Character and Citizenship Education

Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) is at the heart of education in Singapore.

Through CCE, students learn values, social-emotional competencies, and
develop character and citizenship dispositions that will enable them to grow holistically and learn for life. 

To help our students adapt to disruptions in a rapidly evolving world,
the knowledge, skills and values taught in CCE will help our students navigate the realities of their time. 

We aim to develop in our students:

• Good character
  Have a sound moral compass and strong sense of right and wrong, think critically and ethically, be discerning in judgement, take responsibility for choices and actions, be caring towards others and strive for excellence;

• Resilience and Social-Emotional Well-Being
  Have a balanced sense of self, form healthy relationships, be resilient when faced with challenges, find meaning in life, and have a sense of gratitude and appreciation;

• Future Readiness
  Have a sense of purpose in life, develop the dispositions of adaptability and lifelong learning so as to be able to navigate education and career pathways purposefully and take on the challenges of the future, including the world of work and life; and

• Active Citizenship
  Develop a strong national identity based on a sense of belonging to the nation, a sense of hope in themselves and the future, an awareness of the reality of Singapore’s vulnerabilities and constraints, and the will to act on improving the lives of others and building a future for our nation.

CCE is enacted through learning platforms such as CCE Lessons, Key Student Development Experiences (SDEs), school-based Initiatives and other subjects.

CCE Lessons

There is emphasis on explicit teaching of social-emotional competencies in CCE (FTGP). Topics related to developing citizenship dispositions are taught in CCE (FTGP) to foster inter-ethnic understanding and appreciation for one another’s culture.

Key Student Development Experiences (SDEs)

Student Development Experiences (SDEs) are learning experiences beyond the classroom that are integral to the holistic development of students. Purposefully planned SDEs provide students with varied and authentic opportunities to learn, apply and demonstrate values, good character, social-emotional competencies and citizenship dispositions. Through SDEs, students are also able to apply their learning from Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) Lessons to authentic contexts. 

These key SDEs include: Co-Curricular Activities, Education and Career Guidance Experiences (ECG), National Education Commemorative Days, Values in Action (VIA), Student Leadership Development Programmes and Cohort Learning Journeys. 

Other subjects

Subjects such as Art, PE, English Language and MTL provide learning opportunities and teachable moments for students to learn and apply relevant values and social-emotional competencies.

In particular, Social Studies prepares our students to be informed, concerned and participative citizens. Through the contexts of understanding the interconnectedness of Singapore and the world they live in, and appreciating the complexities of the human experience, SS helps students to acquire specific values and skills for the Humanities discipline, which are key for nurturing of citizenship dispositions.

Caring and Enabling School Environment

For CCE to have a lasting impact on our students, the school and classroom environment need to support their learning. A caring and enabling environment has five key features that help students feel safe, accepted, empowered, and competent. We establish and sustain these features, complementing them with a positive and proactive approach to discipline and early support and intervention.