Speeches
Speech by Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Home Affairs, at the Racial Harmony Day Celebrations at 8.15am on 21 July 2008 at Tanglin Secondary School
Ms Seah Jiak Choo, Director-General of Education
Ms Jeanette Gan, Chairman, School Advisory Committee
Mr Larry Lee, Chairman, Parent Support Group
Mrs Karen Oei, Principal, Tanglin Secondary School
Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen
Boys and Girls
Good morning
It gives me great pleasure to be here with you today as we commemorate and celebrate Racial Harmony Day 2008. Each year, this day serves as a reminder of how important and relevant Racial Harmony is, not just in the early days of our nation-building, but also for the continued prosperity and progress of our country.
Key areas in Racial Harmony efforts
As we seek to continuously engage and effectively impart core values to our students, there are two key areas which deserve mention.
First, Racial Harmony has to be built on a strong foundation of our cultural heritage and traditions. There is a need to recognise that our rich diversity of cultures, religions and history has forged a Singapore identity that we can all be proud of. This happens best in school. It is in school that students are currently exposed to a wide variety of cultures, practices and traditions. Schools have the resources and autonomy to give students the opportunity to immerse and interact with various communities locally and overseas. This serves to broaden their horizons, and is a welcome development. Through these interactions, we hope that students will also better appreciate our unique identity and key tenets of Singapore society that has enabled us to preserve peace and stability, and achieve rapid economic development.
Second, we must continue to celebrate our common values and develop this identity further. Schools are an excellent platform for students to learn about Racial Harmony, for they are not only rich communities of diverse races and religions from Singapore, but also include foreign students who add a new dimension to the vibrancy of our society. After all, it is during their schooling years that students learn and develop social skills, absorb values and form relationships that will shape their adult lives. Thus, there is no better time than their schooling years to drive home the importance and relevance of Racial Harmony.
Racial Harmony in schools
Going forward, MOE will continue to support Racial Harmony efforts in schools, while giving schools the autonomy to design their own programmes to meet the needs of their students.
At the systemic level, MOE will continue to place strong emphasis on Racial Harmony across all schools, as well as programmes that will have a direct impact on the experiences and development of students. This year, the theme for Racial Harmony Day is ‘Many Faces, One Singapore’. This serves as a guide for all schools in their celebrations and efforts, so that students will be immersed in a coherent experience in which the message is loud and clear. In addition, MOE will continue to highlight the importance of Racial Harmony Day in a variety of ways. Starting last year, MOE senior management has joined schools in their Racial Harmony Celebrations to show support, share in the festivities and appreciate their efforts in National Education.
MOE has also implemented programmes such as the Conversational Chinese and Malay Programme. Through these programmes, we hope to enhance communication and strengthen social cohesion, while providing grounding for Singaporeans to further their learning of Chinese and Malay later in life. Students are also strongly encouraged to participate in cultural performances as a way of immersing them in authentic multicultural experiences.
At the school level, we are happy to see the rich diversity and range of National Education and Racial Harmony efforts. We recognise that there is no single solution or approach to the inculcation of values and mindsets in our students, and schools are best positioned to understand and address the needs and aspirations of their own students. Further attempts to develop our Racial Harmony efforts must continue to recognise and support the efforts of schools to integrate Racial Harmony with existing school programmes and educational outcomes.
Tanglin Secondary School
I am happy to note that Tanglin Secondary School is a good example of a school which has done well in its Racial Harmony efforts. Let me take this opportunity to highlight how some of its efforts are worth sharing with other schools.
This morning, as part of this year’s celebrations, Tanglin Secondary School’s ‘Rings of Unity’ will be launched. Each Ring represents a different ethnic group, with the fifth ring representing the growing international community here in Tanglin Secondary. You will also notice that they are made up of photographs of their faces, forming an immediate connection with the wider school community. There is also a strong association of the ‘Rings of Unity’ with the 5 Olympic Rings, reminding students that their learning and community are linked with Singapore’s progress and development, and deeply intertwined with global events and circumstances, such as our hosting of the Youth Olympics Games in 2010.
It is this symbolic representation of the students’ role and identity in relation to the world that allows them to better grasp the importance and relevance of Racial Harmony. Schools should seize similar opportunities to allow students to structure and scaffold their learning and development in a variety of areas. Tanglin Secondary has built on this approach to implement a holistic education for its students, especially through the aesthetics and outdoor activities.
Today, these areas are showcased by an exciting programme that is rich in meaning and symbolism. The students will be exposed to more than content knowledge of their heritage and Singapore’s many races and religions, but will also have the opportunity to experience them aesthetically through artistic expression and kinaesthetic activity. It is this multi-modal approach that will further cement and strengthen the lessons learnt. I look forward to an exciting and colourful concert this morning.
Finally, it is good to see that the school has worked closely with its stakeholders, for example, with members of its Parents Support Group participating in today’s concert. Through such engagement, schools can benefit from the combined synergy and resources of stakeholders and community groups to make their programmes more engaging and relevant for their students.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while there is much to celebrate and rejoice in Singapore’s Racial Harmony, educators and students alike must remember that we must continue our deliberate and conscious efforts to maintain Racial Harmony. In schools, we are well equipped with the resources and opportunities to make a real difference in National Education to secure our nation’s future. I hope all of us will make the best of this opportunity, as we journey through the rich heritage and experiences that schools like Tanglin Secondary School have put together for us today.
On this note, I would like to wish all of you a meaningful and fulfilling Racial Harmony Day. Thank you.