SPEECH BY MR S ISWARAN, MINISTER IN THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE, SECOND MINISTER FOR HOME AFFAIRS AND SECOND MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY AT THE SELF-HELP GROUPS’ JOINT TUITION AWARDS CEREMONY ON SATURDAY, 29 AUGUST 2015, 11AM AT ITE COLLEGE CENTRAL

My Parliament Colleagues,

Board Members, Committee Members, Chief Executive Officers and representatives of the various Self-Help Groups,

Award recipients and family members,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good morning.

1. I am very pleased to join you today at the 12^th Joint Tuition Awards Ceremony. We have just celebrated the nation’s 50^th birthday and I would like to wish everyone Happy SG50! Singapore’s progress was made possible through the hard work of each and every Singaporean, regardless of their ethnicity, religious affiliation or background. I am happy to welcome the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian communities to this event where we celebrate the achievements of the younger generation.

Helping Students Succeed

2. On Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed us in his National Day Rally. He talked about three factors that had been crucial in getting Singapore from third world to first. They were, that we were determined to be a multi-racial society; that we created a culture of self-reliance and mutual support; and that we kept faith between the Government and the people. The mission of our Self-Help Groups embodies these factors of Singapore’s success. The Self-Help Groups reach out to those in the community who need a helping hand, they work collaboratively with each other, and with the Government, and they help ensure that no one is left behind in the journey towards progress.

3. In particular, the Self-Help Groups do important work in the area of education. Great emphasis is placed on education in Singapore. Education is the means for a society to progress and for opportunities to be made available to its members. All children have a right to education and every child can find success in learning, whatever his or her starting point.

4. Earlier this month, the Ministry of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with four Self-Help Groups to set up and operate 30 school-based Student Care Centres to cater to students of all races. This partnership will allow schools to better support the holistic development of students, especially those from less-advantaged backgrounds by tapping on the community resources of the four Self-Help Groups.

5. The programme builds on an initiative which started in 2002, the Collaborative Tuition Programme, or CTP for short, launched by the Self-Help Groups to allow students from the different communities to participate in affordable tuition classes, especially for students from low-income families. The classes are held island-wide and provides greater convenience to the students and their families. Today, we have 69 CTP centres and the number of centres have steadily grown over the years.

6. Since 2004, the Self-Help Groups have come together to present awards to students who have done well at national examinations. The Joint Tuition Awards ceremony serves to recognise their efforts and inspire others to continue to persevere and to achieve their dreams, aptly summarised in the Joint Tuition Awards theme of “Coming Together, Achieving Together” and the colourful rainbow motif symbolising the many ethnic groups working hand in hand.

Sharing Success Stories – Profiles

7. Today, 694 students will be receiving Awards. They have all done well, many overcoming challenges related to family circumstances to achieve academic success. A good number have shown that it is possible to juggle their studies, CCAs, and give back to the community through volunteer work. I would like to mention a few inspiring students.

8. Eurasian student Euphrasia Marie Francisco is receiving the Best Overall Academic Performance Award for her performance in the Primary School Leaving Examination in 2014. Euphrasia is a diligent pupil who strives to give her best in all that she does and scored three ‘A’ stars and one ‘A’ for her PSLE. In Primary school, she managed her school work and prefect duties with confidence. Her hobbies include playing the piano, reading and she also finds time to be involved in the youth ministry in church. Now in Secondary school, she has put her time management skills to good use, balancing her commitments in studies and actively participating in her CCA, the National Police Cadet Corp.

9. Khairul Nashrul Bin Khairul Anwar is the recipient of the Best Overall Academic Performance Award for the GCE ‘N’ Level category. Khairul showed a commendable performance of a 5-grade improvement in Mathematics and a 4-grade improvement in Combined Science. The small tutor-to-student ratio at the tuition centre provided a very conducive environment for him and he benefitted from personalised guidance from his tutor for his weaker topics especially for Mathematics. With a greater belief in his own ability, Khairul was motivated to spend more time revising on his own. He is now more confident about sitting for his GCE ‘O’ Level examinations this year.

10. Also receiving an award for Best Overall Academic Performance for the GCE ‘N’ level category is Liew Hui Yi Sherine. Her father works as a taxi driver and her mother is a housewife. Secondary school was a turning point in Sherine’s life as she had not performed well during PSLE. She started to think about her future and was determined to study harder. Knowing Sherine’s family situation, her teacher introduced her to the CDAC tuition programme in secondary one. Now in secondary five, she shares that she enjoys attending tuition classes for English, Math and Chinese. She enjoys the small class size and is impressed by her tutors who are willing to go the extra mile to provide guidance. Sherine has also made good friends in her tuition classes and they encourage each other to do better. She scored four A1s, two A2s and a B in her ‘N’ Level examinations.  She is among the top ‘N’ level students in her school and plans to study International Business Relations in University.

11. Ilamurugan Pavithra is amongst the many students from SINDA Tutorials for Enhanced Performance who will be recognized for her remarkable improvement in the GCE ‘N’ Level Examinations. Pavithra has been a STEP student for 2 years and made a 6-grade improvement in Mathematics and a 5-grade improvement in Science.

Pavithra was inspired to join STEP after recommendations from her elder brother who was doing better in school after joining STEP Classes. She found that the STEP classes supplemented what she was learning in school. She felt that the small-sized STEP classes propelled her eagerness to ask questions and clarify doubts, thereby enhancing the conduciveness of her learning environment.

At present, Pavithra is a Secondary Five student preparing for her ‘O’ Level Examinations at Gan Eng Seng Secondary School.   Trailing her success, she is continuing with STEP this year as well. An aspiring individual, she would like to thank all her tutors for the motivation and encouragement they have provided to her in the course of STEP. Pavithra, we wish you the very best in your future endeavours.

Self-Help Groups SG50 Project – Symbolising the Joint Tuition Award theme of

“Coming Together, Achieving Together”

12. The Self-Help Groups have collaborated to publish an SG50 cookbook entitled “Singapore’s Multiracial Recipe”. The objective was to celebrate our multiracial culture and food, and introduce our food heritage to the younger generation. We see a reflection of Singapore’s cultural diversity in the collection of 50 dishes presented in this recipe book – each one showcasing its own Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian influences and preparation techniques. Each recipe, from Teochew-style steamed fish, to Mee Soto, to Briyani Rice, and Devil Curry, has been handed down from a member of the Pioneer Generation to ensure the longevity of the rich tradition of Singapore’s unique food culture. As Singapore celebrates its 50th Birthday, we are reminded of what makes us Singaporeans and what unites us. Food is one of the best ways to bring people from all walks of life together. And indeed, Singapore’s Multiracial Recipe is symbolized in this SG50 project, through the different ethnic organisations coming together, achieving together, a common goal of preserving and sharing our colourful ethnic cuisines.

Conclusion

13. In conclusion, I would like to congratulate all award recipients for their exemplary results and their contributions to the society. I would like to encourage them to continue to develop themselves and engage in issues that they are passionate about. I am sure that all your family members, friends and the community are very proud of your achievements. Continue working hard to reach greater heights and always remember to thank your family, teachers and everyone else who helped you get to where you are today. Remember too that you received help when you needed it and find ways to pay it forward.

I would also like to commend the various Self-Help Groups who have been introducing holistic programmes to inspire and reach out to the youth of our generation to step up to become leaders at a young age.

Once again, I offer my heartiest congratulations to all of you and wish you all the very best as you build on your achievements.

Thank you.