Putting the A back in STEAM

We applaud the recent move by the National Institute of Education (NIE) to revamp the literature syllabus in schools. Their plan is to incorporate more Asian literature and adapt the teacher-centred methodology to one that is more interactive. This shift in focus is opportune at a time when technical skills are being increasingly valued and science and maths are given undue emphasis. 

Why bother having students read stories, spend their time with books about traditions and events that are unfamiliar? Why not just teach them facts that they need to know and send them on their way? Education is and should be about more than passing on dry information; it’s also about fostering critical thinking skills and an understanding of the world around us.

Cultures are built on stories—histories, myths and legends, fables, poetry and so on. If students are to understand and participate in the culture to which they belong, they must first learn about the stories that culture has been built around.  Literature also exposes students to ideas from other cultures, making them more aware of the histories and peoples of other times and places.

Education is supposed to give students the tools they need to become a valuable part of society, and one such tool is the ability to think critically. We want them to not just passively consume given data, but to analyse and be critical as well. Literature engages students and encourages meaningful debate and dialogue amongst themselves in the classroom and outside. Literature takes students out of their own lives and lets them experience issues that are new and challenging and inspires them to imagine possibilities - to think about ways the world could be different. 

Few STEM textbooks could be said to do the same thing.