Own a Piece of Education History

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1. MOE’s 50th anniversary commemorative book, Many Pathways, One Mission: Fifty Years of Singapore Education, will be launched for sale to the public from Friday, 14 Dec 2007. See the growth and development of the education system through the eyes of educators, past and present, students and their parents. Documenting 50 years of the education service, it contains some never before seen stories, pictures and replicas of memorabilia from educators and students. In addition to tracing the evolution of the education system in Singapore, the book also pays tribute to people who have played a part in its development. Through these, the book brings to life the struggles of a new nation and how its educators have been working quietly to build the foundations of Singapore’s success. It will be available at bookstores at a price of $55.20 (inclusive of GST).

2. The book was conceptualised, written and designed in-house by a team of five education officers. An electronic version of the commemorative, containing excerpts from the book, will also be available from 14 Dec 07 on MOE’s website <www.moe.gov.sg>.

3. The first chapter, “One Mission”, traces the evolution of the school system in Singapore from 1957 when the Education Act was passed. It offers glimpses of school life since the 1960s through the eyes of educators and students of that era. This is followed by “One Heart”, which captures stories of the rich and multi-faceted work of our teachers, principals, support staff, parents and alumni in schools and within the education system. The next chapter touches on how the “One Space” created in our schools has helped pupils grow as individuals and interact with one another. In the process, pupils also find an identity for themselves and develop a strong sense of community and national pride. Finally, “One Aspiration” encapsulates some of our pupils’ dreams and expresses the hopes of parents and members of our community for our young.

4. Well known personalities featured in the book include Singapore sprint legend C. Kunalan; Ban Yinh Jheow, creator of the world-famous Stikfas toys; as well as war heroine, Elizabeth Choy.

5. In addition, some of the replica memorabilia collected in the commemorative include:

i. a four-page letter from war-hero Lim Bo Seng to his wife after he had escaped from Singapore in 1942. A poignant letter to read, Lim makes plain his commitment to ‘our war effort’, and ends by expressing his hopes for his children’s education.

ii. a card entitled ‘Students Savings Scheme’ which recalls an era when schools cooperated with POSB (now POSBank) to promote the good habit of saving.

iii. the report card of the late President Ong Teng Cheong when he was a student at The Chinese High School in 1950. This reproduction harks back to an era when Chinese medium schools would identify students by their ancestral home in China, as if Singapore was a temporary home.

6. The book was first launched by President SR Nathan on 30 Aug 07 at the Istana during the Teachers’ Day Reception. The first print run was for 1,000 limited edition copies. Since then, recipients of complimentary copies of the book have given encouraging and positive comments.

7. MOE teachers and staff of MOE will be able to purchase copies at half price, direct from MarketAsia Distributors, the sole distributor.