I am pleased to be here today to celebrate the achievements of all 116 recipients of the 2012 Special Awards. These awards celebrate different aspects essential to the holistic development of our students: self-improvement; excellence in mathematics, science and languages; and outstanding service to the community. I would like to congratulate all of the award recipients, as well as the friends, family members, principals and teachers who have played a part in their achievements.
Our schools aim to provide a holistic education, one that focuses on imparting values and character as well as skills and knowledge. All our award recipients demonstrate positive character development and commitment to serve the community, and values such as industry, discipline, rigour, resilience, and commitment to society. Such values are essential to the building of character and of our nation, and to Singapore?s next phase of development.
One of the winners of the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Mathematics and Science in the Polytechnic category, Teh Kai Wen is an example of a student whose achievements are marked by independence, tenacity and a creative and inventive mind. Kai Wen has made his mark in the polytechnic and developed a unique cloud forensic application for use by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). This application can collect, store, analyse and present relevant data from the Facebook user space. It can go through vast amounts of Facebook information automatically, hence saving time and streamlining investigative procedures. This application was developed through Kai Wen?s exceptional technical capabilities and, more significantly, his sense of curiosity, as well as his patience and determination in solving problems.
Like Kai Wen, all of the award winners have given back to their community in their own ways and they have contributed to very meaningful initiatives and projects for society. One example is Ang Jie, a Prime Minister?s Book Prize winner for the second time. She has been able to balance her academic achievements in school with non-academic activities, like mentoring her peers in Literature and Science, volunteering in the Member of Parliament Attachment Programme and serving in the National Library Board?s ?Friend of the Library? scheme. I?m sure she?s very meaningfully occupied, not just in school but in many of these community initiatives. She sees herself as being immersed in the larger community and therefore community service is a natural extension of where she is located.
Another award winner I would like to mention is Lim Han Long, a recipient of the Lee Kuan Yew Award for Outstanding Normal Course Students. Han Long has demonstrated resilience and leadership, through difficult circumstances in life. He has taken all the challenges in his stride and has been a top student of his level for four consecutive years. Besides excelling in academics, he has also contributed and participated actively in community life and volunteerism. He is a volunteer who works with the elderly, and a role model and mentor to his juniors in the National Police Cadet Corp.
Like all the other award recepients, Goh Jia Hui, a recipient of the ?Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship To Encourage Upgrading?, is very thankful to his teacher for enabling him to arrive at where he is today. Entering secondary school with a not so good PSLE score, Jia Hui got into fights and even received a caning for his misbehaviour. But his form teacher in secondary school continued to believe in him, and gave positions of responsibility. With her guidance and support, Jia Hui emerged the top ?N? Level student in Singapore in 2009 and a winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence in 2010. Jia Hui owes much of his success to the teacher who never gave up on him.
Our education system offers multiple pathways to meet the needs of our students. Muhammad Asyraf bin Chumino, a recipient of the Lee Hsien Loong Award for Special Achievement, is a young man who has consistently striven to do his best in every area of his life. Asyraf had to leave school in Primary 4 when his father passed away. When he finally got the chance to enrol in NorthLight School in 2010, Asyraf was determined to better himself for his mother?s sake. He was a member of the Student Leaders Executive Committee as well as Captain of the school?s soccer team, and he displayed outstanding leadership in both of these responsibilities. He juggled his studies and leadership roles with a part-time job so that he could supplement his family?s income. He did well enough to emerge the top student of the 2011 cohort.
Each of the award recipients who are here receiving a prize has a story to tell. Each one of them has worked hard to overcome adversity and all of us can be proud of their achievements. We also have a education system that support and provide opportunities for all our young people to excel in different areas.
The stories of our award winners are an inspiration to us all. They remind us that as we progress as a nation, we must maintain a firm commitment to fairness and justice: the provision of equal opportunity for all, greater social mobility, and a quality of life that improves with each generation. They also remind us that education is not just about achieving academic success, but about developing the whole person. It is about imbuing in our children character and values, so that they grow up with a strong sense of personal responsibility and the commitment to serve our fellow citizens and our nation.
We are proud of all our award winners. Each of you knows what it took to get here. It has not always been an easy journey. All of you have shown grit and determination in your achievements. Let me congratulate all of you once again, and wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Source: http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/speeches/2012/08/16/speech-by-mr-lawrence-wong-at-17.php
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