Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. A very good morning. I am very delighted to join you for this important milestone of Spectra Secondary School. Allow me to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Spectra on its 10th Anniversary.
2. To use a word the school often uses to describe itself; this moment is indeed 'spectacular'! We have seen how much the school has transformed over the past ten years. Many schools in Singapore would have celebrated their 10th anniversary. But what is so special about Spectra's 10th Anniversary? Here is the Spectra story:
3. More than a decade ago, we had envisioned a specialised school that employs a skills-based pedagogical approach to help students learn better, instil a love for learning and help them realise their potential and their strengths.
4. At that point in time, most people did not know what to expect as there were not many local examples, except for NorthLight School and Assumption Pathway School. But like Spectra's Motto 'Together We can', we had a group of likeminded, devoted and passionate pioneers, teachers, sponsors, and industry partners who demonstrated the power of synergy and resilience, and came together to concretise the vision and bring Spectra to where it is today.
5. Spectra is a wonderful example of how a school can successfully build its entire educational philosophy, from its curriculum and programmes, to its culture and community, upon the School's vision of equipping every student to lead a fulfilling life.
6. With their hands-on curriculum and an impetus to support students to learn at a pace suitable for them, Spectra helps its students to build self-confidence and feel more motivated to come to school. Students can draw connections between learning in class to real world contexts, and appreciate learning better when it is made authentic and relevant. All these have collectively made a spectacular difference in the students' learning experiences to foster passion and inspire interest.
7. The unique programmes at Spectra are designed to align with key industry growth areas. Innovations such as the Bike Station, Silver Home, Edible Learning Garden and Green Room – which are all featured at the "Fiesta" segment of today's 10th anniversary celebrations – lend authentic learning experiences to Spectrans to ensure they are relevant in a future which places much emphasis on technology, sustainability and their applications in the new and "smarter" world. This is exactly Spectra's mission of preparing every Spectran for work and life.
8. To date, approximately 1,200 students have graduated from Spectra, including the Class of 2023. From the earlier 6 cohorts, 100% were eligible for ITE and more than 95% received the ITE Skills Subject Certificate (previously known as the ITE Skills Certificate). Spectrans have done well at the annual Early Admission Exercise, with 7 in 10 qualifying for a course of their choice. Since 2022, the ITE has introduced a new enhanced three-year curricular structure which leads directly to a Higher Nitec certification. This means that an ITE student will be able to attain his Higher Nitec certification in three years instead of the previous four. Or the student can choose to step out into the working world after two years and come back later to complete the remaining year. We ensure flexibility to our students, and that is what life is about. Furthermore, from 2027, the top 10% of Higher Nitec students will be guaranteed entry to polytechnics. More Spectrans who aspire to hold a Higher Nitec certification or polytechnic diploma, can enjoy these benefits with the recent set of changes to admissions requirements. To all Spectrans, I hope all of you are inspired as the path forward is very bright indeed.
9. The theme for today's anniversary is 'Forward Singapore, Upward Spectra'. Timely indeed as the Forward Singapore report was just released by DPM Wong yesterday with one of the vision of a thriving Singapore where everyone can pursue their dreams, find fulfilment in life and be the best version of themselves. It is without doubt that the school has uplifted the lives of many students, provided them with strong foundations to pursue their passion and realise their aspirations. This is not possible without the synergistic efforts from the other stakeholders in the community.
10. Beyond MOE's efforts, we certainly need the support of our community and industry partners to create the variegated landscape for our students' growth and learning. In Spectra, the school constantly engages the community and industry partners to bring about an authentic and hands-on learning experience for students to be equipped with the relevant skills to become future-ready. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and appreciation to the industry partners who have partnered the school in contributing to this meaningful cause and for creating a joyful and purposeful learning experience for our students. Some of these partners include the following:
11. The Singapore Island Country Club has partnered Spectra since 2017. The partnership has created purposeful learning experiences for students through Learning Journeys and Industry Experiential Programme (IEP) placements in areas such as maintenance, pastry, F&B service, facilities and culinary areas. It has also offered deserving students from Spectra scholarships to access and succeed in the post-secondary pathways at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). I am glad to hear that the students in Spectra have benefitted from the strong mentoring programme and support from their supervisors throughout this learning experience.
12. EY Singapore has partnered Spectra since 2018. This collaboration has provided the school's Secondary 3 students with pre-IEP training in interview skills, and pre-ITE Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) preparation interview skills workshops for the Secondary 4 students. It is heartening to see how the students have enhanced their communication skills through such programmes and interaction with the EY volunteers.
13. St-Regis and JW Marriott have also been a partner of Spectra since 2019. The partnership has provided students with avenues to be better equipped with relevant skills that will prepare them for industry needs in the future. Beyond learning opportunities for students, the partnership also provided Spectra staff with short work stints to help them stay updated with industry trends. I am also grateful to hear that Ronald Choy, one of the Spectran Alumni members, had received a compliment from its chairman for his good work.
14. Certainly, there are many more partners which the school has journeyed with. Apart from the above-mentioned Industry Partners, there are also programme and community partners such as the Rotary Club, Food from the Heart and Bilberries Blue Lighthouse. The school also collaborated with donors and sponsors such as Udders Ice Cream and Khong Guan Biscuits in their various school programmes.
15. Spectra has also provided rich learning opportunities for the students. And I would like to take this opportunity to share with you a couple of the former students' learning experiences in the school, which also serve as strong testaments to the inclusive environment that Spectra has created to uplift the students and nurture them into the confident young adults that they are today.
16. Avina Yik is born with Trisomy 21 and prior to her journey in Spectra, never thought that she would one day feel comfortable speaking in front of a public audience. Today, not only has Avina presented before her schoolmates, she has also represented Singapore and spoken to an international audience at the World Down Syndrome Day in 2022. Her experience at Spectra highlights the importance of an inclusive environment where every student, regardless of their background or abilities, can thrive and reach their potential.
17. Like many of his peers at Spectra, Deevinesh Jude Vincent faced the harsh reality of being stigmatised and underestimated due to the prevailing stereotypes associated with students from a Normal (Technical) background. Deevinesh, however, was determined not to be defined by these stereotypes as he pursues his dreams and ambitions. Deevinesh shares that many of his peers from Spectra are now in the polytechnic pursuing their diplomas, and is proud that they have shattered the stereotype that some may have of students from the Normal (Technical) stream.
18. Nur Aiman Bin Ahmad Raudha was in Secondary 2 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and had to struggle with the challenges of coping with Home-Based Learning. It was also during this period that his younger brother was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma cancer. His mother became preoccupied with caring for his sick brother, while his father was busy working. Aiman was close to giving up, having to juggle the responsibilities from his Co-Curricular Activity, school work and looking after his younger siblings, but managed to find guidance and support from his teachers. Their unwavering support during his lowest point was the lifeline that gave him the strength to carry on.
19. These personal anecdotes are a testament to the meaningful role that School staff have played in supporting the students' growth and development. Spectra teachers go beyond the usual caring and nurturing traits embodied by all teachers. The team at Spectra opted to come to Spectra because of their affinity to the profile of students here, and their strong desire to bring out the students' fullest potential. An example is Mrs Lyvenne Chong, who was a recipient of the prestigious President's Award for Teachers in 2016. Many cohorts of students have benefitted from not just her lessons in the classrooms, but also how she has built their resilience and character through the many hours toiling in the Edible Learning Garden, which is a signature of Spectra. Even as the education system gradually phases out stream labels from 2024 through Subject Based Banding, schools like Spectra and Crest, together with their dedicated staff and stakeholders, will continue to support future cohorts of students who will benefit from the unique programmes offered.
20. In the next 10 years, Spectra hopes to further establish itself as a choice school for students who wish to pursue a skills-based education. Beyond offering the standard slate of academic subjects and the existing ITE Skills Subjects or ISS, Spectra has ventured into a new pilot from 2023. Known as ISS+, the new subject offers selected students with the potential to go further in vocational education to undertake deeper training and broader exposure in these subjects and complete more than one round of industry work attachment. Students also get the opportunity to participate in master classes and be mentored by their teachers or industry partners. All these will culminate in seamless vocational education pathways for Spectrans.
21. Like the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the present and past staff, volunteers, parents, partners, and community leaders who have contributed to this purposeful cause of uplifting our students. Thank you for your immense contributions and showing what the Singapore society can do for our future generations. You embody the vision of Forward Singapore, a united Singapore with a strong sense of shared identity, solidarity, and togetherness.
22. Thank you very much for inviting me to this spectacular and special celebration, and I wish the Spectra community all the very best.
23. Heartiest congratulations on your 10th anniversary!