Mr Peter Yeo, Chairman of Chinese High School Board of Directors,
Mr Ang Wee Hiong, the Principal,
Mr Tan Leong Teck, President of Hwa Chong Senior Club,
Mr Ng Soy Ng, President of Hwa Chong Alumni Association,
Mr Lim Boh Chuan, President of College Alumni Association,
Distinguished guests, teachers, parents and students.

It is my pleasure to join you this afternoon to celebrate your annual College Day and the official opening of the College’s extension buildings.

I would like to congratulate the College for its outstanding achievements over the past 29 years. Today’s ceremony marks yet another chapter in the history of Hwa Chong.

With the completion of the new extension buildings, the College will now have new Research & Innovation Laboratories, a bright and spacious library for both print and electronic resources, an administration block housing the staff room and general office, and this 900-seat air-conditioned auditorium. These extension buildings will no doubt contribute to the range and quality of learning programmes offered to students, and better position the College for the future.

Globalisation and technological progress entail rapid change for societies. They change what people do and how they do it. Trade and technology creates new jobs and destroys old ones, re-organises production and work, breaks down old corporate hierarchies, shifts the geographical location of businesses, and alters the nature of human capital and skills. We have been a high-skill, high value-added economy which provides high paying jobs. We have to move to a high innovation, high entrepreneurial economy which is characterised by rewards from high profit-sharing. Our ability to compete and prosper as an economy will rest on our ability to innovate, rather than just the ability to absorb and adapt advances made elsewhere. We will have to venture into new growth industries, and generate new technologies, products and services. We will need to raise the level of innovation, enterprise and risk-taking to maintain our competitive edge.

Every Singaporean must prepare himself for this dynamic future. Our young must be flexible, adaptable, and able to keep pace with the changing world. They must be enterprising and creative, willing to learn throughout life and experiment with new ways of doing things. They must acquire analytical and problem-solving skills, and also inter-personal skills to work effectively with others. They must be able to draw knowledge from diverse sources and generate new insights. They must learn to take risks and make choices.

There is no single pathway to prepare our students, and no singular set of skills and talents that will secure our future. We are therefore providing more diversity in education for Singaporeans to choose different pathways, to fully develop their different talents and abilities.

Over the years, we have introduced greater customisation to better cater to students’ different aptitudes and abilities through streaming, and special programmes like Elective Programmes in Language, Art and Music. We have done much to provide opportunities for students from across all abilities to maximise their potential, including the Gifted Education Programme, Learning Support Programmes at the primary level, refining the Normal (Academic) Course, and developing the ITE into a premier technical institution.

In November last year, Parliament endorsed the recommendation of the JC/ Upper Secondary Education Review for a more diverse upper secondary and JC landscape, in terms of programmes, mix of schools and terminal qualifications. Specialised schools in Maths and Science, and in Sports will be set up. The Ministry of Education will similarly support the setting up of an Arts School if this is spearheaded by the Arts community. Schools will be allowed to offer terminal qualifications other than the ’O’ and ‘A’ levels.

New Centralised Institute. We will also enhance the delivery of 3-year pre-university programmes. The two Centralised Institutes, Jurong Institute and Outram Institute, will merge into a single institution with effect from 1 Jan 2004. The merger will allow the two institutes to consolidate their expertise and teaching resources, and provide its students with more customised programmes that better meet their needs. The merged institute will move into new premises in 2007 where it will have additional and improved facilities.

Art Elective Programme in Hwa Chong. From 2004, ACS(I), NJC, and the Raffles and Hwa Chong family of schools will introduce integrated programmes that offer seamless upper secondary and JC education. I am pleased to note that the Integrated Programme offered by the Hwa Chong family of schools will focus on experiential learning and emphasise character building. Students will be exposed to a broad-based curriculum in the first three years of the six-year programme; in the last three years, they will focus on a few major subjects while engaged in a wide variety of elective and enrichment programmes. In addition to the other programmes currently being offered, Hwa Chong will offer the Art Elective Programme (AEP) together with The Chinese High School, so that its students can pursue the AEP from secondary through to JC level.

Independent JCs. To allow for more effective delivery of the Integrated Programme, MOE has approved applications from Hwa Chong and Raffles Junior College to become Independent institutions, just like their affiliated secondary schools. Both Hwa Chong and Raffles Junior College are institutions of distinction. Both have a record of excellence in academia, sports, the cultural and performing arts, character building, and leadership grooming. Both have earned the confidence of students, parents and stakeholders. Therefore, both colleges are well-placed to chart new waters, and we have every confidence that independent college status will see these two colleges scale even greater heights.

Extension of Edusave Scholarships Framework. We will continue to adhere to the principle that any child regardless of his socio-economic background can be admitted to any national school based on merit. The framework of Edusave Scholarships will therefore be extended to ensure that any deserving student will be able to attend these institutions. Edusave Scholarships for Independent Schools will be extended to the JC level, and will also be available at the new Specialised Independent Schools – the Sports School, and the Maths and Science School. In addition, new Edusave Scholarships will be introduced for deserving Integrated Programme students who enter the programme at the Secondary 3 and JC1 insertion points.

Taken together, all these improvements ensure that young Singaporeans will have a wide array of educational options and the opportunities to progress as far as they are capable of.

Our efforts to enhance the education system must be complemented by the inculcation of sound moral values and a strong sense of community in our students. The high investment we make in our students is only justified if it is matched by the quality of their commitment and contribution to our country.

We can only climb to greater heights as a country when those who have climbed the highest because of what society is able to provide, are prepared to also bear the heaviest responsibilities, and have the keenest sense of social and community obligation to help their fellow citizens climb higher.

One of Hwa Chong’s key strengths has been its ability to anchor its students in sound moral values and a strong sense of community. With its rich history and heritage, Hwa Chong has helped keep alive the best traditions and ethos of the old Chinese schools, and instilled traditional Chinese values and social discipline in some of our top students.

Our schools must play their part in ensuring that our students imbibe sound values, a keen sense of social responsibility and a strong work ethic. This will enable them to face adversity with fortitude, and develop in them a strong commitment to society and nation. These cultural traits drive us to achieve, and underpin Singapore’s resilience as a country. These are the qualities we must transmit across the generations for Singapore’s continued progress.

Before I close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Ch’ng Jit Koon, the Chairman of the College Management Committee and the Chairman of the Board of Governors for The Chinese High School. Mr Ch’ng has served for a term of 3 years as Chairman, during an important period in the development of Hwa Chong and The Chinese High School. He has brought unity and focus to these two outstanding institutions and galvanized the support of the alumni, parents, staff and students to take these institutions on to new heights. I would like to place on record my personal thanks to Mr Ch’ng as well as the thanks of the Ministry of Education and the stakeholders of these two institutions, as he hands over the Chairmanship to Mr Peter Yeo.

In closing, let me congratulate Hwa Chong once again on the official opening of the extension buildings. Congratulations, too, to all prize-winners. You have done yourselves, your parents, your teachers, and your College proud. May you continue to do Hwa Chong and Singapore proud by being the best you can be, and serving Singapore in the best way you can.

Thank you.

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