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EDUN C14-12-014 Vol 3
0999
10 Feb 99

SCHOOLS’ COMMEMORATION OF TOTAL DEFENCE DAY

1. Total Defence (TD) Day will be commemorated by schools on Mon 15 Feb 99 to mark the fall of Singapore to the Japanese on 15 Feb 42. This is one of the key historical events that schools commemorate as part of National Education. The rationale for commemorating this day is to underscore for our young the message that we must ourselves defend Singapore. No one else is responsible for our security and well-being.

2. The commemoration of TD Day on the eve of Chinese New Year this year is significant in that it coincides with the fall of Singapore to the Japanese on Chinese New Year Day on 15 Feb 42. Schools have been encouraged to plan their commemoration to depict the difference in the mood in celebrating Chinese New Year then, when Singapore was under Japanese occupation, and now as an independent nation.

3. For TD Day 99, all schools have been provided with a resource package called the "Edu-Kit" which aims at familiarising students with the five aspects of Total Defence. Details of the Edu-Kit and other TD programmes and resources made available for schools are at Annex A.

4. Some examples of how schools are commemorating Total Defence Day, the date of commemoration, and a short write-up of these are attached in Annex B.

TD PROGRAMMES FOR SCHOOLS

1. Edu - Kit for Schools:

This package has been specially designed and packaged by the Total Defence Activities Committee to familiarise students with the five aspects of Total Defence through interesting suggested classroom and school level activities. Two types of kits have been prepared: one for primary schools and the other for secondary schools and Junior Colleges/Centralised Institutes. In addition, each kit contains a teachers’ guide giving a summary of Total Defence activities and a list of further readings.

For Primary Schools:

	Total Defence Drama Script : The 10-15 minute drama script, which includes catchy raps, can be used wholesale or adapted for mini-plays/skits at the class or school level. Schools are encouraged to perform the skits on Total Defence Day.
	Total Defence Challengers Quiz Board Game : This is a colourful and fun board game recommended for students from Primary 3 to 6. In this game, students pit their knowledge of Total Defence against one another. This game is guaranteed to have students at the edge of their seats for at least a whole hour !

For Secondary Schools/Junior Colleges and Centralised Institutes

Total Defence Writing Competition : This competition has been organised to encourage students to reflect and express their thoughts about Total Defence. To encourage creativity, students were encouraged to submit their entries in any written form - an essay, a diary entry or even a newspaper editorial. Closing date was on 5 Feb 99.

Total Defence Strategy Game : The aim of the game is to expose students’ minds to the application of Total Defence in real-life scenarios and stimulate thinking. To foster creative thinking, students are required to assume roles in society and engage in lively debate on how each situation should be best handled.

2. 3-D Show

A 10-minute three-dimensional (3-D) show on Total Defence will be staged from 9 to 12 February at the Fort Canning Park. The show, which was first staged in February 1998, shows a Singaporean, who lives in the year 2042, travelling back in time to the present to see how Singaporeans are involved in the defence of the country. Admission is free.

3. The Battle Box

Schools have also been given the option to visit the Battle Box located at Fort Canning Park. The attraction was part of the Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II as an operations and command centre. Admission has been offered at a special rate of $2 per person (usual price is $8 for adults and $5 for children).

 

4. SINGAPORE CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE (SCDF)

SCDF has designed a varied programme targeted at primary and secondary school students. The objective is to raise awareness of their roles and that of the SCDF in a national emergency. Students will be taken on a guided tour of the Mandai Training Village where they will learn emergency procedures. They will be treated to live demonstrations, for example, of height and ground rescue operations. Other activities include visiting an improvised household shelter, witnessing a medical support activity in real operation as well as a chance to experience first hand, emergency procedures on food rationing and water distribution. Schools have been encouraged to send their students to attend this event to be held on 12 and 13 Feb 99 and the response is very encouraging.

5. Resources

Posters on the introduction of National Service have been distributed to schools to heighten students’ awareness of a milestone in our history, when we decided to take charge of our own defence.

AnnexB

Huamin Primary School / Northview Secondary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact Person : Mrs Rashidah bte Marican

Tel No. : 67529004

Description of Programme:

Collaborating with Northview Secondary School, pupils will re-enact some of the atrocities committed by the Japanese in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation. At 8.00 am, the siren will be switched on. The school will assemble in the car park to witness the re-enactment of torture and execution under Japanese rule. This will be followed by a talk on the importance of ourselves being in control of our own defence, and the importance of Total Defence.

Beatty Secondary School / San Shan Primary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact Person : Mr Richard Chew

Tel No. : 62569108

Description of Programme:

Beatty Secondary School will be embarking on the commemoration of Total Defence Day focussing on the message that water is scarce and we should zealously protect this strategic resource to ensure our national survival. Some of the activities include a simulation of water rationing which the whole school will participate and computers will be used to calculate the volume of water distributed. All pupils will go through the exercise of calculating the cost of water at different rates, and finally the message that "Water is precious" will slowly be uncovered as a crucial learning point for pupils.

Chong Shan Primary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact Person : Mrs Chan Tin Yek

Tel No. : 64560444

Description of Programme:

Activities held are a talk-cum-video show and skit on Total Defence, a display of pictures and write-ups on Total Defence and a written quiz for Primary 4 to Primary 6 pupils. Pupils will also be brought to an interactive multi-media show, ‘Wheels of Time’ at the Singapore Discovery Centre on 20 Feb 99.

Damai Secondary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact Person : Ms Koh Cheow Choo

Tel : 64436848

Description of Programme:

To drive home the message that we must be in a state of readiness at all times, regardless of festive occasions, Damai Secondary School is holding a surprise fire drill at the eve of the Lunar New Year.

This will be followed by an interesting game on minimizing the wastage of water involving pupils from the four Houses.

The lessons on Total Defence will be further reinforced through an oral quiz. The quiz will be based on materials on Total Defence that have been put up on the notice boards prior to 15 Feb.

Rangoon Secondary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact Person : Mr Goh Soon Guan

Tel No. : 62986112

Description of Programme:

· Address by the Principal, followed by an investiture of National Education Class Representatives.

· Skit

· Item Presentation depicting the 5 aspects of Total Defence

	Stand up for Singapore (Psychological Defence)
	Let’s Build Community (Social Defence)
	Working Hand in Hand (Economic Defence)
	Always be Ready (Civil Defence)
	Believe Me, Singapore (in Mandarin) (Military Defence)

· Quiz

· Distribution of Souvenirs

 Telok Kurau Primary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact Person : Mrs Chew Lai Mun

Tel No : 63440731

Description of Programme:

An assembly talk will be given on the significance of the day by the Principal, and a war veteran invited to share his experiences of the Japanese Occupation. To re-enact the difficulties and constraints of war, all pupils will be given rations of sweet potatoes and water (no food and drinks to be sold in canteen). Four male teachers will act as Japanese soldiers to stamp on pupil’s hands for their collection. Pupils will tell school how they felt. There will also be a display of best essays (written a week before) and pictures of Singapore during the Japanese Occupation.

 Upper Serangoon Secondary School

Date of Programme :15 Feb 99

Contact person : Mr Ng Chee Keong

Tel : 62885133

Description of Programme:

A drama entitled "A Reminiscent Reunion Dinner" will be put up. A brief synopsis of the drama is as follows:

1) Scene : Grandfather (a school teacher) with his grandchildren (our pupil actors) having a dinner at the restaurant. Grandchildren with handphones complaining and grumbling about the economic crisis, poor quality of restaurant food, wanting to go to a high class restaurant like last year.

Grandfather then reminisces about life 55 years ago (1942) and the scene switches back to 1942. Sound effects of bombing and fear in the background. Groups of families in tattered clothing, holding small bowls and plates emerge, squat and eat tapioca, sweet potato and vegetables. Worried for the future, the families express their wish for their own army to protect them, even as the British are having a big party at Raffles Hotel. Go on to the Japanese taking over Singapore.

2) Scene: Back to present day. Narrator mentions the importance of Total Defence. Non-Chinese students take part in the celebrations showing how strong our social defence is.

This drama is followed by a celebration dance (Malay & Indian Dance) and singing of Chinese songs by the choir. For the last segment, students clad in army, civil defence and police uniforms, representing different facets of our defence, join in the singing