May I first extend my warmest congratulations to staff and students on the school's 62^nd anniversary. I wish the school many more good years.

I want to take a leaf from Chinese history, to highlight the importance for schools, societies and communities to improve themselves on the basis of the future, and not the past.

Technologically, modern-day China lags behind the US, Japan and other Western economies, at least for now. This is surprising, really. For long periods of history, China was scientifically way ahead of the rest of the world. The Chinese invented the compass, gunpowder, the seismograph, paper, printing, and fireworks. They were the first people to make wines and kites, and harvest silk to make clothes and fans. Recently, some researchers even claimed that the Chinese sailed to America before Columbus did.

Why did China lose its lead?

Many historians believe that a major reason was ancient China�s over-emphasis on the past.

After Confucianism became the dominant school of thought during the Han dynasty period (106 BC to 23 AD), the past exerted a very strong influence on Chinese society. It was then commonly said that it was crucial to study the past for any initiative to succeed. The emperor and his court saw themselves as guardians of the past, and used the past to legitimise their positions. The people drew grand lessons from the past, and turned to the past in times of crisis.

The social class system in ancient China further emphasised the importance of learning about the past, at the expense of more productive economic pursuits. �Shi Nong Gong Shang� - "Scholar, Farmer, Artisan, Merchant" � in that order, was the prevailing social hierarchy. The scholar, or government official, enjoyed great respect and high social status.

To move up the social ladder, students worked hard to pass the imperial examinations, so that they could get a high position in the government, and consequently, a good life. These imperial examinations focused on the classics, literature, poetry and history. Knowledge of such subjects hence became equated with success in life.

Indeed, by the end of the Han dynasty, the study of the past had been entrenched. But learning about the past as a means of moving into officialdom and advancing one�s social status, took its toll on originality, creativity and scientific and technological progress. It froze China in past knowledge. The environment was not conducive for creativity and innovation. Just look at Chinese ink painting as an example. Unlike western painting, there was little experimental painting in new styles and medium.

As a result, the later Chinese dynasties failed to maintain China's early lead in science and technology, and China fell behind the West.

My point is, we must not be prisoners of the past, however glorious it was. We have to look ahead, rather than behind. We must know the past, so that we can understand the present and how we arrived. But we cannot rest on past achievements, or assume that what has worked before, will work as well in the future.

This is why the Government undertakes frequent reviews of our education system.

Our schools must keep up with changes in the world. Their academic syllabus must be constantly updated to meet the needs of tomorrow's economy. They must also improve their methods of instruction to reach out to children who have different temperaments, interests, and abilities.

In this regard, MOE has been forward-looking rather than resting on its past achievements. It understands the direction in which our economy is moving, and the capabilities we would need to nurture in Singaporeans. In recent years, it has introduced an ability-driven education. Greater autonomy has been given to schools to evolve different programmes to meet the different needs of their students. The curriculum has also been streamlined to provide for development of thinking skills, creativity and other qualities needed to cope with new challenges.

Academic instruction, though, is not the only responsibility of schools. Nation building is another core responsibility.

So as schools review their programmes to improve the quality of education, they must, at the same time, do more to strengthen social cohesion. Our schools are an important common area where our young learn about unity and togetherness. There, they interact with other Singaporeans of all races, religions and social backgrounds. They learn to identify themselves as Singaporeans.

I am pleased that Ngee Ann Primary has expanded the common area for young Singaporeans. It started out as a clan-based school catering to a select segment of the community. But it has since moved into the HDB heartland and taken in children of all races and religions. It has embarked on several initiatives to knock down barriers between students of different races. For example, last year, the school set up a multi-racial "gamelan" Malay Cultural Ensemble Group.

One change that MOE is effecting that can enhance cross-cultural interaction is in the extension of its third language programme.

Currently, students in the top 10% of a PSLE cohort are eligible to study a third language in secondary school - French, German, Japanese, or Malay - in addition to English and their Mother Tongue. Someone asked me recently if MOE could offer Chinese as a third language to non-Chinese Singaporeans, in the same way that Malay is now available as a third language to non-Malay Singaporeans. I asked MOE to consider.

I am pleased to announce that MOE has agreed to this proposal. Starting from 2004, MOE will offer Chinese as a third language for non-Chinese students with the aptitude for it.

MOE will also be relaxing the eligibility criteria for the existing Malay as a Third Language programme, so that more non-Malay students can qualify. This relaxed criteria will also apply to the Chinese as a Third Language programme.

I am happy to see that Ngee Ann Primary has progressed far beyond its origins as a Chinese clan-based school. It is now a well-regarded, national primary school offering a good education to Singaporeans of all races.

In your evolution, you have managed to retain the best of your traditions through the continued contributions of the Ngee Ann Kongsi, while building up strong support from the larger community in the Marine Parade area. I am glad that you are closely involved in the activities of the Marine Parade community. The community leaders of Marine Parade appreciate your generosity in allowing them to use your premises for community events and functions.

I am particularly pleased to see this strong partnership between school and community. A society built of self-interested individuals has no future. For Singapore to last as a nation, our schools must nurture successive generations of Singaporeans who have a strong sense of empathy and responsibility towards each other, and a deep emotional attachment to the nation and community.

Ngee Ann Primary is playing its part in this respect. I wish the school more years of success.

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