In 2003, a local English-language newspaper, The Straits Times, carried a series of articles highlighting the phenomenon of insufficient interaction across racial boundaries in Singapore schools Here are some ways in which a teacher can deal with this issue in the classroom teaching or through co-curricular activities.
The study of 4,400 neighbourhood school children that revealed most prefer to stick to friends of the same race is not very surprising. Since time immemorial, people have shown an instinctive desire to mix with those of the same background and it tends to be the case that "same" usually but not always translates into demarcations along racial lines. Furthermore, Singapore is a multi-lingual society, and people tend to lapse into their mother tongues as a natural way of communication, thus leading to these race-based cliques. As a teacher, I do not think this is actually unhealthy unless it translates into incidents of ill-feeling and an atmosphere of hatred and mistrust. So unless the issue is pressing, my decision would be to take a sensitive, indirect and subtle approach.
The first thing I would try to do would be to toggle groups and pair work such that there would be a good racial mix in every group. During discussions I would make sure I walk around and listen in on the kind of communication that is going around. Should there be any difficulties in communication spotted, I would assess the situation and take appropriate measures. For example, if the miscommunication is not of a serious nature, I could simply join in the discussion and try to manipulate matters subtlely. However, if a major quarrel should arise, I would speak to the parties involved after class and ensure that all issues of contention are resolved.
The next thing I would do is to foster informal chat sessions on racial issues. Perhaps, if time permits, I would have a "Culture Focus" session every week to deal with pertinent topics. I would cull reports from the news about race-based issues like riots, fights, genocide and terrorism and put them up for discussion in the class. Events happening in other parts of the world can be used as a springboard from which local issues can be brought out. In addition there are also historical events that can be discussed the Holocaust, for example. I would stay alert during these sessions and suss out any underlying tension. Should there be any unconstructive sentiments like "I simply hate Chinese/Malays/etc" I would try to reason things out and encourage reflection on the issue. The next week I would be sure to follow up with the topic.
On a more positive side, "Culture Focus" can also deal with issues of interest about other ways of life, not just the usual but also the less-encountered, like the lives of the sherpas in Nepal or the beliefs of the Bhutanese. Religions and languages of the world can also be brought up for study. Documentaries, movies and so on can help to bring the world into the classroom. The main point I would try to put across is that there are truly many kinds of worldviews and people in the world; the environment shapes the thoughts of those who live in it, hence the different ideas that proliferate; and most importantly, hatred and mistrust usually arise from a lack of understanding and communication. I think it would be good for the students to know that the ability to communicate and the desire to understand are skills that would be useful to them in any kind of situation, for example dealing with disabled, or with people from different socio-economic status, not just race.
However, all these are only possible if the school I am in is a school with a mix of races and religions. I disagree with the present policy of the SAP schools, which create racial enclaves. I myself was from one and only had the opportunity to make friends from other races after I left the school, which is regrettable because I believe the most lasting friendships usually develop in secondary school.