Speeches
Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education, at the 14th NCC Council Inauguration Ceremony and 8th NCC Unit Advisers Appointment Ceremony on Wednesday, 20 February 2008, 11.00am, at Temasek Club Auditorium
Dr Arthur Beng,
Chairman, NCC Council
Members of NCC Councils
NCC Unit Advisers
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good morning,
Introduction
It gives me great pleasure to be here this morning at the Inauguration Ceremony of the 14th NCC Council and the 8th NCC Unit Advisers Appointment Ceremony. As we appoint and welcome new council members and unit advisers, I would like to acknowledge and thank those who have played a part in the progress of the NCC. Your contributions over the years have helped shape the NCC to become the institution it is today.
Since its inception in the early 1900s, the NCC has grown to be one of the foremost CCAs (Co-Curricular Activities) in schools, and an integral part of school-life for its cadets. Over the years, it has developed and reinvented itself to stay relevant to the times, and has played a role in building up the boys and girls who are part of its ranks. And they have gone on to be confident adults, and responsible, patriotic citizens.
NCC’s Role in National Education
As one of the more prominent uniformed groups in schools, the NCC plays an important role in National Education. By taking in cadets from all walks of life, and from all ethnic groups, it serves to enlarge our collective common space where youths learn more about each others’ culture as they stand shoulder to shoulder, train and grow side by side. It is important that our youths have friends from different ethnic groups they can identify and bond with from an early age; it is one of the key ingredients for racial harmony and mutual respect.
As a CCA with links to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), the NCC also serves to teach our youths the importance of one of the pillars of Total Defence - Military Defence - of which National Service is a mainstay. The Unit Adviser Scheme, implemented eight years ago, has been instrumental in strengthening units and enriching the experiences of young NCC cadets with the expertise and stories that the in-service SAF Officers bring to the schools.
New Initiatives to Enhance Cadets’ Experience
The inauguration of new initiatives such as the Commitment to Defence (or C2D) Framework and the New NCC Experience Curriculum, will certainly add to the learning experience of NCC cadets. They can look forward to more engaging programmes that develop character, citizenship and leadership. These new initiatives will better prepare our NCC cadets in meeting the economic, social and cultural demands of the twin challenges of globalisation and nation building.
Under the C2D framework, the SAF will work closely with the NCC in order to help this future pool of enlistees better understand the relevance and importance of National Service and Total Defence. This can be done through their NCC units in schools, and involving them in events such as Remembrance Day and visits to historical sites rich in military heritage. Involving cadets in this manner will serve to give them greater exposure to events that shaped Singapore’s past, enhance their NCC experience, and help them reflect on the part that they can play in helping to shape our collective future.
The New NCC Experience, incorporating the NCC Leadership Competency Model (or LCM), is another platform to develop young leaders. The NCC LCM closely follows the SAF LCM and MOE’s Social Emotional Learning Framework. It mirrors leadership competencies in the SAF and the curriculum is conceptualised and designed to meet the needs of the cadets in character development.
With these new initiatives, the SAF Officers’ role as NCC School Unit Advisers will take on added importance in providing the necessary impetus to build upon and guide the School Units, and provide an additional military component which many NCC cadets look forward to. For example, SAF Officers attached to schools can conduct lessons on the history of their respective Formations and Units. They can also share about military customs and ceremonies, as well as tactics and strategies used in warfare. Such sharing of military knowledge and related issues will enhance the NCC Experience for cadets. It also provides avenues for SAF Officers to do their part in promoting the importance of NE and the need to be ever vigilant against potential threats. This will help immensely in National Education.
Conclusion
I would like to commend the Chairman, Dr Arthur Beng, and members of the 13th Council, for their stewardship of the NCC under which the NCC has moved from strength to strength. NCC programmes today provide not only military related adventure training, it also infuses National Education, offers a structured leadership development programme, coupled with a host of international exchanges that build on the need to internationalise our youths while helping them stay rooted to Singapore.
I would also like to congratulate the members of the 14th NCC Council on your appointment. I commend you for taking on this significant commitment to provide the leadership and direction, to ensure that the NCC continues on its path towards excellence. I am confident that the 14th NCC Council will continue to guide the NCC well, and break new ground in developing our youths for the future. Even as we congratulate the new members of the 14th NCC Council, let us also welcome the new SAF Unit Advisers who have volunteered to commit their time to enriching and developing our Cadets. Your service and contributions will enhance the NCC Experience for them, and help them take on the challenges that lie ahead.
I wish the NCC success in all its endeavours and the 14th Council a successful and fruitful term.
Thank you