Character & Citizenship Education (CCE)
Vision
To develop citizens of good character, ready to lead and serve
Mission
To inculcate values and equip students with social emotional competencies and skills to be good individuals and useful citizens
Overview
CCE is central to the framework for the 21st Century Competencies and Student Outcomes. ( Refer to Figure below) It emphasises the interconnectedness of the core values, social and emotional competencies and civic literacy, global awareness and cross-cultural skills that are crucial for character and citizenship development in our pupils.
The following are the eight CCE Learning Outcomes which we hope to achieve through our CCE programmes:
1. Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve personal well-being and effectiveness.
2. Apply moral reasoning, display responsibility in decision-making, and demonstrate integrity to stand by moral principles and shared values.
3. Develop social awareness and demonstrate interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive relationships.
4. Demonstrate resilience in the face of individual, community and national challenges, and develop the ability to turn challenges to opportunities.
5. Appreciate our national identity, develop a sense of belonging to Singapore, and demonstrate commitment to the well-being, security and defence of the nation.
6. Demonstrate socio-cultural sensitivity and promote social cohesion and harmony in Singapore as a multi-cultural society.
7. Demonstrate care for others and contribute actively towards improving the lives of others to build a bright future for ourselves and to progress together as one nation.
8. Demonstrate the ability to reflect on and respond to community, national and global issues, and to make informed and responsible decisions as a citizen.
Curriculum Structure and Key Programmes
In GMS(P), the CCE programme is rooted in the following school values: Integrity, Servanthood, Perseverance, Gratitude , Graciousness and Respect and Excellence and is supported by equipping the students with the following Social and Emotional competencies:
a) Self -Awareness
b) Self- Management
c) Social Awareness
d) Relationship Management
e) Responsible Decision Making
Our CCE programme is delivered through the approach of Direct Teaching, Teachable Moments and Infusion as summarized in the CCE Framework below:
Pedagogical Approaches / Strategies
CCE Curriculum:
The Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) curriculum was launched on 2 January 2014 by Education Minister Heng Swee Keat. A key feature of these textbooks is 'family time', which suggests activities for parents to bond with their children.
Medium of Instruction:
CCE lessons are conducted in the official Mother Tongue Languages (MTL). For pupils who offer the Non-Tamil Indian Languages (NTIL), namely, Bengali, Punjabi and Urdu as their Mother Tongue and for those who are exempted from taking MTL, CCE will be taught in English.
Features of the CCE Syllabus:
Pupils will learn values through three overarching ideas, namely (Identity, Relationships and Choices in six domains, starting with self and extending to the family, school, community, nation and the world. The diagram below shows the Core Values, the 3 Big Ideas and the Expanding Domains in the CCE syllabus:
The 3 Big Ideas, Identity, Relationships and Choices, are core concepts of the syllabus. They are interconnected and impact one another. Pupils need to know who they are in order to relate positively with others. Relationships they forge shape their identity and influence the choices they make. The ability to make good choices impacts on their understanding of their own identity and the relationships they form.
The CCE curriculum is delivered through approaches such as the Story Telling Approach, The Consideration Approach and Modified Values Clarification Approach. The aim is to facilitate the learning of skills and internalization of values through action and reflection as learners learn best when they are actively engaged.
The teaching and learning of CCE is guided by the following four key principles:
1) Every Teacher A CCE Teacher
a) Teachers will role model and create learning opportunities to shape and instil in every student the core values. They will develop in each of the pupils a sense of self- worth and confidence, a spirit of resilience, care and compassion for others.
b) Teachers will take ownership of their professional development to equip themselves with the expertise and competencies to nurture every student to become an active citizen of good character.
2) Values are both taught and caught
a) Values are taught when they are explicitly expressed through the knowledge and skills encapsulated in the CCE learning outcomes.
b) Values are caught when pupils see values lived out in different learning experiences, first in the role models and significant adults to the, then in their own lives.
c) The quality of teacher- student relationship and a caring environment will be essential to the character of the students.
3) Engaging Students through varied modes of delivery
a) Students learn values through instruction, skills practice, role modeling by teachers and peers and positive reinforcement during lesson time and teachable moments.
b) Teachers will also provide learning experiences such as the four core events, VIA, co-curricular activities for the learning and application of values, knowledge, skills and attitudes.
4) Parents as key partners
a) Parents are key navigators of their children’s growth. Students benefit the most when the home and school environments are attuned to each other.
b) Schools will engage and collaborate with parents to provide the necessary family care, support and reinforcement at home.
c) Effective communication of the school’s CCE programme and the provision of platforms for parents’ active involvement in schools will help parents become engaged partners.
Other Events / Programmes
In GMS(P), students are recognised for their efforts in demonstrating the values taught through nominations by teachers and peers in platforms such as the Values Extraordinaire Award, ECHA Award, MWee Award and LKY Award. Over the years, these Awards have helped to spur our students to internalize the values taught and to demonstrate them through their daily lives and actions.