A very good evening to all esteemed guests,
Faculty members,
Proud family and friends, and,
Most importantly, our graduands.
1. Congratulations!
2. Today marks the beginning of an important milestone in your career. You have answered your calling, and made a significant choice to dedicate yourselves to the growth and development of the next generation.
3. This next generation is growing up in a world that feels more uncertain than ever before. They are navigating:
- a world that is increasingly divided and uncertain, with several major wars taking place, even as we speak;
- rapid technological change and disruption at work, in particular, AI;
- the climate crisis and worries about the future of our planet;
- rising cost of living and pressures around studies, careers, and family; and
- social media that connects, but can also leave them feeling alone, judged, and never "good enough".
4. Many of them carry invisible burdens: anxieties about their prospects, concern for their families, or doubts about whether or not they can truly make a difference.
5. And they will all be in your classrooms, unsure, uncertain, and trying to figure out who they are. Many of them are looking for a mentor, a friend, and a source of inspiration.
6. Some will arrive in your classrooms looking confident and curious. Others will be quietly struggling, or waiting for someone to recognise what they yet cannot see in themselves.
7. But in you, they will see a role model. Your presence in their lives will matter to them, even on the days when it feels ordinary to you.
8. You may never remember what you say in your many moments with your students, but your words, when chosen well, or even when they are not chosen well, can cause them to remember that moment for life, and draw upon it as a source of inspiration.
9. I share one such moment with one of your professors in this hall. When I was going to school in Victoria School, I was a student athlete – but being a student athlete means being more of an athlete than a student. So, with six months to go before the 'O' Level exams, I was staring at C6s for both my A Math and E Math. Associate Professor Lee Ngan Hoe very kindly took his own time to coach me, and he was trying to instil in me simple basics, for example, making sure I start every example on a fresh sheet of paper. Back then, I cheekily told him, "But sir, if I start every question on a fresh sheet of paper, I will waste a lot of paper, but I want to save the Earth." He told me, "Young man, I think you better save yourself before you save the Earth." You can clarify this with him that while this is something he does not remember, it certainly stuck with me for life, and it is the importance of doing things well – basic, simple things – before you think about bigger concepts, like saving the world.
10. Once again, you may never remember the many moments with your students, but your words can cause them to remember that moment for life.
11. You have stepped into this role at a time when we have made significant shifts in education.
- The next generation wants to define success on their own terms. Therefore, we are broadening what meritocracy means in our schools, moving beyond a focus on academic excellence to recognise a broader range of strengths and pathways.
- The evolution of the Gifted Education Programme to a refreshed, more flexible framework that focuses on academic excellence, as well as supports and reaches at least twice as many students, and an increase in places for students entering junior colleges (JCs) through Direct School Admission (DSA) reflect this shift.
- We want every student to find their place and their path, and to help and to support them to achieve their full potential, not just in academics, but also in sports, arts, as well as other fields.
- Your role in their life is key. The best intentions will come to nought unless we have the nurturing presence of our teachers to mentor, to befriend, and to inspire our next generation.
12. I asked my teacher friends what are some of the things I can share with you as you embark on this significant journey, and they suggested three simple things.
- The first is to care. Take the time to see every student. Not just the ones who raise their hands, but in particular the ones who sit quietly at the back. Not just the ones who excel academically, but in particular those strengths show up in other ways – be it in the arts, in sports, or in how they care for their peers.
- Every Parent-Teacher Meeting, do not just meet the parents who show up. Speak to the students whose parents did not show up, or who do not have parents to show up.
- Sometimes our students do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.
13. Jefi Evelin John from the PGDE (Junior College) programme, who teaches General Paper and English Literature, put this in practice.
- Having experienced firsthand how language can shape or shake a person's confidence, she creates classrooms where students feel seen and are free to speak without the pressure of "getting it right". Because she cares.
- During her Practicum, Jefi designed lessons around student-led discussions, drawing on students' real-world interests to bring authenticity and depth into her classroom.
- She also draws on her experience as a debater and debate coach to guide students in organising their thoughts and speaking with clarity.
14. The second is to be authentic. Your experiences – the successes and the failures, as well as the challenges you have navigated, are part of what makes you unique, and it is what makes you a mentor, a friend, and an inspiration to your students.
15. We have Alan Gey from the PGDE (Secondary) programme, who answered the call to be a teacher after nearly two decades as a Chief Financial Officer in the private sector.
- He brings his unique and diverse perspective to the classroom, just like all of you, making learning meaningful by anchoring concepts in everyday context, such as unpacking financial statements through the lens of a bubble tea shop.
- Alan believes that education should build confidence and curiosity, and not just content mastery. Because when you are able to engage you students, you nurture in them a love for learning that lasts for life.
- Every one of you is unique, and you bring something special into the lives of your students. Let your authenticity shine through.
16. The third is to be bold and balanced as you embrace technology, with our students always at the centre and pedagogy at the forefront. Generative AI is reshaping how we teach and learn. If we are intentional in its usage guided by pedagogical considerations, it can broaden access to education and level up our students like never before.
17. Liao Sheng Yang from the PGDE (Secondary) programme, who teaches Music, shows us what this can look like in practice.
- Driven by his own experiences of struggling with abstract, rote-based music lessons, Sheng Yang set out boldly to create the kind of learning he wished he had received.
- During his NIE journey, he began leveraging Generative AI in a balanced way to design interactive visual learning tools, transforming music into something accessible, engaging, and driven by play, and that can be tailored to the learning abilities of different students.
- What started as a personal experiment soon became a powerful teaching approach, also enabling fellow teachers to create and use their own digital tools.
- In one instance, a colour-coded "falling notes" app he developed unexpectedly helped students with dyslexia access music learning.
- By integrating the app into lessons for all students, Sheng Yang created a more inclusive classroom for different learning needs, one that tailors to every student.
18. AI can handle many tasks and streamline administrative duties, but AI will never be the mentor, the friend and the inspiration that you are to your students.
- In an era where technology is omnipresent, your "human touch" will be vital in building resilience and character in our students.
19. So some simple A, B, Cs that I hope will be useful to you as you begin your journey. To be authentic, bold and balanced as you embrace technology, and most importantly, to care.
20. To care because our students and teachers' well-being is always the most important priority. And you have a key role to play in both aspects.
- For students, you are often the first to notice when something is not right. Foster psychological safety within your classrooms. Strengthen connectedness and pro-social behaviours, encourage open dialogue, and allow students to express their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment.
- And when you are able to be a mentor, a friend, and a source of inspiration to your students, they will feel valued, heard, and safe. And you will lay the groundwork for a positive culture that supports the development of every student.
- And teachers' well-being is very important too!
- You are taking a key step to be part of the Singapore education service – one of the best education services in the world. Parents will have high expectations of you. Your colleagues will have high expectations of you. You will have high expectations of yourself. There will be pressure. So take the time for self-care, and for learning and growth.
- When the pressure for grades seems too much to bear, remember that it is not about grades, but it is about nurturing the joy of learning in every student.
- When the pressure to win seems too much to bear, remember that it is not about medals, but it is about nurturing the joy of the arts and sports in every student.
- When the pressure to achieve good results seem too much to bear, remember that it is not about achievements, but about nurturing the resilience in every student to prepare them for life, and that sometimes can come only through setbacks and failures.
- And you are not alone. Supporting teacher and student well-being is a whole-school and whole-community effort – your fellow colleagues including school teachers, School Leaders, parents, especially those in the Parents Support Group, Key Personnel in the Student Development team, School Counsellors, and Student Welfare Officers are all part of this.
- Most importantly, the Ministry is behind you. We are key partners in this work.
21. The road ahead will have its challenges. There will be lessons that do not go as planned, and there will be days when the work feels harder than you expected.
22. But when the day is hard, remember why you chose to be a teacher. Not to be marking scripts late into the night or be swamped with administrative duties. But to be a mentor, a friend, and a source of inspiration to the next generation.
23. And to mould the future of our nation by moulding the people who will determine our future.
24. I wish you all the best as you step into this new chapter.
25. Congratulations, and welcome to the teaching fraternity.