Blog Prompt from News Clip #3

Blog Prompt 3

Prompt: The Ministry of Education is reviewing the syllabus of the History subject. Write a 300-word formal letter to the Education Minister to share your opinion about the current History syllabus. Offer at least one suggestion to enhance the syllabus, and persuade the Minister to take up this suggestion.

Letter:

Dexter Kuah
Block 721,
Bukit Timah Avenue 3
#04-1767
Singapore 678111

31 January 2009

Education Minister
Ministry of Education, Singapore
1 North Buona Vista Drive
Singapore 138675

Dear Sir,
Re: Current History Syllabus
------------------------

I am writing to you to express my opinion of the current History syllabus. I feel that the current History syllabus can help us to understand our ancestors and their contributions better. However, I feel that when political history is being taught, the teachers should teach about the oppisition parties too, about their plans and the better people in the parties.

The teachers should talk about the efforts that they put in so that the students will have a better range of ideas if they happen to do anything that concerns the political issues. The teachers should not just focus entirely on the People's Action Party although it is the strongest party among all the parties. The teachers probably can talk about what good points the parties have and what bad points they have as well. By doing so, students can have a comprehensive knowledge of Singapore's political history and also give them a fuller understanding of the different ways wanted to be used to help Singapore develop. If you are able to change the syllabus and implement my idea, there might be even more leaders in the country who are very familiar with the political issues due to the good education being taught when they were schooling. Then, the leaders will be able to make intelligent changes to the country based on those used previously and those not used yet to make Singapore an even better place.

Probably, some concepts can be taught in textbooks too, such as the people, circumstance and event concept. E.g. Jane was trying to reach for the salt when she accidentally knocked the plate and dropped it onto the floor. Therefore, the person is Jane, the circumstance is that the plate was there and the event was that Jane was trying to reach for the salt. This concept leads to the historic event taking place. This concept can be taught when students just started learning History so that they will know how historic events come about. Therefore, teaching these concepts to student are rather important as well as it helps students to understand and learn history better and easier.

Apart from these suggestions, I feel that the syllabus is rather good for students to learn History. Please consider my suggestions and I hope to see some changes being implemented.


Yours faithfully,
Dexter Kuah