12 November 2003

SPEECH BY MR CHAN SOO SEN, MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SPORTS, AT THE AWARDS PRESENTATION CEREMONY OF THE CLEAN & GREEN WEEK 2003 SCHOOLS CARNIVAL ON WEDNESDAY, 12 NOV 2003, 11.30 AM AT FORT CANNING CENTRE GALLERY, FORT CANNING PARK, COX TERRACE

I am very pleased to join you this morning at the Clean & Green Week 2003 Schools Carnival Awards Presentation Ceremony.

2. The Clean & Green Week 2003 Schools Carnival is a milestone event showcasing the fruits of our students from the various Singapore's OK schools competitions that were run from July this year. The competitions raised our students' awareness of the 'Singapore's OK' campaign. By focusing on the Singapore's OK programme, these competitions stressed the importance of key environmental public health messages, such as the need for personal hygiene, the importance of not littering and of keeping our schools and public areas clean.

3. The theme of Clean & Green Week this year, 'Environmental Ownership' We CareJ, We’re OKJ, reiterates the importance of everyone exercising personal and social responsibility to practise good personal hygiene and keep the environment clean. Everyone has a role to play to prevent the spread of communicable diseases.

4. One of our main challenges has been to have everyone take personal ownership of the environment. It is natural therefore to start with our students, who, on their part, also have the social responsibility to be aware of environmental hygiene and to care for the environment. It is evident from the enthusiastic response of our students in the various competitions that they are conscious of their role in caring for the environment and in taking ownership of the environment.

5. The skits, games and exhibitions that we see today are not only educational but are also symbolic of our young people's appreciation of Singapore's environment - a delicate entity that has to be cared for to continue giving us the quality of life that we are used to. It is indeed very encouraging to note that the three-day Schools Carnival and the various school activities that are held in conjunction with the Clean & Green Week have reached out to more than 65,000 students.

6. I would like to commend the organisations represented here today for working closely with our schools to promote environmental ownership among our young people. I hope other organisations will emulate their example as caring for the environment must be an effort of the whole community this event.

7. I would also like to commend our schools and students for participating in the Clean & Green Week activities and competitions.