Meeting the Challenges of a new Global Environment

2.        We do not know precisely what shape this environment will take by the time the young people here graduate and begin their careers. But it will very likely be an even more globalised world, with events in one part of the world being transmitted and felt everywhere else. The communications revolution continues apace, pushing aside barriers and blurring boundaries. However, the globalisation of understanding has not proceeded as fast as the globalisation of communications. We have seen faster access to different views, values and beliefs through the media and the Internet, but we have not seen a greater understanding between peoples and societies with different views and beliefs. Some observers even believe that the globalisation of communications has led to less understanding and more suspicion between societies. So we face an uncertain global future.

3.        It is also a vastly more competitive world, with emergence of China and regions of India as major new players. As a city-state, we will be increasingly up against cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in China, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai in India. These will add to the competition we face from Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney, and the hub cities of Europe and North America.

4.        Around us, the region is no longer what it used to be. It is no longer the stable, predictable region that investors across the world recognised as being a superior location, providing good returns and at relatively low risk. Now some countries in the region are not on the global investors' radar screen; others are still there but the perception of risk and uncertainty has increased. And most importantly, the confidence of the domestic populations in the regional countries is not what it used to be.

5.        Singapore itself is at a transition point in its history. Economically, we are transiting from what was really an industrial model of economy to an innovation-driven economy. As a society we are also changing rapidly. We are already very different now from what we were even ten years ago. Amongst your cohort of students, well over 90% will complete secondary school - that's more than double the proportion than was the case in your parents' generation. The vast majority will go on to some form of tertiary education: universities, polytechnics and ITE. It's a transformation that very few societies have seen in the space of forty years - a transformation not just in educational qualifications, but in expectations and aspirations. Your aspirations are very different from that of your parents' generation, and will shape Singapore's future.

6.        We should not be daunted by the challenges of an uncertain and more competitive world. We can overcome these challenges, and thrive. For Singapore, nothing has ever been given. Everything we have achieved has been man-made; an act of human will and endeavour. That will remain the case. We can either build on what we have achieved or we can dissipate it. Which way we go will depend on our quality as a people, the quality of trust we have in each other, and the quality of government.

7.        Our most important priority, as a nation and for young Singaporeans like yourselves, is to gear up to compete successfully in the innovation-driven economy. It requires many changes, in economy and society. One of the key changes that is underway is in the way young Singaporeans are educated, so as to better develop their creativity and ability to innovate, and a spirit of enterprise.

8.        There is no single solution to developing innovation and enterprise. Through the school curriculum, we are seeking to develop students who can think, explore and experiment independently and creatively. What is most important is not what is in the curriculum, but how it is learnt. We want students to question, to understand how theories are arrived at, to probe their assumptions, and to test them against reality. We have also cut down curriculum content, to free up space for more open-ended learning and creative pursuit.

9.        Creativity is not simply a matter of "letting go". It is quite misconceived to think that creativity only emerges from a lack of inhibitions. Freedom to explore and experiment is essential to creativity. But equally essential are knowledge, understanding and skills. Sustained creative achievement, whether in physics, or mathematics, or music or dance, requires knowledge and expertise in the skills, and media that they involve. There is therefore a certain discipline and controlled acquisition of skills and knowledge, not just freedom, involved in the dynamics of most creative endeavours. Too much of one without the other usually has limited creative impact.

10.      The non-academic curriculum plays a critical role in nurturing the skills and habits required for success in the business world - being a good team player, being willing to take a risk, and showing determination and resolve in the face of setbacks. Through participation in co-curricular activities (CCAs) such as sports, students learn to interact and collaborate with each other to achieve common goals, and to lead with confidence in adversity. They learn to respond on their feet without relying on instructions or directions. And tough training for competitions nurtures endurance and ruggedness in our students.

11.      Finally, we need a spirit of enterprise and innovation among schools and teachers themselves. Teachers who keep up with the times, and who try new approaches in teaching and school management can infect their students with a certain openmindedness and an enthusiasm for experimentation. A teacher or lecturer who is textbook bound, wants only one answer, who errs on the side of caution, will pass these attitudes on to his students.

Conclusion

12.      The young Victorians here have an exciting future. I am sure you will do well. Whatever you do, remember your roots, who you are, what it means to be a Singaporean, and what keeps us together. You must want to engage with fellow Singaporeans, and to help those who are doing less well. If we become just so many individuals pursuing our own dreams, the Singapore dream will expire.

13.      Finally, I would like to commend the old Victorians who have put in time, effort and resources to help take the school from strength to strength. I would also like to congratulate all the prize-winners and their parents. I wish Victoria School all success for its future.

¹ VictoriaSchool used to have co-ed pre-university classes, though it is now an all-boys school.