RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minister of State, Ministry of Education

Mr Chiang Chie Foo, Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister�s Office / Permanent Secretary, Defence, and Chairman, National Education Coordinating Committee and National Education Committee

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Why NE Matters More Now

1.                  National Education today, just as 10 years ago, reflects a simple premise: that whether we succeed as a nation depends not just on our economic competitiveness and strategies, but on our resilience and cohesion as a people.  We succeed if Singaporeans are prepared to stand together and feel a responsibility for each other.  They must have hope and confidence that we have what it takes as a people to prevail over challenges and turn them into opportunities.

2.                  It is the basic premise that underpins all we do in NE, as relevant now as it was 10 years ago.  But NE is in fact more important now than it was 10 years ago.  The main reasons for this can be summed up in a word  -  globalization.  Both the challenges and opportunities of globalization are more present, and matter more to us now than ever before.

3.                  First, the globalization of extremism.  Ideologies and events that threaten to polarize communities are now instantly spread and instantly accessed globally, via both traditional media and the Internet.  If it is not pushed out to you, it can be pulled.  Anyone can today access websites that promote extremist religious views and violence.  Extremism propagates, with a ease and facility not seen even a decade ago.

4.                  Second, competition is now truly global.  The whole world now competes for goods and services, investments and talent.  Our competitors are catching up fast.  Each year, it gets tougher for Changi Airport to retain its position as the world�s best airport, and for Singapore to remain the busiest port.  But it is not just the region around us that wants to catch up, and not just the two large Asian economic powerhouses, China and India.  Even small economies like Ireland and Slovakia, both with low taxes and attracting investment dollars.

5.                  Competition for people is also more intense.  In the innovation-driven economy, talent is a premium.  Whether it�s New York and London, or Dubai, Mumbai and Shanghai, or a whole web of second tier cities that are emerging and want to be in front of the pack, talent is in high demand.  This includes Singaporean talent.  Singaporeans are emerging as the foreign talent of choice among employers in Asia, or venturing out to seize their own opportunities.  More Singaporeans will work, travel and live in other parts of the world.

6.                  Not only are more Singaporeans going overseas, we are also embracing new immigrants from all over the world.  They are like new branches being grafted onto the tree of our Singaporean identity.  These new branches bring with them new cultures, practices, and viewpoints.  They expand the spread and reach of the tree, and add to its vibrance.  But the trunk and roots must be strong, so that the tree is not uprooted in the squalls that come with a global world.

7.                  There is a third facet of globalization that poses challenge, and will be with us for some years to come.  While Singapore undoubtedly benefits as an economy from plugging into global markets, the benefits of global markets are distributed unevenly.  Incomes will grow faster at the top end, where talents are in global demand.  Not all Singaporeans, especially older, lower-educated or less-trained workers, are able to make an easy transition to new, higher skilled and value-added industries.  We have to do everything we can to help them find jobs.  But it is not only a matter of providing job search assistance, retraining and Workfare programmes.  We must also be a society where the successful feel obliged to help the less successful.

8.                  Globalisation is a big plus for Singapore.  We want to swim with the tide of globalization, be part of its ripples, because that�s how we will prosper.  But we know that a global world brings real challenges that we have to face squarely, resolve and overcome.  Our response has to rest on both economic and social strategies.  As Singaporeans leave our shores to work and live overseas, as new immigrants join our Singapore family; as incomes widen; and as Singaporeans get exposed to and even bombarded with alternative views, ideologies and lifestyles, we have to work harder to keep a sense of shared identity amongst all our citizens and keep our society cohesive.

9.                  We are not alone in wanting to strengthen national cohesion in an increasingly global world.  Many other countries are seeking to entrench a common vision and sense of belonging amongst their people.  In the United Kingdom, new-style citizenship classes are being introduced for children aged 11-16.  From September this year, schools will be legally obligated to promote community cohesion and will be required to show real evidence of how they are doing so.  Schools in all-white areas will also have to twin with those that have a multi-cultural intake  �  so that youngsters can get an understanding of the different cultures in the UK.

10.       In Australia, the Sydney riots in 2005 have prompted a refocus on the teaching of Australian history, and the values and lessons it holds.

11.       Even in Japan, the most homogenous of the developed countries, there has long been emphasis in schools on nurturing good citizenship and instill a common identity among their young.  In May 2007, the lower house of Parliament approved legislation requiring schools to encourage patriotism as part of the compulsory curriculum.

12.       In China too, there is concern over the rise of individualism and a renewed emphasis on values education.  Schools are having to work harder to develop moral character and social responsibility.

13.       So there is no reason for us to be coy about National Education.  It is not the fixation of a nanny-state, but the sensible effort that any country has to make to nurture a sense of shared future and to stay on even keel in an uncertain and divisive world.  Others are renewing their efforts to do this through their schools, and are looking for new ways of instilling a sense of a shared future amongst their young.

14.       But NE is perhaps more important for Singapore than most.  We are an unusual country  -  a country that is no more than a city, fully exposed to global cross-currents; a country with only a brief history of its own; a country of diverse people, giving it vibrance but requiring constant care so that we remain one people; and a country that can take pride in its heritage of languages but lacks a language that can give it unique identity.  (We are quite different from other small countries like Sweden or Denmark.  They too are global players.  But they have long histories, have had relatively homogenous populations for a good part of their histories, and have a language of their own.)

15.       Through education we therefore have to help each new generation build up bonds with each other and responsibility for each other.  They must want to assert their mutual obligations as citizens because they feel they belong, and they draw strength from being part of Singapore.  We have to refine our approaches, adapt them to new circumstances, but not lessen our emphasis on NE.

16.       What matters is to make NE a lively and naturally impactful experience for new generations of Singaporeans, so that the lessons and values stay in the mind as they grow up.  This is what the new approach that we are taking in NE is aimed at achieving.

Engaging and Empowering the Young

17.       In schools, this means engaging our young in experiences together, so that they discover for themselves what it means to be Singaporeans.  It also means providing them the space to develop their own ideas, and find their own ways to contribute to the community.  They must be encouraged to play their own part in writing the Singapore story of the future.

18.       There are many examples of this more engaging approach to NE.  The North Zone schools capitalised on the power of story telling to nurture a sense of heartware and rootedness.  The students collected stories from their friends, relatives, parents and grandparents, and shared them with other students.  The stories are set in both early and contemporary Singapore, and span historical moments like the Japanese invasion and the racial riots.  Through telling and listening to stories and memories, the students developed a sense of the everyday struggles, successes and friendships that make us a community.  The stories have in fact been compiled into a wonderful book entitled "Treasures from the NEST - A Collection of Singapore NE STories From Our Hearts".  I read it last night and found it quite inspiring.

19.       The East 7 cluster of schools is doing a musical drama this afternoon that is another example of this rich and engaging approach to NE.  The schools are weaving together a medley of performances that celebrate the diversity of cultures in Singapore, such as a Dikir Barat performance, a Handbell performance featuring familiar tunes like 'Mo Li Hua' and 'Muunaeru Vaalibaa', a Eurasian dance and a Bhangra dance, and a performance integrating percussion instruments representing the different cultures in Singapore.  In addition, the musical drama also features cultural performances of our ASEAN neighbours such as an Angklung performance, the traditional Indonesian Yapong dance and a Myanmar dance.  Through drama, music and dance, the performance aims to promote broader and deeper inter-racial understanding among students as well as to encourage students to form friendships within ASEAN.  That�s many weeks and months of training, and of enjoying themselves together.

20.       We are seeing more ground-up initiatives in NE.  An example is the Victoria Science Integrated Tutorial or (ViSIT), an e-learning portal to help primary school pupils understand Science concepts.  A group of thirty students from Victoria School organised themselves into an executive committee and four operating departments looking into the content, video, web design and graphics for the portal.  They then approached CDAC, Mendaki and SINDA to use the e-learning portal for pupils in their programmes, and conducted demonstrations of scientific experiments in their schools to reach out to these primary pupils.  That�s ownership.

21.       Another example of a ground-up initiative that benefits the wider community is the Bukit Timah Community Trail, a collaboration between the National Heritage Board and students from the National Junior College (NJC).  This Trail was based on a cultural mapping project by NJC.  Bukit Timah Road spans 25 km, or 17 milestones.  But to many older Singaporeans and Bukit Timah residents, it is not the road but the history and places that define Bukit Timah.  The National Heritage Board further developed the students� work, culminating in a trail that starts at the 9th milestone of Bukit Timah, near the Old Ford Factory, and which provides visitors with an overview of the different eras in the history of Bukit Timah.  I am told it also reveals never-told-before stories of the area.

The Role of NE Practitioners

22.       These are only some examples of how schools have tried to better engage and empower our young through NE.  But our educators remain critical in shaping the overall experience of NE.  Every teacher and school leader shapes our students� perceptions of what being a good citizen is about.  Hence, we must also work to deepen the convictions of our educators in NE, give them the space to try out new methods, and better support their efforts.

23.       We must also do more to tap on the knowledge and experiences of parents, the alumni and people from all walks of life in the community.  People who collectively make the Singapore Story a precious and unique one.  NE cannot be imparted by educators alone.  We require all NE practitioners and the larger community to work on this together.

24.       As NE practitioners, your role is not just to convey information and impart knowledge, but to inspire, encourage, engage and facilitate a process of sense-making and self-discovery about what it means to be Singaporean.  To do that well, your own commitment to and passion for Singapore will be what counts most.  Whether you are teachers, SAF commanders or facilitators, whether you are having a discussion, acting out a drama, telling a story, or leading a learning journey, the Singaporeans that you interact with will take signals from you and be influenced by your own convictions.

Conclusion

25.       I congratulate both the Committee on NE and the NE Review Study Team and for their work in articulating the new directions for NE.  But this would not have been possible if not for the work and effort that all of you NE practitioners have put in over the past ten years.  You have done well in giving students an understanding of Singapore�s past, and our unique challenges and opportunities as a people.  I thank you and encourage you to continue with your good work.

26.       National Education cannot succeed if it is just a government programme.  At the end of the day, it is what you and I feel and what our young feel about this country, the values and qualities of society that we hold dear and the contributions we make to society that will write the next chapter of the Singapore Story.

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