Ms Yeoh Chee Yan

2nd Permanent Secretary

Mr Simon Tan

Chairman, School Advisory Committee

Mrs Yvonne Chin

Chairperson, Parent Support Group

Mrs Wong Siew Shan

Principal, Elias Park Primary

Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen

Boys and Girls

Good morning

1.                  I am delighted to join you here at Elias Park Primary School to celebrate Racial Harmony Day 2008.  A good education system must nurture in its students a desire to live in peace with people of different colour or creed, and to contribute to national cohesion.  For Singapore, a multi-racial society, this is of vital and continued importance.  This is why we mark Racial Harmony Day as a key event in the school calendar.

2.                  When Singapore became independent in 1965, we faced a multitude of challenges.  We had to educate and house our people, create jobs, set up our own armed forces, develop good relations with the rest of the world, and build a nation from people of different races, religions and cultures.  Because we remained united, we have succeeded.  But our social cohesion cannot be taken for granted.  Each of us must do our part to preserve the strong racial ties in Singapore.

Importance of Racial Harmony

3.                  How can we do this?

4.                  First, we must provide space for people to preserve and express their own cultural heritage, traditions and religious beliefs.  For these reasons, we celebrate Hari Raya, Thaipusam, Chinese New Year and Christmas and encourage all groups to celebrate these occasions together.

5.                  Second, and more importantly, we must continue to emphasise common values that build our common Singapore identity.  Our schools provide a common space for students from diverse backgrounds to have a shared formative experience that make us uniquely Singaporean. In this common space, students of different races, religions and cultures interact, and learn to respect, appreciate and get along with each other.  Teachers in this respect play an important role as examples to show the way for our younger Singaporeans to appreciate the importance of Racial Harmony. 

Supporting Racial Harmony in Schools

6.                  One key component to facilitate racial harmony is the learning of language as languages provide a bridge for us to better understand the cultures around us, both in Singapore and in the region.  This is why we started programs to promote Conversational Chinese and Malay Programmes in our schools, for students who are not taking these languages as their mother tongue.

7.                  In 2006, 87 schools conducted Conversational Chinese and 97 schools conducted Conversational Malay lessons.  In March 2007, MOE announced that it would provide additional resources for schools to implement Conversational Chinese and Malay programmes well.  This initiative has taken off very well, and I am very happy to share that as of this year, 239 schools now offer Conversational Chinese and 249 schools offer Conversational Malay. 

8.                  Schools have also taken to this program enthusiastically.  Some have tapped on their stakeholders such as parents and alumni to teach the lessons, while others have integrated their language programmes with other activities in school.  Some schools have even moved beyond the confines of their own school community.  For instance, students from Bedok Green Secondary School taught Conversational Chinese and Malay to students from nearby Yu Neng Primary. 

9.                  As a whole, feedback from students has been very positive, with students using their new language skills to communicate and interact more with schoolmates of different races and from different countries in the region.  Looking ahead, our goal is to have all primary schools and two-thirds of our secondary schools offer the programme by 2012. 

Elias Park Primary

10.             Each year, MOE adopts a theme for Racial Harmony celebrations in schools.  This year, the theme is ‘Many Faces, One Singapore.’ Schools utilise this theme in a variety of ways to celebrate Racial Harmony, developing programmes and approaches that build on their strengths and focus.  Through their efforts to highlight various aspects of Racial Harmony, students will be immersed and involved in a rich macrocosm of Singapore that will guide their learning and development.

11.             I am happy to see that Elias Park Primary has done very well in this regard.  The school efforts in Racial Harmony are engaging and authentic.  While Elias Marketplace alludes to Singapore’s historical role as a trading hub, Kampong Elias and Singapore Heritage @ Elias Park Alive! or SH@PE Alive! give students a deep understanding of Singapore’s heritage and identity. For instance, the prototype e-Learning Trail uses mobile computers as tools to immerse students in an interactive game as they explore the various NE installations in school. 

12.             Your school has used innovative ways and a holistic approach to help your students develop and is a good example for other schools to emulate.  In recognition of Elias Park Primary’s efforts in National Education, the school has been designated as the Cluster E1 NE Hub.  This morning, we celebrate the launch of this NE Hub with the sealing of a Time Capsule, which will contain memorabilia from all 12 Cluster E1 schools. As the NE Hub, Elias Park Primary will drive Communities of Practice in NE and enhance collaboration and professional development for educators in this Cluster.  Let me take this opportunity to congratulate Elias Park Primary School for her proactive efforts in imparting Singapore’s history and heritage to its students.  I am confident that schools in this Cluster will continue to work closely together to broaden the range of possible NE programmes and experiences for their students.

Conclusion

13.             In conclusion, each of us, young or old, must play our part to maintain and improve Racial Harmony in our schools, neighbourhood and Singapore. We have built a precious island where people of all race and religions live in peace.  We must continue to be vigilant and proactive in our efforts to maintain this social cohesion that we have painstakingly built up over the years.

14.             On this note, I would like to wish everyone a meaningful Racial Harmony Day.  Thank you.