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More can be done to build intercultural understanding and interaction: Education Minister

SINGAPORE — Although schools and community groups have already done a good job in educating subsequent generations of the importance of racial and religious harmony, there are still areas that need to be worked on, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat this morning (July 21).

SINGAPORE — Although schools and community groups have already done a good job in educating subsequent generations of the importance of racial and religious harmony, there are still areas that need to be worked on, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat this morning (July 21).

Making reference to the recent study on the Indicators of Racial and Religious Harmony, Mr Heng said the study showed that more can be done in building “interest in intercultural understanding and interaction”.

”We must not take intercultural understanding and interaction for granted,” he added, addressing students and guests at Elias Park Primary School for Racial Harmony Day. “We have to continue to build strong bonds in our community - bonds of trust, friendship and understanding - to meet the challenges of the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous global environment we face today”.

Good relationships can only be built if we better understand those around us,” said Mr Heng, who was ”heartened” by the results of the study. “The results show that Singapore has much to celebrate about the state of harmony here,” he said.

These indicators were created by OnePeople.sg, a group-up national body focused on building racial and religious harmony, and the Institute of Policy Studies, to gauge the state of racial and religious relations in Singapore.

Mr Heng also announced that OnePeople.sg has been working with his ministry and primary schools to engage all Primary 4 students in advocating racial harmony by providing them with Orange Ribbon kits.

Unlike previous years, the Primary 4 students will be making the orange ribbons this year. Forty thousand Orange Ribbon kits have been dispersed to primary 4 students islandwide this year. The Orange Ribbon has been adopted by OnePeople.sg as a symbol of racial harmony to promote values of respect, understanding, trust and friendship.

Students will wear one of the ribbons while giving another to someone of a different culture who could be a schoolmate or neighbour, said Mr Heng. The ribbon, he added, will be accompanied with a personal note and card encouraging the recipient to wear the ribbon, and to talk to a friend or a neighbour from a different race to find out more.

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