1.      It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening at the Official Opening of the new Kheng Cheng School Building.

Honouring the past and preparing for the future

2.      The story of Kheng Cheng begins in the early 1920s with a remarkable Chinese immigrant. In an age when women were generally relegated to a lesser role, Mdm Lim Peng Tuan was a visionary with a pioneering spirit and a heart for the community.   Mdm Lim had a vision – to uplift the children in her community through education. This vision is embodied in the name of your school, 擎青 (Qíng Qīng).[1]  Mdm Lim founded a school and engaged Mr Chen Zhao Ting, a scholar-artist from China, to teach the children in her neighbourhood. Despite the difficulties she encountered, she persevered in the pursuit of her convictions.

3.      Kheng Cheng started out as a village school housed in a small, wooden hut with 15 pupils. I understand that a replica of the old village classroom is on display today. Over the years, Kheng Cheng has grown to a state-of-the-art primary school in Toa Payoh with an enrolment of 1400 pupils.
    
4.      The evolution and growth of Kheng Cheng over time reflects a key   challenge that we have to grapple with in education  – how to honour and preserve  values and traditions which have withstood the test of time, while remaining relevant to the present and preparing our pupils for the future.
 
5.      In Singapore, our education system has evolved from a school system segregated by race and language in the 1960s to a national school system in which children of different races study together and English is the common tongue and medium of instruction.  The curriculum, teaching approaches and modes of assessment have all evolved since the 1960s. We also have a much more diverse education landscape which provides increasing choice and flexibility for the learner.  However, what has not changed is our emphasis on values and character development, as part of a holistic education.

6.      I am pleased to see that, at Kheng Cheng, you have a tradition of emphasising a quality, all-round education. The inculcation of values, development of a healthy body and nurturing of skills in sports and the aesthetics are integral to school life at Kheng Cheng.   Kheng Cheng has established niches in basketball and art.  Kheng Cheng has been a national convenor for basketball for more than a decade and counts well-known artists such as Tang Da Wu and Thang Kiang How among your alumni. Your efforts to cultivate your pupils’ talents in basketball and art have seen commendable achievements in recent years at the zonal basketball championships and at local and international art competitions. I would like to encourage Kheng Cheng in its journey of nurturing these two niches into peaks of excellence.

Enhancing quality of teacher-pupil interaction

7.      I would like to commend Kheng Cheng School on its initiatives to give teachers space to reflect on their teaching, and to interact with students.   I understand that teachers of the same level have common free periods so that they can share and collaborate on curriculum matters.  This has enabled teachers to plan lessons and classroom techniques that make learning more engaging and effective for your pupils.   Kheng Cheng has also facilitated more time for richer interactions between teachers and pupils, by introducing block periods in its time-tabling at all levels.   This has given teachers the opportunity to take pupils on field trips and to conduct lessons which cut across subjects.
 
8.      The benefits of these initiatives are exemplified in your SEED programme. I understand that your Primary 1 teachers use their common free periods to plan, share and collaborate on weekly lesson plans.   As a result of the block time-tabling, the Primary 1 teachers have been able to take pupils on learning journeys to the zoo and to conduct outdoor lessons in the school garden that combine art with language, mathematics and science. This experiential learning has made lessons more meaningful and engaging for your pupils.

Emphasis on Values and Character Development

9.      Kheng Cheng has also done well to nurture values among its young students.   Kheng Cheng’s core values of Diligence, Kindness, Courage and Sincerity have been integral to the life of the school since its early years.   Every Monday morning, teachers share with the school a story focusing on values.  There are talks and stories at the school assembly on the core values and pupils draw and tell stories embodying these values.  More importantly, the school strives to build a culture of care.  Kheng Cheng pupils collect old newspapers each month. The money received from the recycled newspapers is channelled into a fund for needy pupils in the school.  Kheng Cheng pupils have also served the community by helping to keep the beaches clean through the seashore programme. Through your service to the community, you are continuing the legacy of your founder.

10.      In providing a holistic education, Kheng Cheng has demonstrated that learning, entrepreneurship and community involvement can take place seamlessly.  This is embodied in the i-seed project for Primary 6 pupils. The i-seed project revolves around the seemingly ‘useless’ seed coat from bean sprouts. It brings together environmental awareness,entrepreneurship, community involvement, language, mathematics and art and craft. In this project, pupils learn to recycle the green bean seed coat as filling materials for toys, pillows, cushions and heat packs. In the process, pupils learn and apply the skills of writing procedural text.  They also apply their artistic skills by producing advertisements for the products they make. Pupils in the entrepreneur club apply mathematical skills and are taught marketing strategies to obtain the best price in the sale of these products. The money collected is then donated to help needy pupils in the school. I understand that the i-seed project has caught the imagination of pupils, teachers and parents and I look forward to seeing aspects of this project on display in a short while.

Building a common understanding and shared memories

11.      Schools play a vital role in helping pupils to develop an understanding of and a respect for different cultures and religions in Singapore, and to to interact with one another. Here too, Kheng Cheng has been making interesting efforts. The school has  taught its pupils about the customs and practices of our different cultures, and has also made these come alive through food, games, dances and the wearing of ethnic costumes. 2 years ago, Kheng Cheng School began to offer Malay as a Mother Tongue. This has opened up opportunities for Malay pupils to study at Kheng Cheng School alongside Chinese pupils. I am glad to know that, at recess, they play badminton or basketball together. It is these everyday interactions, the friendships made and the shared memories of study and play that allow us to keep our multicultural fabric tight and strong.

Community engagement

12.      The official opening of Kheng Cheng School’s new building marks a new phase in the school’s history.  The state-of-the-art building is an advantage for Kheng Cheng, and the school is already making full use of the facilities. But as we all know, it is   the people in the school community who are the key to a quality school.

13.      The development of Kheng Cheng would not have been possible without effective school leadership and committed, capable teachers over the years.  It would also not have been possible without the dedication and support of the school’s stakeholders – the School Management Committee (SMC), the parents and the alumni.   I understand that the concept and execution of this evening’s opening ceremony itself was the result of close collaboration between Kheng Cheng staff and pupils, the SMC and the Parent Support Group.

14.      The SMC members are also alumni of the school and they have been unstinting in the time, resources and effort they have devoted to Kheng Cheng.   For example, Mr Tan Chong Tee, the son of your founder, is a familiar face in the school.   Mr Tan was among the first pupils of Kheng Cheng School. He has continued his mother’s legacy by returning to serve the school in various capacities, for instance, as a chairman of the SMC and by helping to nurture the artistic talents of Kheng Cheng pupils.

15.      I would like to encourage Kheng Cheng School alumni to continue to serve and support your school. I also hope that Kheng Cheng’s pupils will be inspired by you as role models.    And when the pupils graduate from this school, I hope they will think of how they too can serve their school and society with whatever talents and means they have.

Conclusion

16.      With the support of the SMC, parents and alumni, the leadership of your principal, the dedication of the staff and the passion of the pupils, I am sure that Kheng Cheng School will continue to live up to its name and founder’s vision. May you develop as a vibrant school, with a quality all-round education that will unlock every child’s potential.

17.      I congratulate the SMC, Principal and Staff of Kheng Cheng School on the official opening of your new school building and on your 78th anniversary. I now declare Kheng Cheng School open.                                                          

---