Singapore (Commonwealth Union)_ In Singapore, an Indian-origin minister has underscored the significance of Tamil as a mother tongue, advocating for the introduction of children to this language, which is one of the four official languages in the flourishing city-state. Within the Singapore education system, mother tongues, including Tamil, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Malay, and Chinese (Mandarin), are encouraged as second languages in schools.
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Indranee Rajah, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, emphasized the necessity of exposing children consistently to Tamil language, describing it as a passport that connects all Tamil people. Rajah highlighted the importance of learning language as a living lesson, asserting that it must be actively utilized through various mediums such as television, social media, or print to keep it alive from a young age.
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To preserve the rich heritage of the Tamil language in Singapore, the Tamil Language Council (TLC) has organized the Tamil Language Festival (TLF) for the past 18 years, an event which Rajah inaugurated this year. The TLC, focusing on the theme of Capabilities, scheduled the festival from March 30 to April 28, presenting 47 programs aimed at inspiring innovative initiatives while leveraging collective strengths. Notably, over 65 percent of the programs were spearheaded by youths, enhancing Tamil language engagement among young individuals through artistic, cultural, and literary endeavors.
Additionally, former Singapore cabinet minister S Iswaran reiterated the government’s commitment to maintaining Tamil as an official language, expressing support for its use in parliament and as a school subject alongside English, Chinese, and Malay. In today’s increasingly globalized landscape, multilingualism holds paramount importance. Accordingly, introducing Tamil to children at a very young age not only cultivates cultural diversity but also furnishes them with a competitive advantage in their future endeavors.
As one of the world’s oldest languages spoken by millions globally, Tamil forms an integral part of Singapore’s multicultural fabric. The minister’s advocacy has led to discussions on language education within Singapore. Additionally, the forthcoming steps to implement this initiative and its reception by education authorities remain subjects of interest and scrutiny.
