PM Lee Hsien Loong is now delivering his English speech at the National Day Rally 2017. You can watch the speech live on the PMO YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/a8wbp53Ymqc.
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PM Lee: Tonight I would like to take a step back from immediate priorities & discuss 3 issues that in the longer term will be important to our prosperity and well being:
1) Building up preschools
2) Fighting diabetes
3) Making Singapore a #SmartNation
These are what we need to do now, to build our future: start right, stay healthy, and live smart.
1) Building up preschools
2) Fighting diabetes
3) Making Singapore a #SmartNation
These are what we need to do now, to build our future: start right, stay healthy, and live smart.
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START RIGHT - PRESCHOOL
5 years ago, the Government moved decisively, to build up our preschools, and transform the whole sector. We created almost 50,000 more childcare and kindergarten places, especially in young estates like Punggol and Sengkang.
We increased subsidies to make preschools more affordable, and raised the standards of Anchor Operators, like PCF Kindergartens (now Sparkle Tots), and NTUC’s My First Skool.
MOE has also started to run MOE Kindergartens.
Finally, to oversee the whole sector, we set up the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), under MSF.
5 years ago, the Government moved decisively, to build up our preschools, and transform the whole sector. We created almost 50,000 more childcare and kindergarten places, especially in young estates like Punggol and Sengkang.
We increased subsidies to make preschools more affordable, and raised the standards of Anchor Operators, like PCF Kindergartens (now Sparkle Tots), and NTUC’s My First Skool.
MOE has also started to run MOE Kindergartens.
Finally, to oversee the whole sector, we set up the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA), under MSF.
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2. Improve the quality of preschool education for ages 5 to 6 (K1s & K2s) – We will increase MOE Kindergartens from 15 to 50 in the next 5 years. This will enable MOE to influence and uplift the quality of the whole sector.
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3. Upgrade the preschool profession to attract good teachers – We will set up a new National Institute of Early Childhood Development (NIEC), which will be like NIE for preschool teachers and carers. It will provide the full range of diploma and certificate programmes for preschool professionals.
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We are emphasising preschools to achieve a broader social purpose. Access to affordable, quality preschools will help level the playing field for young children. If we get this right, we will foster social mobility, and sustain a fair and just society.
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STAY HEALTHY - DIABETES
Singaporeans have one of the highest average life expectancies in the world - 82 years. But we experience on average 8 years of ill health in old age. This is a long time to be in ill health.
A big reason for this is diabetes. Unfortunately, compared to other developed countries, we are almost world champions, just behind the US.
Overall, 1 in 9 Singaporeans have diabetes. For people over 60, it becomes 1 in 3. Broken down by race, among the Chinese, 2.5 in 10 over 60 will have it; among the Malays, half; and for the Indians, 6 in 10!
In the early stages, diabetes is an ‘invisible disease’, with hardly any symptoms. But over time, it can become very serious, especially if not treated. It can damage all your organs, cause you to lose limbs, and for the men, make you impotent!
Singaporeans have one of the highest average life expectancies in the world - 82 years. But we experience on average 8 years of ill health in old age. This is a long time to be in ill health.
A big reason for this is diabetes. Unfortunately, compared to other developed countries, we are almost world champions, just behind the US.
Overall, 1 in 9 Singaporeans have diabetes. For people over 60, it becomes 1 in 3. Broken down by race, among the Chinese, 2.5 in 10 over 60 will have it; among the Malays, half; and for the Indians, 6 in 10!
In the early stages, diabetes is an ‘invisible disease’, with hardly any symptoms. But over time, it can become very serious, especially if not treated. It can damage all your organs, cause you to lose limbs, and for the men, make you impotent!
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