Chinese Education in Singapore: An Untold Story of Conflict and Change

By Zhixiong Zhang

This uncensored, unofficial, and unauthorized history of Singapore is a colorful story of secret societies and their wars, of Sinitic languages and dialects, of suppressions by a colonial government. Its pages are not crammed with historical facts and dates, but filled with the experiences of Chinese migrants and their decendents. It is an impression of their achievements, and a witness to their weakness of character.

THREE BURNING QUESTIONS ...

#1 Why were there 139,300 more emigrants leaving British Malaya than immigrants entering the territory between 1947 and 1957?

#2 Why when Lee Kuan Yew campaigned the 1959 general election, he proposed “one man, one wife.” But 26 years later, he suggested reinstating polygamy?

#3 Why many kids in primary school found Singapore Math too easy, yet some graduate mothers found it too difficult?

AND MORE ... answered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zhixiong Zhang
• Release date: Feb 12, 2015
• ISBN: 9789810939526

Reviews for Chinese Education in Singapore

[ajarn7086-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was prepared to open the book and immediately read about Chinese Education in Singapore. I work at a Chinese university in Indonesia and one of my lecturer colleagues is from Singapore, so I was looking forward to a pleasant read that would further social discussion with my expatriate colleague. This book will do that, but not in the way I expected.The first chapter is devoted to a detailed discussion of the history of clans in China, their names (which have different pronunciations in different dialects) and a history of clan wars and disputes. I felt most of this could only be appreciated by a Chinese person brought up in a Chinese cultural background. For me, it was “move on, nothing to see here.”Chapter two is about the Chinese language in its many, many forms. With maps. Even the author writes “Sorry about the hardcore use of Mandarin in this chapter. You may stay with me, or skip to Chapter Three.” [loc 234]. I didn’t take the advice, and I am glad I didn’t. This chapter will be of interest to those interested in studying Chinese and to those who work with Chinese people. There are times when two people speaking Chinese seem to not quite understand what each one is saying. This chapter will tell you why. There are also some interesting historical notes. And some humor.And the rest of the book is on target as far as content. In the following seven chapters plus an epilogue, the author describes the struggle for linguistic diversity in education and how it can be preserved when there is also a demand for standardization that will support an end goal of an internationally recognized, accredited degree or diploma. Zhang describes the struggle of females to be educated. (Pay attention to the inequality in females studying A levels compared to males). She describes the complex political atmosphere from the time Singapore and Malaysia were two separate British protectorates, a time when Singapore was a part of Malaysia, then Singapore independence. This is a simplification; Zhang describes it in detail. I am reviewing what I liked in the book. For details (again, well referenced) read the book.Political conflict alone can be thought of as polite and not violent. But there can be a violent component in the form of riots or outright insurrections and war. Zhang describes these as well, both the homegrown internal conflicts as well as proxy wars.This book is not as long as it first appears when initially opened. This is not a criticism; I appreciated the references and I clicked on the hyperlinked numbers inserted into the text frequently. I just want to point out that this is not as long as a Kindle end location of 2479 would indicate. The author begins a section titled “EXPLANATORY NOTES AND a list of References” at 65% in my mobi formatted ebook. This is followed at the 88% point with a Glossary of Chinese terms provided in characters and Romanization.I got this book through a Library Thing Member Giveaway in return for a review. This is an informative book. I learned things. It took me a while to get through it from time of acquisition to review. Apologies to the author. But those first two chapters are daunting.

[mcdenis-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An entertaining but factual account of the many language dialects in Singapore and their interaction with educational development. In the historical narration I felt that the author shortsighted the contributions made by the Catholic Schools e.g., Katong Convent, St. Joseph's and St. Patrick's boys' schools. Many of their students became a part of the ministerial elite before the public learning institutions were fully developed.

[kristincedar · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

While I appreciate a book on a sector of culture that is underrepresented in the zeitgeist, Chinese Education in Singapore was interesting, but not well written. It's difficult to attain the aim of this book: there are jokes written in, usually at the end of the chapter, but there are heavy facts; too much to make the book an easy read. I understand the language systems need to be addressed, but the explanation is too clunky, too confusing. Even the glossary is too difficult to be useful. I would take a huge editing pen to this book, but it has the best of intentions.

[jetangen4571 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I agree with the author that there has been more than enough written from the non-Chinese and non-Singaporean point of view. I see this as a doctoral thesis in a university in which English is it's 3rd or 4th language, yet it is very easy to comprehend. It is also NOT BORING. Immigrants to Singapore have not always been voluntary, and the mixing of different dialects has been a real trial to the people. Educating such a mix has been a very difficult task.I do wish that this could be made into an audiobook with a narrator who is able to correctly pronounce the words and places that are unknown to many of us.I won this book in a LibraryThing Giveaway.

[joannestato · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

CHINESE EDUCATION IN SINGAPORE: AN UNTOLD STORY OF CONFLICT AND CHANGE is a text of 100 pages, with an additional 30 pages of footnotes and other supplemental material that purports to discuss the history of the educational system amid a background of political conditions in China and Singapore.Unfortunately, the author has chosen a scope that is too vast to enable him to do justice to the topic specified in his title. He spends the first 40 pages - nearly half of his narrative - in setting the stage with an exhaustive discussion of cultural and linguistic developments from the 13th century onward at a level of detail that demands an audience with serious credentials in Chinese linguistic study as well as dynastic history.I do not, unfortunately, have those credentials, and so I feel inadequate to the task of rating the author's proficiency at this work. Although there are 30 pages of footnotes which appear to be quite rigorous, the book itself reads like a cross between a college textbook on Chinese history and a senior thesis in the linguistics of the various languages spoken and written in China and Singapore.The author also pivots between the fact-based list technique of the textbook and the occasionally jocular anecdotal tone of a witty fellow. Having said all this, I must repeat that the topic of Chinese political and cultural history as it impacted the education of Singapore youth is a meaty subject, and those who are already versed in its basics may find this a significant contribution to the subject. It is evident that much passion and diligent work went into its creation.As for myself, I was disappointed that the book did not immediately address the subject of education rather than waiting until Page 41, and I also thought it could have benefited from a deeper, more personal examination of a few examples of schools rather than a superficial treatment of an exhaustive catalog of those schools.I must note that I won this book in a librarything Member Giveaway and promised to write a review. I have realized amid this obligation that as a lifelong reader of books produced, edited, and distributed commercially, that I have had my reading experience cushioned by the intermediary who has edited the grammar, advised the author on expressions that might jar on a native speaker of English, and compelled the creative source of the work to submit to a pruning process wherein the reader is spared the realization of thinking "less is more," since the "less" that they see appears to be just enough.

[ilonita50 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from Member Giveaway Group for honest review. Thank you very much.The book is a short version history of Singapore and the Chinese language education in schools. The book also gives a short dedication to Chinese used outside SG and the information jums in pretty good details. I am interested in languages so I found the information interesting. Author has done a great research for writing the book and knowing quite a lot about Singapore's history, I did enjoy to read history from Education perspective and learn new facts. The book gives great source of time and cultural development, conflict among the nationalities and education system and change. Great book.The book cover in my opinion could have been better as it hides the charm of actual content of it, although i can understand the idea.