12 October 2002

SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY & EDUCATION AT THE AI TONG SCHOOL'S 90TH ANNIVERSARY GALA DINNER AT SHANGRI-LA HOTEL BALLROOM ON SATURDAY 12 OCTOBER 2002 AT 7.30 PM

1. It is my pleasure to join all of you this evening to celebrate Ai Tong School's 90th Anniversary. I am told that tonight's dinner is the culmination of various events held throughout this year to commemorate the school's 90 years of dedication to education in Singapore. It is good to see so many staunch alumni and friends of the school here this evening. Ai Tong has expanded and thrived through the years, just as Singapore has grown and flourished. From 32 pupils at Boon Tat Street in 1912, today it has more than 2,400 pupils at its up-to-date campus at Bright Hill Drive.

2. The school's success is due in large part to the longstanding support of the Singapore Hokien Huay Kuan, which has donated generously towards developing the school's infrastructure and staff potential. It has also reflected the strength of the Alumni Association. I understand that many of the Alumni Association members are parents of pupils studying in Ai Tong, and that there have been instances where three generations of the same family having been with the school. Not many schools can claim such strong alumni bonds and rapport with the school.

3. When we think of Ai Tong School today, we think of a school with high academic standards, as well as one that has not wavered in its goal of developing pupils into well-rounded individuals, with a keen understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture and values. Ai Tong's strong emphasis on the learning of Chinese culture, language and values is of great relevance today, for reasons that are both economic and social.

4. An understanding of Chinese language and culture, like that of our other mother tongues, is of growing economic value. China's rapid economic emergence makes this obvious. Fluent speakers of Mandarin will find that using the language opens business doors and eases interaction in China in a way that using English does not, even as the Chinese build up their proficiency in English.

5. Further, a student who is dedicated to the learning of language also grows to imbibe the deeper tradition of learning underlying the language. The East Asian tradition of learning is still germane to our mission of encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.

6. Not all that we inherit in our traditions is relevant to the future. Some aspects of what we inherit are too rigid, too structured and too focused on academic excellence in its own right. But, there is much else in our traditions that is supportive of innovativeness and of developing the imagination, characteristics that will be critical in our next phase of development as a society.

7. Many scholars observe that Chinese tradition does not support mindless adherence to rules and familiar practices, or to preserving sacred cows. Instead, it is believed to encourage constant observation, listening, learning and thinking. This discipline is basic to almost all creative endeavour, and to sustaining economic innovation.

8. But the economic imperative is not the only reason we want to encourage our young to study their mother tongues, and to mine the accumulated knowledge and wisdom contained in our cultural heritage. Our cultures are an anchor for ourselves, in a world where change happens faster than we can make sense of it. Our young are increasingly confronted with an astounding array of information and cultural influences from across the globe. To make sense of this morass requires not mere linguistic skills, but more importantly a sense of belonging and purpose in one's identity, as individual, as community and as country. This identity must ultimately be social, not economic.

9. The Ministry of Education is constantly working to improve the teaching of Chinese Language. We have revised the CL syllabuses since the review conducted in 1999. We are currently preparing new instructional materials, which include textbooks, workbooks, and IT support materials. The Chinese Language instructional material will not only focus on the learning of communication skills, but also emphasise the transmission of cultural values. To help schools to further enrich students' knowledge and foster their interest in Chinese literature and history, MOE has also introduced the "Appreciation of Chinese Culture" as an enrichment programme for Sec 1 and Sec 2 pupils in the SAP schools.

10. Strength in our own culture gives us a deeper basis for reaching out to other cultures. These 'other cultures' include not only far-flung customs and traditions of distant lands, but also the diverse and familiar cultures that we find here in Singapore. The instinct of accepting and forming friendships with other human beings, regardless of race, culture or background, comes naturally when young. They have to be nurtured, and sustained as children grow older. I understand, for example, that this year, as part of Ai Tong School's effort to promote racial integration, pupil leaders of different races from cluster schools were invited to participate in its leadership training camp.

11. In the current climate, it is important more than ever before that we promote and encourage this sort of interracial mingling among our young people. That way we breed familiarity, and the sense of ease and comfort with each other that we have built up over the decades.

12. We want all our young, in passing through our education system to have an awareness and respect for the different practices, beliefs and history of our varied cultures. When children play together and socialise freely with one another, they become accustomed to the ways and practices of different cultures, and develop a natural desire to preserve harmony.

13. It is not good enough to have knowledge of each other's cultures. There must be interaction, and friendships. These friendships are the threads that will keep Singapore's beautifully diverse social fabric tightly woven. We will inevitably be affected by developments around us and by influences from abroad. But we can hold together. We can keep our defiantly multi-racial nation going.

14. Ai Tong has a long and meaningful tradition to draw from. I hope that both the Hokien Huay Kuan and Alumni Association, will pool your energies and resources to open up even more opportunities and innovative programmes for your pupils. We must never lose the sense of community purpose that has brought Ai Tong to where it is today. Ai Tong School was founded by Tan Kah Kee, who was driven by a strong social and moral obligation to give back to society by endowing education. This spirit of commitment and social entrepreneurship is something we should ensure continued renewal of. It is not unusual in a difficult economic climate to postpone philanthropy because other needs seem more pressing, more immediate. But securing our success as a society requires us to invest in our future, and to renew the bonds that keep the community strong.

15. Tan Kah Kee's own instincts on this are worth recalling. During the Great Depression, when the price of rubber was free falling and affecting very badly Tan Kah Kee's business, he was advised by some people to stop financing schools and universities, so that he could focus resources on his business. Tan Kah Kee's response, which he recounts in his memoirs, was to maintain staunch support for the schools. He told himself that a business risk was a risk to himself and not to society. However, if he withdrew his support for the schools, they would be forced to close and their students would lose a valuable opportunity for development. This would have a profound and negative impact on society. Tan Kah Kee chose to serve society and keep up his support for the schools.

16. This pioneering social spirit has continued till today, and needs renewal. We need only glance around this ballroom to see that Singapore is all the better for this spirit of serving society and wanting to leave behind something much larger than ourselves.

17. I encourage you - as community leaders and activists, alumni, parents and even future alumni - to think about how you can continue the tradition of contributing to education, in one way or another. Now, as it was 90 years ago, education is the key to unlocking individual potential, and the potential of what each person can contribute towards the common good.

18. With your support, I am confident that Ai Tong School will continue to give of its best to education in Singapore.

19. Congratulations again on your 90th anniversary. I wish all of you an enjoyable evening.