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Singapore's Education minister praises work of the
Singapore Sikh Education Foundation
SINGAPORE'S small Sikh community was complimented yesterday for showing self-reliance and resolve in getting its educational projects off the ground without outside financial help. Rear Admiral (NS) Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence, said that although there are only 15,600 Sikhs here, the community has managed to fund all its activities entirely with donations from its members and well-wishers. The minister said activities such as IT-based teaching and learning, introduction of project work in the Punjabi language curriculum and a values-inculcation programme were some of the recent initiatives by the foundation. He was speaking at the 10th anniversary celebrations of the Sikh Education Foundation at the Island Ballroom at Shangri-La Hotel. These new initiatives complement, and are in line with national efforts to promote IT in education, creative learning, and character development. He said he was impressed by the fact that all the instructional materials used for the Punjabi language programme were developed by the foundation's teachers. The small number of the community members has not limited its capacity for achieving big dreams, he added. 'This is possible because you have succeeded in mustering your resources and remaining singular in purpose.' Also, the work of the foundation shows the importance that the community places on its cultural traditions. 'You have mobilised yourselves to ensure that your children have the opportunity to learn Punjabi, your mother tongue,' Rear-Admiral Teo said. He added that the mother tongue gives a community crucial values, roots and identity. 'It gives us a world view that complements the perspective of the English-speaking world. 'Proficiency in our mother tongue will also enable us to absorb the richness and vigour of the original legends, stories and literary works, which are lost in translations, and thus appreciate more deeply our cultural heritage and moral values.'
(Reported in the The Straits Times 31-12-2000)
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