SPEECH BY MR MOHAMAD MAIDIN PACKER MOHD,
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY (EDUCATION),
AT THE OPENING CEREMONY OF NATIONAL CAMP 2000
ON 10 AUGUST 2000 AT 10.30 AM AT SARIMBUN CAMP

Associate Professor Yeo Jinn Fei, Chairman NPCC Council and Chairman,
Steering Committee,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Boys and Girls,
Good morning.

        I am very pleased to be with you for the Opening Ceremony of National Camp 2000.

2     The first National Camp was held in 1989. The camp's objectives of nation-building through promoting racial harmony and interaction, developing camp camaraderie and encouraging self-improvement, are as relevant today as when they were first mooted by the late Dr. Tay Eng Soon, who was then Senior Minister of State for Education.

3     The theme for this year's Camp, the 7th in the series of National Camps and the 1st for the new millennium, is `Building Tomorrow Today'. This is most appropriate as the Camp seeks to provide our youth of today with the tools of adaptability, creativity and innovation so as to build the Singapore of tomorrow. To survive and thrive in a Singapore where technology and globalisation have brought about many changes to the way we live, work and play, we will have to learn how to become independent learners, effective communicators and team-players. Such lessons are best learned not out of a book, but through participation in co-curricular activities.

4     In January this year, the Ministry of Education announced that `extra-curricular activities' (ECA) would be now known as `co-curricular activities' (CCA), to drive home the message that co-curricular pursuits are an integral part of the total education of pupils. Through CCAs, pupils learn lessons that can't be taught in a classroom. They are challenged in their understanding of cooperation, responsibility and a keen respect for nature within a different setting. In such situations, our pupils will be provided with opportunities to hone their leadership skills, their social skills and appreciate the meaning of camaraderie. The National Camp is a fitting example of an activity during which pupils learn to discover their physical capabilities, their adaptability to the rugged outdoors and in the process, to strengthen present friendships and make new friends. These are all positive life-skills that are an inherent part of the fit, rugged and literate society that we want to cultivate, as stated in the Desired Outcomes of Education.

5     And so I would like to congratulate all the eight uniformed groups for making camps an integral part of their training. In a fast-paced urban existence such as Singapore's, camping not only adds variety to our lives, it also provides us an opportunity to participate in activities and interact with people in the great outdoors. To all the campers here today, I encourage to use this time together to discover your similarities and to appreciate your differences. Just think of yourselves as different ingredients that go into the making of a salad. As individuals, you have your own needs and interests, but when you come together in the salad bowl, you create a whole new different dish, and a healthy one at that.

6     So, on that note, I wish all of you an exciting and fun-filled stay. It is my great pleasure to declare the National Camp 2000 open.