Singapore Government Press Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts,

MITA Building, 140 Hill Street, 2nd Storey, Singapore 179369

Tel: 6837-9666

Mr. Tan Teck Kwee, Principal, Anderson Junior College,

Teachers and guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Students of Anderson Junior College

Thank you for inviting me to your college day celebrations. Anderson Junior College is the best junior college in the North Zone and some of the brightest students in Ang Mo Kio attend this junior college. I am happy to have this opportunity to address you because when I am addressing the young men and young women of this college, I feel I am addressing the future of Singapore.

I know I am addressing some amongst you who will become our future businessmen and entrepreneurs, teachers and principals, doctors and lawyers. You are our future. Unlike other countries we have no natural resources. Our only resource is our people. The government has therefore invested heavily in our education system so that each one of you will maximize your potential.

How do you maximize your potential?

Firstly, You should acquire knowledge. A large part of your education involves the transmission of knowledge from your teachers to you. Examinations are largely a test of the success of this process. Anderson Junior College has done well in this area and I note that in the 2001 exams, 42 students scored 4 ‘A’s and another 100 students scored 3 ‘A’s.

Secondly, you must learn the skills of life-long learning. Much of the technical and scientific knowledge you acquire today will become obsolete. In order to remain relevant to society and to remain employable you need to make life-long learning a part of your life. Even the way a DJ does his job changes with advances in technology. 30 years ago, all music was analog. A DJ would play vinyl records and mix music by recording the music on to broad magnetic tapes. Later he used cassette tapes played on a tape deck. Then came the CD. Now most music is handled in a digital mode and may be downloaded and mixed on a computer It may then be played from an MP3 player or even directly from the computer. I note that Anderson Junior college is teaching you to become self–directed learners by building a credible online repository of resources and encouraging students to do on-line assessments and participate in on-line forums.

Thirdly, to maximize your potential, you must release the talent, creativity and imagination that all of you have inside you, by having a balanced education and spending some time in an ECA, which you find interesting and which brings out the inner potential in you. Anderson Junior College has done well in encouraging its students to achieve a balanced education. You have done well in sports achieving national titles in volleyball and hockey. Your choir and dance groups have achieved gold awards. Anderson JC students have done well in Olympiads and many other competitions like the plain English speaking competition. Anderson JC students have also participated in small business projects within the school.

Fourthly, you must become good citizens. We are a city-state in a dangerous and turbulent world. Only by having civic-minded citizens, citizens who care for society, citizens who will become part of a cohesive, united people, can we continue to enjoy our way of life. Your college motto "Non Mihi Solum" means "Not For myself alone". You must live up to your college motto. Your college has tried to prepare you for active citizenship by encouraging you to follow and understand events like the last general election in November 2001. Your college also encourages you to do community work. You are all old and mature enough to know the importance of being good citizens.

City-states can become great if they can educate their young to become good citizens. This was true even 2500 years ago. The city-state of Athens in Ancient Greece existed in a dangerous world, just like us, where many were envious of its prosperity. By giving education of its youth priority, it not only survived but it achieved a greatness that has not been equaled by any other city-state so far. The young Athenian youth took an oath at the age of 17 when he completed his education. This Athenian oath paraphrased is as follows:

We will never bring disgrace to our City by dishonesty or cowardice.

We will fight for the ideals of our City.

We will obey the City’s laws and do our best to ensure everyone obeys them.

We will build the public’s sense of civic duty.

In these ways we will make our city greater and more beautiful.

This oath is as relevant today to young Singaporeans as it was to young Athenians 2,500 years ago. As long as young Singaporeans learn to become good citizens, Singapore will be strong and will overcome any adversity it faces.

Thank you.

~~ end of release ~~