Mr Mohd Fahmi bin Aliman, Mayor, South-East District,
Representatives from FairPrice Group and =DREAMS,
Social service organisations,
Partners,
Parents and students,
1. Good morning to all of you. I am very delighted to be here to support the launch of FairPrice Group's annual 'Share-A-Textbook' initiative. It is a very meaningful project and certainly we must give our full support to this programme.
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2. First of all, congratulations to FairPrice Group on your 50th anniversary. FairPrice Group has done a lot of good work in the last 50 years, not just in moderating cost of living for all in Singapore, but also in helping vulnerable groups in our community.
3. The Share-A-Textbook programme and distribution drive is an example of one of the many good things that FairPrice Group does. Since its launch in 1983, the programme has seen over 15,000 volunteers come together to collect and distribute over 6.8 million textbooks to more than 280,000 students – big numbers showing the impact that the Share-A-Textbook programme has made in Singapore.
4. For more than 40 years, the initiative has served to foster the spirit of volunteerism, provide support to underprivileged families, and encourage sustainability through reusing and recycling. In Singapore today, it can sometimes be easy to forget that there are people amongst us who are in need, and that is why programmes like Share-A-Textbook, that help to strengthen values like gratitude and giving back to the society, are so important.
5. I grew up in a humble family with four children. As the third child, I used to get hand-me-down textbooks from my older sisters, and I would likewise hand down my textbooks to my younger brother. This reusing of textbooks was very helpful for us and helped to save some money and reduce financial burden for our parents.
6. As the Grassroots Adviser in Marymount, I support our Youth Network and grassroots volunteers in collecting used textbooks and story books in good condition to be shared with students in our community. Such efforts are especially helpful for families that are coping with cost of living issues in Singapore.
Importance of School Partnerships with Community Partners
7. The Ministry of Education and our schools recognise the need to support a diverse group of students, and we have been doing more in this area. This year, the Lee Hsien Loong Award for Innovations in Uplifting Students (LHL AIUS)1 was given out for the first time to two primary schools and three secondary schools. These schools have demonstrated effective, sustained, and innovative efforts in uplifting disadvantaged students from low-income families, at-risk students as well as students who require additional educational support.
8. One award recipient is First Toa Payoh Primary School. Aligned with its philosophy that 'every child matters and deserves an education', the school identifies and provides customised programmes for children with high needs to ensure that every child attends school. Sometimes, we take it for granted that children ought to attend school, but there are children who may be unable to do so every day, for reasons sometimes beyond themselves. The school has built longstanding partnerships with other schools such as Raffles Girls' School and National Junior College, as well as with community partners such as Heartware Network, to deliver meaningful and enriching after-school programmes that enhance their students' learning.
9. Nur Dian, an alumnus of First Toa Payoh Primary School, faced challenges in her upper primary school years. In collaboration with various partners, First Toa Payoh Primary's after-school Home@School Programme provided Nur Dian with academic support, community-based interventions, and sporting opportunities. Through the programme, Nur Dian developed a passion for basketball. Her teacher, who noted her strengths and high level of motivation in basketball, recruited her into the school's basketball team. I understand that they went on to win several awards for the school. Nur Dian continues to play for her secondary school's basketball team and contributes back to her alma mater as a mentor to younger students in the Home@School programme.
10. School efforts like these play an important role in supporting students like Nur Dian, who require additional support. They also complement the various schemes that MOE has in place to support our students. These collective efforts have shown positive outcomes. For instance, our Primary 4 students from the bottom-25% homes in terms of socio-economic status do much better in reading literacy as compared to the average student across all socio-economic backgrounds internationally. This is according to results from the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study in 2021. This bears testament to the good work that our schools and teachers do in uplifting disadvantaged students, so that they can fulfil their dreams.
11. Our volunteers, corporate partners, and community partners are instrumental in ensuring that all our students are supported, no matter their backgrounds. At the end of the day, it is not simply about individual programmes or individual volunteers. Collectively, there is so much more we can do to uplift our students in Singapore.
12. Thank you, FairPrice Group, and =DREAMS, FairPrice Group's partner for Share-A-Textbook this year. Thank you for staying true to your mission, and I wish you all the best in the way forward.
Footnotes
- The LHL AIUS replaces the previous Lee Hsien Loong Awards for Innovations in the Normal Course.