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Total Defence Day in HIHS 2020

Total Defence Day 2020 in HIHS

By Zenna Ng on 20 February 2020

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When people say “Total Defence Day”, our minds would usually think of nothing much,
other than parades and speeches. However, do we think of the cause for such a day?

Total Defence Day is normally celebrated on 15 February. This day marked Singapore’s
fall to the Japanese in 1942. The commemoration of Total Defence Day seeks to remind
people of the sufferings endured by our forefathers during the Japanese Occupation. As
of now, there are 6 pillars of defence. Military defence, Civil defence, Economic defence, Social defence, Psychological defence and the newly added Digital defence.

Last year, our Total Defence Day started in HIHS with a brilliant display of our school’s National Cadet Corps (NCC), St. John’s Brigade and scouts, all marching along to the extravagant melody from our school band. Secondary students of all ages were gathered for this memorable performance before the flag-raising ceremony. “I feel strongly bonded with my fellow schoolmates in NCC, and joining NCC had helped me cultivate a sense of pride and belonging to Singapore.”, quips Kenneth Yong, a Secondary 2 student from NCC.

Unfortunately, an unprecedented outbreak of COVID-19 had occurred and all school
gatherings had been canceled before this momentous parade could even take place.

Despite there being no proper celebrations or ceremonies this year, HIHS has managed
to put up special activities for students this year.

First off were the booths set up by students from the aforementioned CCAs outside the
General Office. The booths were nicely set up with clear instructions on how to go
through the various activities which had been set up.

One booth in particular, was not set up for activities, rather, it was an art exhibit,
adorned with many artworks from students of the Art Club. The booth featured artworks
handcrafted by students meticulously. These colorful pieces were all centered around
the theme of Total Defence, befitting the occasion. An Art Club student, Trinity Luk of 2
Respect had this to say, “Although we did not get to witness the marching parade this
year, it was still a fun experience setting up the booths for this year’s mini art exhibit for
Total Defence Day.”

Secondly, were the special CCE lessons planned for students, conducted by the
classes’ respective form teachers. The form teachers first went through how Total
Defence Day was founded and integrated into Singapore, which after, we had to use
our knowledge of Total Defence to make pieces of art ourselves. The students’ aim was
to create a piece that expressed our Pillars of Defence and in some ways help to prevent
COVID-19 from spreading easily. Markers and material were given, and the students set off in groups excitedly.

After all this, some students may still wonder why Total Defence Day is a necessary
topic in our curriculum. Michelle Chua, a parent of a Secondary 2 student had
something to say about this. “Cultivating students’ sense of belonging to Singapore at a
young age is important. After all, they are the ones who will ultimately uphold
Singapore’s future.”