1. Today, I only have two simple messages for us. First, I wrote in your commemorative book that I only have one wish for Yusof Ishak Secondary School (YISS), and for generations of YISS students and staff to come. That simple wish is just the following six words: "May you be a pioneer always."
2. If you cast your eyes around the school today, you will see many aspects of this coming to life. Look at the infrastructure. This school is different from any other school because every inch of space in this room has more than one use. Many of the spaces were designed as white spaces that will allow us to evolve our design according to our needs. I never believed that we can design a school that will be future proof for each era. The needs of every generation will be different, and that is why I challenge my colleagues to allow schools to be designed in such a way that they are not structures fixed in eternity, but living organisms that can grow and evolve according to our needs. My colleagues have risen to the challenge together with the school team to allow us this space that will constantly evolve with the times.
3. Today, YISS is also a pioneer in the type of pedagogy that you use. I have a dream that every school will teach its students in slightly different ways according to their needs. I never believed that we should teach to the average or have one curriculum for all. Once again, YISS has also risen to the challenge, as you can see from the programmes we have today. The programmes that we have in this school are carefully curated by the principals, staff, teachers, with the support of the School Advisory Committee and the parent support group to cater to the diverse and unique needs of our students. This is what we want YISS to continue to pioneer.
4. In YISS, you see the pioneering spirit not just in the teaching of the students, but in how we want to groom and grow our teachers as well. This is why we are excited that YISS is not just a place to teach students, but to allow teachers to grow. The Centre for Teaching and Learning Excellence, formed in partnership with NIE, AST and many other agencies, allows us to have a space for our teachers to pioneer or find out new methods of teaching and learning in service of our students and nation. It is this pioneering spirit that I hope will live on forever in YISS, regardless of where you are. The spirit of YISS is not defined by its location; the spirit of YISS is defined by its people and ethos. I am very proud to see this come to life in YISS.
5. My second message takes off from where Mdm Maureen Lee left off. I am very happy that you have chosen the bee to symbolise what you envisage your students to be. There are two things about the bee that will always resonate with me. A bee is always a pioneer, constantly flying in different directions, seeking out new places to bring back pollen to the hive. I hope everyone who walks through the doors of YISS will be like that bee; that bee that flies far and wide, constantly looking for new ideas, new perspectives, new abilities, to bring back to the hive. This is my challenge to all students from primary schools to universities. My wish is that every Singaporean will be like a bee that will travel far and wide beyond our shores, but always bringing back something fresh and new to our hive, Singapore.
6. The other aspect of the bee is that no matter how far the bee might fly, it will always come back to the hive because this is where home is. I hope that this will continue to live on in YISS, because the spirit of the bee is demonstrated by the strong turnout of the alumni today. You may have left YISS as a school many years ago, but your heart is always here. Even as you continue to fly in different directions to faraway places, you will always bring back something to the school. If each and every one of us in Singapore can do this in our own ways, I am sure Singapore will continue to grow and thrive for many more years to come, and we will cross SG100 and beyond with cohesion and unity.
7. Today, I congratulate generations of YISS students and staff who have brought us here so far. Every day in YISS is a new dawn. Every day is a chance for us to add to the history of YISS, and to the diversity and perspective of the school. Long may YISS be a pioneer. I would like to thank all of you for joining hands with generations of students and staff of YISS to bring this about. Together with your support, I am confident the school will reach even greater heights. Thank you very much.