SPEECH BY MR CHAN SOO SEN, MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SPORTS, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE NEW CAMPUS OF CHONG BOON SECONDARY SCHOOL, 2 ANG MO KIO ST. 44 ON FRIDAY 23 JULY 04, AT 5.30 PM

Mr Chionh Chye Luay
Chairman
School Advisory Committee

Mdm Sun Huey Min
Principal
Chong Boon Secondary School

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Boys and Girls

Introduction

1.      It is my pleasure to join you this evening to celebrate the school’s 10th Anniversary and the opening of the new school campus. 

2.      Singapore places great importance on the education of our young. New and modern physical resources can help to provide a better environment to offer a holistic education for our students. We have invested in the necessary resources to prepare our young for the future. PRIME, the Programme for Rebuilding and IMproving Existing Schools is one such investment. I am happy that PRIME for Chong Boon Secondary School has been completed. The school can now make use of its better resources to tailor its programmes to meet the learning needs of its students.

3.      Chong Boon’s vision is to nurture its students into thinking and gracious citizens. To fulfill this vision, students need to learn with passion and serve with compassion.

 
Learning with Passion

4.      As the world’s economic landscape is constantly changing, Singapore has to continue to look beyond our traditional business boundaries and seek to expand into new frontiers in the global market. Therefore, it is vital that our schools prepare our young well with the relevant life–skills and attitudes for Singapore to maintain its economic growth and competitiveness.

5.      Schools need to nurture students to be life long learners. To be life long learners, students must be passionate about learning. Learning with passion includes developing an intellectual curiosity to explore and experiment with new ideas and question assumptions. Students should also learn to apply what they learn in school to the real world.

They should be prepared to see things in new ways and be open to original thinking and divergent views. With these attitudes and habits of mind, students will be better able to take on the challenges of a rapidly changing knowledge economy and become thinking citizens.

6.      The new school facilities built under PRIME have allowed schools to create a challenging and vibrant learning environment to nurture passionate learners. In Chong Boon Secondary, this learning environment includes many learning spots, such as the Learning Cafeteria, Eco-pond and learning corners for Maths, Science and Mother Tongue, among others. New additions to the IT infrastructure also provide support for teaching and learning within and outside the school.

7.      Students should be equipped with skills and offered a breadth of experiences in order to thrive in a constantly changing world.

To achieve this, schools should promote a holistic education for the students. I am happy to note that Chong Boon is building the performing arts as its niche. The school has also provided its students the time and space to explore their interests and develop their unique talents and abilities through the different Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs).  The School Band, the Choir and the Chinese Dance club have won awards during the SYF competitions. I would like to congratulate the school and members of these CCAs on their achievements. 

Serving with Compassion

8.      Schools also need to develop in our students a strong sense of community spirit, social responsibility and service to the community. It is important that our young are given opportunities to show care and concern for the community.
This will nurture them to become gracious citizens and give back to the community. Our young need to understand that service is more than just occasional acts of kindness. Service and a strong desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others should be part of the mindset of our young. In this way, they will develop a sense of belonging to the nation.

9.      I am glad that Chong Boon Secondary has instilled in your students a sense of responsibility to society. I hope that through taking part in community activities, these students’ passion for community service can be nurtured and that they can continue to put their talents and skills to good use in community events even after they leave the school.

10.     Chong Boon Secondary’s partnership with Pathlight School, which opened just next door recently this year, is encouraging.

I understand that the two schools intend to broaden as well as deepen their cooperation. Chong Boon intends to expose their student leaders to the needs of Pathlight students by befriending and helping them as part of their community involvement programme. Pathlight has also offered to include Chong Boon’s teachers in their various training programmes on autism. I am glad to see such partnerships taking place.

11.     The staff and students of Chong Boon have also been raising funds for needy students through their various fund-raising projects. These funds go a long way in helping the needy students to cope with school expenses and ensuring that no student is disadvantaged in the pursuit of educational opportunities.

Conclusion

12.     Today, we celebrate the opening of the new campus of Chong Boon Secondary. The improved facilities will provide even greater opportunities and possibilities for you to provide a holistic education for your students. Do optimize the use of these physical resources to generate the synergy to propel the school forward in achieving its vision of producing thinking and gracious citizens with passion for life long learning and compassion for community service.

13.     On this note, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to the School Advisory Committee, the principal, staff and students of Chong Boon Secondary on the official opening of its new campus.

14.     It is now my pleasure to declare the new campus of Chong Boon Secondary School open.