National Education
Find out how Bendemeer Primary School brings National Education to life through core events, learning journeys, and student-led programmes that build belonging, resilience, and pride in Singapore.
Introduction
Social Studies
National Education (NE) was launched in 1997. It aims to provide our students with the knowledge, skills, and values to understand Singapore’s history and unique geo-political context, appreciate our journey to nationhood, cultivate the instincts for survival as a nation, and have confidence in our nation’s future.
CITIZENSHIP DISPOSITIONS: NE provides opportunities for our students to explore and examine their identity as Singaporeans and arrive at a common set of ideals and values. The following key dispositions for citizenship in Singapore shape the purpose and approach to NE:
A Sense of Belonging to develop a deeper understanding of who we are as Singaporeans, and a shared understanding of the values that are important to us as a nation.
A Sense of Hope to have confidence and optimism in Singapore’s future and the resilience to face the challenges ahead.
A Sense of Reality to be aware of contemporary realities — including Singapore’s constraints and vulnerabilities — which affect us as a nation amidst the backdrop of a less predictable world.
A Will to Act to be active citizens who have a collective resolve and a sense of shared mission towards building a Singapore for all.
Programmes
NE Champs Training Session and events
Under student leadership, the NE Champions (NE Champs), P4 to P6 students, begin their journey of being a NE Champ’ from Primary 4. These students embody good citizenship of the school and of Singapore! As a NE Champ for 3 years, they will be leaders at the forefront to spread the messages of being a good, caring, concerned citizen in our modern world and society. To achieve this, NE Champs use their presentation skills to interact with others when they support the 4 NE Core Events. NE Champs also play their part in integrating the International Students to Singapore through their interactions with them during key events. In fact, they are champions in more ways than they can think of!
During their leadership sessions, NE Champs are informed of their roles and responsibilities. They also discuss and reflect on their purpose and how they can contribute to serving the school and community. The NE Champs also undergo specialized training in their areas to learn more about their roles in the student leadership of the school. The NE Champs are trained to engage the other students during recess time and during the NE Core Events. Therefore, they help anchor and spread the NE Citizenship Dispositions and exhibit the school values to fellow students and staff.
Core Events
Annually schools observe 4 NE commemorative days which have been identified as defining moments in Singapore's history. The aim is to entrench these events and the images they evoke in the consciousness of each successive generation.
The 4 events are:
1. Total Defence Day
2. International Friendship Day
3. Racial Harmony Day
4. National Day
Total Defence Day Commemoration (TDD) 2026 @BPS
Bendemeer Primary School commemorated Total Defence Day (TDD) in February 2026. The theme this year was, “Together We Keep Singapore Strong”. Our school’s focus was on the following NE Dispositions: A Sense of Belonging, A Sense of Reality, A Sense of Hope, A Will to Act.
As crises and disruptions become increasingly common, it is important for our students to be prepared to respond to the potential disruptions in their lives. By experiencing simulations of disruptions to Singapore, students will learn:
How to respond and help one another calmly and responsibly in such circumstances.
The importance for everyone in Singapore to be ready to respond to the ever-evolving threats and challenges to our nation.
How everyone in Singapore can work together and play our part in Total Defence, to remain a strong, united and resilient people.
Although the focus is on Psychological Defence through this disruption, all the 6 pillars of Total Defence were addressed during this commemoration in class or through school-wide activities. This year, the students experienced Power and Digital Connectivity Disruption (Sense of Reality).
Here is a glimpse of the activities we experienced:
International Friendship Day (IFD) 2026 @ BPS
In Term 2, we commemorated International Friendship Day with the theme: Forging friendships in a Complex World. The ASEAN country in focus was Philippines. This is a day dedicated to the understanding of Singapore's relations with neighbouring countries and beyond. The commemoration of IFD allowed our students to be sensitised to Singapore's geopolitical realities, and to reflect on the importance of the spirit of friendship and collaboration amongst different people.
International Friendship Day 2026 commenced with the Pre-assembly presentation, informing students of the IFD programme that they could anticipate throughout the week. It was followed by assembly programme which is a drama, “Flight”. Students learnt more about our neighbour, Philippines, during Aspire meeting on Wednesday.
International Friendship Day 2026 concluded with students enjoying recess activities, Craft Corner: Mini “Parol of Friendship” and the main activity: “Friendship Tumbang Preso” which is inspired by a traditional Filipino street game.
With the activities that ran throughout the week, students learnt more about Philippines and the importance of the spirit of friendship and collaboration amongst different people.
Racial Harmony Day (RHD) 2026 @ BPS
The theme for this year was “Multicultural Tapestry”. Just like the threads in a tapestry, each of us are unique cultural threads in Singapore. In BPS, we focused on the key element of living in harmony with others and not taking peace for granted. The students and staff commemorated Racial Harmony Day in July. Fun-filled activities were carried out in collaboration with our PSG. The students created their own Class Tapestry during their Social Studies lessons. The students learnt more about the different percussion instruments during the Assembly Programme where the students and staff bonded through music. During recess, students played ‘old school’ games that Singaporeans used to play during the Kampong Days. People from different races and religions bonded through these activities back in those days. The students also experienced making colourful rangolis. In addition, the students also played interactive Racial Harmony games at ASPIRE Arena.
National Day 2025 @ BPS
The 60th birthday celebrations started with the solemn march-past ceremony and the spirits were hyped with the mini concerts and mass singing of the different National Day songs. The students danced and exercised to the “Get Active “Challenge. The celebrations concluded with reflections on the students’ future community spaces, learning environments and transportation in class.
P5 NE Show 2025 @ the Padang (where the first National Day was held)
The Primary 5 students get the opportunity to be a part of the NE Show yearly. The NE Show took place at the legendary Padang for the third year. The students were thrilled to be a part of the celebration of the nation as it was the first for many of them. They did the Kallang Wave, sang the National Day songs and soaked into the red sea of students, celebrating the nation’s 60th birthday. The special segments of the show kept the students energized and vibrant.
P4 and P5 Cohort Learning Journeys
The Cohort LJs consist of Museum-based Learning (MBL) to the Kreta Ayer Heritage Gallery (Primary 4), Indian Heritage Centre (Primary 5) and Asian Civilisation Museum (Primary 6). These LJs provided them with opportunities to explore their Singapore identity through the arts, culture and heritage. These LJs complement the Art, Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) and Social Studies (SS) curricula. The students were given the opportunity to explore space and etiquette in the museum and be engaged in observations and inquiry into selected heritage artefacts with a focus on the history of early Singapore. Through discussions and reflections, the students were able to make connections that developed and reinforced their Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) outcomes.
Social Studies Curriculum @ BPS
The Social Studies curriculum spans the primary and secondary levels. This subject helps students to grow in knowledge, develop skills and learn values through examining issues that are of concern to our society and the world in which we live. At BPS, the students go through different experiences in achieving the purpose of Social Studies.
In addition to game-based learning, in BPS, the students learn more about their environment, the history of the schools that have merged and the national symbols around the school during their school-based learning journeys. These customised learning journeys are curated with the key focus in the Social Studies syllabus. These journeys begin in school for the Primary 1 and Primary 2 through the use of info-technology. The young family members are introduced to Ben, the school mascot who is an explorer. He begins his exploration in school and expands to the world through the gigantic world map that we have in the school.
To enrich the inquisitive minds of our students further, many collaborative efforts take place in BPS between subject areas like Social Studies, Library (reading) and Applied Learning Programme (ALP). The P5 students are also given opportunities to design their own NE cum Camp T-shirts as a collaboration with the PE department. These collaborative efforts enable the students to connect what they learn with the real-life context.
Integration of International Students @BPS
The international students have a 3-year programme from P4 to P6 where they would go for learning journeys to various iconic landmarks in Singapore. This would be done through a physical learning journey or a virtual learning journey. The students would learn more about the different races and cultures through this authentic experiential learning. They also learn about the history of Singapore. They are also involved in the NE commemorative events where they collaborate with the NE Champs and carry out activities for the rest. Rich learning takes place through this process. The P1 to P3 international students learn more about Singapore’s old school games through the game-based learning in the class.
Some artwork done by our P1 and P3 international students through the virtual learning journeys
Useful Links
Ministry of Education
http://www.moe.gov.sg
Total Defence Day
http://www.totaldefence.sg/
National Archives of Singapore
http://corporate.nas.gov.sg
National Heritage Board
http://www.nhb.gov.sg