23 November 2003

SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, ACTING MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE SINGAPORE SIKH EDUCATION FOUNDATION'S 14TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AND PRIZE-GIVING CEREMONY, ON SUNDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2003 AT 6.00PM AT THE REGIONAL LANGUAGE CENTRE

1. Good evening and thank you for your very warm welcome. I am delighted to be here with you today on the occasion of the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation's 14th anniversary celebrations cum prize-presentation ceremony. My congratulations to the 200 students who are being honoured this evening for excellence in education and in the Punjabi language. You have the distinction of being among the top 10% of Sikh students nationwide. I commend you on your good results, which reflect your diligence and a determination to excel.

2. Our mother tongue languages give us values and roots that are crucial to our sense of ourselves as a people. They allow us to develop ideas and tap on worldviews that complement the perspectives of the English-speaking world. Proficiency in the mother tongue also equips us to access the rich cultures and value systems that we inherit. Take the simple pleasure of reading in the mother tongue, for instance. It enables us to read a piece of work in its original form without having to rely on translations, where to some extent the richness and layers of meaning of the original are often lost. In the process we are able to better appreciate the unique traditions and outlooks that make us who we are.

3. Today, increasingly, proficiency in the mother tongue languages has also assumed greater economic importance, as opportunities in China, India and Southeast Asia become more important to our future growth. Our cultural affinity to these three growth regions, in terms of languages, customs and practices, puts us in better stead to tap the economic opportunities they afford. Our bilingual policy has served us well in this regard, and we should preserve it.

4. Against our multicultural backdrop, our Sikh community places special emphasis on promoting the Punjabi and Sikh heritage among the younger generation of Sikhs. One of the distinctive strengths of the Sikh community is that although small in size, it has developed substantial social capital. It has the capacity to mobilise support spontaneously to make the most of opportunities as they arise.

5. This was able demonstrated when the community set up the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation in 1990 to promote educational excellence and the learning of the Punjabi language, following the provisions made by MOE (Ministry of Education) for non-Tamil Indian students to offer their mother tongue as a second language. The Foundation has accomplished much in its 14-year history, not least its central role in delivering Punjabi Language Education in Singapore. The Punjabi Language Programme benefits nearly 2,000 students each year. The good results achieved in the PSLE, GCE N-, O- and A-level examinations are affirmation of the Foundation's singularity of purpose in achieving its vision.

6. Each of today's recipients is a role model for the community, and for all our young. You have shown what can be achieved by setting your sights high, and persevering. Some among you have not just achieved academic distinction but excelled in areas as well. Let me cite four examples.

7. Parneet Kaur stands out in the PSLE student category. She was not only the top Sikh student at the 2002 PSLE examinations, she also actively contributed to school life as a school prefect and school netball player. I understand that she also participates regularly in the cultural activities of the Foundation. Another example is Puri Menveen Singh. He not only aced his O-level examinations last year, with 9 distinctions, he also ably balances schoolwork with his passion for tennis and soccer and his commitment to his school band. My third example, Amrita Kaur Toor, is another all-rounder who spreads her time between her schoolwork and her involvement in CCA activities. Her CCA credentials include being recognized as the champion in the Raffles Oratorical Contest 2001 and organising dramas for her college, including, I understand, handling the costume design. My last example is Inderjit Singh, a BA (Honours) graduate from the Nanyang Technological University who is presently teaching at Serangoon Junior College. His passion for debating during his student days has carried over into his professional life, and he is currently coaching the school's national debating team for the University of Cambridge Debates and the World School Championship Debates in Germany in 2004.

8. We need more of such individuals who can inspire and show the way for the rest. I look forward to the community continuing to throw up more of such youngsters who stand out from the crowd, with skills, talents and passions that make them different, and ultimately make Singapore different.

9. Beyond conducting classes in the Punjabi language, the Foundation, I am told, also contributes to the total development of Sikh children and the Punjabi language within a Singapore context. Some of the ways this is being done are through developing an original Punjabi literature for children, putting in place a structure to enhance understanding of the Punjabi culture among the younger generation, and increasing the participation of Sikh students in Sikh community events as part of the broader national philosophy of community involvement. These are laudable activities that fit well with the national approach of imbuing in our young the virtues and strengths of the individual cultures while emphasizing the common bonds that draw us together and make every one of us a Singaporean.

10. One of the key challenges for community organisations is indeed to address the needs of their specific community while reaching out to fellow Singaporeans and being part of the warp and weft of the larger Singapore society. In this regard, I am pleased that the Foundation extends its contributions beyond the Sikh community. It collaborates with and supports SINDA's efforts to uplift the Indian community as a whole. These collaborations are numerous and varied - such as promoting among its students SINDA's tuition, parenting and other education-related programmes; organising its own Academic Excellence Awards, such as today's, for the top 10% of Sikh students to complement and reinforce SINDA's objective to promote academic excellence among Indian students in general; and organising the Academic Excellence (ACE) Project as part of the Punjabi programme to improve the overall educational attainment of Sikh students.

11. Another area where the Foundation, I understand, has extended its orbit is in working with other organisations that teach non Tamil-Indian Languages (NTIL). The Foundation has been an active partner in discussions over the years to address the needs and concerns of the groups teaching Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi and Urdu, resulting in the setting up of the Board for the Teaching and Testing of South Asian Languages in 2002. Such collaboration will yield important outcomes down the road. Some that come to mind are: ensuring the reliability and validity of the common examinations conducted by all the groups; increasing collaboration and cooperation in areas of curriculum planning and development; and helping to strengthen the overall quality of teaching and learning of the Mother Tongue among all the groups working under the Board. Indeed, there are exciting times ahead for the Board and I look forward to the fruits of your collaboration in the years ahead.

12. It is generally well-recognised that for students to develop a passion for a language, they must find learning the language interesting, meaningful and relevant to the real-life situations they are familiar with. In this regard, the active involvement of Sikh educationists has ensured strong instructional leadership for the Foundation's language programme. A key initiative by the Foundation has been to publish the new Punjabi language curriculum in the form of 81 books from pre-primary to pre-university levels. These range from coursebooks, workbooks and student guides to IT-based teaching and learning in the form of CD-ROMs, audio-CDs and computer-based learning. What makes this achievement all the more commendable is that all the instructional materials have been developed and written by the Foundation's teachers. It speaks volumes of your commitment to the task at hand. I take great pleasure in launching the new Punjabi Language books published by the Foundation.

13. Once again, allow me to congratulate all the award winners on your accomplishments. Your good results reflect your uncompromising desire for excellence. They also attest to your teachers' tireless commitment, and to constant encouragement and support from your parents and family members. As role models, I urge you to contribute actively to your community so that others in turn may benefit from your talents and abilities. I also commend the volunteers and teachers who have dedicated their time and work to the Foundation to give our children the education they deserve.

14. My best wishes to you on your 14th anniversary. I wish you all the very best in your endeavours. Thank you.