Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts, 36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963. Tel: 3757794/5
SPEECH BY RADM (NS) TEO CHEE HEAN,
MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND
SECOND MINISTER FOR DEFENCE,
AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF
THE NEW CAMPUS OF DUNMAN HIGH SCHOOL
ON SATURDAY, 26 JULY 1997 AT 7.15 PM
1 I am pleased to be with you this evening at the official opening of Dunman High School's new campus. As the Principal mentioned in his report, Dunman High School had very humble beginnings. Over the years, however, with the support of the School Advisory Committee, the Alumni, parents, Principals, both past and present, teachers and pupils, Dunman High has been transformed into one of Singapore's premier secondary schools. May I take this opportunity to commend the staff and supporters of the school for their dedication and hard work and congratulate them on the achievements of Dunman High School.
2 Dunman High School has consistently produced excellent academic results at the GCE 'O' Level examinations. Apart from academic excellence, the school has also emphasised extra-curricular activities, encouraged active participation in community service and provided pupils with a varied and challenging programme to develop their talents and potential to the fullest. As a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school, Dunman High School has retained two strong features of Chinese medium schools - emphasis on the inculcation of moral values and the maintenance of good discipline.
3 Character building, developing a strong sense of shared identity with the community, and civic responsibility are important aspects of the total education of our young. Without a sense of community and togetherness we will lack the cohesion and mutual support to weather the storms we can expect to face as a country. Bonds within the community can only be developed through personal involvement, and these are best developed when young. We need to nurture our pupils to become socially responsible citizens with a sense of duty towards their community and nation. And as more of our citizens show a keen spirit of voluntarism, we will be closer to our vision of developing a caring, compassionate and gracious society. For this reason, our schools will now place greater emphasis on involvement in community work.
4 At the moment, secondary school pupils are involved in community service either through Civics and Moral Education lessons, the Pastoral Care programme or extra-curricular activities. Although our pupils' participation in community service is fairly substantial, not all pupils are involved in community service in a sustained, systematic way.
5 To systematically involve all pupils, a scheme, called the Community Involvement Scheme, will be introduced to all secondary schools in 1998. A pilot scheme involving 8 schools is now underway. We will gather feedback from the pilot schools and then refine our plans for the full implementation next year. The programme will consist of two categories of activities. The first category of activities is aimed at inculcating a caring attitude towards people in the community while the second is aimed at inculcating a caring attitude towards the physical environment. These activities can take place within or outside the school. Examples of activities within the school would include peer tutoring, cleaning the school and maintaining the school compound. Examples of activities outside the school would include befriending the elderly and handicapped, adopting a park or beach and contributing to projects run by the Community Centre or Residents' Committee.
6 Every pupil will be involved in community work for at least 6 hours per school year and the involvement is an integral part of the school curriculum. It will constitute part of Civics and Moral Education as well as the informal school curriculum. MOE is currently also looking into ways to involve primary and pre-university students.
7 Community involvement is an important part of the total education of our young and not meant to be another ECA. Through community involvement pupils will acquire a better understanding of the social needs of the community and develop a positive attitude towards helping others. Through this scheme, pupils will be able to practise the values taught in classroom lessons. In the process they will acquire practical life skills and experience the joy of using their talents to help others. I would therefore urge parents to give this aspect of education their full support and join hands with schools in promoting community involvement.
8 Besides parents who would naturally take an interest in schools, I would also like to encourage private organisations and enterprises to contribute to the total education of our young. The school's involvement in the community brings the school closer to the community. In a symbiotic way, the community's involvement in the school brings the community closer to the school, and also provides an example to young people of altruism, service and care for others. Some firms have taken the initiative to help our schools and I would urge many more to take up this challenge.
9 It is commendable that Dunman High School has made service to others an integral part of their moral education programme. The school is committed to the mission of producing excellent citizens who are caring, willing to serve and able to lead. My best wishes to the Principal, staff and pupils as you celebrate the opening of your new campus. May this important milestone in your school's history spur you on to greater heights.
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