Speeches
Opening Address by Mr Masagos Zulkifli BMM, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Home Affairs, at the Uniformed Officers’ Conference 2009 on 4 February 2009 at 8.35am at the Hortpark.
Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen
Good morning.
Introduction
It gives me great pleasure to be here this morning to give the opening address for the Uniformed Groups Officers’ Conference.
This age of globalisation requires our youth to possess a strong spirit of adventure and the can-do spirit to succeed. Invariably along this journey which they will take, they need to be imbued with a set of values as a moral compass and 21st century skills that can best be built through their participation in CCA’s. In this connection, uniformed groups serve as a powerful platform to shape the character of our young and inculcate in them life-long values and skills which will see them through their lives, even if they do not participate directly in the global economy.
Conference Theme ‘Ignite the Passion, Touch their Lives’
It is often said that learning is caught and not taught. Teachers play a pivotal role in shaping the character and attitudes of our youth. In your hands are entrusted the impressionable minds of our young people. The sum of attitudes of our youth, their values and patterns of behaviour will in fact determine the characteristics of our society in the future.
Today, the oldest UG NCC is 108 years old. The combined membership of the 9 uniformed groups stands at 78,000.There are more than 3,000 teachers in the uniformed groups. Many of you have volunteered to take on the role out of a desire to contribute to the development of the cadets and for the betterment of the uniformed groups. These are indeed noble aspirations. The deep imprints which you leave on the many cadets that pass through your hands will stay with them for life. You may not even realise this, but for some of your wards, the UGs are the reason why school has meaning to them at all.
Taking cognizance of the important contributions that you are making to the UG movement, MOE CCA Branch has organised today’s conference.
Aims of Today᾿ Conference
There are three goals that we would like to achieve through this conference. I would call them the three E’s.
The first E is to ENLIVEN teachers to feel more confident about leading UG in schools. This conference serves as an excellent platform for UG officers to have a meeting of minds, to take stock and strategise for the future. The friendships forged today will bring all of you closer with affirmation that all of you belong to a huge family gearing towards a collective goal for the betterment of the UGs. While we may not be able to predict the future with certainty, this should not lead us to inactivity and be satisfied with the status quo. We should dare to dream big and try out new initiatives.
The second E is to ENGAGE teachers to find meaning and purpose in their involvement with the UG movements. Take this opportunity to share good practices with one another and re-visit the initial reasons why you became an UG teacher. Always keep the interest of the child at the centre of whatever you do. Be adventurous in experimenting with new ideas and continually enthuse your cadets with exciting and interesting activities. Be a good role model as you go about moulding the character of the young lives placed under your charge.
We are at a point of our nation’s history where exciting developments are occurring at a swift pace in the education landscape. Many new initiatives are being tried out in our schools. It is imperative that the UGs should re-invent itself to remain true to its vision of being ‘the preferred UG.’
The third E is to ENHANCE the personal and collective social and emotional competencies of the teachers. With globalisation, it is becoming increasingly important for our citizens to be able to understand the interconnectedness of the world. The present generation of youth has grown up in a very different environment.
As UG Officers, you are in a good position to teach your cadets useful social and emotional skills. The SEL skills and the supportive learning environments in which they are taught will contribute to their resiliency.
I was told that each of you will be receiving a special spoon and a bookmark with a special message at this conference. The unconventional design of the spoon serves as a reminder that while we are engaged in many activities at one time, we should never fail to be flexible and look at things from a different point of view. The bookmark comes from the hands of our students at Northlight School. You will notice that, inscribed on every spoon is the statement ‘A little Bend can make A Big Difference’. To the students, the message sends a strong motivation signal. It is hoped that after this conference, you too, will feel motivated to bring our Uniformed Groups to greater heights.
Conclusion
It is my hope that after the conference today, you will return to your respective schools, revitalised and re-energised, poised to implement the many new and innovative ideas generated by your colleagues.
I would also like to commend all of you for your hard work and dedication in nurturing our young and shaping our future. Keep up the good work.
Lastly, I hope you will enjoy this great learning journey designed specially for you.
Thank you.