Speeches
Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, at Muthamil Vila Organised by Association of Singapore Tamil Writers, on Sunday, 13 April 2008 at 6.00pm at Singapore Polytechnic Auditorium
Mr. Aandeappan, Chairman, Association of Singapore Tamil Writers,
Dr. Sarada and Mr. Barathy, Guest speakers from India
Distinguished guests,
Teachers, Students,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Introduction
First of all let me wish you all a very Happy Tamil New Year.
It gives me great pleasure to join you this evening for the Muthamil Vila, which is organised annually by the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers.
The Muthamil Vila is a celebration of Tamil literary excellence, and I understand that for the second year running, it has been held as part of the three-week long Tamil Language Festival. This Festival aims to create greater awareness in different aspects of the Tamil language and to cultivate appreciation for the Tamil language among our students.
Collaborating with partners
The Tamil Language Council (TLC) was established by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts to promote the awareness and greater use of Tamil language among Indian Singaporeans. I am happy to note that the TLC is organising the Tamil Language Festival in collaboration with various community organisations, of which the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers is one of them. The Festival comprises a series of programmes conducted over a three-week period aimed primarily at promoting the Tamil language among the Tamil-speaking community, especially among students and youths.
This collective effort is an important one, as the involvement from various Indian organisations ensures a much wider reach and an interesting variety of programmes. While there are ample opportunities for our youth to learn Tamil in our schools as well as in the Tamil language centres, it is not enough to just promote the Tamil language in schools alone. It is vital that we make Tamil a daily part of our lives. That is why such collaboration goes a long way to providing a conducive environment for our children to develop an appreciation for the Tamil language.
Supporting the teaching and learning of the Tamil language
The Ministry of Education recognises the vital role that our partner organisations play in sparking off passion in the Tamil language. By involving the community in language, literature and cultural activities, we broaden our students’ learning environment, so that their education is not confined to the classrooms. It is our hope that our students will continue pursue their interest in the Tamil language even after leaving school.
With the setting up of the Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee (TLLPC) in 2006 to enthuse students in the learning of the Tamil language, more platforms have been created for collaborations with Tamil community organisations to promote the use of the Tamil language. I am heartened to see that by working together to organise language, literature and cultural activities, the various partner organisations have greatly enriched our students’ learning.
In the past year, the Committee has successfully organised a series of programmes to promote the use of Spoken Tamil and inculcate interest in the Tamil language among the young. These programmes, targeting a wide range of students from pre-primary to the pre-university levels, were well-received. I am encouraged to see how the community has stepped forward to render their support to these initiatives.
Developing our youth’s interest in the Tamil language requires a multi-pronged approach. Besides reaching out to the youth through schools, and other external platforms, the home environment is also crucial in cultivating a conducive environment for language learning. One event which has been especially effective in getting our parents involved in our children’s language education is the Forum for Parents, where parents were encouraged to play an active role in encouraging their children to use Spoken Tamil at home. The Forum was also successful in creating awareness among parents on the details of the revised Tamil Language curriculum. Due to the encouraging response, the Committee will be organising more of such forum this year, in order to reach out to more parents.
Children learn best when they have fun. In order to give students more opportunities to speak in Tamil, and study the Tamil language in an enjoyable way, the Committee has set up a Drama Programme for primary schools. I understand that 34 schools have come on board the programme, and the programme will be extended to more schools this year. Pupils from four primary schools also got a chance to perform at a drama night organized by Triple V V V Theatre Pte Ltd and Ulu Pandan Indian Activities Executive Committee, after having gone through training in various aspects of drama. Activities such as these reinforce and supplement what our students have learned in the classroom, and cultivate their interest in the language. Through participation in such activities, they have more opportunities to use and appreciate the language in a less formal environment and in a more interesting way.
Recognising our literary talents
Besides activities organised especially for our youth, the highlight of each year’s Muthamil Vila is the presentation of the Tamilavel Award to an outstanding individual in the literary field. This Award is presented to one local writer each year. It is a noteworthy effort to recognise the good work of our literary talents. I am sure the winners of this award would inspire our younger writers to venture further.
This year the Award is presented to Mr. Muthu Manickam, a veteran poet. I congratulate Mr. Muthu Manickam on his contribution to the growth and development of Tamil literature in Singapore. I would like to commend the Association of Singapore Tamil Writers for organising this meaningful event. To the participants and winners of the various competitions, my heartiest congratulations on your achievements.
I wish you a pleasant evening.
Thank you.
Nandri.
Vanakkam.