In 2019, Singapore commemorated its bicentennial and the 200th anniversary of the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles to its shores. The innovative approach to addressing the statue of Raffles and the state’s narrative regarding his legacy sets this case apart from other colonial-era figures around the globe. Singapore’s historical narrative on Raffles reflects the state’s role in crafting a coherent, resilient, and adaptable narrative that suits its nation-building agenda. This paper traces the evolution of this narrative, from the state’s choice of Raffles and 1819 as the starting point of modern Singapore, to its recent shift towards recognising the island’s pre-1819 history as well without overtly contradicting its previous position regarding the role of Raffles. This case study is useful for understanding the role of the state in determining national discourse on colonial histories, and unearthing how investigating silences can be as enriching as tracing visible contestations.
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Find out what New Students Bring to the Classroom
As a response to an increase in new students in the Swedish educational system, the Swedish Board of Education tasked a group of schools and universities to find a way to assess what newly arrived students know in order to provide the best possible education for each student, as well as focusing on their strengths rather than their weaknesses. This resulted in the formation of materials for conducting discourse around history for the purpose of assessing the historical competencies of newly arrived students. This is done in the form of a 70-minute conversation between a teacher and a student. The assessment is meant to provide valuable insight into what the students are already familiar with, so that teachers can take this into account when creating lesson plans.