Shuqun Primary School 100th Anniversary Celebrations - Ms Grace Fu

1. A very good evening to all. It is my privilege and honour to join you all today to celebrate Shuqun Primary School’s 100th Anniversary. Please give yourselves a big round of applause! In fact, I had the rare honour of previously witnessing Shuqun’s 90th Anniversary back in 2015 and therefore I am honoured to be invited back.

2. Tonight’s celebration carries the theme “树 茂 根 深, 群 贤 毕 至”; deep roots nurturing growth, along with the gathering and nourishing of talents. This captures Shuqun’s journey and aspirations well.

Journey of growth and transformation

3. Just as a mighty tree grows from a tiny seed, Shuqun Primary School started out at a small wooden house in 1925. This year we celebrate SG60 – 60 years of Singapore’s independence. Not many schools in Singapore can claim to be older than Singapore. In those days it was not easy at all; Mrs Sara talked about how a few businessmen that were far-sighted came together. The British Government then was not very interested to educate migrants – and many were all migrants in 1925.

4. When you did not have the provision of education and essential services, what would you do? As a community on the west side of Singapore, you would do what is necessary as a community leader: exercise leadership to gather your resources. If you do not have roads, you gather resources to build roads; if you do not have schools, you put your hat around, donate money, and build a school. That is how the community spirit started and took root in Jurong. In fact, many schools at that time started off in community halls. And I always tell this story that in the 1920s to 1940s, many schools started off at Wayang stages and in temple halls; and Seh Chuan also started as a Wayang stage at Bukit Timah Hill. This is a lovely story of how our ancestors had that gumption and determination when they saw that their children needed education – they did not wait for someone to do it for them. They took up different tasks and carried on, on their own.

5. Like the proverb “树 茂 根 深”, Shuqun has relied on its strong roots in the community to grow into a forward-looking institution. Its expansion in the 1970s was made possible with financial support from the surrounding community who pledged their earnings. Taxi drivers, hawkers and butchers all contributed to this noble cause. Its transformation from a Chinese-medium school to one embracing English education in the 1980s was made possible with support from dedicated teachers, staff and alumni who made the change happen.

6. These moments of growth and transformation in Shuqun’s history demonstrate how it has continuously evolved while staying true to its foundations in the community.

Nurturing our young ones

7. Today, embodying “群 贤 毕 至”, Shuqun continues to gather and nurture talents while innovating for the future.

8. I am especially heartened to hear about Shuqun’s approach of environmental education through the Applied Learning Programme – Caring and Responsible Environmentalists, or CaRE. Through this programme, Primary 4 and 5 students apply design thinking and interdisciplinary learning to tackle environmental challenges. This hands-on approach prepares our young ones to become environmental stewards of tomorrow.

9. Beyond academic excellence, Shuqun has also developed various Values in Action projects to showcase the students’ talents and capabilities. To commemorate this special year and celebrate SG60, I understand that Shuqun will be collaborating with Jurong Spring CC on a food donation drive for 200 needy families. This initiative demonstrates how Shuqun goes beyond nourishing talent and intellect, to also cultivate a heart of service and empathy in our young ones.

10. Through such programmes, I can see that Shuqun embodies tonight’s centennial theme of nurturing young men and women who have the abilities to take on tomorrow’s challenges and the heart to serve others.

Conclusion

11. Once again, happy 100th anniversary Shuqun Primary School. Just as your roots have grown deep and strong over the past 100 years and borne much fruit, may you continue to produce generations of outstanding Shuqunites for many more years to come.

12. 今天很荣幸能够参与树群百年的庆典。在新加坡，百年的学校不多。百年的学校肯定有成效，有经历过一段故事。我们的先辈们为了让孩子们受教育，自动自发把学校办起来，那时条件没有现在那么好，过程一定是非常艰难。今天我们庆祝百年校庆，也要记得先辈一百年前建校的辛劳。让我们给前任的校长们和老师们一个热烈的掌声好不好？我相信今晚在这里有很多退休的校长和老师们：我们请他们起立，让我们为他们献上热烈的掌声!

13. 祝大家庆典愉快，祝树群百年的景气，步步高升。谢谢。