Education for the tamil community in Singapore during the interwar period

This thesis discusses on the education initiatives that were introduced for the Tamil community in Singapore during the interwar period and the meanings of education that was conceived among this group. During the interwar period, there were organisations such as the Indian Association and the Tamil Reform Association that started education initiatives for the Tamil community with inspiration from the political events that were happening in India. Factors such as the Hindu caste system, class hierarchies and politics will be analysed to show how they shaped the above two Indian organisations and the Municipal colonial authorities in setting up night schools for the Tamil children and labourers. In doing so, it emphasises how through their education initiatives the Indian Association maintained class hierarchies while the Tamil Reform Association empowered the Tamil community including the untouchables. The Municipal colonial authorities on the other hand started night schools to discipline the Tamil untouchable labourers. However, the education programmes of the Municipal colonial authorities and Indian Association reinforced the untouchable status of the Tamil labourers. This analysis then highlighted that what education meant for Tamil community was influenced by various perceptions and was contingent on the organisation responsible for starting the schools.Bachelor of Art