Address by Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister, Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Finance and National Development and President, SINDA, at the Back To School Festival on Saturday, 22 November 2025, at Rainforest Wild ASIA

Members of the SINDA Executive Committee;

SINDA CEO, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;  

Parents and Students.

Opening

1. Good morning everybody, parents, boys and girls. I hope you’re all enjoying yourself.

2. Today, is a special day for us because we love doing the Back To School Festival (BTSF) programme for you. We want you to have a good time and we also want to prepare you for the new school year.

3. This year, we’re reaching 8,500 students from 5,600 families, through $1.7 million in vouchers. What’s even more remarkable is how far we’ve come — in the last five years alone, this number has nearly doubled.

4. This increase reflects how our partners have come together — from MOE schools and Family Service Centres to our fellow Self-help Groups — allowing us to reach more eligible students and support even more families. By working with an extensive network of partners, we have been able to reach and benefit more students.

5. 3,688 of this year’s recipients are receiving BTSF support for the very first time. These families were not previously in SINDA’s fold, and are new both to the initiative, to BTSF and to our programmes — a clear sign that our expanded outreach is successfully reaching out to students who need support.

Big Picture — Why Self-Worth Matters

6. Now, we often talk about education — and rightly so. Education opens doors, builds opportunity, and creates a fairer, more inclusive Singapore. Alongside academics, self-worth is just as important. This is what our programmes and BTSF seeks to strengthen.

7. Research[1] consistently shows this link: low self-esteem is closely tied to youth stress, anxiety, and risky behaviours. But the opposite is also true, when children believe in themselves, they learn better, are better able to bounce back from challenges, form healthy relationships, stay motivated, and really believe in themselves.

8. This belief is at the core of what SINDA does: holistic support underpins everything we do and that is why our theme this year is “Building Self-Worth, Empowering Futures”.

9. That’s why SINDA’s programmes are designed to nourish students holistically — we engage youths through enrichment, mentoring, and workshops that spark curiosity, develop self-awareness, and strengthen emotional wellbeing.

10. Importantly, we also want parents to have the skills and confidence to guide their children. School today is very different to how it was back then – the devices, the techniques the children are learning. We want to equip you with these skills.

11. The most powerful factor that helps children to succeed well – is in how parents show care and concern to their children. This is more important than academics. The one thing that cannot be replaced is a parent’s love and showing your children that you believe in them.

12. Success is when your child knows that they are well-supported by their parents, that their parents believe in them, and see the potential in them.

Connecting to National Priorities

13. Now turning over to national priorities. We want to focus on holistic development.

14. We know that when families are strong, children flourish. This priority places strong emphasis on supporting families, early intervention, and mental wellness.

15. This year, over 5,700 students, or two-thirds of all BTSF recipients, come from families with a per-capita income below $750. In today’s day and age, that is a very low threshold. These are families who are doing their best every day, and BTSF gives them a helping hand to start the year with hope and peace of mind.

16. We want to speak to all families: we are here for you and don’t worry, if you need anything do let us know.

Closing — Collective Vision

17. In closing, I want to say something to the children. Today, is a fun day, enjoy yourselves and be happy as it is the start of the holidays. The reason why we are doing this is because we believe in you. We think that each one of you has the potential. The programmes, the outings, is more than just a fun time, but to broaden your horizons.

18. And when you grow up, we want you look out for your parents and not forget them. One day your parents will get older, and you will be able to take care of them like how they have taken care of you.

19. With that, have a good day, happy holidays and happy new year!

[1] Institute of Mental Health. National Youth Mental Health Study: Key Findings. IMH; 2024.