Speeches
Speech by Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, at the Racial Harmony Day Celebrations at 8.00am on 21 July 2009 at Admiralty Primary School
Ms Ho Peng
Director-General of Education
Mr Tan Peng Hock
Chairman, School Advisory Committee
Mdm Tuminah Binte Sujak
Chairperson, Parent Support Group
Mdm Lim Soh Lian
Principal, Admiralty Primary
Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Boys and Girls,
Good morning. I am very happy to join you here at Admiralty Primary School as we commemorate Racial Harmony Day. This is a simple activity which brings together students and stakeholders from many schools for a common purpose. A few days ago, we read that bombs went off in Indonesia. Someone or someones who felt conflicted enough, who felt passionate enough to take their own lives and the lives of those around them, and leave behind their families — suicide bombers. How do you prevent these incidents from happening in Singapore, and if and when it happens, how do you prevent the fallout of races looking at each other with suspicion? How do you prevent the fracture of the ties that we have taken decades to build? This is why we have Racial Harmony Day. Even though it is a simple activity, it is important. It is a tool that socialises students and builds ties between themselves and the community. It works because we start young, and students return to this simple event year after year.
I am heartened to see that it is not the just the students who are excited about Racial Harmony Day, but also the parents and teachers. They are equally enthusiastic and have worked together well in preparation for this event. When students see this, they become interested in the message and rationale behind Racial Harmony Day. They will ask what the message is behind the festivities and celebrations, and go on to explore it further. I am encouraged that schools have found creative ways to achieve this. For example, in addition to the enthusiastic welcome by members of the Parents Support Group, I understand that students in all classes are currently watching a live feed of the proceedings from their classrooms.
Leveraging Technology for Racial Harmony
Lessons on Racial Harmony are central to National Education (NE) and schools are using more of technology and New Media to engage their students. At Admiralty Primary, a virtual NE village will be launched today. Students can step into many digital learning trails in this virtual village, to experience Singapore’s diverse culture, see and hear the Singapore Story and take part in hands-on activities. These stories were created by teachers and pupils, and also some parents from Cluster N5 schools. Such platforms can be further linked up on the MOE Racial Harmony website where schools can post their celebrations and share in each other’s festivities.
Living Out the Message of Racial Harmony
Will it work? Will such activities imbue a deeply-felt need for Racial Harmony in our students? We will never know until we are tested. And may we never be tested. We must continue to place an importance on ensuring that schools provide and remain a common space where pupils of different races, religious beliefs and backgrounds come together, interact, and learn more about each other and the world they live in. They have opportunities to learn and participate in experiences that emphasise the importance of our shared values, which include Racial Harmony. These lessons and values apply not only to citizens, but international students in our midst. In the spirit of Racial Harmony, we reach out and include them into our daily lives and community.
Actively Exploring Racial Harmony
The theme for this year’s RH celebrations ‘Who’s Your Neighbour?’ is apt. It reminds us that your neighbour could be the classmate sitting next to you or those in your school bus, the cleaner, or the coffee-shop attendant in your HDB estate. It prompts us to reach out to those around us. It could start in a small way by simply saying or waving hello, sharing a meal or participating together in community events. Only through these face-to-face and people-to-people interactions can we keep people from falling out of society. These are small but important steps in building a cohesive society. 50 years ago, when we attained self-government, our forefathers who came from different countries set unity as a cornerstone. Each generation must continue these efforts to ensure a secure and peaceful future for themselves to forge nationhood with fellow Singaporeans.
I started by saying that today’s activities will be simple. They will be simple, but meaningful, and I wish you all an engaging Racial Harmony Day.