Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State for Education, for the PESA Award Presentation Ceremony 2006 to be held on Thursday, 24 August 2006 at 6.30 pm, at the YMCA Auditorium

SPEECH BY RADM (NS) LUI TUCK YEW, MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION, FOR THE PESA AWARD PRESENTATION CEREMONY 2006 TO BE HELD ON THURSDAY, 24 AUGUST 2006 AT 6.30PM, AT THE YMCA AUDITORIUM

1 “We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields, and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender! I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this government: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

2 These were words spoken by Sir Winston Churchill, Britain’s war-time Prime Minister, in the turbulent years at the start of World War II. For someone who has spent a good part of his working life with the SAF, these are plain but powerful and memorable words. For me, these words, more than a show of British might and power, moved a whole nation to steel their will to ensure victory for the Allies at all costs.

3 Good evening
Mr Eric Teng, President, YMCA of Singapore
Mr Edward Ong, Chairman for PESA 2006
Ladies and gentlemen
Boys and girls.

4 We all have our own examples of great men and women, who are able to move crowds and nations, through the use of simple but well chosen words, spoken with conviction. I think of Gandhi, as he quietly called for the British to quit India in 1942, preaching nonviolence and forgiveness. “Be the change you want to see in the world”, he said; and to this day, this line is still an inspiration to many people.

5 The ladies here may recall with admiration Soong May Ling, or Madam Chiang Kai-Shek, First Lady of the Republic of China and the first Chinese national to stand before the US Congress to drum up American support for China in 1943. Her parting words to the US Senate were, “It is necessary for us not only to have ideals and to proclaim that we have them; it is necessary that we act to implement them.” In a brief twenty-minute speech, she managed to garner the aid that China needed in its war against Japan.

6 Closer to home, we have Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who has a reputation of being a firebrand of a speaker and whose leadership in the turbulent 60s saw Singapore through the early independent years to the prosperous nation it is today. Hours after Singapore ceased to be part of Malaysia, the then Prime Minister called on the people to remain firm and calm. “What has happened, has happened”, he said. “Everybody will have a place in Singapore. We unite regardless of race, language, religion or culture.”

7 I am happy to be here this evening to celebrate the efforts and achievements of our students at the 20th Plain English Speaking Awards Ceremony. I am especially pleased that together with the Speak Good English Movement, the National Library Board and the Ministry of Education, the YMCA of Singapore has provided our students with an avenue to hone a skill that will stand them in good stead in the years to come. I look forward to seeing all of you emerge as great motivational leaders in your respective fields. We can be a nation of great doers and achievers and a nation with great orators.

8 The world is always looking for inspiring leaders and heroes who can create a vision and give a sense of direction amidst chaos and confusion, who can give voice to what the people vaguely feel and believe in their hearts. The ability to communicate with impact, thankfully, is something that can be developed.

9 Winston Churchill was very shy and stuttered when he was a child. Gandhi, although trained as a lawyer in England, adopted a totally different stance from what was expected in a court of law. He used a language that was understood by the common people. Mdm Chiang spoke in English, which was not her native tongue.

10 Good speech and effective communication in these cases rest on three points: a sound grasp of the English language, clarity and the ability to connect with the audience.

11 It is my hope that our students, from an early age, can be given a lot of space in the classroom to express themselves freely and be exposed to good models of English. Good English is never about accent – but grammatically correct sentences. Speaking practice is not about oral tests but authentic contexts for students to express their thoughts or relate experiences that are meaningful to them.

12 In this regard, I am glad that in the Primary category of PESA, our younger contestants begin by telling stories. Everyone loves a good story, especially if the story is about a person’s own experience. I was told that Joshua Chan, the winner of the Primary category, regaled his audience with his story about an overseas study trip and those who heard him were especially touched because the reflections were so real.

13 I am pleased that the YMCA will be organizing a junior PESA for pre-school children from next year. If we can encourage our young children to speak up, speak out and speak well, they will have fewer inhibitions when they grow older. As they enter primary and secondary school, it will also help if the school environment encourages debates, speech and drama, and book discussions. These will contribute much to enabling our students to have rich resources and useful platforms to develop their speech and expression.

14 Some of our primary schools have already put in place good programmes to develop public speaking skills in pupils. Fairfield Methodist Primary, for instance organizes inter-class debates with parents as judges. They give out awards for Orators of the Term, as well as “Speak Well” badges, book marks and collar pins to encourage pupils. In Radin Mas Primary, pupils are rostered on a daily basis to share a story based on the school’s core values, after flag raising. Each pupil’s presentation is video-taped by IT club members. The pupils get to take a CD home along with feedback of their presentation by teachers from the English department. They go through the CD with their parents to cull learning points through reflecting on their presentation. Every child gets a chance to share a story. CHIJ St Nicholas (Primary) has a Toastmasters’ Club for teachers. The club is targeted at new teachers and teachers who wish to further improve their public speaking skills. Parents participate in these clubs as well so that they can help their children, and themselves, speak better in public. I personally would like to see more Toastmasters’ and Gavel Clubs set up in our primary and secondary schools, Junior Colleges, ITE and the polytechnics. These are useful platforms to allow students and teachers to develop the skills and gain confidence in public speaking and presentation.

15 I am sure it is with pride that the YMCA, Singapore gathers together several past PESA participants and winners who have gone on to excel in their careers. They are here for the inauguration of the PESA Alumni, established as part of the celebrations for the twentieth anniversary of PESA. No doubt the alumni have maintained their flair for public speaking and honed it into an ability to influence others. The alumni will partner the National Library Board to organize workshops, which will generate interest in speaking well and point participants to the way of good speech.

16 I am aware that several past winners of PESA such as Mr Christopher Ong, currently a Deputy Public Prosecutor with the Attorney General’s Chambers and Miss Gayle Goh, a JC2 student, champion in the JC section in 1989 and 2005 respectively have represented Singapore in the World Schools Debating Championship and have done very well. Many of our Singaporean debaters have also gone on to represent top universities overseas like Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, University College London and Harvard University in international debating competitions.

17 Debating is something the MOE is particularly interested to encourage. While there is currently a Junior College debating competition, and secondary debating league which involves close to 90 schools annually, the debating culture is not actively developed nor promoted at the Primary level. MOE will start a junior debating league in a few primary schools which are ready to embrace the programme. These schools will host the debating league and training for teachers and act as catalysts for other schools to join in.

18 To sum up, I’d like to refer to a Newsweek article in a Mar 06 issue entitled, “Not the Queen’s English”. The article described how English is fast becoming the language of communication across nations, more so than ever before; and how non-native speakers in Asia and the Middle East are learning English at an ever younger age. The ratio of non-native English speakers to native ones currently stands at 3:1. The number of English speakers in Asia roughly equals the sum total of all English speakers in the United States, Canada and Britain. For Singapore to maintain its competitive edge, it is vital that our people are well equipped to use the language appropriately and to be able to communicate effectively and with impact. We have to ensure that our people speak a variety of English that can be understood internationally, outside of Singapore, Malaysia and Batam.

19 PESA is a very useful vehicle to spread the importance of speaking plain English and speaking it well. I am glad the YMCA will be inviting participants from the SEAMEO countries to participate and together with us, make this a regional contest from next year.

20 May I congratulate the winners of PESA 2006 on their outstanding accomplishments. To the contestants who took part this year, I hope this has been a fruitful experience for all of you. I would like to thank the sponsors and organisers for their contributions to this meaningful contest. I wish you all the best as you forge ahead in your plans to advance public speaking. Thank you, teachers and parents, for the support you have given to your children. Please continue to support PESA in its endeavours to encourage plain English speaking in Singapore and beyond.