National Archives Library 24 FEB 1992 3 92 - LHL -2

Release No: 17/JAN 15-1/92/01\17

SPEECH BY BG , DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTER FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY, AT THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE POLYTECHNIC'S CAMPUS EXPANSION ON 17 JANUARY 1992 AT 6.30 PM

I am happy to join you tonight to celebrate the completionof Singapore Polytechnic's Campus Expansion programme.

The Dover Road campus was built for a student population of 6,000. In 1979, when the Singapore Polytechnic moved in, its full-time enrolment was only 4,950. Compared to the cramped and long-outgrown accommodation at Prince Edward Road, where the polytechnic had been for over 20 years, the new campus seemed sprawling, with ample land for future development. Yet in just over a decade, the campus has grown to occupy the whole area.

During this time, Ngee Ann and Temasek Polytechnics were established. Together, the three polytechnics now have a total enrolment of over 26,000 full-time students. When the fourth polytechnic is set up later this year, the number of places will increase even further.

The rapid expansion of post-secondary and tertiary education in Singapore will continue over the next few years. The combined intake of full-time students into the polytechnics will eventually reach about 15,000, accounting for 40 per cent of each year's cohort of secondary school leavers. Another 15 per cent to 20 per cent of the cohorts will make it through to university. Thus, altogether, up to 60 per cent of Singaporeans will be able to make it through tertiary education - a very high 4 figure. This massive investment in education reflects the Government's commitment to ensure that every Singaporean receives as much education as he or she is able to benefit from, regardless of family background.

In the modern Singapore economy, workplaces are becoming more highly automated and technology intensive. Demand for trained and educated workers can only go up. Workers with the right skills have no difficulty finding jobs which pay well. Polytechnic graduates obtain jobs easily. Many earn almost as much as university graduates. It is therefore not surprising that a polytechnic education has become a popular choice for many school-leavers.

For the investment in tertiary education to succeed, the bulk of students at tertiary institutions must pursue courses relevant to the needs of the economy. These include electrical and electronics engineering, mechanical and manufacturing engineering, computer technology and business and accountancy studies. A steady supply of good graduates in these disciplines will not only fill vacancies in existing jobs, but will attract more companies to set up in Singapore to take advantage of their skills.

Of course, we also need graduates in the humanities and the arts. While we should consider non-economic factors in assessing the value of polytechnic and university courses, we should never neglect market signals. If we produce graduates who cannot find jobs matching their training, but who are no longer willing to settle for jobs usually done by non-graduates, then we are storing up trouble for ourselves.

This strategy of emphasising science and technology requires students to leave school prepared with the right prerequisites, especially mastery of science and mathematics. It also means that the students must be willing to apply them- selves to practical fields of study, and to continue to upgrade themselves and keep their knowledge up-to-date after they 5 graduate. Fortunately, this has been the case. Admission standards for the polytechnics have been high. Many polytechnic graduates strive to obtain university degrees after working for a few years, even at the cost of significant personal sacrifice.

The Government will help polytechnic graduates to fulfil their aspirations, by making it easier for them to enter NUS and NTU as mature students. The Open University will enable even more Singaporeans from all walks of life to work for a university degree. But as we increase the number of places at our tertiary institutions, we must not compromise academic standards. This is absolutely necessary to maintain the integrity of the system. Then students will graduate with real and useful skills, not valueless diplomas and degrees.

Finally let me congratulate Singapore Polytechnic for having successfully maintained the quality of your curricula, and raised the calibre and reputation of your graduates, despite the rapid expansion of your capacity. Over the years you have evolved a distinctive model of polytechnic education that has served Singapore well.

It is now my pleasure to officially declare open the buildings of your campus expansion.

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MTI/DPMjanl7.'92/Pgs.l-3 From: INFORMATIONs (8812:GVT224) Subject: [Opening of Poly Campus Expansion} Delivered: Wed 19-February-92 l0:55 SING (33 lines) PRESSR SINGAPORE GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASES

DISTRIBUTION LIST

1 Mr Yatiman Bin Yusof, Parliamentary Secretary (Foreign Affairs) GVT 047 2 Mr , Senior Minister of State (MT1) GVT 090 3 Dr Ong Chit Chung, Parliamentary Secretary (MHA) GVT 132 4 Dr Yeo Ning Hong, Minister for Defence GVT 200 5 Mr Ch'ng Jit Koon, Senior Minister of State GVT 234 (Community Development) 6 Dr Ahmad Mattar, Minister for Environment GVT 080

7 BG , Second Minister for Foreign GVT 049 Affairs 8 Mr Harun A Ghani. Political Secretary, Ministry GVT 710 of Home Affairs 9 Library Officer, Auditor-General Office GVT 370 10 Library. Ministry of Education GVT 036 11 Mr Lee Chiong Giam, GVT 615 Chief Executive Director (PA) lla Mr Soon Low Boon, Library (PA) `12 Library,Parliment House GVT 251 GVT 237

14 Mr Aziz Champion, Ministry of Law (PS's copy) GVT 125 15 Budget Division, Ministry of Finance GVT 052

16 Mrs Elain Swinn-Tan, Head, Public Relations, MOL GVT 168 17 Economics Dept, MAS GVT 721

18 PSD, Ministry of Finance GVT 111 19 The General Manager, Board of Commissioners of GVT 611 Currency 20 Library, Ministry of Community Development GVT 235 21 Commissioner for Land, Land Office, Ministry GVT 463 of National Development 2

22 Library, Jurong Town Corporation GVT 390

23 Public Relations Dept, Ministry of Home Affairs GVT 137

24 Resource Centre, Ministry of Trade & Industry GVT 091

25 Public Relations Dept. VITB GVT 480

26 Registry Supervisor, Ministry of National GVT 240 Development

27 The Chairman, Singapore Institute of Standards GVT 325 and Industrial Research

28 Librarian, NTUC Research Unit GVT 351 28a PA to Mr , Deputy Prime Minister

29 Mindef Library GVT 207

30 Director, Community Relations Dept, Ministry of GVT 470 Community Development (Kindly make copies and distribute to all the secretariats)

31 Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence GVT 560

32 Dr , Minister for Labour & GVT 205 Second Minister for Defence

33 Dr Tay Eng Soon, Senior Minister of Stats for GVT 030 Education

34 Mr , Minister for Foreign Affairs GVT 044 34a Mr Peter Ho, DS (SEA) Min. of Foreign Affairs GVT 044

35 Dr Richard Au, Minister for Finance GVT 017

36 Mr , Minister for Health & GVT 230 Minister for Community Development

37 Mr Sidek Bin Saniff, Minister of State for GVT 680 Education

18 February 1992

G/SGPR.TLB