SPEECH BY MR HAWAZI DAIPI, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND MINISTRY OF MANPOWER AT THE 13th NCC COUNCIL INAUGURATION CEREMONY ON 29th MARCH 2005, TUESDAY AT 6.00PM AT HQ NCC CAMPUS, AMOY QUEE CAMP

Dr Arthur Beng, Chairman, NCC Council

Miss Sum Chee Wah, Director Education Programmes

1. It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening at the Inauguration Ceremony for the 13th National Cadet Corps (NCC) Council.

2. Attending NCC functions always brings back vivid memories of my days as a cadet and at each function it is with great satisfaction that I see the tremendous progress and expansion the NCC has made in terms of quality programmes and adventure-based training facilities. This is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the NCC Council to the development of our youths through the NCC.

3. It is indeed my honour to be here to present Certificates of Appointment to the Chairman and members of the 13th NCC Council. They will serve for a term of three years, commencing January 2005 to December 2007. I would also like to thank and commend the members of the 12th Council for their excellent stewardship of the NCC, in particular Dr Arthur Beng who has worked untiringly for the betterment of the NCC and the benefit of the cadets. He has introduced and personally overseen the inception and successful implementation of programmes such as Camp FEAST, Community Outreach projects like the NCC-School Pocket Money Fund project that raised $380,000 and an Overseas Service Learning project to build classrooms for a school in rural Tamil Nadu, India.

4. In today’s evolving educational landscape, where youths are encouraged to explore, question and experiment, the Ministry of Education’s move to “teach less, learn more” and new initiatives such as The Integrated Programme (IP) in Schools have made it necessary for the NCC to meet these new challenges.

5. The 13th NCC Council has the added responsibility of aligning the NCC with this dynamic and complex education environment. I am pleased to note that the NCC has taken on the challenge and having seen opportunities, initiated programmes in 3 key areas.

6. The first such initiative is the development of a new and exciting curriculum that embraces the best of the three services, the Land, Sea and Air. With the revamped air training syllabus and the additional facilities for training including the new Changi Sea Training Centre, the reservoir-based locations for water based activities, and the many adventure facilities on Campus, the NCC will be able to provide activities that go beyond what the land, sea or air cadets usually do. For example land cadets can now achieve One-star and Two-star certification in kayaking, while sea cadets may try their hand at aeromodelling. In this deliberate move away from the “one size fits all” programme, NCC Cadets will now have the opportunity to choose what bests suits them rather than have a common programme. The NCC will pilot the tri-service programme that includes activities on land, sea and air in the IP schools.

7. The NCC hopes to foster a greater sense of social responsibility and community spirit among cadets by facilitating opportunities for cadets to be involved in Service Learning projects both locally and overseas. And as a means of developing independent thinking and a sense of ownership, the cadets themselves will have to plan, organize and implement such projects, with guidance provided by HQ NCC.

8. In a move to bring learning to the outdoors, the NCC has ingeniously developed many adventure facilities within the NCC Campus. Good use of existing infrastructure has enabled the building of many challenging and safe facilities such as the Rockwall and the Flying Fox Tower, which I have just opened. These outdoor adventure facilities offer numerous learning opportunities for our cadets and take the learning beyond the confines of the four walls of a classroom.

9. With the NCC growing from strength to strength with 183 units in 143 secondary schools and a total population of about 18,000 cadets and cadet lieutenants and 680 officers, the NCC has indeed become a much sought after CCA.

10. I am confident that the 13th NCC Council will continue to guide the NCC in harnessing the enormous potential that is within each and every cadet and groom them to be men and women of substance, character and distinction.

11. I would like now to thank the out-going 12th NCC Council members, Mdm Low Khah Gek, Principal of Victoria Junior College and Mr Dilbagh Singh, who has just retired from the education service. We are grateful to Mdm Low who has served in the 11th and 12th NCC Councils for the dedication and enthusiasm she has shown to the Corps. Mr Dilbagh Singh has also contributed significantly to the development of the NCC as a member of the 12th NCC Council. In addition, I would like to mention Mrs Helen Tan who has agreed to be in the 13th Council though having retired from the education service in December 2004. It is such commitment and zeal to the Council that will ensure the continuing growth of the NCC.

12. Let me congratulate everyone of you on your appointment to the 13th NCC Council. I wish to commend you for your willingness to take on this significant commitment. As members of the 13th NCC Council, you will provide the leadership and direction to ensure that the NCC will continue in its path towards excellence and take on the many exciting challenges that lie ahead for our youth in a rapidly evolving educational landscape.

13. I wish the NCC success in all its endeavours and the 13th NCC Council a meaningful journey with the NCC.