12 November 2000

SPEECH BY DR ALINE WONG, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR TAMPINES GRC (CHANGKAT) AT THE CHANGKAT CHANGI SECONDARY SCHOOL FUND-RAISING DINNER-CUM-CONCERT 2000, ON SUNDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2000, 8.00PM, AT THE SINGAPORE CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, HILL STREET

Good evening,
Mr Soh Tuan Heng, Chairman, School Advisory Committee
Members of the School Advisory Committee
Mdm Boey Wai Wah, Principal, Changkat Changi Secondary School
Parents, Alumni, Teachers and Pupils

It gives me great pleasure to be here with you at Changkat Changi Secondary School's fund-raising dinner-cum-concert.

2. Changkat Changi Secondary received its first cohort of students in 1966, 34 years ago. At that time industrialization was in its infancy in Singapore. In those days our education system had a greater technical and vocational bias to prepare our students for jobs in the rapidly expanding industrial sector of the economy.

3. Since then we have experienced many changes in various aspects of our lives. Changes in our lifestyle, changes in the way we work, changes in our modes of communication. To keep ahead, and not merely abreast, of these changes, our mental models have to change in tandem.

4. Our schools will have to provide a conducive environment for learning and innovation. They have to be hotbeds for the nurturing of ideas and creativity. To do this, physical infrastructure of our schools has to be reconfigured to meet these needs. Under Phase One of the PRIME Programme, Changkat Changi will move into its new campus in December 2001.

5. With the enhanced facilities, the school will be better able to design its learning programmes to match the needs and potentials of its students. These include not just their academic abilities, but also their talents in other areas such as sports and the arts. Today's concert is a good example of students showcasing their talents in the areas of Chinese Orchestra and Modern Dance. The Chinese Orchestra is a forte of Changkat Changi; it attained a Silver Award at the 1999 Singapore Youth Festival. Similarly, its Modern Dance, a new co-curricular activity of the school, has also done well.

6. Allow me to relate a short story from a book of short stories, More Sower's Seeds. One day a small boy was trying to lift a heavy stone, but he couldn't budge it. His father, passing by, stopped to watch his son's efforts. Finally he said to his son: "Are you using all your strength?" Exasperated, the boy cried, "Yes, I am." "No, you're not," said the father calmly. "You haven't asked me to help you."

7. As with all organisations, resources for our schools are limited, particularly if they want to embark on many enrichment programmes. For this reason, the schools should draw upon the resources of the wider community, just like the boy in the story. With 50% of its students coming from lower income groups, support from the community is greatly needed to help fund Changkat Changi's programmes. I am heartened that the community leaders, with the encouragement of its School Advisory Committee, have come together this evening to help raise funds for the school. The monies raised will fund programmes that will help further to develop Changkat Changi Secondary students' potential to the fullest and prepare them for post-secondary education and for the workforce in future.

8. On this note, I wish Changkat Changi Secondary School's Advisory Committee and fund-raising committee success in their efforts to support the school's educational endeavours.