Speech by Senior Minister of State for Education Dr Janil Puthucheary, at the Special Awards Presentation Ceremony

Colleagues, award recipients, ladies and gentlemen.

Good afternoon.

1. Congratulations to all recipients of our Special Awards. This is a proud moment for you, your parents, families, principals and teachers – everyone who has helped you along the way. Behind every young person we celebrate today, there are people who have encouraged you, believed in you, and helped you become more fully yourself.

2. This year is the 60th anniversary of our national pledge – we did not have one when we became independent in 1965. Mr S. Rajaratnam wrote the first draft, and in 1966 on National Day, we said it together as a nation. The pledge is something that our students know very well, reciting it together as a school by heart. One point I want to make about the pledge is that it begins with "we", it ends with "our nation", and in between, it never references "me", "myself", or "I". Our pledge is a testament to our Singaporean spirit – that we will strive together, for each other, and we will together benefit from the progress of our nation.

3. This is especially true in education. It takes a whole network of family, friends, educators, and people who make our school systems run, to give every child every opportunity to become the best version of themselves. It also takes every young person a certain amount of diligence, dedication and commitment.

4. Our Special Awards remind us of what education is for, and what it is about. They do have to do well academically, but they also have to grow as a whole person – developing character, discovering strengths, building resilience, learning to work with others, and finding ways to contribute as one united people. Today, we honour 202 unique individuals who show us that success can take many forms.

5. Every one of our award recipients today has their own story – of perseverance, of pursuing their interests, of finding ways to contribute, and of those who stood by them. Let me share three of these stories, but rest assured that every single one of the award recipients could be in my speech today, and all are equally deserving and equally special.

6. Jefferson Lee Sian Hon, from Fuhua Secondary School, is receiving the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence today.

1. Jefferson believes that if we want to build a "We First" society, we must start with empathy. It means setting aside assumptions and taking time to understand each other. As an intern at NTUC Health, Jefferson helped organise active ageing programmes for seniors. He once made more than 100 phone calls to get just 20 seniors to attend a session. Many would have stopped after a few calls, but Jefferson kept going because he cared about the people he was trying to reach.
2. He showed the same spirit in school, where, as Vice-President of the Student Council and Debate Captain he helped create the Fuhua Annual Interactive Town Hall to encourage more open conversations among students, staff, and school management. Thank you for showing us that empathy can be practical and powerful! Congratulations to Jefferson!

7. My next story is about Danish Qastalani Bin Mohamad Shahrin from Eden School. He is receiving the Lee Kuan Yew Exemplary Student Award.

1. Danish's story is different, but just as meaningful. His journey has been one of steady growth. With the support of his teachers and family, Danish built confidence in communicating with others and trying new experiences.
2. He kept at it. Motivated by a deep desire to connect with others, he persevered to improve his speech by practising daily. He also grew to love Art, which he once found daunting, and went on to take part in competitions.
3. Danish is now attending a Work Experience Programme at Holiday Inn Express. His story reminds us of why we must continue to recognise the many ways learners grow and we must celebrate the progress they make at their own pace. Danish, congratulations. We are very proud of you.

8. Our third story is about a team of students from Nanyang Polytechnic, who are receiving the Lee Hsien Loong Interactive Digital Media Smart Nation Award for their efforts in helping preserve history.

1. This team worked on a very real problem. Artefacts are objects, documents or records from the past that help us understand and preserve our history. Yet processing these artefacts can take up to three months for each item, which makes it difficult to document them quickly and at scale.
2. When the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) approached Jun Han, Prakhar, Joshua, Zheng Yu, Lincoln and Evans with this challenge, the team built an AI platform that digitises handwritten Chinese documents and photographs with up to 95% accuracy. Within weeks of their pilot, the team digitised close to 400 artefacts and cut processing time by 90%. Congratulations to the team from Nanyang Polytechnic!
3. This example brings together two things that matter for our future – technological confidence and a sense of rootedness. The team used new tools to preserve old stories. The skills they have learnt can serve something larger than themselves, just as in my first two stories, both the individuals had served something larger than themselves.

9. Together, these stories and others like them say something important about what we want for our children and what we want for Singapore. We want young people to do well, but also to do good. We want them to discover their strengths, but also to understand the needs of others. We want them to be confident with knowledge and technology, but also grounded in values, community and purpose.

10. I would like to leave you with a few thoughts.

1. I return to the idea embodied in our pledge – what we do, we do together, we do it for each other, and we all benefit from each other's efforts. To our students – stay curious, stay excited about challenges and problems, and ask good questions. The world will keep changing – some of it will be exciting, some of it uncomfortable – but be confident in yourselves because of the good start you have had with your educational foundation.
2. Second, keep trying. You do not have to have all the answers before you can make a difference. Start where you are, with what you have. Take the next step, and then the next one. Learn from the role models around you who have contributed to and built the community that you benefit from.
3. And third, like those role models, keep caring. Achievement becomes most meaningful when it is connected to others – when you help someone, when you strengthen a community, or when you solve a problem that matters to all of us.

11. Once again, congratulations to all our recipients and their families! Thank you for reminding us how young people can grow, lead and contribute. We are proud of you and look forward to what you will do next.

12. Thank you.