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 Ch'ng Jit Koon, Chairman, Board of Governors

Members, Board of Governors

Mr Koh Yong Chiah, Principal

Distinguished Guests,

Teachers, Parents and Students.

Good morning

I had the opportunity to chat with some of today’s finalists earlier in the morning, and I am impressed by the variety and scope of interest, that the project creators pursued.

I am glad to see so many of you benefiting from the emphasis placed by your school on project-based learning. The quality of the projects today attests to the schools’ efforts in helping students move beyond textbook learning and classroom teaching. Students are encouraged and supported as they embark on their own learning journeys, and are imbued with the spirit of research and inquiry.

This instinct for discovery and creation of new knowledge is vital for our continued well-being.

Increasingly, young people must set out to seek solutions and answers to the demands of rapidly changing economic and social environments. Our young must prepare themselves to study, work, and play in a constantly changing world. Our schools, our parents and, especially our teachers, have a role to shape and change young mindsets so that they are confident and alive to new challenges and opportunities. The project-based learning approach, which emphasizes creative approaches to problem solving and value creation, would put our young Singaporeans in good stead for the future.

For example, the project on Achievement Motivation among Young Singaporeans has potential to one day emerge as a suitable dissertation for even a Master's degree in Social Sciences or Education. The fact that it was a project done by a group of Secondary Two students makes it very commendable. Perhaps one of the team members might pursue such a topic in future. Another research project entitled, Nature's Workers, on cellulose synthesis, offers the potential for commercial application in the paper industry. This is an example of how the discovery and learning process through project work can result in new value creation. In fact, a number of projects developed by the students have already attained commercial viability, and one of these will be receiving a special award today.

The high quality of the projects that students have produced can be attributed to two key initiatives by the school in recent years to develop their research teaching capacity.

One of these is the opportunity given to serving teachers, to read for a Masters degree in the local universities or through a collaborative in-house scheme with the University of Western Australia (UWA). Currently thirty-eight teachers from the school are participating in the UWA programme. This will help the teachers to upgrade their skills and encourage them to adopt a more reflective and inquiring approach in the way they educate their students. In this way, teacher-practitioners are in a better position to help their students in their journey of discovery and creation.

Secondly, the school has set up a number of learning and research centers (LRC) within the campus to complement the formal curriculum. These LRCs, as they are called, provide the school with the means to collaborate with external organizations and companies. These alliances have given an added impetus and significance to what the students are learning. In addition, the school has set up a Young Explorer Fund to encourage and support students who wish to embark on research projects.

I would like to offer my congratulations to all the Grand Finalists today, and I would like to encourage you to continue your research pursuits, and challenge you to further develop your projects for practical, or commercial applications. I also wish to commend teachers and the school, for creating these opportunities for your students. Well done!