Multicultural Education in Singapore and Japan

Abstract

In the 21st century, it is common for people to cross the border as tourists, immigrants, students and businesspeople. And more countries and societies have become multicultural societies. However, in some places people reject diversity and inclusion, immigrants and social minorities are often treated differently. In education, minorities also face the similar situations. Minority students are often at a greater disadvantage which has directed influenced their academic performance. Hence, multicultural education is believed to be able to bring equal opportunities and build a more cohesive society. It is welcomed in many multicultural countries, such as United States and Australia. Among these countries which have implemented multicultural education, Singapore and Japan are both economically developed countries in Asia, influenced by Confucianism. They both have high standards of education. Every year, large numbers of foreigners come to visit Singapore and Japan, as tourists, workers, businessman, and students. Therefore, to create a cohesive society for all people regardless of ethnicity, language or culture, multicultural education is necessary for both Singapore and Japan and it is worthwhile to learn from each other’s experience. The thesis focuses on the two questions: 1) What is the different role of multicultural education in Singapore and Japan; 2) How has it been implemented. Through fieldwork and content analysis, I found many sociopolitical differences. Generally, Japan was known as a homogenous country. However, due to ageing society and the shortage of labor, receiving more foreigners has become an imperative task. The current multicultural education could not meet the needs. Japan is struggling to move to a multicultural society. The evidence is that some foreign children drop out of schools. On the contrary, Singapore is constitutionally multi-racial and multi-linguistic, where multiculturalism was set as the cornerstone for the nation-building. The government of Singapore has taken various initiatives to enhance the status of multiculturalism. In education, the content of multiculturalism is covered in Social Studies and Citizenship Education and other schools subjects. Multicultural education in Singapore and Japan is conducted at different stages and for different purpose. To respond to current agenda related to multicultural society, Japanese government could obtain some implications from Singapore’s experiences.