Racial Harmony Day

Commemoration of Racial Harmony Day (RHD)
Integration of Cultural Appreciation, Financial Literacy and 21st Century Competencies

As part of our school’s commemoration of Racial Harmony Day (RHD), a series of meaningful and engaging activities were organised to foster cultural understanding, inclusivity, and responsible decision-making among students. These activities were also designed in alignment with the development of 21st Century Competencies (21CC), nurturing our students to become active contributors to society.

To deepen their appreciation of Singapore’s multicultural heritage, staff and students came dressed in traditional costumes, proudly showcasing the rich diversity of our nation. During recess, students participated in traditional games and craft activities representing different ethnic groups in Singapore. These experiences promoted collaborative learning and mutual respect, while helping students develop a deeper appreciation of our shared heritage.

In tandem with the celebrations, a Financial Literacy Programme was conducted. Centred on the theme of budgeting, students learned to make informed spending choices while “purchasing” traditional games within a set budget. This cross-curricular activity provided them with opportunities to apply mathematical and reasoning skills in a real-world context, while also promoting responsible financial habits.

As part of the Social Studies (SS) and Form Teacher (FT) lessons, students reflected on the importance of harmony and empathy in a multicultural society. They participated in the following values-driven activities:

·    Created well-wishes cards for patients from Woodlands Health, spreading positivity and demonstrating compassion beyond the classroom.

·    Collaboratively built a Chain of Harmony — a class activity where each student contributed a personal message or drawing symbolising unity and respect.

·    Contributed to a Racial Tapestry — a collective art piece representing Singapore’s different ethnicities, highlighting how we are all woven together as one people.

These meaningful activities not only reinforced the national message of respect, inclusivity, and unity but also provided students with authentic opportunities to practise empathy, civic responsibility, and collaboration. Through this integrated approach, students gained valuable cultural insights and developed practical life skills, nurturing them to become thoughtful, respectful, and socially responsible citizens of tomorrow.

Racial Harmony Day is a significant occasion for celebrating our diverse cultural heritage and promoting mutual understanding and respect among students. This year, our school organised a series of activities designed to engage students meaningfully, emphasizing the importance of harmony and unity. Here’s a look at the exciting events that took place during the two-week commemoration:

Assembly Programme

The commemoration began with an Assembly Programme, setting the tone for Racial Harmony Day. The programme served as a reminder of the events in 1964, which led to many casualties due to two communal riots. Various RHD activities were also introduced during the assembly to raise awareness and encourage students' participation in the planned activities.

Recess Activities: Traditional Games and Craft Making

Recess was a highlight for many students as they got to participate in traditional games that showcased our school's cultural diversity. Games like Five Stones, Chapteh, and Top Spinning were a big hit. Additionally, craft stations were set up for activities such as ketupat weaving, calligraphy, oil lamp paper making, and creating Easter bookmarks. These stations, manned by enthusiastic parent volunteers and teachers, were spread around the school courtyard. Students loved learning and engaging in these traditional crafts and games with their peers.

Primary 3 Math: Financial Literacy Programme
Our Primary 3 Maths teachers integrated the Racial Harmony Day theme into their Financial Literacy Programme by conducting a Budget Planning activity for the students. This activity reinforced mathematical concepts while also highlighting the importance of careful planning and resource management in organising cultural events.

Social Studies (SS) and Form Teacher (FT) Lessons

Throughout the two weeks, Social Studies and Form Teachers conducted lessons on various topics, including the celebration of festivals by different ethnic groups, traditional games, and weddings from various cultures. These lessons aimed to deepen students’ understanding of cultural diversity and emphasise the importance of harmonious coexistence.

Racial Harmony Day was a memorable and educational experience for everyone involved. The assembly programme, recess activities, and various lessons conducted have played a crucial role in fostering unity, understanding, and respect among students. Through these activities, we highlighted the significance of racial harmony and equipped our students with the knowledge and skills to promote inclusiveness in their daily lives.

As part of our National Education efforts, Innova Primary School commemorated Racial Harmony Day (RHD) from 17 July to 21 July through activities and discussions to enable students to gain a deeper appreciation of racial harmony, multiculturalism, and social cohesion. The theme, Singapore's Multicultural Mosaic, highlights the strength in Singapore's cultural diversity, and the vibrant heritage of our society.

We started off the commemoration with an assembly program on 17 July, to remind us about the events in 1964, which led to many casualties due to two communal riots. There were also recess activities for the pupils as they had a chance to play traditional games.

Classroom activities, which involved pupils in making a multicultural mosaic of our local traditional food, games, and attire, were crafted to suit the needs of the class. Although we are all different in our own way, food is a common thread that binds us all as Singaporeans. We all celebrate our local festivals together, and we all love our delicious local food.

Throughout the week, the pupils actively engaged in learning about each other's diverse cultures, fostering a sense of proactive curiosity. As our students acquire knowledge, they simultaneously develop a profound respect for and enjoyment of these cultural differences.

By the end of the week, our pupils had internalized the vital lesson that harmony among different races and religions stands as a foundational principle of our nation. This week-long commemoration allowed us to not only celebrate our rich diversity but also to mutually share in one another's customs and cultures, strengthening the bonds that unite our community.

Racial Harmony Day is an annual event held on 21st  July to commemorate the communal riots of 1964 and teach students the importance of maintaining racial and religious harmony in Singapore’s multicultural and multi-ethnic society.

Our school commemorated Racial Harmony Day (RHD) via Zoom on 21st July 2022. The theme for Racial Harmony Day this year is “Singapore: Our Multicultural Mosaic”. A video of the students’ shared experiences and what they had learned during the Mother Tongue Fortnight, was shared to show the unique culture of each race as well as the importance of remaining open and inclusive even as our society becomes increasingly complex and diverse.

Pupils learned that in Singapore, people are treated equally regardless of their race and religion, and students should appreciate the different cultures that make up Singapore.

Pupils were reminded to make friends with different races, so that we can learn about one another’s culture, practices and beliefs. They were reminded to express good wishes and attend each other’s festival celebrations. One of our shared experiences involved students donning the various colourful ethnic costumes to celebrate the different races living harmoniously together as a nation.

Students also learned more about RHD via CCE and Social Studies lessons. In alignment with the RHD theme this year, teachers conduct the activity “Our Multicultural Mosaic” during Social Studies lessons. Each student is given a square piece of paper in which they will draw/ design the different aspect from the different races / various cultures such as food, costumes, festivals. All the collated square pieces of paper will then be pasted on a banner to form the map of Singapore.

On top of that, the P4 students also went through the Orange Ribbon project to promote harmony among the races and they officially became the Racial Harmony ambassadors at the end of the Social Studies lesson. The P3 students, on the other hand, planned for the budget Racial Harmony Day posters and snacks as part of financial literacy. The CCE lesson were also packed with activities touching on the different aspects of the different races in Singapore

Our school commemorated Racial Harmony Day (RHD) on 19th July 2021. The theme for RHD this year is ‘Common Spaces, Connected Communities’. Pupils were reminded of RHD’s importance and what we can do to promote racial harmony in Singapore as Singapore is a multicultural and multi-ethnic society.

This year, Nanhai Guicheng Foreign Language School joined us in our commemoration of RHD. A virtual assembly programme was conducted due to the current safe management measures implemented during this pandemic. Our guests were given a warm welcome before the RHD speech by our Vice-Principal, Mrs Ang. The programme showcased the different food from the various races as well as common spaces like the school and other public places. The RHD commemoration ended with a modified version of tiktok on children of mixed races. While the students enjoyed watching the videos, they also learnt about how our shared experiences and values connect us all as one Singapore.

One of our shared experiences involved students donning the various colourful ethnic costumes to celebrate the different races living harmoniously together as a nation. 

Students also learned more about RHD via CCE and Social Studies lessons. Through CCE lessons, lower primary students learnt about building friendships through greetings, donning traditional clothes and the common local food from different communities. Middle primary and upper primary students learnt more about building and strengthening friendships through role play and discussions.

During Social Studies lessons, the students went through the activity on ‘Connecting through Local Delights’. Primary One to Primary Six students were given paper plates to design their own plates of local delights by drawing or pasting coloured papers of their favourite local food. These paper plates were then displayed outside the classroom.

Each pupil also received traditional games to play with their family members at home as part of family time. 

Through the e-assembly programme and the various activities, students learnt about the importance of appreciating the different cultures that make up Singapore. Students also learned that in Singapore, people are treated equally regardless of their race and religion.