SINGAPORE: The streets of Chinatown were awash in light and colour on Sunday (Feb 25) as the Chingay Parade rolled into the precinct to end off the Chinese New Year celebrations.

About 2,000 visitors were at Eu Tong Sen Street and New Bridge Road to lap up the visual spectacle of elaborately decorated parade floats with all its noise and gaiety.

The razzle-dazzle of light displays and the splendour of close to 150 local and international performers decked out in a stunning array of costumes and props also contributed to the heady evening.

Hailing from countries like Russia, Thailand, Korea and Malaysia, the performers whirled and twirled in elegant dances and animated routines to enthrall scores of mobile phone and camera-clutching spectators.

After a night of colourful revelry, the crowd was treated to a rousing display of fireworks and firecrackers as the 46th Chingay Parade drew to a close.

WASHINGTON: The foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently met in Singapore from Feb 4 to 6.

It was the first meeting of regional foreign ministers since Singapore took over ASEAN’s rotating chairmanship from the Philippines earlier this year. The foreign ministers’ retreat is regarded as a “curtain raiser” to the ASEAN summit, which will take place in April.

The gathering was an opportunity for ASEAN to collectively chart a direction in line with Singapore’s themes of “resilience” to strengthen ASEAN member states’ ability to withstand crisis, and “innovation” to increase regional integration and connectivity in areas such as digital technologies.

It also facilitated an exchange of views on regional and international headwinds, which might derail ASEAN’s agenda in the year ahead. 

Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan expressed optimism about ASEAN’s future, but was clear-eyed about the challenges that lay before the grouping.

The city-state is well-placed to make progress on promoting the region’s digital economy. However, while Singapore is known to punch above its weight economically and diplomatically, old and new challenges should temper expectations in the year ahead.

THE ECONOMY MATTERS

An important priority for ASEAN will be continued economic progress, not least because this has real implications for the well-being of its 630 million people.

Many of the region’s working poor remain vulnerable to backsliding, although important strides have been made in addressing extreme poverty.

Better living conditions will likely improve local support for further ASEAN integration and projects.

Brexit has shown the dangers of the lack of public support for supra-national organisations – ASEAN must take heed. Increased prosperity will also boost the grouping’s geostrategic heft.

To this end, Singapore aims to establish an ASEAN smart cities network to leverage technological solutions to improve the lives of people within ASEAN countries. It also seeks to boost economic integration and improve regional trade facilitation, especially in e-commerce.

If all ASEAN member states are to benefit from such growth, Singapore will also have to put in place initiatives to bridge the digital divide in the region.

NAVIGATING BETWEEN COMPETING GREAT POWERS

In achieving its goals, ASEAN faces external and internal challenges, including a more assertive China.

Beijing is simultaneously clenching its fist in the South China Sea and offering an open hand with the prospect of a Sinocentric economic network that could provide vast benefits to ASEAN countries in areas such as infrastructure development, even if concerns are mounting about what this means for Beijing’s broader influence in the region.

As China expands its footprint in Asia, the United States, which for decades brought strategic stability to the region, appears to be distracted at home and schizophrenic abroad. 

US President Donald Trump and his advisers appear to have belatedly come to the realisation that “America First” cannot mean “America Alone,” and multilateralism and a strong international network of allies and partners actually promote an “America First” agenda.

But Trump has failed to follow through on the need to seek mutually beneficial policies, including on trade and climate change.

His decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal and the Paris climate change agreement has sent the unfortunate message that the United States is disengaging from Asia and the world.

At Davos last month, Trump suggested a willingness to rejoin the TPP if the United States was able to strike a “substantially better” agreement. But there appears little appetite among the remaining 11 TPP countries to reopen negotiations.

Washington mainly views Southeast Asia through the lens of North Korea, which is not ideal since the issue puts the United States at odds with ASEAN. The grouping is reluctant to expel North Korea from the ASEAN Regional Forum since it does not want to be seen as parroting the US line.

Singapore needs to suggest ways in which the United States can meaningfully engage with the region and encourage this by highlighting what ASEAN brings to the table. This includes demonstrating, in the words of Singapore’s Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan, “the utility of ASEAN-led multilateral diplomacy”.

ASEAN must also decide how to respond to the Trump administration’s push for an Indo-Pacific strategy that has raised Beijing’s suspicions about being encircled by US allies.

ASEAN might try to resurrect a 2013 Indonesian initiative to promote an “Indo-Pacific wide treaty of friendship and cooperation” to reduce China’s concerns.

A TEST OF PRINCIPLES

A more assertive China and the United States’ relative neglect have undermined ASEAN unity in addressing critical issues such as the South China Sea dispute.

ASEAN has an important role to play in protecting all states’ shared interest in adherence to international law, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and freedom of navigation.

If ASEAN wants to maintain the rule of law, it cannot afford to remain silent, as it did in July 2017, when China threatened military action after Hanoi began drilling for oil and gas in Vietnam’s exclusive economic zone.

Vietnam has extended an oil concession to India. If New Delhi begins drilling and China repeats its bellicose behavior, ASEAN would face another critical test. Continued silence would bode poorly for the trajectory of the rule of law.

ELECTORAL POLITICS AND OTHER INTERNAL CHALLENGES

Achieving a unified position in dealing with great power competition is difficult enough, but ASEAN must also deal with internal issues that threaten to weaken the group’s cohesion.

The most significant issue in this regard is Myanmar’s harsh treatment of the Muslim Rohingya community in Rakhine State. The crisis has drawn international condemnation and frayed Myanmar’s relations with the Muslim-majority nations of Malaysia and Indonesia.

As ASEAN chair, Singapore will have the difficult task of helping to stem the ethnic violence and ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches displaced Rohingya communities in Myanmar and neighboring Bangladesh.

The ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance is doing important work in this respect, but much more needs to be done. The crisis is stretching the region’s capacity to deal with the refugee influx, threatens to undermine ASEAN unity, deepens religious divisions, and increases the risk of violent extremism.

In Cambodia, the government’s crackdown on the opposition will put additional stress on ASEAN ahead of elections in July that will extend Prime Minister Hun Sen’s 30 years in power. Although the ASEAN principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of a member state will almost certainly be observed, Singapore will still need to address likely calls from some quarters for a tougher stance.

Military-ruled Thailand is also likely to see controversial elections this year.

Another challenge comes in Malaysia, where the long-ruling coalition government is likely to resort to religious appeals to the Muslim-majority population to win elections this year in the face of corruption allegations.

This creates the potential for ethnic clashes in the multiracial country, which could destabilise Singapore and the rest of the region. As ASEAN chair, Singapore needs to consider how the group can build inter-ethnic resilience.

Singapore will need to encourage Indonesia as the group’s largest member to resume its role as a driving force in ASEAN, which Jakarta has neglected in recent years. Jakarta has lately demonstrated some leadership on spearheading humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya, but this has largely been in response to domestic politics, including radical Islamist groups seeking to politicise the issue.

SINGAPORE’S RELATIONS WITH CHINA

Singapore may find its leadership of ASEAN this year affected by its strained relations with China, which has criticised the ethnic Chinese-majority state for its close ties with the United States and firm stance on the South China Sea.

Although Singapore does not take sides on parties’ specific claims, it has critical interests in adherence to international law, freedom of navigation, and ASEAN unity, which the dispute undermines.

The testy relations have provoked concerns within Singapore’s business community, thereby complicating foreign policy toward China. 

Soon after participating in a World Economic Forum event in Dalian where China’s hospitality and beneficence was in full display, this author overheard a Singaporean businessman complain in Hong Kong that the goodwill that the late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew had built up with the Chinese was being squandered by his son, the current prime minister. He asked what interests Singapore had in the South China Sea.

It was clear that the long reach of China’s “sharp power” also extends to Singapore. China has been trying to influence Singapore’s business and even academic communities as well as various clan, cultural, and literary associations.

A PRINCIPLED APPROACH PURSUED PRAGMATICALLY

Singapore’s foreign policy has been characterised by its adherence to principle and pragmatism, which it will seek to apply in representing ASEAN in relations with external partners. Some consider these competing approaches, but one can argue that a principled approach is a pragmatic one, particularly for countries seeking shelter against the wanton exercise of raw power.

Singapore will need to stand firm against pressure to bend on issues of principle as ASEAN chair; its chairman’s statement that took note of the concerns of some ministers on “land reclamations and activities” in the South China Sea is a good start.

While Singapore is unlikely to budge on principles, it will take a pragmatic approach in how it seeks to communicate them. Singapore’s foreign minister has stressed “quiet but active diplomacy.” Its senior diplomats insist that Singapore’s message will not change, but it will exercise more care in how it communicates this to other parties.

Whether Singapore will be able to successfully navigate the challenging year ahead is still uncertain. Much will depend on sustained US attention to the region on the security, economic, and diplomatic fronts.

It will also depend on Singapore’s ability to persuade member states to work together to maintain ASEAN’s relevance and centrality. The work has already begun with ASEAN states reiterating the importance of maintaining ASEAN centrality and unity at the foreign ministers’ meeting.

At stake will be the ability of ASEAN to chart its own course and the very character of the region itself.

ASEAN and member states must decide whether a region governed by right, not might, is worth defending.

Lynn Kuok is nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Centre for East Asia Policy Studies. This commentary first appeared as a Brookings Institution op-ed. Read the original commentary here.

SINGAPORE: There has been a lot of responses and commentaries regarding the latest budget speech delivered by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in Parliament on Feb 19. 

Some might ask why the Government doesn’t provide a specific funding structure for social enterprises, or whether social enterprises are being left out of government start-up grant schemes yet again. 

In all these questions, people forget social entrepreneurship is not an industry. It never was and should never be.

Social entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs first and foremost – they must run a profitable and scalable company in order to compete in the open market. That’s what sets them apart from their non-profit colleagues. 

Social entrepreneurs have to think about profitability and market growth just like any other start-up founder. Social entrepreneurship is a type of entrepreneurship; thus, it can exist within many, if not every sector. 

Start-up grants and incentives are designed to support start-ups and businesses in general. 

So social entrepreneurs can still take advantage of the Singapore Government’s grants and incentives. 

BEING SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE SHOULD BE IN COMPANIES’ DNA

Social entrepreneurship shouldn’t be singled out because it is not an outlier. It ought to be the basic foundation of all enterprises. Being socially responsible should be part of a company’s DNA.  

If there is one thing that I hope the Government would do moving forward – that would be to make social impact one of the qualifiers for businesses in receiving grants and tax breaks. 

All businesses and start-ups must explain how they can positively impact the lives of Singaporeans and contribute to the betterment of our country.

Positive impact must go beyond just mere job creation. What kind of jobs are being created? Are employees paid fair wages? Do the created jobs support working parents so they can take care of their families and ageing parents? 

As Mr Heng said, we need integrated efforts across all stakeholders to build a better Singapore for everyone. This could be a form of a large-scale “impact grant” – a unique model that Singapore could adopt. 

(Read: A commentary on why businesses must shoulder social responsibilities going forward.)

MAKE A SOCIAL IMPACT WITHIN ASEAN

As mentioned by Mr Heng, the shift of global economic weight to Asia is great news for all businesses, including social enterprises. 

That means entrepreneurs can produce and market their products and services without the need to look solely at Europe and North America as potential markets.

As part of the ASEAN community, I also see our role in contributing to the social footprint of our region by working and empowering communities around us. Whenever ASEAN does well, Singapore does too

Moreover, the ever-growing middle class in ASEAN can’t be overlooked. An article by Make The Change Singapore states:

One of the primary aims of the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) is to bring about more equitable economic development across the region. With that in mind, ASEAN can then march forward together to greet investors and foreign interest worldwide. This aligns with the core of social entrepreneurship – firms seek to be financially sustainable while impacting the community for good.

INNOVATION THAT ADDRESSES SOCIETY’S NEEDS

Mr Heng also talked about the need for innovation within the education sector, as “securing better jobs and higher wages will not be just about how well we did in school, but how well we continue to learn, relearn, adapt and grow throughout our lives”. 

With schools increasingly aspiring to provide experiential learning environments and better equip their graduates with skills and tools for the new digital age, a new breed of innovative social enterprises can help on both counts. 

Growing Home is one example, a Beijing-based organisation founded in 2008 with the mission of addressing critical youth development issues in China, including employment and youth psychology among others. 

The organisation has developed a low-cost audio library of over 1,000 bedtime stories, along with teacher training on story teaching. 

Another example is Night Zookeeper, an online writing tool, class blog and library of interactive lessons, based out of the United Kingdom. 

The company partnered with Edinburgh Zoo to produced interactive lessons to teach children amazing animal facts, changing the way students learn by making it more fun.

TECHNOLOGY TO ASSIST THOSE WITH DISABILITIES 

Mr Heng highlighted technological innovation as a way to transform the lives of many Singaporeans in a positive way. One area to look closely at is how to utilise technology in assisting those with disabilities. 

One example is The Afari Mobility Aid, a US-based start-up. Its Afari i7 is a state-of-the art, aesthetically designed device to aid upright mobility and to enable persons who need or want balance, stability or weight-bearing assistance to participate in outdoor jogging, running and long-distance walking activities in diverse terrain. 

Another tech-focused company called CuteCircuit based out of London has developed a shirt that helps hearing-impaired people process music by feeling it, literally. 

The company created a product called Sound Shirt, which transforms sound into sensations, providing those that wear the shirts a whole new way of internalising sound. 

Top & Derby, based out of Canada, is trying to redesign walking sticks and canes.

The company claims that its soft silicone covered handle has a distinct upturned nose which is comfortable to hold and intuitively positions the hand directly over the wood shaft. 

This unique detail also allows the cane to rest against a wall effortlessly for quick access; it can be propped up on its nose or side, without the cane slipping or falling over as easily as generic canes often do. 

Businesses are designed to create jobs and generate revenues. That’s a given. And we applaud those that continue doing so. 

But we should look beyond that – and see what positive social impact a business can bring to our nation as a filter to receiving grant assistance. 

Product innovations don’t come cheap, and start-ups can utilise government grants, tax breaks and deductions to soften the capital expenditure. 

The Government has set forth its Budget 2018. It is now time for us to take advantage of the support we can receive and focus on developing the next generation of an innovative society, in which our products and services not only bring in revenues and create jobs, but also positively impact Singapore.

Jonathan Chang is executive director of the Lien Centre for Social Innovation at the Singapore Management University.

SINGAPORE: An almost palpable sense of apprehension over possible tax hikes progressed into outright anger in some quarters on Budget day as Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced a Goods and Services Tax (GST) hike from 7 to 9 per cent “sometime in the period from 2021 to 2025″. 

GST will also be imposed on imported services from 2020.

Mr Heng’s explanation for the hike didn’t seem to convince online commenters especially since Singapore also ended 2017 with its largest Budget surplus in recent years in absolute terms – S$9.61 billion, or 2.1 per cent of the GDP.

2017’s surplus has been described as an anomaly by analysts as spending on housing, transport, education and healthcare was lower than expected, while revenue from statutory board contributions and stamp duty was higher than anticipated.

But we have seen surpluses almost every year, so accepting any tax hike is naturally challenging. How can the Government justify it, many asked.

Hence, a hongbao to possibly blunt the blow of the impending tax hike, in the form of the “SG Bonus”, didn’t seem to help. Instead, it sparked a maelstrom of online comments along the lines of “the Government will take more than it will give”.

UPHILL TASK TO JUSTIFY HIKES

Urging Singaporeans to look at the bigger picture, Mr Heng listed a range of items that will need financing in the next decade – from healthcare and education to security and infrastructure projects.  

Since then, Singaporeans have asked why, for instance, the Net Investment Returns Contribution can’t be increased to finance the country’s needs, or why wealth taxes can’t be introduced instead of a hike in GST. 

Singaporeans are right to question higher taxation and it is a responsible Government’s duty to explain the need for it. It has been doing so since the announcement. 

Furthermore, whether Government expenditure is cost-efficient, effective and whether subsidies are disbursed equitably or whether taxation is levied fairly, will see rightful debate, as Singaporeans scrutinise long-term Government plans for spending and raising revenue. 

A major issue is whether taxes are being levied equitably. The rich should be paying more, but are they? Can taxes be even more progressive? The Government also has to do more to explain the trade-offs associated with wealth taxes or capital gains taxes for instance. 

It is also considering using the country’s national reserves to guarantee borrowings that might be required to fund some infrastructural projects on a case-by-case basis. 

But it has to show how these projects will have a positive knock-on impact on the economy and directly or indirectly benefit every Singaporean so that we are able to come to terms with the need for us to contribute.   

This could go some way to address the mentality that someone else should foot the bill. Measures also need to be in place to shield the lower-income group and we’re seeing this even when it comes to cushioning this group from GST hikes. 

Even as the Government defends its policies, those of us who question these hikes may also need to come to terms with the realities. 

A VIRTUOUS CIRCLE IN SOCIAL AND INFRASTRUCTURAL SPENDING

If we want to enjoy subsidies, and want the needy in society to benefit from them too, we must accept that the money has to come from somewhere and those of us who can contribute, must. 

A recent study by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) found there is little consensus among Singaporeans on how higher social spending for the elderly should be funded.

Two in five Singaporeans – or almost 40 per cent of respondents – disagreed with paying higher taxes, while about 34 per cent indicated the opposite. Some 26 per cent of respondents sat on the fence.

It’s natural for us to have misgivings about paying higher taxes considering we have to take into account our own expenses and post-retirement costs.

These concerns must be addressed.

With higher taxation, there needs to also be a virtuous circle that results in those who pay higher taxes today benefiting from them when they themselves need support.

SELF-RELIANCE VS WELFARISM

Another factor is how the official Government narrative over the years might have influenced our thinking.

In a country where social welfarism has been carefully avoided and the Government’s narrative of self-reliance in the early years has been somewhat entrenched, many Singaporeans may find themselves subconsciously begrudging taking money out of their own pockets to finance society’s needs.

Is the “every man for himself” mentality making it harder for some of us to accept this?

Perhaps people wouldn’t mind paying more if they knew that the money is going to the right places and given to people who really deserve it, and that any taxation system evolves towards greater, not less progressiveness. 

In other words, ensuring that those with the greatest means do more for those with less.

This has to be increasingly shown through policy and adequately explained by the authorities. 

And here, the Government has seemingly moved in that direction in this year’s Budget by raising the top marginal Buyer’s Stamp Duty from 3 to 4 per cent. This will apply to the portion of residential property value in excess of S$1 million. 

In fact, a more progressive tax structure was also introduced for properties and cars in 2013.

EVOLVING NARRATIVE

In the immediate post-independence years, hard work and self-reliance were the tenets of social policy and the family was the first line of support.

It was in the 1990s that the downsides of meritocracy and the competitiveness that came with it were noticed. Then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong espoused the need for a gracious and compassionate society and has since also emphasised the need for a compassionate meritocracy. 

Community organisations became better supported in order to help the needy, hence the “many helping hands” approach.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ushered in the era of working towards creating an inclusive society. More is being done to empower voluntary welfare organisations, to encourage the spirit of giving and volunteerism, and to create initiatives to empower those with lower income, for instance through work schemes that incentivises employment.  

OPENING OUR MINDS TO THE BIGGER PICTURE

With this in mind, we may need to embrace a social compact that enables us to secure mutual protection when it comes to social spending beyond looking for handouts for ourselves.

No doubt, the Government needs to do its part to evolve the narrative, with the aim of strengthening confidence and trust on this issue.  

While those efforts continue and we continue asking questions, we need to make an effort to address our own mindsets to search for answers beyond hongbaos for ourselves or complaining about costs.

We need to open our minds to the bigger picture and our place in this picture. 

Bharati Jagdish is host of Channel NewsAsia Digital News’ hard-hitting On The Record, a weekly interview with thought leaders across Singapore, and The Pulse, Channel NewsAsia’s weekly podcast that discusses the hottest issues of the week. 

SINGAPORE: While we know that bilingualism helps us to maintain contact with family and our cultural heritage, there are additional lesser known benefits that should convince us of its value.

It is timely to discuss some of these in light of International Mother Tongue Day on Feb 21. For those investing time and effort into bringing up bilingual kids, it can be valuable to consider additional benefits that bilingualism offers.

Researchers have found that learning two languages can greatly enhance our mental development. Indeed, research shows us that bilingualism stimulates mental development in babies, grandparents and everybody in between.

BETTER FOCUS AND CREATIVITY

Bilingualism improves several important mental functions. For example, research shows us that bilingual experience helps us to rapidly make sense of information.

When given a task where children have to focus on one thing and ignore distracting information, bilingual children have shown themselves to be better at zooming in on the task. When they are asked to shift their focus elsewhere, bilingual children also do this more effectively.

Focusing and shifting attention are critical abilities that go beyond bilingualism: This ability helps us to rapidly learn and process information and function well in school and other learning environments.

In addition, bilingual children show greater mental flexibility. For example, they are advantaged in adapting to new rules and situations. Greater mental flexibility can make also bilingual children more creative. In this way, bilingualism may nurture “mental innovation” in young children.

In other words, bilingual children are able to see the same situation in multiple ways. This capacity for divergent thinking helps bilingual children to solve complex problems. Similarly, when asked to solve problems they have never encountered before, bilingual children outperform their monolingual peers in finding new solutions.

Researchers have shown that these advantages lead to bilingual benefits in academic problem solving, including building mathematics skills.

EASIER TO LEARN NEW LANGUAGES

Bilingualism also makes it easier to learn new languages. Researchers have shown that bilingual adults learn new words from a foreign language more efficiently.

However, this language learning advantage doesn’t require years of being bilingual. Even bilingual infants demonstrate a greater ability to learn words in a foreign language. While monolingual children lock into one language, bilingual children remain open to language differences. This extended period of openness makes the uptake of new languages easier.

At the other end of our lifespan, bilingual adults also demonstrate healthier mental ageing. For example, bilingualism may delay the onset of memory loss, a devastating symptom of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease.

So in addition to stimulating the infant mind, bilingualism also preserves the ageing mind.

(Read: A commentary on monolingual parents raising their kids to be bilingual.)

BUILD SOCIAL BONDS

Bilingualism also helps to build social bonds. In addition to opening up a child’s world to different language communities, bilingual children think about other people differently compared with monolingual children.

From early childhood, bilingual children have shown improved abilities to take other people’s perspectives and communicate the viewpoints of another person.

Researchers in Montreal, Canada have recently discovered that bilingual children befriend others more democratically, resisting some of the “just-like-me” social preferences often evident in children.

Recent research from the National University of Singapore shows that bilingual children demonstrate fewer racial biases than monolingual children. Bilingualism therefore opens up a child’s social world and unlocks early potential for building social connections.

BUILDS THE BRAIN’S EXECUTIVE SYSTEM

So what is it about bilingualism that leads to all of these benefits? Bilingualism is thought to feed an important part of the mind – the executive system. Often thought of as the CEO of the brain, the executive system enables us to rapidly take in information and make sense of it in a short time.

One part of the executive system – the part that allows us to attend to things flexibly as the situation calls for – seems to grow more rapidly in bilinguals. Bilingual minds have to be flexible as they commit to two languages.

Bilingual minds also have to anticipate when to turn on one language and turn off the other. It is precisely the mental work of bilinguals – going back-and-forth between two languages – that pays mental dividends.

On the face of it, bilingualism can seem like a significant challenge, especially for young children and their parents. It is important to remember that babies are born neither monolingual nor are they born bilingual. They are born ready to learn one or more languages with equal potential.

And the human mind, when placed in a bilingual environment, rises to the occasion and profits from the experience.

Leher Singh is director for the National University of Singapore’s Infant and Child Language Centre and Associate Professor of Psychology.

SINGAPORE: It was a history lesson, but one with a difference: These Secondary 1 students from Sembawang Secondary were about to get duped by their teacher, Mr Puah You Kai.

“Go to the website listed on your worksheets, and answer the questions on the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus,” he instructed, as students filed to the back of the classroom to retrieve laptops. Most students did as he was told, quietly and without comment, but several others exchanged knowing looks with each other.

“I’ve seen this before,” piped up a boy sitting in the second row. “It’s fake, right?”

And indeed, the website the students were told to go to was a hoax – the endangered Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus, described at great length on the website as an octopus that lives on trees – does not, in fact, actually exist.

Student Avril Chew was immediately able to see through the hoax. “I don’t believe there are octopuses living on trees,” she said. “Besides, I saw that the website link didn’t have a .edu or .org, so I didn’t think it was a real website.”

But smiling shyly, she said that some of her classmates may have been taken in. “I could tell from their faces,” she explained.

Wrapping up the exercise, Mr Puah asked students again what the instruction he gave was. “To go to the website and answer the questions,” he said. “You did the right thing, like good students. But I hope this example helps you understand that sometimes, information that is given to you may not be real.”

Programmes and lessons such as this history class are becoming increasingly relevant, with the formation of a Select Committee in Parliament tasked to look into the problem of deliberate online falsehoods. The committee has made an open call to all relevant stakeholders for their views, and the public have until the end of the month to submit their suggestions. Schools around the world have also been making headlines for teaching their students how to spot fake news online.

GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND

Information literacy, which helps students to discern the authenticity of digital information, is “infused into a variety of academic subjects” like English, History and Social Studies, the Education Ministry (MOE) told Channel NewsAsia. It is also taught in the cyber wellness syllabus for primary and secondary schools, as part of the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum.

MOE’s cyber wellness framework has been implemented since 2008, it added, and it guides schools in the planning and implementation of their cyber wellness programmes. “The framework, in helping students become responsible digital learners, seeks to develop their instinct to protect themselves and empower them to take responsibility for their well-being in cyberspace.”

Lessons cover topics like online identity and expression, handling online content and behaviour, which MOE says will help students learn to respect others online, develop an understanding of the risks of harmful and illegal online behaviours, and take steps to protect themselves.

But some schools, like Sembawang Secondary, have gone above and beyond the existing curriculum and made fake news a priority. The school has an Applied Learning Programme (ALP) in media literacy which was implemented in 2015. 

“Cyber wellness focuses more on the dangers of going online and can be a bit more focused on values, like cyberbullying,” said Mr Puah, who was part of the team who piloted the programme in the school.  “But we don’t just want our students to be aware of the dangers they face, we also want them to do well and help others.”

“In other words, thrive rather than survive.”

To that end, the school’s ALP covers three main areas: Media reception skills, where students learn to discern fact from fiction, media creation skills like poster-making, video production and infographics, and digital productivity skills like learning how to use Google Docs to collaborate with friends. It spans across all levels and streams.

In a Secondary 2 class, for example, students learning about the Japanese Occupation would be given a list of truths and untruths, Mr Puah explained. “They would then need to go and figure out what’s real and what’s not, before they are then asked to come up with a digital exhibit on their findings.”

It’s also evident in their volunteer work. A recent Intergenerational Learning Programme for selected students required them to teach the elderly a particular skill. “In our school, we scoped it so that they taught something they were good in, which is media literacy and learning how to spot fake news,” said Mr Puah. “As they think about to teach others, they also think more deeply about what they actually know.”

MORE SCHOOLS ASKING FOR PROGRAMMES ON FAKE NEWS

Non-profit agency TOUCH Cyber Wellness has been running cyber wellness programmes for schools since 2001. While the programme already teaches students to be careful in believing everything they see online, the agency’s assistant manager Shem Yao noted that more schools have recently begun specifically requesting that they include a component on fake news in their programmes. 

“When we first started, a lot of our emphasis was on managing gaming addiction, and the consequences,” he explained. “It has changed over the years to include social media engagement and the responsible use of social media platforms.”

“We do touch on fake news sometimes, but we don’t specifically focus on it,” added Mr Yao. “For example, when we talk about social media and receiving content and updates through social media platforms, we also infuse that processing and verifying of content on social media platforms.”

But with increased demand from schools, the agency is now working to develop a module that deals specifically with fake news. “We will finalise the details within the next month or two,” said Mr Yao.

Looking forward, Sembawang Secondary is also looking to scale up their programme. “If the Select Committee proposes for more wide-ranging education initiatives, I think one area we can look at is to get more students involved in higher-level critical thinking, like in teaching the elderly,” said Mr Puah. “The reality is, media literacy is not an official curriculum subject, so we only have 30 to 40 minutes of touchpoint.”

“So we’re looking forward to the Select Committee making its recommendations,” he added.

And who knows, some of these recommendations could take inspiration from the students’ themselves: As the history lesson drew to a close, a slide showing a picture of Law Minister K Shanmugam was flashed on the screen, together with screengrabs of recent news articles on the formation of the Select Committee.

“If you guys have been following the news, you will know that there’s a committee in Parliament looking for submissions on how to tackle these online falsehoods,” Mr Puah told his students. “So if you have any ideas, come and talk to me, and maybe we can work together and see how we can submit something.”