Speech by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at PCF Family Day

Mdm Halimah Yacob
Chairman, PCF Family Day 2012 Organising Committee

Mr Gan Kim Yong
PCF Council Chairman

Mr Lawrence Wong
PCF Executive Committee Chairman

Friends, boys and girls

I am very happy to be here this morning back at the Zoo with all of you, enjoying the Zoo, and enjoying our PCF Family Day. Thank you all, parents, teachers, volunteers, for coming here today, and especially a very Happy Teacher’s Day for all the principals and teachers who are here. We are very grateful to you and we admire you for your good work.

The PCF reflects our commitment in the PAP to take care of all Singaporeans, especially those who are not so well off, or less fortunate. We started this in the 1960s, when the branches began to provide welfare support and financial help to the less fortunate and also began running low-cost kindergartens. And the welfare programmes and the help programmes grew over the years, so much that in 1986, we started and established the PCF to put them all together, and to run them more effectively.

The PCF has made a difference to many Singaporeans’ lives. First of all, their kindergartens have provided good and affordable pre-school education to many children. I think it is very important that the children get a good foundation in their young years, and PCF provides this in an affordable way. They are run as non-profit operations but the kindergartens have always tried to upgrade, in terms of teachers training, in terms of curriculum development, in terms of the quality of the education which is provided to the kids. Not books to learn for P1, but fun, games, socializing, physical skills – as you could see just now on stage – singing, dancing, having fun.

As you know, last week at the Rally, I said that the Government would be taking bolder steps to upgrade the kindergarten sector, including improving the capabilities of anchor operators like the PCF. So today, speaking as the PCF, wearing the PCF hat, I will say that the PCF will work closely with Government to raise the quality of kindergarden education for the mass market while keeping the cost affordable.

So the first thing that the PCF does is kindergartens, but secondly, beyond the kindergartens, the PCF also provides financial help for the less fortunate students to be able to complete their education. So we have PCF-Polytechnic Study Awards, for Poly students to earn their diplomas, we have PCF Assist to help students purchase textbooks or stationery, and we are also funding Mini-Molly. Mini-Molly is NLB’s mobile library which brings the library services closer to the public. So I am very happy later on we will be presenting some of these Awards to the recipients.

Thirdly, like other charities, the PCF raises funds. It raises funds for itself, but it also raises funds to help support other charities and organizations. Since 2001, over the last ten plus years, we have raised nearly $6 million, distributed to nearly 150 charities. This year alone, we have raised $660,000 from fundraisers organized by Mayor Sam Tan – congratulations and thank you for your efforts! Later on, we will be distributing these donations to 22 different charities. So thank you to the donors for their generosity and support - NTUC Fairprice and many others as well.

The PCF will always be here for the needy and less fortunate Singaporeans. It will complement the national programmes to build an inclusive society. And I hope the public will support the PCF – take advantage of our programmes, work hard, make full use of these opportunities. I would urge those who have done well, those who have been on the PCF programmes, completed their education, gone on and succeeded in their jobs - to give back to society, to volunteer time or donate to the PCF to help others in need. That is the best way to build Singapore into our best Home, a home with Hope and Heart.

This morning is a fun time, it is not for classes. Have fun at the Zoo, and may I wish you a very happy day ahead. Thank you very much!