I was reading one of the magazines that the North East CDC produced (entitled "Spring") and there's this page which asked some primary school children some questions about Singapore. The questions asked included, "Why is Singapore called Singapore?" and "Who is Sang Nila Utama?". But as we know it, it's not the questions that matter - it's the responses that these kids give that can really be quite amusing sometimes. (refer to this article if you need examples) So here's the question which I evoked the most amusing answers:

"Why is the National Flag red and white, with five stars and one crescent?"

• "Because they represent something." -Lucas Foo, 8 (he obviously knows the answer to this one)
• "I think it is because of the lion, because they stand for some symbols about Singapore" - Devansh Sanjay, 7
• 'Because red is for good luck. There are five stars for five working days. And because the crescent looks like a banana." -Ryan Phua, 7 (best answer I say. but what happened in the past before a five-day work week? did we have 6 stars then? lol. and the banana. seriously. i wonder if I can even look at the crescent moon in the same way again....)
• 'The five stars represent the five races." - Chelsea Ho, 9 (five races? chinese, malay, indian, others, some others?)

So what does the Singapore flag stand for?
Red symbolises universal brotherhood and the equality of man, while white signifies purity and virtue. The crescent moon represents the rise of a young nation and the five stars stand for the nation's ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality.

Though I'll be damned if any of the primary school kids tell me the "correct" answer.....

Labels: Muses, Teaching