A quality arts education for all
Speech by Mr Lawrence Wong, Acting Minster for Culture, Community and Youth at the National Art Education Award Ceremony
20 January 2014
Mrs Rosa Daniel, Deputy Secretary, MCCY
Ms Kathy Lai, CEO, NAC
Ms Liew Wei Li, Director, Student Development Curriculum Division, Ministry of Education
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
1. Let me first congratulate this year’s recipients of the National Arts Education Award (NAEA). Thank you for your commitment to giving your students a quality education. You have given them a good head start in their lifelong journey of engagement with the arts.
A quality arts education for all
2. What we want in Singapore is for all our students, regardless of their background, is to have a high quality education in the arts. The arts help to build empathy and creativity. In fact, research suggests that the arts also benefit academic achievement. But the benefits of the arts go far beyond examinations and formal education. They extend into a lifetime of learning, thinking and discovery.
3. So we want every child to enjoy a quality arts education in our schools. And the government is committed to providing you with the resources and the tools to make this happen.