Good evening

Mr Ong Ah Heng, MP for Nee Soon Central Constituency

LTC (Rtd) Chan Chik Weng, Chairman, School Advisory Committee

Mdm Moliah Bte Hashim, Principal of Northland Primary School

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Introduction

        It is my pleasure to be here this evening to join you in the celebration of your school's 15th anniversary.

Northland's History and Achievements

2.        From its humble beginnings, your school has expanded and thrived through the years, and has been steadfast in providing quality and holistic education for our young. When Northland was first established in 1988, the educational scene in Singapore then was set for a higher level of change. There was an imperative need to implement reforms to re-structure the education system so that our nation could remain competitive in the global economic landscape.

3.        Now, 15 years on, I am pleased that you have leveraged on these reforms and have reaped much benefit for your school, especially your students. Your Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results attest to this - your graduating cohort have consistently performed above the national average. You have also clinched the coveted Sustained Achievement Awards for Physical Fitness thrice. This reflects your school's ability to sustain good process for the betterment of our young.

4.        Indeed, despite starting out with neither tradition nor history, Northland has developed into a remarkable school. You have built on your strengths, and identified niche programmes to nurture and develop the latent talents and abilities of your pupils. Anchored to your mission, you have cultivated in your pupils the need for them to be responsible and morally upright citizens for the community, and for the nation. My commendation goes to the leaders, staff and stakeholders for 15 years of excellent effort in making Northland Primary a choice school within the community. You have given Northland a strong foundation that will certainly see it grow from strength to strength.

The Importance of Partnerships

5        However, this strong foundation did not merely come about from the sheer efforts of the teachers and leaders of Northland. The support of your stakeholders was equally crucial. I am told that your Parent Support Group Committee, which has a network of more than 100 parents, has been actively supporting the school's varied programmes. Their laudable efforts, like organizing your Teachers' Day Celebrations, helping with your school's reading programmes, or accompanying pupils as chaperons on their learning journeys, enforce a sense of bonding and mutual responsibility among the teachers, students and parents.

6        And I am pleased to note that this partnership has translated into Northland doing its part to help parents with their children's education needs. You organise workshops for parents to develop skills to help their children in their studies, maintain regular contact with parents through letters and meet-the-parents sessions, and involve them in decision-making through focus group discussions. These keep parents abreast of the school's on-going programmes and activities. When the home and school work together in harmony, they collectively provide the best learning for our pupils. Such a collaborative network will have profound impact on our young and their future.

7        Furthermore, the merits that your school reaps from such healthy support are wonderfully reciprocated when students do their part for the community. This link with the community gives our students the added opportunity to learn beyond their immediate school environment. Community activities also expose our students to the realities of the world as they further develop and apply the many social skills that they pick up from interacting with others.

8        A fine example of one of these merits is your involvement with the National Kidney Foundation. For raising more than $50,000 annually for the last three years, you have won the National Kidney Foundation's Platinum Award. Such an accolade speaks well of the culture of sharing and giving that you have built up in Northland. This sends a clear signal to your students that compassion, love and concern for fellow Singaporeans are as important as academic success. And when a common understanding is developed among the child, his parents, his school and the community about the part that each should play, we bring education to new heights, and, ultimately our students are the beneficiaries.

9        This evening, I also wish to congratulate the school for extending its arm of partnership with its stakeholders by officially launching its alumni. I trust the alumni will work closely with the school to explore new innovative ways to support Northland as you chart your future directions and develop your distinctive niche areas.

Conclusion

10        The next 15 years ahead for Northland is an exciting one because the demands of the future global economy are constantly changing. Hence, our education system must remain resilient, yet flexible in adapting to the changes. With a dedicated team at the helm, and strong support from your stakeholders, I am confident that Northland will rise to the challenge and achieve even more in its quest for excellence.

11        I wish you every success ahead.

12        Thank you.