5 September 2000

SPEECH BY RADM (NS) TEO CHEE HEAN
AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ROBOTICS LEARNING CENTRE & LAUNCH
OF THE NATIONAL JUNIOR ROBOTICS COMPETITION
ON TUESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2000 AT 10.15 AM
AT THE MAXWELL AUDITORIUM, SINGAPORE SCIENCE CENTRE

Dr Chew Tuan Chiong, Director, Singapore Science Centre,
Prof Seymour Papert, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Excellencies,
Principals, teachers, students,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

1 I am delighted to be with you this morning at the official opening of the Robotics Learning Centre and the launch of the National Junior Robotics Competition.

2 Our education system has traditionally delivered an education that is strong in the sciences. To maintain this competitive edge we need to build on these foundations and expand into new areas and develop traits in our students that will become increasingly important in the coming years.

3 In the emerging knowledge-based economy, creativity, innovation, inventiveness and resilience are essential attributes for all our pupils. Such traits are best developed through an eclectic selection and careful prioritisation of the various educational initiatives that have been introduced by the Ministry. Schools should shape their educational programmes based on the talents and abilities of their students while harnessing the opportunities present in the community.

4 It is against this backdrop that new programmes such as the Robotics Learning Centre and the National Junior Robotics Competition come into play. I understand that the Robotics Learning Centre is a concept developed by the LEGO Group working in collaboration with leading research scientists in the field of Educational Technology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I have had the pleasure of visiting the labs in MIT and found the work there quite fascinating.

5 The Centre provides pupils with the facilities to design, build and programme their own robots. Its principal objectives are to inspire and empower students to develop self-confidence, skills of creativity and problem-solving, creative expression of their imagination, as well as the active use of robotics and state-of-the-art technology.

6 I have been told that students participating in its learning sessions will be given an introduction to Robotics and the use of robots in manufacturing, research and developmental tasks. The learning process and hands-on practice are valuable lessons for our students. In the process of designing and building the robot, students will be required to consider a range of ideas that may not seem logical or relevant at first but may eventually hold the key to the resolution of their problems. Lateral thinking is the order of the day as pupils are challenged to propose and evaluate alternative solutions to problems.

7 For the National Junior Robotics Competition, I am pleased to know that there has been overwhelming response from our primary and secondary schools. The 255 teams from 105 schools far surpass the previous year's entries of 170 teams from 80 schools. I have been told that among the similar competitions organised by science centres and educational institutions elsewhere in the world, using the LEGO Robotics Kit, this competition boasts the highest number of participating teams. This is a clear indication of an increased interest in robotics technology and research - one of the new locomotives driving the knowledge-based economy.

8 I understand that one of the winning teams of the competition will go on to represent Singapore in the regional Robot Olympiad in South Korea in November this year. Such exposure to international competitions should be encouraged as it enhances the cross-fertilisation of ideas and fosters inter-cultural relationships.

9 The active learning, innovation and technopreneurial spirit promoted by the Robotics Learning Centre and the National Junior Robotics Competition are important qualities that we want to promote in all our students.

10 John Dewey, in The Quest for Certainty, has said, "Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination". The reality of our world is that our next generation of citizens will have to rely on their imagination and entrepreneurial spirit to see them through. The challenge for schools is to provide the environment and the learning opportunities so that our pupils will take the leap beyond the text into the real world.

11 I would like to commend the Singapore Science Centre and its partners, the NSTB, the Singapore Totalisator Board, and LEGO, for their initiative and efforts in establishing the Robotics Learning Centre and organising the Robotics Competition. Your participation in education is important in helping to pave the way for Singapore to become a world player in the field of robotics technology by creating a critical mass of technopreneurial talent in this area.

12 Let me conclude by encouraging schools and students to take advantage of the establishment of the Robotics Learning Centre to innovate in the field of robotics technology.