SPEECH BY MR CHEE HONG TAT, MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND SECOND MINISTER FOR FINANCE, AT THE SINDA EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2024 ON 14 SEPTEMBER 2024

Minister for Home Affairs and Law, and Chairman of the SINDA Board of Trustees, Mr K Shanmugam;

Members of the SINDA Board of Trustees;

CEO of SINDA, Mr Anbarasu Rajendran;

Award Recipients and Family Members;

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Good morning and I am delighted to join you today at this year’s SINDA Excellence Awards, as we celebrate and recognise our students for their outstanding achievements in both academic and non-academic fields.

2. I would like to begin by offering my congratulations to all the recipients this. All of you have worked hard to achieve your goals, and I am sure your family and teachers are very proud of you. Please keep up the good work!

The SINDA Excellence Awards

3. Over the past 30 years, the SINDA Excellence Awards Ceremony has served as a hallmark event to recognise Indian students for their outstanding achievements in both academic and non-academic fields.

4. Looking at the MOE’s 2023 Education Statistics Digest, Indian students have continued to perform well. Let me share some data points.
   1. About 96% of Indian students from the Primary 1 cohort have progressed to post-Secondary education;
   2. Over 84% achieved at least five O-level passes; and
   3. Indian students’ overall performance at the GCE A-Level examinations has improved over the last decade.

5. The number of SINDA Excellence awardees have also grown steadily over the Compared to 10 years ago, today’s ceremony sees:
   1. A 107% increase in the total number of award recipients;
   2. Close to 5 times increase in the number of PSLE recipients;
   3. A four-fold increase in the number of GCE O-Level recipients;
   4. More than double the number of GCE A-Level recipients; and
   5. More than ten-fold increase in the number of local university

6. This reflects the growing achievements of our Indian students at different education levels, and this year, SINDA honours the largest cohort of awardees in the ceremony’s history with 859 awardees!

7. I am glad that SINDA has expanded its awards criteria over the years to also recognise students who have excelled in areas of sports and the arts. It is important to celebrate both academic and non-academic excellence, as part of our holistic education

Recognising a broader definition of success

8. This brings me to my next point of recognising a broader definition of

9. At last month’s National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lawarence Wong spoke about charting a refreshed Singapore dream to better support the aspirations of Singaporeans – one that was not defined by material success alone, but also offering meaning and purpose in careers and We want to work with all Singaporeans to achieve this goal and enable as many people as possible to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

10. For many of us, it means having the opportunity to thrive in Singapore, regardless of our family background and starting points in life, as well as the freedom to pursue our passions and aspirations. This is why our education system has also evolved more pathways to support students in exploring a diverse range of specialisations according to their aptitude and interests from a younger age.
    1. The Subject-Based Banding system for primary and secondary enables students to take a combination of subjects at different levels, tailored to their strengths in each subject.
    2. We are doing away with the current Gifted Education Programme. Starting with this year’s Primary 1 cohort, students will be selected for high-ability programmes at multiple junctures between Primary 4 and 6, instead of a one-off selection at Primary These high-ability programmes, which will be offered by all schools, are expected to benefit about 10% of the cohort, and will provide more options for our high-ability students to stretch themselves and go further for the subjects which they are strong in.

11. The Government is also increasing support for Singaporeans to pursue non- academic talents. Last month, Minister Edwin Tong announced the details of a new scholarship for undergraduate student-athletes, as well as CPF top-ups for those under the Sports Excellence Scholarship, providing greater assurance to our athletes that their tertiary education will be taken care of, as they pursue their sporting goals.

12. As a society, we recognise there is no one-size-fits-all approach, nor a pre-defined path to success. There are multiple pathways and many peaks of excellence. But what has not changed is that success does not come automatically without effort and hard work. Whichever education or career pathway you choose, you must work hard and overcome challenges if you want to do well.

13. I would like to highlight three SINDA Excellence Awardees who have embodied this spirit of excellence, while displaying remarkable resilience along the way.

14. Among our recipients present today is 19-year-old Mr Nandakishore Puvaneswaran. During his time in ITE, Nandakishore studied Mechanical Engineering, even though he had always aspired to be a Chemical Engineer.

15. Despite taking on various temporary jobs, such as sorting parcels in a warehouse to contribute to his family’s income when his father could no longer work due to health issues, Nandakishore’s passion drove him to study hard and work tirelessly throughout his time in ITE.

16. His hard work eventually paid off when he performed exceptionally well in his higher NITEC studies and was able to pursue a course in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, where he is now a second-year student. Congratulations Nandakishore!

17. Also, with us today is 48-year-old Ms Sinha Shilpa, who is receiving a SINDA Excellence Award for her exemplary performance in her postgraduate NIE diploma.

18. Shilpa is a dedicated teacher and mother of two, she has been a beacon of resilience and determination to those around her. Besides looking after her children, Shilpa also supports her mother-in-law through a courageous battle with cancer while doing her course at NIE. Despite facing numerous challenges, Shilpa continues to excel in her work, not just for personal achievement, but because she wants to make a difference in the lives of her students.

19. As a teacher, Shilpa has introduced several teaching methods which enable students to choose their own their learning paths and explore topics of She also creates a dynamic and inclusive learning environment where every student feels empowered to reach their full potential. Thank you, Shilpa, for your dedication to nurturing our next generation and congratulations on your award!

20. Finally, I would like to mention 23-year-old Ms Shaashtika Mohan, who is also this year’s valedictorian.

21. From a young age, Shaashtika has always wanted to pursue a career in Science, and eventually went on to pursue a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology where she has played a key role in several initiatives on women empowerment and policy making.

22. Shaashtika remains committed to creating positive change in the community and inspiring those around her and has also spearheaded many charity projects such as fundraising for Dyslexic Association of Singapore, and initiatives from Children’s Cancer Foundation and Bone Marrow Donor She will share more in her speech later today. Well done, Shaashtika, and please keep up your good work for the community!

23. The stories of Nandakishore, Shilpa, and Shaashtika inspire us to persevere, and not allow obstacles to stand in the way of achieving our goals. Through individual hard work and community support, we can help more Singaporeans to also achieve their dreams, like what Nandakishore, Shilpa, and Shaastika have done with support from SINDA and the community.

Continued support from the community and Government

24. I would like to express my gratitude to SINDA, for its unwavering commitment to supporting our students. As Mr Anbarasu shared earlier, SINDA offers a variety of mentoring and youth development programmes to equip young people with essential resources and knowledge. I am heartened to know that SINDA’s programmes have supported and benefitted many families over the years.

25. The Government too will continue to support you in pursuing your goals and achieving your aspirations.
    1. Earlier this year, MOE announced the ITE progression award to support and help ITE graduates upskill to a We will continue to look for ways to help our ITE graduates to upskill and earn higher incomes in your careers.
    2. There are many other useful resources available to both students and working adults, such as the support schemes under SkillsFuture.
    3. I encourage everyone to find out how you can take full advantage of these resources to prepare for your future and pursue a career path that is most meaningful for you.

Conclusion

26. During his recent visit to Singapore, Pope Francis encouraged our young people to have the courage to leave your comfort zones and take risks, as you pursue your passion and develop your interests.

27. It reminds me of what I saw when I visited the Summer Palace in Beijing, where Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty built a stone boat in the lake. He did it to show that the boat would never sink, just as he hoped the Qing Dynasty would rule But it is also a boat that could never sail anywhere, and we know what eventually happened to the Qing Dynasty.

28. We do not build boats to anchor them in the harbour or in a lake, we build boats to sail the open seas and explore the world. And to do so, we must be prepared to leave our comfort zones and take some risks. This is what I hope we can do in Singapore, to support one another as we embark on these journeys of learning and discovery, both individually and collectively as a society.

29. Let me conclude by once again extending my warmest congratulations to all our award recipients. I wish you all the best in your future pursuits and hope you will stay curious, keep learning, and discover new pathways to achieve your dreams.

30. Thank you.