SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM,MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE UPGRADED FACILITIES OF PEI HWA PRESBYTERIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL AT PEI HWA PRESBYTERIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL ON SATURDAY, 3 DECEMBER 2005 AT 5.45 PM

Introduction

1. It gives me great pleasure tonight to join you in the official opening of the upgraded facilities of Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School. It is a major milestone, for a school that has gone through immense transformation over the years, from its days as a small community school in a wooden structure to an institution that today serves the nation. Few schools in

Singapore

can attest to such a rich and colourful tradition, going back 116 years.

2. Larger and up-to-date facilities are an important asset in

Singapore

education. They make it possible for teachers to organize many more quality activities for their children. But facilities are of course not by themselves enough. A key component of a quality education is the support of parents and the community. These key stakeholders of the school are partners in its journey towards excellence. Indeed it is this partnership that has carried Pei Hwa Presbyterian through the years.

3. In particular, three threads run common throughout the school's history - a sense of mission, a sense of commitment, and a sense of community.

A Sense of Mission

4. 116 years ago, Preacher Joseph Koh, driven by a vision and a sense of mission, founded this school. He knew the value of education and how it would help the poor level up. With his like-minded co-workers, he started classes for the local community children. So was born Road End Free School, which later evolved into Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School.

5. This same sense of mission was shared by his successors. The village children came in droves - so much so that the school had to be expanded repeatedly to accommodate them. The dedication and commitment of the staff over the years was well known in the local community. And the local community felt it was part of the school. After World War II, it was the local residents that came together to help rebuild the devastated school and to put it back on its feet again.

A Sense of Commitment

6. The staff of the school in the early years not only worked in the school but lived in it. It was just part of their lives. And when it rained and got flooded, the teachers would carry their pupils in their arms one at a time so that they would not fall and slip into the waters.

7. I am told that teachers who lived next to the school, cooked large pots of porridge to feed students who were too poor to have a decent meal. This was in the 1960's. One of these teachers is here today. She is Mdm Yap Koon Phek. I am told that her former pupils who are also present tonight have distinct memories of her feeding them. Her grandfather was a former principal of this school. Her father taught here, she was a pupil here and later became one of its teachers. Her children also studied in this school, and today, her grandchildren. Five generations in all.

8. Apart from teaching, the staff also came together and did what they could to enhance the school. They built a landscaped garden, a playground and a makeshift library. They were led by Mr Wu Zi Tie, a teacher, who watched contractors working, learnt the skills, and shared them with his colleagues.

9. In the 1970's, when many new homeowners in Clementi discarded the wooden doors which HDB had provisioned for their flats, Mr Wu picked them up and used them to build additional classrooms so that more children could be educated.

10. Many of the teachers who taught in the school have stayed on and served their entire career in this school. This too is part of Pei Hwa Presbyterian’s rich and ongoing tradition. The school’s pupils come back as teachers after graduation to pass on the legacy to future generations. I understand the MC tonight, Miss Pang, is a case in point – a former pupil who is now a teacher in the school.

11. The community has been unfailing in its support of Pei Hwa Presbyterian. Whe the school underwent PRIME and raised funds for some of its non-standard facilities, the community supported the fund-raising effort with donations. Many gave off their time and effort, and shared their expertise. In fact, many of the parents started off as parent volunteers for Phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration scheme, but went on to serve beyond the required 40 hours. Some, whose children have graduated from the school, are still serving as members of the school's Community Support Group.

12. One of them, Mrs Valerie Ong, has stayed on as a community volunteer for over 10 years. Her children have since left the school, but she is still serving up to today. I am told that she too is here tonight with other dedicated parent volunteers. This is itself part of the ethos of the school.

Holistic Education

13. Today, Pei Hwa Presbyterian’s new and exciting 7-storey building stands out along Bukit Timah Road. But there is more to a school than just a new building. What matters is how well it nurtures the hearts and minds of its pupils, how well it provides every child a holistic education.

14. Pei Hwa Presbyterian has done well academically as well as in sports and the aesthetics. It has succeeded in preserving and promoting its traditions. But more importantly, it has a strong character building programme, that is supported by its Community Support Group. The programme emphasizes values inculcation, leadership building and character development.

15. The school's teachers themselves crafted their very own Behaviour Award (BA) System for the children, that aims to highlight and encourage good behaviour. Indeed, a school must be held in esteem not principally by its academic achievements but by the moral integrity, altruism, resilience and character of its pupils.

16. Pei Hwa Presbyterian is a SAP school, but make special effort to bring something of

Singapore

’s multiracial identity into school. I am glad that this evening we are going to see a performance of a Dikirbarat and an Indian Dance, presented by Chinese pupils, taught by their teachers. But their success will lie not in how well they execute their moves or how accurate they are in their enunciation, but in the fact that they are now personally experiencing a little part of

Singapore

’s culture, a part other than that of their own ethnic group.

17. I am pleased to note also that as part of Pei Hwa Presbyterian's Good Neighbours' Day observance, pupils prepared greeting cards for their non-Chinese neighbours. Such lessons of understanding and friendship across our different races and cultures should not of course be confined to the school. The pupils can take these lessons learnt back to their homes and be little ambassadors.

The Future

18. As the world evolves, it is very important that we nurture children who will be able to rise to life’s challenges and be the best person that they each can be. The school's programmes, together with its rich heritage and tradition, will stand it in good stead. It is my wish that Pei Hwa Presbyterian's pupils will continue to do the school proud, live up to the school's motto, and display both 'loyalty to Singapore and honesty in one’s character' as they seize trhe opportunities of the future.

19. It is now my pleasure to officially declare open the upgraded premises of Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School.