Social studies will form half of combined humanities, with elective subjects such as history, geography or literature making up the rest.

"This will be one way of continuing to teach the Singapore story to students, including how the republic overcame the odds from starting out as a colony to becoming a nation," the Straits Times said.

In social studies, students will learn about Singapore's road from British colony to nationhood, principles of governance, regional and international developments, and issues that affect the country's survival and growth in a competitive world.

They will also delve into issues such as the Catholic-Protestant divide in Northern Ireland and the Tamil Tigers quest for a homeland in Sri Lanka.

Students interviewed by the newspaper were positive about the change though concerned about the extra work.

"The information we learn from social studies, such as colonialism, is very useful," said 15-year-old Yogeswari Elangovan.

Daniel Chui said he found it interesting to learn that people abroad had different ideologies and that the differences made an impact.

But Gwendolyn Neo found social studies a pain.

"There are no direct answers from the textbook so I am forced to start reading the newspaper," she said.

The education ministry introduced the subject "to get students to feel more committed to Singapore, and to give them a broader education in the humanities," the daily said.