新加坡自1965年建國以來,逐步確立了雙語教育政策,這一政策的實質就是確立英語的優勢地位,對華人教育和華人語言進行壓縮和控制,政策上的強勢和不合理的政府行為所造成的族群傷痕是巨大的,成為新加坡華人心中永遠的痛。盛極一時的南洋大學于1980年被迫關閉,華文兩大報《星洲日報》《南洋商報》于1983年強制合并,歷史悠久的華校于1987年停辦轉型,凡此種種都展示著新加坡政府的實用主義執政理念。近六十多年來,新華文學中的華校題材作品一直沒有停止創作過,方方面面展示著新華作家的華校情結。從早期的南來師資的文化活動,到七十、八十年代前后的華校斷根之痛,再到斷根之后新加坡華人的現實處境與困惑,都有重要作家的作品與這些話題相對照。本文選擇英培安、陳瑞獻、郭寶崑、張曦娜、希尼爾、謝裕民、柯思仁、殷宋瑋、陳志銳和黃浩威等重要的新華作家的華校題材作品為分析對象,同時在新加坡建國以來的文學發展史的大背景中,力圖從官方歷史和民間歷史的縫隙中尋找新加坡華人國族意識的建構過程,從而重審當代新加坡華人文化的歷史構成和特點。

Since 1965,Singapore has gradually established a policy of bilingual education,the purpose of which is to establish the dominant position of English in Singapore’s education system.The Singaporean government has controlled the development of Chinese language education(Hua Wen) and caused a great trauma and permanent pain in the hearts of Singaporean Chinese.Nanyang University in 1980 was forced to close,the two big Chinese newspapers "Sin Chew Daily" and "Nanyang Siang Pau" were forced to merge in 1983,and Chinese schools were closed in 1987.All changes bespeak the Singapore government’s governing philosophy of pragmatism.In the past 60 years,various established writers have focused on an array of common themes related to the cultural activities organized by nanlai(coming from China) teachers,the trauma caused by the abrupt closure of Chinese schools in the 1970 s and 1980 s,and the ensuing predicaments confronting the Singaporean Chinese.In this paper,I focus on selected works of established Singaporean Chinese writers,such as Yeng Pway Ngon,Tan Swie Hian,Kuo Pao Kun,Teoh Hee La,Chia Hwee Pheng(Xi Ni Er),Chia Joo Ming,Quan Sy Ren,Tan Chee Lay and Ng How Wee as case studies.Situated in the background of Singaporean-Malaysian literary historiography,this paper seeks to reveal the construction of Singaporean Chinese national consciousness embedded in both official and folk historical narratives.Moreover,I intend to recalibrate our understanding of the historical formation and characteristics of contemporary Singaporean Chinese culture.