21 November 2003

SPEECH BY MR HAWAZI DAIPI,PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AT THE 49th NCC OFFICER CADET COURSE PASSING OUT PARADE ON 21 NOVEMBER 2003 AT THE NCC CAMPUS

1. It gives me great pleasure to join you at this evening's Passing Out Parade for the 49th NCC Officer Cadet Course.

2. In previous courses, the Passing Out Ceremony has always been an important event - some would say, the most important. It marks the culmination of the two-week course, during which all of you have been groomed into teacher officers of the NCC. It is also a celebration of your new rank as Second Lieutenants.

3. This year, instead of an indoor ceremony, you are graduating with the full grandeur and pomp of a military parade. Also, instead of the usual No. 3 uniform, you are all wearing the ceremonial No. 1 uniform. I am told that in the military, the No. 1 uniform is traditionally used only for special and important occasions. I am sure this will be a memorable occasion for all of you.

4. In the coming year, you will begin your roles as Commanding Officers or Training Officers in the NCC Unit of your school. You will be directly accountable for the safety, welfare and morale of the cadets under your charge.

5. You will be called upon regularly to inspire and motivate your young charges, for which you will need very strong inter-personal skills and strength of character. Of course, these responsibilities will be in addition to your other commitments, like your classroom teaching and your families. This parade and the uniform you wear are symbols of the faith that has been placed in you, to live up to these challenges. The challenges are by no means simple, but we have confidence that this course has provided you with skills that will stand you in good stead.

6. Exactly what are the skills that you have acquired? Most obviously, you should have picked up skills in leadership: you have gone through intensive leadership training, including workshops on personal mastery and effective group dynamics. In addition, I hope that the National Education component of the course has made you more aware of how to infuse NE into your teaching. You have also undergone an intensive low and high ropes course, and are now qualified as Instructors. I was very pleased to be informed that the NCC is constantly trying to widen the skills of its officers. Next year, the officers' course will also include a formal segment on First Aid. These skills will enhance your performance, not only as NCC Officers, but also as teachers in your own schools.

7. In addition to leadership, you will also play a crucial role as a link person: between HQ NCC and the SAF on the one hand, and your cadets on the other. This linkage is a central part of the NCC's overall aim of bringing the benefits of military training to the youths in our schools. Later, as these youths mature, the boys complete this cycle by joining the military, often as commanders. However, not all aspects of military life may be suitable for all our cadets, and the lessons we pass on to our students must be distilled and moulded to suit their learning needs. This is where you come in, since you will facilitate and craft the NCC experience of each of your students. Like your role as leaders, being a link between the SAF and the schools is a tremendous responsibility, since it contributes directly to the 'Total Defence' of Singapore.

8. So far, I have touched on two key roles that you will play as NCC officers: as leaders and as link persons. There is a third role you will play, and that is to nurture learners. Since its comprehensive Curriculum Review in 2001 and 2002, the NCC has embarked on an effort to mould well-rounded individuals, who are talented in both military and non-military fields. In other words, the Corps aims to foster learning in the widest sense of the word. This, I am told, is why HQ NCC is known as the 'NCC Campus' rather than the 'NCC Camp'. The term 'campus' embodies the goal of creating a conducive, warm and welcoming learning environment. If you look around, you will see the concrete results of some of these efforts: just behind me is the Learning Hut where you had your team building sessions and group discussions; some of your lessons were held in Learning Rooms, and the Cadet Lieutenants' Club was recently supplemented with a Learning Centre, a Library and LAN Gaming facilities to ensure a diversity of learning resources.

9. As teachers, I am sure you understand the pivotal importance of such a learning environment. Singapore is confronted with the challenges of a knowledge-based economy, where change is an unavoidable constant and where soft skills, like flexibility and emotionalresilience, are in high demand. Moreover, the challenges that Singapore will face in the future will require substantial 'thinking outside the box'. Both you and our students will probably be faced by new problems, or old problems in new forms. Solving these problems, either wholly or in part, will require a healthy dose of innovation and enterprise.

10. Even as we at MOE attempt to infuse innovation and enterprise into the schools' curriculum, we should remember that the NCC, as well as the other CCAs offered in schools, can be a complementary means of cultivating such innovative spirit. Already, I am told, many NCC projects are initiated by Teacher Officers and Cadet Lieutenants. They formulate ideas, plan, strategise and take steps to implement their ideas. As you go about your duties as an NCC officer, do remember that the Corps will present you with a wealth of opportunities to nurture innovation and enterprise in your students, which I hope you will relish and enjoy.

11. As you go about initiating learning, innovation and enterprise, I hope you will also remember that these qualities require a very special brand of leadership. These days, we often hear of 'leadership by example', where leaders are expected to nurture and care for their charges. Both the SAF and the NCC aim to groom such leaders - officers are not just draconian leaders, they also bring out the best in their subordinates through gentlemanly stewardship. As leaders of Singapore's oldest uniformed group, I hope that you will always strive towards this goal, of providing caring and nourishing leadership.

12. Let me conclude by congratulating all of you on successfully completing the rigorous and demanding Officer Cadet Course. I am sure that today will be just the first of many enriching, meaningful days for you. I wish you all the best for the future.