Humanities
The study of Humanities looks at and seeks out the very meaning of our human existence and experiences. The Swiss Humanities Department aims to develop in our students to understand and appreciate the complexities in human experiences and his environment. We wish to witness in our students the ability and desire to voice and act decisively to enrich our common experiences and protect the one earth that we all thrive on.
Through the study of the Humanities subjects offered in Swiss Cottage Secondary School, our students will learn to:
- Be concerned and critical citizens;
- Understand our past, appreciate the present and anticipate the future;
- Be active contributor and
- Self-Directedness.
Swiss Cottage offers the following Humanities subjects:
| Express | Normal Academic | Normal Technical |
| · Social Studies | · Social Studies | · Social Studies (NT) |
| · Geography | · Geography | |
| · History | · History | |
| · Literature | · Combined Humanities | |
| · Combined Humanities |
Our Team
| Mdm Serene Tang Hue Sim | HOD Humanities |
| Mr Desmond Zhong Sheng Han | SH Geography & Values In Action |
| Mdm Nuraida Sawi | Senior Teacher Social Studies |
| Mr Sunil K Nair | Acting SH CCA / Geography Teacher |
| Mrs Fong-Sim Hui Beng, Christina | Geography Teacher |
| Mr Clement Tan Wei Xin | Geography / Social Studies Teacher |
| Miss Tan Rou Jing | Geography / Social Studies Teacher |
| Mr Tan Zi Jie | Geography Teacher |
| Mr Irfan Hussein Muhammad | Geography Teacher |
| Mr Alex Chew Kok Chung | Geography Teacher |
| Mdm Kasthuri Elamaran | History Teacher |
| Miss Sarah Lee Shi Qi | History Teacher |
| Mr Tirmidzi Khalid Muhammad | History Teacher |
| Miss Faza Mahirah MD Suhimi | History / Social Studies Teacher |
| Miss Rose Nabilah Rosli | History / Social Studies Teacher |
| Miss Wee Ni Swen | History Teacher |
The Study of History
How important and relevant is the study of this subject in this modern age? With increasing desire of our country people to seek out the meaning of our existence after SG50, this subject offers our students the environment to study how historical forces, events and personalities have shaped and formed the world we live in today. This in turn develop in them a sense of empathy, awareness and sensitivity to the diverse historical experiences that we may have. In the process, the students will also develop the ability to think, reason and write critically.
Swiss Cottage students learn History through a highly experiential curriculum. Our customised inquiry process brings them through a journey into the spice trade and how uniquely spices have bine our people in the country together. This culminates in an understanding of the uniqueness of an aspect of our Singapore food culture. This knowledge helps to be the springboard for deeper conceptual learning of racial identity as well as citizenry at the higher levels.
The Study of Geography
Our lives and experiences can be shaped by forces of nature and human actions. As a subject, students can see that the study of Geography helps them to relate to their own experiences and existence in a relevant and practical way. Students are brought through a variety of topics such as global warming, the impact of the haze as well as health and diseases. These topics help them to see how their lives can be impacted through these new global developments and how they can contribute towards bettering the world they live in.
In Swiss Cottage, we believe in customising our curriculum for a unique learning experience for our students. We have designed unique Geography Inquiry packages from the study of architectural preservation in Tiong Bahru precinct to coastal study in Sedili, Johor. Being highly experiential, the study of this subject allows our students to acquire important life-skills such as map-reading, research as well as fieldwork skills.
The Study of Combined Humanities (Social Studies)
Combined Humanities is a compulsory subject offered in the GCE ‘O’ level Examination and it is offered at the upper secondary level only.
The subject comprises of two subjects:
- Social Studies – a compulsory subject for all upper secondary students as well as an examinable subject for both the express and normal (academic) streams students sitting for the GCE national examinations.
- Elective Humanities in which the students can offer any of the following subjects:
| Express | Normal Academic |
| (a) Geography Elective | (a) Geography Elective |
| (b) History Elective | (b) History Elective |
| (c) Literature in English Elective | |
| (d) Literature in Malay Elective |
The study of Social Studies is an integral subject that develops critical and valuable citizenship values. Students will learn recent and contemporary local as well as global developments through 3 broad issues of i) Exploring Citizenship and Governance, ii) Living in a Diverse Society and iii) Being Part of a Globalised World. Through the exploration of these issues, the students will recognise the interconnectedness of Singapore and the world.
The subject will also allow the students to critically examine societal issues through an inquiry investigation. Through this process, the students will gain invaluable knowledge of research skills as well as develop constructive responses to societal issues; one of which is the integration of new citizens into our society. With these developments, our students can learn to contribute responsibly as informed, concerned and participative glocal citizens.