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Yale-NUS saga: Playwright Alfian Sa'at breaks silence regarding allegations listed in Yale report

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5 years ago

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Playwright Alfian Sa’at, who was slated to be the instructor for the “Dissent and Resistance in Singapore”, broke his silence today (2 Oct) following a report by Yale regarding findings from a review on the cancellation of the programme.
The programme, which has been since renamed “Dialogue and Dissent in Singapore”, was scheduled to be run by Alfian and programme manager Tan Yock Theng of NUS. It was originally set to take place from 29 Sep to 5 Oct.
Alfian highlighted that some of the allegations included rejecting all revisions suggested by Yale-NUS, that he “insisted on compelling students to ‘simulate’ a protest”, and that he “was ignorant of the legal risks of international students carrying signs in Hong Lim Park”.
In a report released by Yale University’s Office of the Vice President for Global Strategy on Sat (28 Sep), it was alleged that the Yale-NUS staff in charge of the week seven LAB “communicated frequently with the instructor in June and July but found it difficult to reach him by email”, and that “they met with him on August 1”.
It was also alleged in the report that Alfian was “not sufficiently aware of the legal issues involved in his module”.
“In particular, the instructor offered a summary of the module late on August 13 that suggested he had not taken the recommendations of the Curriculum Committee and the CIPE staff into consideration,” the report added.
“The instructor should have been given a clearer explanation, sooner, of the inadequacy of the materials he submitted,” according to the report.
In response to the allegations, Alfian said in his Facebook post today: “This has given rise to a caricature of myself as defiant, reckless and incompetent.”
“Some online sites with malicious intent have been only too eager to parrot and amplify this characterisation,” he added.
Alfian stressed that he did not “raise any objection” despite not being invited by Yale-NUS to staff meetings and town halls.
“Naively, I thought that this would be the ‘gentlemanly’ thing to do.
“To my surprise, a narrative was produced that was at odds with my own experience of interacting with the college. My silence was being taken advantage of,” he said.
Alfian also said that he is in possession of “detailed emails and WhatsApp messages that will definitively prove that the allegations are false and defamatory”.

Commenting on the grounds of cancellation cited in Yale’s report released on Sat (28 Sep), Alfian said that while he believes “it is the college’s prerogative to cancel it based on their own risk assessment or even evaluation of its academic merit”, the grounds of cancellation are immaterial to him in this case, and that the more important issue is the alleged blame-shifting placed upon him.
“I can say, in all honesty, that I do not care at all whether the decision to cancel the programme was made internally or whether there was external pressure.
“It is not my mission to find out why. But what I care about is that the college takes full responsibility for their decisions, and not try to shift the blame on my supposed non-compliance,” he said.
He stressed that “no issue regarding the programme’s lack of academic rigour had ever been raised” by Yale-NUS with him.
It was found from Yale University’s Vice President for Global Strategy Pericles Lewis’ consultations with leaders of Yale-NUS, including college president Tan Tai Yong, three vice presidents, the dean of students and the dean of faculty that the cancellation was “a result of administrative errors”, according to a report on Sat (28 Sep).
Such a finding is contrary to critics’ assertion that the cancellation is symptomatic of a lack of academic freedom at Yale-NUS, Lewis added.
Lewis was urged by Yale University president Peter Salovey to conduct a review on the cancellation of the programme.
In a statement on 14 Sep, Salovey said: “When I learned of this impending decision, I expressed my concern to the president of the National University of Singapore and the president of Yale-NUS.”
“In founding and working with our Singaporean colleagues on Yale-NUS, Yale has insisted on the values of academic freedom and open inquiry, which have been central to the college and have inspired outstanding work by faculty, students, and staff: Yale-NUS has become a model of innovation in liberal arts education in Asia.
“Any action that might threaten these values is of serious concern, and we at Yale need to gain a better understanding of this decision,” he added.
Salovey also revealed that he has asked Yale-NUS’ founding president Pericles Lewis to “conduct fact-finding”.
“[The decision] did not, in my view and the view of all the participants I met, infringe on the academic freedom of the proposed instructor or of anyone at the College,” said Lewis in the report.
Lewis, who was also the founding president of Yale-NUS, however also concluded that the Curriculum Committee should have been involved more continuously and the legal risk assessment, particularly to international students, should have taken place sooner.
“Convenient” to scapegoat the artist as “troublemaker”: Alfian Sa’at
Alfian lamented how “very easy” it is to paint an artist like him as the “troublemaker”, given that “the institution is to be trusted, and furthermore one that is supposed to be a liberal arts college”.
“I have struggled with making public my side of the story, because I do not know what the fallout will be.
“What will happen when it is proven that some members of a college–a college supposedly devoted to the pursuit of truth and knowledge and high principles–have been lying? Which junior staff members will have to take the rap? How will the administration be able to face their own students?” He said.
Stressing that he has “tried to be as restrained as possible” and had even “rejected all press interviews” because he “expected the college to handle the matter in a transparent and professional manner”, Alfian said that he is planning on revealing his side of the story, as such allegations may end up tarnishing his name.
“I am in the process of crafting a proper press release, with a detailed chronology of events, with supporting documents and names redacted. It is laborious and I would much rather be doing something else.
“If I continue seeing inaccurate allegations made against me in the press, I will have no choice but to go public,” said Alfian.

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Police investigate assault on Qihua Primary School student after video surfaces online

The police are investigating an assault on a Qihua Primary School student after a video showing the attack emerged online. A teenager is seen repeatedly hitting the boy, prompting concerns about student safety. This is the second bullying video to surface within a week, with a similar incident involving Bukit View Secondary School reported earlier.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

24 September 2024

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SINGAPORE: The police are investigating a case involving a student from Qihua Primary School, who was repeatedly attacked by a teenager.

The investigation was launched after a video of the incident emerged online, the authorities confirmed on 23 September.

According to a report by CNA, a formal complaint has been lodged with the police, and the investigation is ongoing.

The video, which lasts approximately 43 seconds, has been circulating on social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

It shows a teenager, dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans, physically assaulting a smaller boy wearing a school uniform from Qihua Primary, located in Woodlands.

In the video, the victim is cornered in a stairwell, where the teenager punches, kicks, and hurls him to the ground.

The aggressor orders the boy to put his hands behind his back before delivering punches to his stomach.

At several points, the boy is grabbed by the neck and thrown to the floor, where he continues to endure kicks and punches.

Throughout the attack, the boy repeatedly says, “Sorry, sorry, I won’t do it again,” while being taunted by the teenager and another individual, who may have been filming the incident.

At one point, the teenager can be heard asking, “You want to fight? You sure?” as the victim, now in tears, continues apologizing and insisting he will not repeat his actions.

The exact timing of the incident remains unclear.

Video source: Telegram/sgfollowsall

Qihua Primary School has acknowledged the situation, confirming that it is under police investigation.

“The safety and well-being of our students is our priority. We have provided counselling to the affected students and are working closely with their parents to ensure the well-being of all involved,” the school stated.

They further emphasized the importance of students looking out for each other and reporting any incidents of bullying to their teachers.

Second Bullying Video Emerges Within a Week

This incident marks the second time a bullying video has surfaced online in a week.

A separate TikTok video, posted about a week ago, showed a student from Bukit View Secondary School being taunted and kicked to the ground by a group of teenagers.

Bukit View Secondary School’s principal, Jaswant Singh, told The Straits Times that the incident occurred in October 2023 outside of school premises and was not initially reported to the school. The parents of the victim have since lodged a police report.

Following the video’s circulation, the school immediately checked on the victim, who did not report any injuries.

Mr Singh emphasized the school’s serious stance on such behaviour, stating that the students involved would be counseled and face appropriate disciplinary actions.

The victim’s parents have since lodged a police report. The police have confirmed that investigations are ongoing regarding the bullying incident.

In response to a Parliamentary Question filed by Melvin Yong, Member of Parliament for Radin Mas SMC, in September 2022, the Education Minister noted that since 2013, the number of reported bullying incidents has remained consistent, with approximately two cases per 1,000 primary students and five cases per 1,000 secondary students each year.

He emphasised that the MOE takes a serious stance on bullying and collaborates with schools to send a clear message that hurtful behavior is unacceptable in any school environment.

Helplines

If you or someone you know is in need of support, the following helplines are available:

  • Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
  • Singapore Association for Mental Health: 1800-283-7019
  • Institute of Mental Health (24 hours): 6389-2222
  • Tinkle Friend (for primary school-aged children): 1800-274-4788

You can discover a directory of global helplines on this page.

If someone you are aware of is facing an imminent threat, please dial 24-hour emergency services.

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Education

Singapore to expand Higher Mother Tongue access in secondary schools from 2026

Singapore will allow students who excel in their Mother Tongue Language at the PSLE to take Higher Mother Tongue in secondary school starting in 2026, regardless of their overall PSLE score. The new policy is part of broader efforts to promote bilingualism and strengthen linguistic proficiency.

Published

3 weeks ago

on

16 September 2024

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SINGAPORE: From 2026, students who perform well in their Mother Tongue Language (MTL) at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be eligible to study Higher Mother Tongue at Secondary 1, regardless of their overall PSLE score, announced Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing on 14 September.

Under the current system, only students with an overall PSLE score of 8 or better, or those with a score between 9 and 14 who also achieve an AL1 or AL2 in MTL, or at least a merit in Higher Mother Tongue (HMTL), can qualify to take HMTL in secondary school.

However, from 2026, eligibility will be based solely on their MTL performance.

Students will be able to study HMTL if they score AL1 or AL2 in MTL or attain a distinction or merit in HMTL at the PSLE, regardless of their overall score.

Mr Chan, speaking at the 2024 Mother Tongue Languages Symposium, emphasised the importance of supporting students with linguistic strengths.

“All of us have different strengths and talents. Some students may be strong in languages but not in other subjects,” he said.

“We will support more of these students to take Higher Mother Tongue, so they can learn their MTL to as high a level as possible.”

The initiative forms part of broader efforts to promote bilingualism, which Mr Chan described as a “cornerstone of Singapore’s education system” and a key aspect of Singapore’s national identity.

He noted that bilingualism not only helps to strengthen the country’s social fabric but also enhances cognitive abilities, such as empathy and the understanding of different perspectives.

In a related development, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced the launch of the MTL SOAR programme, which will begin in 2025 for Primary 1 and 2 students.

Under this programme, 30 minutes of the Mother Tongue curriculum will be allocated to reading and library activities, with the initiative to be extended to all primary levels by 2029.

The programme aims to support diverse learners by providing supplementary reading materials tailored to different proficiency levels.

Mr Chan highlighted the programme’s adaptability, explaining that “those who are stronger in mother tongue proficiency can read more books that are richer in content and be stretched in their learning, while those who need more support will have books that are more accessible for them.”

Additionally, as part of a pilot programme, MOE will extend the daily Mother Tongue curriculum at MOE Kindergartens from one hour to 1.5 hours, beginning with the 2025 Kindergarten 1 cohort at MK@Hougang and MK@Elias Park.

The pilot will be gradually expanded to more kindergartens.

The series of initiatives follows Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s National Day Rally speech in August, where he acknowledged concerns about declining standards in Mother Tongue proficiency and announced plans to enable more students to take Higher Mother Tongue in secondary schools.

Mr Chan underscored the cognitive and cultural benefits of bilingualism, stating, “The ability to speak two languages and understand two cultures enables us to maintain a strong link to our heritage and forge connections with people around the world.”

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