LEARNING TO RESPECT EACH OTHER’S VIEWS
Dr Thavamalar Kanagaratnam, master specialist at the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) CCE branch, said CCE discussions look at issues that are relevant and meaningful to students, some of which they are already talking about.
“So then it becomes an opportunity within the classroom, to use that as a platform for them to learn how to talk to each other in ways that are respectful, where they get to express different points of view, and then learn how to maybe even agree to disagree,” she told CNA’s Heart of the Matter podcast.
“So that’s really the point of these types of conversations. It’s not so much about understanding the issue itself, although that’s an important part of it.
“But really, more importantly, it’s the kind of skills you want them to learn, the kind of values you want them to demonstrate.”
Dr Thavamalar said building empathy, for instance, involves hearing the experiences and feelings of others.
“When you hear the perspective of another, you’re not just listening with your head, but you’re also listening with your heart,” she added.
“So that’s what we are trying to work towards, that sort of mindset in our students and teachers.”