Pre-U students zoom in on power of stories
By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 3 Jun 2014
By Cheryl Faith Wee, The Straits Times, 3 Jun 2014
INSTEAD of putting government policies under the spotlight, the pre-university seminar this year focuses on the stories of Singaporeans.
The annual event usually centres on student discussions about government policies.
But this year's theme, "Many Stories, One Future", will see them collecting stories from people and organisations related to five topics: opportunities, assurance, trust, purpose and spirit.
They will then take part in a forum discussion and come up with a way to present the stories they have gathered creatively, say through a video or art installation.
Post by Tan Chuan-Jin.
They will then take part in a forum discussion and come up with a way to present the stories they have gathered creatively, say through a video or art installation.
About 550 students from junior colleges, the centralised institute and polytechnics are taking part in the seminar, which is organised by Raffles Institution and the Ministry of Education this year.
At the opening ceremony yesterday, the guest of honour, Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin, gave a speech highlighting some key events in Singapore's history, peppered with his personal accounts.
He talked about incidents such as the 1965 MacDonald House bombing - where his father who worked in the building had a narrow escape; and the 2004 tsunami relief efforts he had led when he was in the Singapore Armed Forces.
He talked about incidents such as the 1965 MacDonald House bombing - where his father who worked in the building had a narrow escape; and the 2004 tsunami relief efforts he had led when he was in the Singapore Armed Forces.
"Stories are powerful and emotive, they remind us of our path, roots and history," he said.
Stories are the foundation upon which we build our future, he noted.
And he stressed that it is important not to sugar-coat the impact of stories.
There are also stories that inspire hate and anger.
"I think all of us need to decide for ourselves how we view stories like these. The question really is... what are the stories that people will say of us?"
Mr Tan's speech left an impression on National University of Singapore High School student Keefe Wayne Teo, 17.
He said: "I think stories are very important. How many of us will be willing to stay in Singapore during a crisis?
"It will be the identity and memories that we have of Singapore that will make us stay and suffer together."
During the question and answer session, students raised issues ranging from minimum wage here to the Singapore identity and group work in schools.
During the question and answer session, students raised issues ranging from minimum wage here to the Singapore identity and group work in schools.
Striking a delicate balance
I WAS present at the opening ceremony of the Pre-University Seminar and I applaud Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin's clear arguments and sincere style ("Pre-U students zoom in on power of stories"; Tuesday).
During the question-and-answer session, he cited racial harmony as an example of a post-independence government policy that was extremely successful.
During the question-and-answer session, he cited racial harmony as an example of a post-independence government policy that was extremely successful.
Indeed, it has led to a more progressive, multiracial society, laying the foundation for our stability and prosperity.
In today's context, Singaporeans want more say in the governance process. How they go about expressing their concerns is beside the point, although attention-grabbing, unsubstantiated criticism is certainly not deserving of any scrutiny.
The main difficulty is to strike a balance between government paternalism and the growth of civil society. They remain at opposite ends of the spectrum but are certainly not mutually exclusive.
This balance affects most of the recent issues raised, such as government management of the Central Provident Fund, and even the regulation of the media and freedom of speech.
Neither side is wrong, and Singapore has to strike a balance between societal self-regulation and the protective policies of a technocratic government.
Also, I am puzzled by our excessive focus on internal issues. Without dealing with external uncertainty, our country will not even have a shot at domestic prosperity.
I hope the Government can shed more light on how we plan to navigate the complex regional geopolitical environment, while preserving our neutrality.
All in all, Mr Tan's frank, down-to-earth style certainly impressed many students. If the Government continues in this current direction, it will gradually include ordinary Singaporeans' views in the decision-making process.
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