Teacher Professionalization in Singapore: Equity-Centered Social Justice Teaching for a Multicultural Society

Abstract

Educational inequality is a complex and persistent issue in Singapore. Like elsewhere around the globe, teacher quality has been the focus of policy and a lever to address educational disparities and needs in Singapore’s contemporary education reforms. Discussions around teachers’ role in addressing inequality, inequity, and culture are further complicated by the ideas of multiculturalism and meritocracy as propagated by the state’s discourse and mandated school curriculum. Despite Singapore’s top educational performance and impressive economic growth, social and educational inequity remains a highly contentious topic. Moreover, the extent of social mobility and issues on recent migration bring questions about inclusion and exclusion in the multicultural society into very sharp relief. Against this backdrop, this chapter examines local research on teaching for equity, justice, and/or diversity and discusses the complex and emerging teaching practice to advance educational equity in Singapore. To this end, this chapter attends to three tasks. First, this chapter reviews the theories of teaching that recognize systemic inequity, promote justice, and sustain cultural pluralism and further argues that such teaching contributes to building a truly multicultural, inclusive, and equitable society. Second, this chapter discusses Singapore’s education system, including the principles of multiculturalism and meritocracy and how they shape teachers’ work. Lastly, a review of existing research on teaching for equity, social justice, and/or diversity in Singapore reveals the challenges encountered by teachers, but more importantly, the possibility demonstrated in local educators’ practices as they work within and against the system. Implications for teacher professional development are discussed.KeywordsTeacher educationTeacher professionalizationEquityDiversitySocial justice