Addresss by Professor Lee Sing Kong, Director - National Institute of ...

SPEECH BY PROFESSOR LEE SING KONG, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL
INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION, AT THE LEADERS IN EDUCATION
PROGRAMME GRADUATION DINNER 2009 ON FRIDAY, 16 OCTOBER
2009, 7.30PM AT THE REGENT SINGAPORE HOTEL
Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence
Mrs Tan Ching Yee, Chairperson, NIE Council and Permanent Secretary,
MOE
Ms Yeoh Chee Yan, Second Permanent Secretary, MOE
Ms Ho Peng, Director-General of Education, MOE
Members of NIE Council,
Directors,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Introduction
1. Good evening. I offer my heartiest congratulations to the class of LEP
2009 for successfully completing the Leaders in Education Programme.
2. Once in a while, it is good to read blogs on the internet because they
give us perspectives that we would otherwise miss in our daily lives. Recently,
I chanced upon Yasmin Ahmad’s blog. She was a critically-acclaimed, multi
award-winning writer, scriptwriter and film director from Malaysia. Her works
have won many awards both within Malaysia and internationally. Sadly, she
passed away in July this year because of an aneurism.
Quick on the uptake
3. In her blog she basically praised Singaporeans for being ‘quick on the
uptake’ – these were her words. She used the example of how Singapore
recognised the artistic merit of the film “Rabun” which was produced in
Malaysia, and accepted it for the Singapore International Film Festival. The
film then went on to be screened at international film festivals in Italy, France,
Greece, Taiwan and Japan.
4. She also cited another film, “Sepet” that was picked for theatrical
release here in Singapore, without cuts; and which played for six weeks. From
here, the film went on to win the Grand Prix du Jury Prize in Paris, and the
Best Asian Film Award at the Tokyo International Film Festival.
5. Yasmin Ahmad used these examples to demonstrate how Singapore
was quick to recognise potential, in providing the opportunity and platform to
showcase these films. She also alluded to our respect for intellectual property
rights in not pirating DVDs.She used the phrase ‘quick on the uptake’ which
means ‘quick to understand and quick to learn.’ The opposite of being quick
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on the uptake is of course ‘to be slow to comprehend.’ I am glad that she
described Singaporeans as quick on the uptake.
Leadership Implications: Doing things differently
6. You are probably wondering what all this has to do with leadership. It
certainly has bearing. It means that the school system in Singapore has done
something right over the years to produce people who are quick to understand
and quick to learn. In many respects, the fact that Singapore has no natural
resources has forced us to focus on developing our human capital. Hence,
MOE’s vision of education as ‘Moulding the Future of the Nation’ is so aptly
phrased.
7. You have gone through an intensive LEP programme and acquired
new knowledge and skills for leading and managing schools. I urge you to put
these to good use now! Do things differently so as to achieve greater impact
without necessarily doing more. Be quick on the uptake, be innovative in your
thinking and be courageous in meeting the challenges ahead.
8. As you return to school or wherever you are posted, don’t tackle old
problems the old way, because it might just be the old ways that have created
the problem. Instead, be innovative and be quick on the uptake and apply new
ways of thinking in educating our children for the 21 st century.
Giving Back
9. Finally, I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge your
contributions to NIE and the community. As in past years, your learning
journey has not been confined to only receiving knowledge. As a class, you
have continued the tradition of giving back to society. This year, you have
made a wonderful gesture of planting a tree in NIE as a living legacy of your
learning journey. Indeed, the tembusu tree that you have chosen to plant is
extremely apt.
10. As I have shared with the class, the scientific name for tembusu is
Fagraea fragrans. The tembusu is a majestic tree that bears clusters of yellow
flowers, which when in blossom, produce a wonderful and distinct scent –
hence the name “fragrans” which literally means fragrance. As leaders, we
should all aspire to towards a leadership of “fragrance”; to leave a legacy of
leadership that permeates the organisation – through our care, inspiration, in
taking a stand on justice, integrity, in championing for the needy, and the
weak, and in providing opportunities for people to excel. May we indeed strive
to be this kind of leader.
11. I am also exceedingly glad that as a class, you have come together to
give back to society. This year, I am happy to announce that you have
collected $10,000 for the Singapore Children’s Society. Indeed, it is not just
the gesture of giving financially, but it is also a demonstration of you
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generosity and thoughtfulness, in giving to the needy and providing learning
opportunities for the children. Once again, well done.
Conclusion
12. Once again, my congratulations to all of you for successfully
completing the Leaders in Education Programme.
Thank you.
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