2008NATIONALDAYMESSAGETOALLSCHOOLS,JUNIORCOLLEGESANDCENTRALISEDINSTITUTES

　　Principal,teachersandstudents

　　INTRODUCTION

　　1.Tomorrow,wecelebrateour38thyearofindependence.38yearsisashorthistoryforanycountry.Butwehavecomealongway.38yearsago,wewereapoorcountrytryingtocreateasmanyjobsaswecouldtofeedourpeople.TherewasnoChangiAirport,nomultinationalcorporationsorfinancialcentre,nodefencecapabilityofourown.Only60%ofourpeoplewereliterate.Only11%ofourstudentsprogressedbeyondsecondaryschool.Fewpeoplethoughtwecouldsucceed,orevensurvive.Butweovercametheodds.Byworkinghard,findingourownsolutionsandtyingourfuturestogetherasapeople,wetransformedSingaporeintowhatitistoday.

　　2.Wenowfacerenewedchallengesasanation.Terrorismisarealandcontinuingthreat.Oureconomyhasalsobeenhitbytheglobaleconomicslowdown,andmorerecentlybySARS.Evenafteroureconomyrecovers,wewillfaceformidablecompetitors,especiallyinChinaandIndia.

　　3.Wecanovercomethesechallenges.Wehavefaceduptomanychallengesbefore,especiallywhenindependencewasfirstthrustuponus.Weareinastrongerpositiontodaythanin1965.Wehaveaskilledpopulation,aworld-classinfrastructure,andtheconfidenceofinternationalinvestors.Mostimportantly,weareaunitedpeople,determinedtomeetchallengestogether.

　　THEFOUNDATIONOFSUCCESS：ONEUNITEDPEOPLE

　　4.Astrongnationisnotjustmadeupofindividuals,howevertalented.Itrestsonourcollectiveeffortsasonepeople.

　　5.OurexperiencewithSARSisagoodexampleofhowwecanovercomegreatchallengesifweworktogether.AllSingaporeansplayedapartinfightingSARS-thedoctorsandnursesinourhospitals,defenceengineersworkingonthethermalscanners,thecleaningstaffinourbuildingsandfoodcentres,andeveryoneofyouinourschools.

　　6.OurschoolscantakeprideinhowwestooduptothechallengeofSARS.Ithasbeenamassivetasktomonitorthewellbeingofmorethanhalfamillionpupilsandgivetheirparentsconfidenceinthesafetyofourschools.Ourprincipals,teachersandotherschoolstaffrosetothechallenge,calmlyandmeticulously.Aspupils,youplayedyourpartwell,bytakingyourtemperaturedailyandexercisingresponsibilitytopreventthespreadofthedisease.EvenourPrimary1and2pupilslearnthowtotaketheirowntemperatureswiththeguidanceoftheirteachers.Thefactthataverylargemajorityofparentssenttheirchildrenbacktoschoolsassoonaswereopenedthemwasamajorvoteofconfidence,especiallyinourteachers.

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