29 April 2000

SPEECH BY RADM TEO CHEE HEAN, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND SECOND MINISTER FOR DEFENCE, AT THE 41st ANNIVERSARY NATIONAL POLICE CADET CORPS (NPCC) DAY PARADE ON SATURDAY 29 APRIL 2000, 5.30 PM AT THE POLICE ACADEMY

Commissioner of Police, Mr Khoo Boon Hui Chairman,
NPCC Council, Associate Professor Yeo Jinn Fei
Officers and Cadets
Ladies and Gentlemen

1.	It is my pleasure to celebrate with you this afternoon the National Police Cadet Corps' 41st Anniversary Parade.
2.	Since its inception in 1959, the NPCC has grown from the pioneer batch of 30 cadets to its present strength of 19,500. Today, there are NPCC units in 152 secondary schools, including 12 new NPCC Units, which were formed in January this year, making the Corps the largest uniformed youth group in Singapore schools.
3.	The NPCC Vision is "TO MOULD THE BUILDERS OF A SAFE AND SECURE HOME". Though the vision was crafted only two years ago, it is in many ways what the NPCC has been doing for the past forty years. The NPCC training programme offers activities such as Learning Journeys, camping, adventure training and community involvement projects, all of which provide lessons in life and training in desirable values such as discipline, loyalty, integrity, and civic consciousness. A safe and secure home are founded on these shared values that a people can identify with. In addition, working together with the Singapore Police Force and community bodies, the NPCC has been moulding and preparing its cadets to play a role in preserving Singapore's safety and security, thus making Singapore our best home.
4.	There is a saying in Chinese that illustrates well that the straight and honest life is the harder to lead, that it is the desirable values that are harder to uphold, and the good habits that are harder to learn. The saying goes: while it takes three years to learn good, it takes but three days to learn the bad, or to unlearn all the good.¹ Indeed it is a constant challenge to teach our young what is morally right, what is for the common good, what is unselfish and acceptable. On the home front, the responsibility of parents in the inculcation of values is irrefutable. Schools will do their part and keep at this uphill task to impart values and good habits in our children. And schools need the cooperation of community groups and uniformed youth groups to help them in this task. Yours is a noble vision and mission, and I hope the NPCC will continue its good work to teach its cadet members to uphold and live by its core values of discipline, loyalty, integrity, and respect.
5.	As we enter a new millennium, the NPCC has to find ways to remain relevant to our students and the nation. Whether old or new economy, the basic tenet and guiding principle that we want the best home, safe and secure, for Singapore, does not change. The NPCC's task is to update itself so that it continues to draw our youths to devote time and energy to its activities, in return for a firm foundation in moral robustness and the pursuit of healthy interests. For a start, the NPCC has done well to build on its past foundation, setting up the NPCC Alumni Association this year, so that former cadets and officers can continue their service to the NPCC family. Later this year, the NPCC History Book will be launched, and it aims to inculcate in cadets a greater awareness of and pride in the NPCC history and mission. These are wise moves to consolidate the strengths of the organisation and draw on ready resources to help the NPCC scale greater heights in the 21st Century.
6.	Over the last four decades, more than half a million cadets² have undergone training and participated in activities with the NPCC. Many of them have gone on to contribute significantly both in the public and private sectors, and many will vouch that their years with the NPCC have stood them in good stead. I wish the NPCC continued success with moulding more of our young into gentlemen and women. Best wishes to officers and cadets of NPCC as you celebrate the 41st Anniversary of the Corps.

(1).
(2).	NPCC estimates that it has trained 540,995 cadets from 1959 to 1999.