Implicit bias and the cultivation of racial harmony

Tackling implicit bias starts from a young age. The review of Character and Citizenship Education should draw on research to see how to improve education against bias.

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July 21 is Racial Harmony Day, a day set aside by the Ministry of Education since 1997 to remind students of the 1964 race riots in Singapore and the importance of racial harmony for our society.

The setting aside of this day is one of the many government and civic initiatives over the years to promote racial harmony. They appear to have effect. The Institute of Policy Studies conducted a poll last year, which showed that Singaporeans have better attitudes towards races other than their own. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's 2019 Social Pulse Survey yielded similar findings.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 07, 2020, with the headline Implicit bias and the cultivation of racial harmony. Subscribe