Mr Ang Jian Kai, Vice Chairman of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Education Committee and Deputy Supervisor of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan Affiliated Schools Management Committee
Mr Jimmy Teo and Ms Joyce Tan, Vice-Chairmans of Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan General Affairs Committee
Mdm Poh Qinyu, Principal of Tao Nan School
1. Thank you so much for inviting me to this very exciting event today. I am truly excited to see the potential of tech as it will bring us forward, as our young minds curate the future for Singapore.
2. The theme of this year's National Thinkers Challenge, "Safety and Wellness in Cyberspace", is timely and essential. In fact, as what was shared by Mr Ang, we are currently debating in Parliament on online safety and the debates will touch on the challenges of the future and the vulnerability of our students. In fact, it is a topic that we are all invested in – ensuring our students are well-equipped to thrive in our increasingly digital world. I look forward to hearing from our budding innovators on your suggestions to promote cyber wellness. Your perspectives as digital natives are invaluable, helping some of us adults who may be looking at the past or future solutions to better understand your experiences and identify solutions that resonate with each and every one of you.
Developing 21cc Competencies in a Digital World
3. At the Ministry of Education, we believe every child has the potential to make a difference. Our responsibility extends beyond the traditional education – we must equip children with the tools, mindset, and provide them with opportunities to realise your potential. We are committed to nurturing creativity, design thinking, and in the context of today's competition - digital literacy, including that of artificial intelligence (AI) — across all education levels, not just in primary schools as this is where we want to be able to start the budding habits to foster lifelong creativity and digital literacy.
4. As we navigate this digital transformation, AI literacy has become as fundamental as traditional literacy of all forms. Our students must understand how to use AI in an age-appropriate level, safe and fit-for-purpose manner for your level of understanding. Beyond just using AI tools, students must know how to think critically about the benefits of their applications, limitations, and implications of AI in our day-to-day lives. This includes developing skills to evaluate AI-generated content, understanding algorithmic bias, recognising the importance of human oversight in AI systems, and appreciating both the opportunities and risks associated with AI in society. This will certainly enhance your learning and our lived experiences without being over-reliant on technology.
5. I commend the National Thinkers Challenge for empowering our children since 2019 to become thoughtful problem-solvers in this context. Throughout this challenge, students applied data science, conducted user interviews, tested viable solutions, and created prototypes to address real-world challenges. This process emphasises the 21st Century Competencies that our schools are actively developing, which are values and skills such as care, empathy, critical and inventive thinking, and effective communication, all of which I am sure came to pass during the pitch and presentations that you had earlier this morning.
6. The emergence of AI has fundamentally changed how we live, work, and interact. With this, the focus on holistic development and strengthening of the 21st Century Competencies such as critical, adaptive and inventive thinking are necessary to enable our students to navigate the world of tomorrow. This will provide the foundation to understanding AI's ethical dimensions, societal implications, and potential to improve lives while remaining mindful of its limitation and the need for responsible use of AI. These competencies work together with our core values and social-emotional competencies to develop citizens who play an active role to improve their community.
Solutions from Our Budding Innovators
7. Let me highlight how our young innovators have exemplified these competencies through their remarkable projects. I am told that some of you came as far as Boon Lay for this national event, and it is really something that we want to be able to permeate through all our schools.
- For example, Yuhua Primary School has designed an AI-powered platform called the "Smart Assessment and Gamified Education", or S.A.G.E, to help their peers navigate online challenges safely. By integrating predictive AI detection, a "What-If" simulator, and gamified cyber wellness education, S.A.G.E. identifies risks like cyberbullying, allows users to explore consequences of online choices, and teaches safety through interactive elements.
- Nan Chiau Primary School developed an innovative AI-driven Gashapon machine that educate youths about online scams through interactive gameplay. Users answer AI-generated questions, receive feedback for learning, and earn rewards through gamification – making digital safety education engaging and memorable.
- Boon Lay Garden Primary School designed an Ulti-Scam Prevention, an AI-powered app featuring smart scam alerts, a supportive chatbot, and educational mini-games. This comprehensive solution protects vulnerable users while building their confidence in navigating digital spaces safely.
8. These projects demonstrate sophisticated understanding of AI's potential for social good while addressing real challenges of cyber safety.
9. To teams who did not reach the finals: I encourage you to participate again. Rather than simply pointing out the problems, each and every one of you who participated in this competition have taken the proactive step of developing meaningful solutions for the society and the future of Singapore. If this programme has instilled in you the habit of thinking critically and proposing solutions, you are already winners. I am told that your effort has hearkened back to March earlier this year and it is no mean feat to continue a good eight months of effort, and I think each and every participant here deserves a huge round of applause. Well done!
Closing and Well Wishes
10. Lastly, I thank Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan and this year's coordinating school, Tao Nan School, for your efforts in promoting an innovative school culture. I look forward to seeing this Challenge grow in the coming years, as it develops the next generation of thoughtful digital citizens.
11. To all our budding young innovators, the digital world needs minds like yours, and this is just the start of the creativity, critical and commitment that you have shown over the past few months. This will take you far in life, and at the same time, becomes your contribution to making cyberspace a place where everyone can thrive. Thank you and I look forward to seeing the various prototypes.