Dr Teng Siao See interviewed by MediaCorp CNA938’s Singapore Today

Dr Teng Siao See, Asst Dean (Strategic Engagement) and Research Scientist at the Office of Education Research, was interviewed by MediaCorp CNA938’s Singapore Today on 24 July 2020. Following the removal of a Chinese-language children’s book by the National Library Board after racist concerns were sparked, Dr Teng—who has been researching “Navigating Diversities and Differences in Singapore Schools: an Exploratory Study of Students' Intercultural Mindedness”—shared her opinion on conversations over race amongst youth today.

According to Dr Teng, racial harmony for the older generations means the avoidance of conflict and potentially difficult topics. However, in the study she conducted, she found that “a lot of students expressed a disconnection between the existing framework of “racial harmony” and their lived experiences, which could include a sense of exclusion and racism.”

To promote racial harmony better amongst youth, Dr Teng suggested that “we may want to move forward with more dialogue, and not be afraid of potential tension because there’s a sense that this approach is not quite serving the needs of youth today. I think the curriculum could allow for more space to cultivate—from young—the ease to talk about such issues in a respectful manner.”

CNA938 has shared an edited audio clip of this interview on their Facebook page.