I congratulate you on the launch of the 5^th World Tamil Teachers’ Conference. This conference provides an excellent opportunity to Tamil teachers from 11 countries to exchange methodology and modern techniques among the Tamil teachers of the world. The Singapore Tamil Teachers’ Union has played an important role in hosting this meeting and I commend them. To the foreign participants, I bid you a warm welcome to Singapore.

Tamil is one of the oldest languages in the world. Sanskrit and Latin were also ancient languages. But they ceased to be spoken languages. Tamil however continues to be a living language.

There are Tamil-speaking peoples in many parts of the world. Outside India, large numbers reside in Singapore, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Fiji and South Africa.

In Singapore, Tamil is one of the four official languages. Tamil thrives as a vibrant spoken and written language among the majority of Indians in Singapore. Students study it from primary to pre-university levels and also at kindergartens. We have regular television programmes in Tamil and also Tamil radio programmes. We also have a Tamil newspaper in Singapore. Tamil is used in Government campaigns, public education programmes and other public functions regularly.

For all of us, whichever part of the world we come from, it is a challenge to keep Tamil as a relevant and vibrant language. This is because Tamil-speaking communities are minority communities in most countries.

How do we meet this challenge? It requires the combined effort of all sections of the Tamil-speaking population.

Parents and teachers must encourage students to use the language as much as possible. Tamil speakers must be encouraged to talk to each other in Tamil. The Tamil media, the press, local writers and performers must likewise be encouraged.

Since this is an elite audience of Tamil teachers, let me stress the important role that you all play. There is a certain dilemma which educationists have. On the one hand, teachers and others involved in working out curriculum and textbooks naturally want to ensure high standards are maintained.

On the other hand, the level of standards which we expect our students to attain in the schools must be proportionate to the overall standard of education expected in the various levels. If the levels we set poses unusual difficulties and they cannot cope, then the issue is: are we setting too unrealistic a standard?

It is not a question of getting students to pass examinations when they do not make the grade. It is more than that. It can put off students. They lose interest and enthusiasm in the subject. As Chairman of SINDA’s Board of Trustees, I have attended dialogue sessions where parents complained that they very much wanted their children to do Tamil, but the children disliked the subject. Another parent, a very prominent professional well-versed in Tamil, told me he was quite shocked to go through his son’s textbook and worksheets. He himself had difficulty in answering the questions.

What should be the right balance? I hope this is one issue which you can discuss. Each country has to decide what is best for that country, given the conditions prevailing there.

As regards Singapore, I am very glad that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has been alert to the problem. In 1998, MOE set up a Tamil Language Review Committee to review the teaching and learning of Tamil language in schools. The Committee received valuable feedback and input from the Indian community, including the Indian MPs. The recommendations of the Tamil Language Review Committee were announced in February 2000 and I am glad that MOE has accepted the key recommendations. This included recasting the curriculum and preparing new textbooks. For all these reforms to be implemented smoothly and quickly, the support of the Tamil teachers and experts in the Tamil Curriculum Unit is needed.

Finally, let me also stress the importance of Tamil being geared up for the internet and other technological developments. The first World Tamil Internet Conference was held in Singapore. The 3^rd Tamil Internet Conference was also held in Singapore in the year 2000.

Tamil internet has a powerful link among Tamils from all over the world. In Singapore, computer and internet are used in the classroom to make learning of Tamil more interesting and help in promoting self-learning. Currently 30% of the lessons are computer-based. All schools offering Tamil, have internet and word processing in Tamil, so that the Tamil students can learn with interest and effectively communicate with Tamil Diaspora as well.

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