SPEECH BY MR CHAN SOO SEN, MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SPORTS AT MENDAKI TUITION SCHEME APPRECIATION TEA 2004, ORGANIZED BY YAYASAN MENDAKI, AT NOVOTEL APOLLO SINGAPORE, HAVELOCK ROAD, ON SATURDAY, 17 JANUARY 2004 AT 2.30 P.M.

Good afternoon

Mr Rozlan Giri, CEO Yayasan MENDAKI, 

MENDAKI Board of Directors, 

Principals, Teachers, Supervisors, Community Centres / Clubs 

Managers 

Distinguished Guests

                I am indeed honoured to be given this opportunity to grace an event that acknowledges the contributions made by such a diversified group of people to a community's effort in uplifting themselves through education.

2.             First launched 21 years ago, MENDAKI has since expanded its tuition scheme to include more differentiated learning programmes. Emphasis has also been placed on parents' involvement and in strengthening early mathematical skills among students.

3.             In 2003, MENDAKI launched a few initiatives as part of its continuous effort to add value to its existing tuition programmes.

4.             The Exam Ready Campaign was launched in September with the main aim of equipping parents with the skills and know-how in preparing their children for examinations. A series of seminars was organized and the response was overwhelming. A total of 465 parents attended the seminars and 10 000 sets of exam ready packs were distributed to the community through the seminars, tuition centres, its family service centres, as well as some mosques.

5.             I was informed that the feedback from parents and tutors were very positive so much so that there were many requests for more of such seminars to be held before the mid-year examinations as well. For this year, MENDAKI will be organising more of such seminars with the first one scheduled for April.

6.             The seminar also created a spin-off; the creation of a Parent Support Network. It was formed to enable parents to have systematic networks and infrastructure as well as providing them with a platform to exchange ideas on ways to help improve their children's performance in school.

7.             These are indeed encouraging signals that Malay / Muslim parents, like all parents should be, are placing a higher premium to their children's education. They want to be involved.

8.             I understand that there are many plans in the pipeline for the Parent Support Network. Among them, the expansion of the support group to include parents residing in the Woodlands area and beyond, and linking these groups to national resources that are already available in the community. MENDAKI is hopeful that the active involvement of parents will in some way enhance their children's academic performance.

9.             I note that MENDAKI has been ever vigilant on the Mathematics performance of Malay/Muslim students, especially at the national levels. In 2003, MENDAKI embarked on a pilot programme to increase parent's knowledge and understanding of the development of basic concepts in Mathematics as well as to increase their confidence and skills in engaging their five and six-year-olds.

10.           This programme was called Tiga M or Three Ms for Maju Minda Matematika. The pilot was conducted in Boon Lay involving 17 families with pre-school aged children. The programme was very successful because, not only did the parents learn new skills but more importantly, their children's mathematical development age improved by at least 9 months on the average. This year, MENDAKI has targeted about 300 low-income families island-wide and the children's performance will be monitored right up until Primary 1.

11.           MENDAKI tells me that there will be two new pilot programmes this year on Mathematics alone. One is aimed at the lower primary school students and the other is aimed at the lower secondary Normal Academic stream students.

12.           Besides good programmes, a key success factor for any community-based effort is accessibility. This is where all of you here have made the difference. You have helped in providing the familiarity of the premises within the neighbourhoods.

13.           From the People's Association and the Community Centres/ Clubs Managers to the school principals who have so willingly provided your premises free of charge, and not forgetting the Centre Supervisors who put aside your precious time with your families to assist MENDAKI in running their programmes, your efforts are deeply appreciated.

14.           I urge you to continue supporting MENDAKI in its efforts to help the children especially those from disadvantaged families. Last year as many as 1804 students, or 21 % of the students who attended MENDAKI tuition programmes in 2003, benefited from its fee waiver scheme. I understand that more is expected this year. Let us all work together in helping these children. Thank you.