulted in division of the society rather than unity due to presence of social tensions. Therefore, global education is very relevant to Singapore today, in order to teach our people respect and inclusion, cultivating genuine empathy and avoiding a “curriculum of pity” (Bigelow & Peterson,…show more content…
Global education in Singapore includes social studies, which is organised around two core ideas of “being rooted” and “living global”, to promote national identity, multicultural understanding and global perspectives (Ho, 2009). Some of its goals are to “develop [students] into citizens who have empathy towards others and will participate responsibly and sensibly in a multiethnic, multicultural and multi-religious society” and “develop [students] into responsible citizens with a global perspectives” (Ho, 2009). Such objectives are achieved through units on “Social Cohesion and Harmony” which includes a local case study of the Maria Hertogh racial riot and “Discord and Disunity” which includes the international case study of religious discord in Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland (Ho, 2009). Students are reminded of the dire consequences of racial and religious discords, which act as a deterrence against such conflicts in Singapore. However, using case studies of historical events do not suffice and it should include modern-day examples that perpetuated racisms, sowing discords and social disunity in Singapore so that students are more sensitive towards such issues as they are closer to

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