20 September 2001

SPEECH BY MR PETER CHEN, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND MINISTRY FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY AT THE VICTORIA SCHOOL FUND RAISING GALA DINNER AT SHANGRI-LA HOTEL BALLROOM ON THURSDAY 20TH SEPTEMBER 2001 AT 7.30 PM

1. It is a pleasure for me to be here this evening at Victoria School's very special fund raising event. This is the third major fund raising event this year for the redevelopment of Victoria School that the Victoria School Fund Raising Committee has organised. Two other events, the Victoria School Luck Draw and the Victoria School Golf Tournament, have been successfully completed recently.

2. Many old boys of Victoria School, particularly those in the Fund Raising Committee, have worked extremely hard to organise the three events to ensure their success. I would like to commend all of you for upholding the traditional value of loyalty and gratitude to your alma mater. This admirable quality is in the best tradition of all great schools and is best expressed in the Chinese exhortation

Yinshui xiyuan "When you drink of the water, remember its source." You dedicated and loyal Victorians will always walk the extra mile for Victoria School.

3. The quality that the Old Victorians have shown is not something that happens by chance. It is a spirit that has taken many years to grow. For it to thrive and be strong its roots must be deep and far reaching, across the different cohorts of the present as well as the past. As part of MOE's plan to co-locate affiliated schools and JCs to strengthen cross-cohort bonding between the students and to enhance mutual support between the schools, Victoria School is scheduled to relocate closer to Victoria Junior College.

4. With affiliated schools and JCs in close proximity, there would be ample opportunities for the pre-university students to interact with and to guide their younger peers. This would foster a greater sense of responsibility among the senior students and would also strengthen the cross-cohort bonding. The Victorian community, therefore, has much to gain from the relocation of Victoria School closer to Victoria Junior College.

5. The redevelopment of Victoria School comes under the Ministry of Education's initiative to upgrade or rebuild many of our schools, which were built during the last 20 to 30 years. This initiative called "PRIME" or Programme For Rebuilding and Improving Existing Schools, will see a total of about 290 schools upgraded or rebuilt over a period of 7 years, at an estimated cost of $4.46 billion. All new and upgraded schools will be provided with bigger classrooms and staff-rooms. New and upgraded facilities include computer laboratories, media resource libraries, IT learning resource rooms, pastoral care rooms and health and fitness rooms.

6. The Government's commitment to PRIME is to ensure that all our students have access to good school facilities that will offer a conducive environment for teaching and learning. With people as our key resource, our education system must continue to produce quality people who will be able to compete in the international arena and to contribute to society and the nation. In addition to committed teachers and sound education programmes, good school facilities are an important factor in the educational process.

7. Over and above the standard facilities that all schools are provided with, Victoria School has taken the extra step to build additional facilities for the students. The inclusion of many co-curricular activities rooms such as the Concert Band and Chinese Orchestra rooms, a heritage room, an auditorium, an ecogarden for outdoor study of the biological sciences, reflects Victoria School's ongoing commitment to the holistic development of your students so that their true potential will be realised.

8. I have no doubt that these additional facilities will help Victoria School to enhance its proud tradition of providing quality education for her students. Victoria School wants to maintain the competitive edge and has firmly fixed your sights on the opportunities and challenges of the future. With the added facilities, and with quality human resources and sound educational programmes, Victoria School will scale loftier heights.

9. For all of you who are here tonight, I am glad to note that you have helped to contribute to a good educational cause. Your generous donations will help Victoria School realise her dreams and plans to build a school of distinction. Furthermore, your support for Victoria School in the midst of these uncertain economic times speaks volumes of your commitment to education.

10. Our Prime Minister recently reiterated that the key to building a New Singapore is education. Indeed, the government is committed to providing quality education for all our children. It cannot do this alone. With the support of business and community leaders, our schools will be able to accomplish much more for education. We are indeed fortunate that the private sector shares with the government the belief that educating our young is a joint venture of partnership among the various key stakeholders in the community.

11. It leaves me now to once more commend the hardworking members of the Fund Raising Committee for organising this event. It is most heartening for me to witness this evening the Old Victorians' passionate commitment to Victoria School. Through your enthusiasm, you have managed to tap the support of the Victorian fraternity and well-wishers and to enable them to contribute to Victoria School's next phase of development.