MFA Press Release: Speech by Minister George Yeo at the Inauguration Ceremony for Tangalle Primary School, Rewatha National College and Vijitha Central College, at Tangalle Primary School in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka, 10 am, 16 October 2009

Honourable Chamal Rajapaksa
Minister of Ports and Aviation

Honourable Kumari Balasuriya
Governor of Southern Province

Honourable Mahinda Amaraweera
Minister of Water Supply

Principals of Tangalle Primary School,
Vijitha Central College, and
Rewatha National College

Distinguished Guests
Teachers, students, proud parents, fellow Singaporeans, ladies and gentlemen

I am deeply touched by your very warm welcome. Singapore is honoured to be in a position to render some assistance to Sri Lanka following the tsunami of 26 December 2004.

This morning, we mark the joint inauguration of three upgraded and refurbished schools - Tangalle Primary School here in Hambantota, Vijitha Central College in Matara and Rewatha National College in Galle. In addition to repairs and refurbishment, new facilities have been provided. More classrooms have been added to Tangalle Primary School and Vijitha Central College. With more classrooms and better facilities, the three schools can now enroll a total of more than 6,400 students.

The total project cost for the three schools is about $5.6 million Singapore dollars or about 460 million Sri Lanka Rupees. The money was jointly donated by the Singapore Government and the Singapore Red Cross Society. Singaporeans of different races and religions, from all walks of life, contributed through the Tidal Waves Asia Fund managed by the Singapore Red Cross Society.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the project team from Singapore comprising representatives from the Singapore Red Cross Society, the Construction Industry Joint Committee and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for all the work they put in to steer the project and see it to completion. I would also like to thank the Government of Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Ministry of Education, and the principals, staff and students of the three schools, for your cooperation and friendship throughout this period.

I would like to make a special mention of Sri Lanka's Tsunami Education Rehabilitation Monitor, or TERM. As project manager on the ground overseeing the upgrading and refurbishment of the schools, TERM worked closely with the Singapore project team, providing timely and sound advice throughout the duration of the project. Last but not least, we thank the two contractors, Nawaloka Construction Company and Tharungi Construction and Supplies, for doing a very professional job. Together, the various parties had worked hard to ensure the successful completion of the project, which was on schedule, according to specifications and within budget. Many of you who laboured long and hard on the project are here today in the audience and I thank you personally for your labour of love.

A school is much more than just the buildings and physical facilities. What matter much more are the spirit of the school and its traditions as embodied in the principals, the teachers and the students. As part of our continuous engagement with Sri Lanka, I am happy to invite the principals of Tangalle Primary School, Vijitha Central College and Rewatha National College to Singapore for the "Leaders in Education Programme". Participants under this programme are exposed to various aspects of the Singapore education system and also various professional training programmes. It is also an opportunity to build bridges of friendship and cooperation between our two countries. I hope that the principals can take time off their busy schedules to attend the 10-day course.

In addition to the upgrading and refurbishment of the three schools, the Singapore Government conducted two customised teacher-training courses under the Singapore Cooperation Programme for 31 teachers from the three schools in 2007. We were struck by the enthusiasm, the dedication and the passion of the teachers. Because of the success of the programme, I am happy to announce that two more courses in "Enhancing Pedagogy" will be conducted for teachers of the three schools who had missed out on the courses conducted earlier.

A Singapore book and stationery company called Popular Book Shop will soon be delivering various quantities of roller ink pens, pencils, school bags and other stationery items as a donation to the students of the three schools. Seeing the bright eyes and smiling faces of some of the students who greeted us this morning, we from Singapore feel very proud to be able to make a modest contribution to their future. And we are delighted to be part of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's determination for the next war, for better education in Sri Lanka.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, I hope that the bonds of friendship between the peoples of our two countries will continue to strengthen in the years ahead. As Sri Lanka steps out of the shadow of the tsunami and the civil war, I wish you every success in national reconciliation and the rebuilding of your country.

Thank you.

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