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New S'pore citizens to go through mandatory programme
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 25 March 2011 2214 hrs
SINGAPORE: All new Singapore citizens must go through a three-component mandatory programme known as "The Singapore Citizenship Journey" - which must be completed in two months - before they get their pink IC.
The programme includes a lesson at Parliament House on governance and the rule of the law, as well as a tour to the URA Centre and National Museum.
A second component is a meeting with grassroots leaders and new citizens who have settled in.
Participants will also have to go through a mandatory online course called the e-journey.
It comprises five sections, covering Singapore's history, national symbols, and key policies such as national service.
After going through each section, participants will then have to take a quiz. The quiz is not meant as a test, but a way for new citizens to get to know the country better.
The issue of a citizenship test has cropped up over the years.
However, speaking in Parliament in March, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, who heads the National Population and Talent Division, said that the suggestion had been considered by the National Integration Council.
"Members felt that a test may not accurately assess or ensure the long-term commitment of new citizens," said Mr Wong.
Authorities agree that integration can neither be forced, nor happen overnight.
However, the National Population and Talent Division intends to give the process a nudge forward, by creating a structure for new citizens to integrate.
If the programme is not completed in two months, participants may have their in-principal approval withdrawn, and will have to re-apply for citizenship.
Appeals will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- CNA/cc
By Hoe Yeen Nie | Posted: 25 March 2011 2214 hrs
SINGAPORE: All new Singapore citizens must go through a three-component mandatory programme known as "The Singapore Citizenship Journey" - which must be completed in two months - before they get their pink IC.
The programme includes a lesson at Parliament House on governance and the rule of the law, as well as a tour to the URA Centre and National Museum.
A second component is a meeting with grassroots leaders and new citizens who have settled in.
Participants will also have to go through a mandatory online course called the e-journey.
It comprises five sections, covering Singapore's history, national symbols, and key policies such as national service.
After going through each section, participants will then have to take a quiz. The quiz is not meant as a test, but a way for new citizens to get to know the country better.
The issue of a citizenship test has cropped up over the years.
However, speaking in Parliament in March, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng, who heads the National Population and Talent Division, said that the suggestion had been considered by the National Integration Council.
"Members felt that a test may not accurately assess or ensure the long-term commitment of new citizens," said Mr Wong.
Authorities agree that integration can neither be forced, nor happen overnight.
However, the National Population and Talent Division intends to give the process a nudge forward, by creating a structure for new citizens to integrate.
If the programme is not completed in two months, participants may have their in-principal approval withdrawn, and will have to re-apply for citizenship.
Appeals will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- CNA/cc
