Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Chairman of the SINDA Board of Trustees

Members of the SINDA Board of Trustees and Executive Committee

Distinguished Guests

Award recipients and parents

Ladies and Gentleman

A very good afternoon

Introduction

1     I'm honoured to be here at the SINDA Excellence Awards presentation ceremony 2008. The Awards recognise Indian students who have excelled in academic and non-academic areas at various levels.

Educational Improvement of Indian Community

2     SINDA was formed in 1991. Its main focus was to uplift the Indian community through education. SINDA deployed its resources towards providing affordable but quality tuition programmes like the STEP and TEACH programmes. In addition, SINDA, together with its community partners, dispenses about $550,000 annually in educational bursaries to some 1,500 children from low income families. SINDA also works with other self-help groups like MENDAKI and CDAC to run collaborative tuition programmes and it partners different schools for various programmes.

3     Thousands of students have benefited from SINDA's tuition and enrichment programmes. Over the past year, SINDA has enhanced its education programmes by introducing training programmes for its teachers and tutors, designing and providing additional learning materials for students and expanding its outreach through the schools, ITE and Polytechnics. This year SINDA has introduced the Distinguished Speaker and In-Conversation Series, where successful members of the community share their experiences with students from the JCs and tertiary institutions.

4     These efforts have made a difference. On a national level, data shows that Indian students are progressing well and achieving good results in landmark examinations. The improvements attained by Indian students in mathematics at such examinations are particularly commendable. Indian students are steadily closing the gap between the national average in both the PSLE and in the 'O' Level Examinations. In 1997, Indian students lagged behind the national average for PSLE and 'O' Level Mathematics by about 16 per cent. But now, they've narrowed the gap to 9 per cent. Over the past decade, the percentage of Indian students from the Primary 1 cohort admitted to post-secondary institutions has risen from 59 per cent in 1997 to 90 per cent in 2006. This means that 9 out of 10 of the Primary One cohort students have the potential to qualify as a graduate from the ITE, polytechnics or universities.

Stories that Inspire

5     But beyond the statistics, this is about real life individuals. I would like to highlight a few stories of students who are being recognized today. They have taken different paths, but each has excelled. And all these individuals, from humble backgrounds, have brought tremendous pride to their families, their community and to Singapore.

6     The first story is about Carol Ann Martin, who obtained a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree from NUS, with a First Class Honours in Political Science. She was on the Dean's List for three semesters and won the Airline Bursary Award from 2005 to 2008. After working in a managerial position for a few months, she has decided to pursue teaching as her full time career, as she has found teaching to be more meaningful, for she believes it will provide her with the greatest job satisfaction. Carol has made her parents and the community proud.

7     The second story is about 20-year old Mohamed Ayub, who graduated from Singapore Polytechnic. He has earned a Diploma with Merit, securing a place in NTU to pursue Electrical and Electronic Engineering. As the eldest son of a family of seven, with four siblings, he believes that it is his responsibility to excel and to serve as a role model for his siblings. Ayub faced financial constraints during his tertiary education, as his father, a salesperson, is the sole family breadwinner. However, he came out stronger and is now closer to achieving his dreams.

8     Let me also share the story of another outstanding student, Senthil Rethinavelu. Senthil first went to ITE Balestier to study electronics. Despite some initial challenges, Senthil persevered and gained a place at Nanyang Polytechnic. Now, he has graduated with a Diploma with Merit in Electronics, Computer and Communication Engineering, and has secured a place in NTU to pursue an Honours Degree in 2011 after he completes his National Service. Senthil's story is significant as he reflects a growing proportion of Singaporeans who are blazing new paths to success. Students like Senthil are proof that there is no limit to advancement through ITE. Some, like Senthil, have progressed on to polytechnics and universities; others have joined the workforce as highly skilled individuals and are excelling in their jobs.

9     Three different students from different backgrounds, but with one thing in common: they each possess the desire to excel and to exploit opportunities to the fullest. All three students reflect a 'can-do' spirit that all our students need to have. Our students ought to be equipped with the readiness of mind to take on the world, and the desire to look for opportunities, to seize what's possible, and to make the most of what comes their way.

Inclusion of the Non-Academic Awards Category

10     Let me turn now to something new. As we are aware, Singapore's education landscape continues to evolve. While academic excellence remains very important in Singapore, students who excel in non-academic areas are also valued.

11    Thus the new category of awards that SINDA has introduced this year for non-academic excellence is very apt. It recognizes achievements in areas such as the arts and sports. Today, we are honouring Indian students from the Singapore Sports School, the La Salle College of the Arts, the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, plus recipients of the MOE Colours awards. The students have distinguished themselves in non-academic areas, while maintaining a balance as far as their academic progress is concerned. It is my sincere wish that these students continue to excel in their chosen fields and also do well academically.

Giving Back to the Community

12     The goal of our education system is 'to nurture each child, to believe in himself and be self-sufficient, to care for his fellow man, and be able to contribute to the larger society around him.' Successful students like you are in a good position to give back to the community, either as students now or as working adults in the future.

13     At this point, I would like to draw attention to SINDA's annual Charity Drive, Project Give. It is an initiative targeted at the less privileged in the Indian community. Cash donations received are channelled towards SINDA's bursary fund, while donations in kind are distributed to needy families. SINDA aims to provide festive hampers to about 1000 needy families this year.

14    Project Give was first held in 2001, and the number of benefactors and beneficiaries has steadily increased over the years. The target for Project Give this year is $150,000. It is a laudable project, and I wish it every success.

Conclusion

15     To conclude, let me highlight that every one of you here is a role model in your own right. More options than ever are available to you today; make the right choices and do what you really enjoy and follow your passion. If you enjoy what you do, you can do it well, and you will succeed. My heartiest congratulations to all of you. I would also like to thank all the parents, school principals and teachers who have given their strong support to the students.

15     Thank You.

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