Socratic Seminar Discussion Topic of Discussion: y Is Raffles deserving of the title Founder of Singapore ?

Ponder: What about the early settlers? Can they be considered as founders? Preparation: Define founder set your criteria clearly

- person who signs treaty that grants British permission to set up settlement - person who builds up the settlement - someone who starts a particular institution or organisation, by providing the necessary funds and support (?) Do a detailed study of who were the other people that can deserve this title? - Farquhar who build up a new British settlement from scratch, turning the initial quiet fishing village into a busy port. - Raffles who signed the treaty with Sultan Hussein - John Crawfurd who signed the treaty which allowed British to take charge of the whole island What did they do to help Singapore grow and develop as a port and as a city?

Using the 5W1H as guide, you must first ask more questions: y What is a founder? Dictionary definition: One who establishes something or formulates the basis for something / a person who establishes an institution, company, society, etc. Must a founder be someone who is known? How much of work must a founder do before we can honour him as founder? What else did Raffles do besides deciding on the settlement and signing the treaty? How important were these? What were the impact? - Raffles conceived a town plan to remodel Singapore into a modern city. The plan consisted of separate areas for different ethnic groups and provision of other facilities such as roads, schools and lands for government buildings. In October 1822, a Town Plan Committee was formed by Raffles to oversee the project. [Maintained orderliness in Singapore] - Raffles devised a set of policies and regulations that outlined the objectives of the harbour that helped establish Singapore as a free port. - Raffles instituted a local magistrate which ensured peace and order in the thriving settlement. Members of the magistrate were selected from the British inhabitants to act under the Resident

y y y

who was the representative of the British Government on the island. The provision of a local magistrate led to the abolishment and control of activities such as public gambling, slavery and cock-fighting, and even subjected pawnbrokers to licensing regulation. - Establish institution for higher learning. Located along a stretch of road (Bras Basah Road). Raffles laid the foundation stone in 1823 but the building was completed in 1837 and was instead used as an elementary school. The establishment of this institution would later form a college known as the Singapore Institution (Raffles Institution). The Singapore Library (National Library) was established within the Singapore Institution. Who else do we want to consider? What did they do? How do these compare to what Raffles did? - Farquhar had to solve many problems to ensure sufficient food (from Melaka), prevent violence and disorder (started police force), remove pests (offered money to kill each of these pests), get people to come trade in Singapore. He and his men did the actual building of the settlement such as clearing trees, bushes and tall grass to make space for attap huts. They also had to build gun positions and mount big guns facing the sea to defend the settlement. - John Crawfurd signed a treaty to allow British to take over the whole of Singapore instead of just one small part. How do I decide who fit the description of founder? - Raffles' vision + Farquhar's energy + Crawfurd's shrewdness = realised Raffles' dream - Without Raffles, Singapore would not be under the British in the first place - Without Farquhar, settlement may not have nursed through infant years - Without Crawfurd, Singapore would not be significant as it is only a small part - Therefore all played a part in making Singapore a successful port - So whose part was the MOST important? How do I decide who is more deserving of the title of founder? - Which of their contributions is more critical in leading to Singapore's prosperity as a trading port?

How do we decide who s the founder y y y y The one who chose Singapore? Raffles. The one who transformed Singapore from a fishing village to a trading settlement? Farguhar. The one who placed Singapore into the hands of the British and ensured her continued growth? The ones who helped Singapore to progress and prosper?

Is Raffles deserving of the title of Founder of Singapore ? y y Should Raffles take all the credit? Do you think that Farquhar should be raised to the status of founder? Can he replace Raffles? WHY? Farquhar should be co-founder. Are there any others whom we should consider as founders? WHY?