May 2, 2018

How should literature be taught in Singapore’s secondary schools? Using texts authored by local writers, or English literary texts hailing from the British tradition, Prof. Philip Holden (Dept. of English Language and Literature) suggests a rethink, but cautions against reconstituting the curriculum in a purely nationalist mould. He proposes some alternatives, one of which is a move towards a curriculum akin to the International Baccalaureate’s World Literature syllabus. Prof. Holden suggests that we conceive of literature as part of a process of cultural flows, and for this purpose a Southeast Asian literature syllabus could be developed.

Such a model of literary studies, Prof. Holden asserts, would go deeper than a focus on literary techniques. It would take into account the context of the continual arrival of and exchange between different cultural communities in Singapore. He adds that literature could also be taught as a component of cultural studies, which would enable it to be used to teach critical thinking and creativity.

The article, “On the Nation’s Margins: The Social Place of Literature in Singapore” (2000), was published in Sojourn.

Read the full article here.