Speech by RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education, at the Commemoration of Racial Harmony Day and National Day in Fairfield Methodist Secondary School, on Wednesday, 8 August 2007 at 11.25 am

SPEECH BY RADM (NS) LUI TUCK YEW, MINISTER OF STATE, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, AT THE COMMEMORATION OF RACIAL HARMONY DAY AND NATIONAL DAY IN FAIRFIELD METHODIST SECONDARY SCHOOL, ON WEDNESDAY, 8 AUGUST 2007 AT 11.25am

Mr James Soh, Executive Director of the National Youth Achievement Award Council

1 I am pleased to join you on the eve of our nation’s birthday and as the school comes together to commemorate Racial Harmony Day and National Day. Let me also congratulate the school on her 119th Founder’s Day which took place last week. The early years of the school predates our independence but we have seen the school made significant strides in recent years that mirror the dynamism of this country.

2 This year, we celebrate National Day in a happy mood. The future is promising for Singapore and Singaporeans. We are at the heart of a rising Asia that will offer us immense opportunities in the coming years. We have many strengths to draw on and much to be thankful for - a cohesive, multi-racial community, a disciplined and well-educated workforce, an orderly and corruption-free society and a beautiful living environment.

3. The theme for this year’s National Day is “Singapore: a City of Endless Possibilities.” It encapsulates very aptly the outlook that we have envisioned for our future in the years ahead; strong economic growth and more jobs, many diverse pathways to succeed and make good, different ways to contribute and give back to society. As beneficiaries of a top-class education system and the brand value associated with Singapore, young Singaporeans will also enjoy endless possibilities in where to study, work and live. Some may choose to do so for extended periods outside Singapore. But if the roots are deep and his homing instincts strong, we can take the boy out of the country, but we will never take the country out of the boy.

4 Thinking global, staying rooted is one of the emphases and outcomes we hope to achieve in our education system. In tandem with the pursuit of academic excellence, we must endeavour to help each generation of young Singaporeans develop a robust sense of their national identity and cultural heritage as well as a sense of belonging and an emotional rootedness to Singapore and home.

5 National Education is an important pillar of the education system. It provides a platform for us to study, understand and appreciate how we transited from a turbulent past to a protracted period of stability and growth and why we can face the future with confidence. It is also a platform to remind us of our inherent vulnerabilities and that we need to continually hone our instincts for survival. It empowers and provides avenues for students to make a positive difference to society, to direct their energies and aspirations into worthwhile causes and meaningful activities that will benefit the community.

6. The previous articulation of “love, know and lead Singapore” as the respective NE outcomes for primary, secondary, and post-secondary levels may have unwittingly led to an over-emphasis on one particular outcome at each stage to the exclusion of others. So, as students progressed from ‘love’ in primary school to ‘know’ in secondary school, the intellectual component took precedence. As students grow, we have to engage their minds in ways that do not lose touch with their hearts. Hence, the recent review on National Education recommended the ‘Head, Heart and Hands’ framework.

7. In engaging the “Head”, we want students to be actively involved in their own learning; we want them not just to know the facts but to think through issues and arrive at a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Singapore and what it means to be Singaporean. In engaging the “Heart”, we want students to connect emotionally with the Singapore story; we want them to love, appreciate and feel a deeper sense of belonging to this place as home. In engaging the “Hands”, we want students to give back to society and to want to do their part to contribute to and create Singapore’s future and, where possible, to lead in different fields of society.

8 Schools are encouraged to customize this holistic and wholesome approach to NE so that the NE experience is meaningful for each student. I am pleased that Fairfield Methodist Secondary has worked hard to shape its NE curriculum by planning a unique series of “orienteering” activities this morning. I understand a total of 11 stations island-wide, from Chinatown to Changi Airport, were planned for students to actively engage in rediscovering, or perhaps discovering, their roots and the nation’s story. Such activities leverage on the element of fun and interactivity to deliver the NE message in an engaging way.

9 Another heartening point to note in this morning’s excursion was that parents were actively encouraged to participate in the activities. This is in consonance with our next phase of NE which aims to strengthen school-community-family linkages. I believe this is a long-term investment that will yield good fruit over time.

10 Finally, let me commend the school for its efforts and encourage you the teachers to continue your fine efforts in delivering a holistic and wholesome educational experience to your students. Learning experiences like what the students have enjoyed this morning, coupled with a time for reflection and contemplation, will foster an abiding appreciation of the geography, history, culture and heritage of Singapore as well as the exciting possibilities ahead of us.