Transcript of PM's Remarks at Teck Ghee Edusave Award Ceremony

Grassroots leaders and volunteers

Parents, boys and girls

Good afternoon to all of you and Happy New Year!

I just have a short speech today to congratulate all the boys and girls who are getting Edusave Scholarships, Good Progress Awards, Edusave Bursaries, EAGLES Awards winners – all of you who have done well and are getting a little token of recognition today.

All of you have worked hard. I think your parents have helped you and the result is that you have succeeded. There are many inspiring stories from what you have done. I will just cite two kids at random because there are too many to mention. One student here, Dinesh Ganesan, who is a Senior Prefect in Teck Ghee Primary, is a responsible student. He got good results, is well-liked and respected for his leadership skills, and he is getting an Edusave Scholarship award today.

Another student, Soh Jing Zhi, is getting an Edusave Scholarship. He is a Drum Major in Chong Boon Secondary. The school sent the group on a school trip to Japan to learn about the environment. He came back and organised his schoolmates to clean their classrooms and take better care of their school.

There are many other stories too, may I congratulate all of you. May the parents join me to wish the young people all the best, keep it up!

In Singapore, we pay a lot of attention to education. We want you to study, we want you to do well, and we want you to have every chance to succeed – regardless of your family background, rich or poor, which school you go to. The Edusave Awards reflect this commitment by the Government and my personal emphasis that we must pay attention to the education of every child in Singapore. That is also why we invest a lot of resources, people, attention and talent to make every school a good school, to open up many ways for students to do well, to rise, to show what they can do in our society.

So in Singapore, it does not matter what your starting point in life is. If you work hard, if you have the ability, you can rise. And we hope that our young people will work hard, study and do well. Of course you should not just work hard for awards or good academic grades. Ultimately we hope you will grow up into good people, responsible citizens and caring Singaporeans.

So when we educate you in schools, when your teachers nurture and groom you, it is not just for academic results but also for character and right values, to make you good citizens. So the awards at the end of the year, there are awards for academic achievement but also awards for character and leadership. That is what the EAGLES Award and Good Character Award is about.

Of course the parents have a very important part to do. The home environment is a critical factor. How the parents bring up the kids and the example that you set as parents, how you work with the kids so that together, the kids can grow up well. The teachers can only help you to bring up the child but cannot do your job for you. We as parents, we have to look after our own children and bring them up the right way.

So I would like also to thank the parents – I think you have done a good job, therefore your children do well. The children should give the parents a round of applause.

I hope that this year, all the awards you get will encourage you to continue to make effort to study hard and go on to the next step. Next year, we will have Edusave Awards again, and I hope that I will be seeing many of you once more.

Thank you very much!

. . . . .

各位居民，各位家长和学生，大家下午好！

非常高兴能出席今天的教育储蓄奖颁发典礼，能够借这个难得的机会跟我们德义区的奖学金还有学习进步奖的得主，见个面。恭喜大家的成功，希望大家再接再厉，继续努力！

你们都是新加坡未来的主人翁。你们现在努力的学习，我希望，不只是为了自己和家人的未来，也是为国家的未来努力。

新加坡在一个转折点。我们全国上下，政府、民间、各人，正忙着为光明的将来做准备。我们正推出各项新措施，适应新的环境，调整我们的社会，经济，整个国家，目的就是让大家，尤其小朋友，有机会踏出社会，可以找到一份好的工作，可以实现你们的理想，可以在新加坡过一个有意义的，有价值的，平安，快乐的生活。

我看每一个国家希望能这么做。我们跟其他国家有合作也有竞争。其他国家在努力，我看我们在新加坡不能落在人家后面。

所以这些教育基金的奖学金，目的就是奖励大家百尺竿头，更进一步，继续努力。我举一两个学生做例子，因为大家各人都有各人努力，各人成功的故事。

崇文中学的苏靖智就是一个好榜样。靖智是中学乐队队长。在学校的安排下，有机会到日本参加有关保护环境的活动。回国后，就把同学们组织起来，打扫课室，把读书环境保持清洁，把在日本学的，学以致用，让大家受惠。

我相信靖智和其他同学们也体会到，到学校不只是要学习课本上的内容，也要学习怎么样才是个好公民，也能为其他人着想，关心周边的事情。

我们希望大家长大，不只成为一个能够照顾自己的新加坡人，也成为一个有关怀心及有责任的好公民。在学校里，除了在教育学习方面，内容要充实之外，在品德，修养，价值观方面，希望大家培养正确价值观，有正确的公民意识，能够做一个好公民。

这个是我们的目标，我们的理想。政府有这个意思这么做，学校里的校长，老师们，有这个责任感，使命感，把学生教导好。家长们在家里，也有自己的责任把自己孩子教导好，使自己孩子可以长大成人。

今天是一个愉快的机会，我不用讲太多。只想鼓励大家，恭喜大家，希望大家明年继续努力。那明年的教育基金颁发典礼的时候，我们再有机会见个面！

谢谢各位!