DPM Gan Kim Yong at the Catholic High School 90th Anniversary Dinner

President of Catholic High Alumni, Professor Chong Tow Chong
Principal of Catholic High School, Mdm Yvonne Teo
Chairman of the School Management Committee, Father Henry Siew
Members of the Catholic High Alumni and School Management Committee
Our fellow Catholic High alumni
Teachers, students, principals,

Good evening to all of you. It gives me great joy to join you this evening. Tonight, we celebrate the 90th anniversary of Catholic High School, as well as the 56th anniversary of our Catholic High Alumni Association.

It is indeed a great honour for me to join you in this very important milestone.

At Catholic High, other than having good fun, good time, we were also blessed with a bilingual and faith-based education system that deepened our appreciation of both our heritage and our values.

We learnt the importance of Care, Honesty and Service, and to live out our motto: 亲爱忠诚，敬业乐群.

These values continue to anchor us, throughout our lives, whatever we do, and wherever we go.

And tonight, about 90 tables of alumni gather here, we are reminded that Catholic High is more than just a school. It is our home, the home of our hearts – 是我们的感情故乡.

This community would not have been possible without the Brothers, principals and teachers who have guided us, especially at the time when the school was scattered across different campuses.

Even though we were not physically together, we were united by the values that we carried and the bonds we shared.

So when the school later came together at our Bishan campus with the iconic clocktower, it was not just the end of a nomadic chapter, but also a reaffirmation of who we were, who we are now and who we will continue to be – a community bound by shared values and purpose, ready to pass on to the next generation our torch, our Catholic High gentlemen.

Past cohorts of Catholic High gentlemen have indeed been paying it forward, through special education programmes that harness the collective expertise of our Catholic High boys.

We are also grateful to Father Edward Becheras for his vision 90 years ago, and the many teachers who made this vision a reality.

Catholic High has grown alongside Singapore. Our journeys have been intertwined – from humble beginnings, through times of change and nation-building, to the vibrant and confident community we are today. This year, Singapore marks its 60th anniversary and our nation now stands at a key turning point.

The world around us is changing faster than ever.

Technology and AI are reshaping industries, and the way we live.

Asia is poised to become one of the fastest growing regions in the world.

We cannot be complacent. We must continue to evolve and adapt to stay relevant and resilient.

I am heartened that, under the capable stewardship of Principal Mdm Teo, together with the leadership of Professor Chong and SMC Chairman Father Henry Siew, our school has set out how it will prepare for the challenges ahead –

First, by setting up innovation hubs and AI-powered learning platforms, to nurture technologically savvy and future-ready leaders;

Second, by availing support for students to embark on overseas immersion programmes and leadership workshops, so that our students can acquire more regional and global exposure;

Third, by sponsoring innovative projects, including start-up initiatives and community programmes, so that our students can gain more hands-on experience;

Last but not least, by expanding support for teachers through targeted professional development, expert practitioner management, and global teacher exchanges.

Our students today are a lot more fortunate than during our time, when we were having difficulty just looking for our overhead projector to conduct lessons. But now you have not only projectors, you have your enabled digital learning system, and you also have overseas attachments, overseas immersion programmes. And you have the best teachers around the world to teach you and deliver our education programmes.

In addition to the skills that students will need for a new age, Catholic High must continue to impart the same resilience and values that it had inculcated in past generations of leaders.

Care for one another, honesty in word and deed, and a heart for service – these are the values that have guided Catholic High gentlemen for generations, and will continue to be invaluable for generations to come.

I am confident that the Catholic High education will continue to prepare the students well to navigate a more complex and contested world.

To my fellow Alumni – as we look ahead, this vision of a strong, resilient Catholic High community requires all of us to play our part.

Through the Catholic High School Centennial Fund, and together with the time, mentorship and support we can offer, we have the opportunity to give back to the school which has given us so much.

I urge each of us to think about how we can play a role to nurture the next generations of leaders, and keep the flame of Catholic High burning bright – a spirit rooted in care, honesty and service; a brotherhood built on trust and shared conviction; and a mission to serve others with humility and heart.

And as the saying goes, “十年树木，百年树人" – it takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to nurture a person.

Tonight, as we commemorate the 90th anniversary of Catholic High, we are also planting the seeds that will enable us to celebrate our centennial year with renewed relevance and strength.

Conclusion

May we continue to build on the strong foundation laid by our predecessors – to nurture leaders, scholars and gentlemen who will not only excel in what they do, but also uplift the people and communities around them.

Happy 90th Anniversary! Thank you.

Let me say a few words in Mandarin. 让我用华文讲几句话。

尊敬的公教校友会会长张道昌教授，
我们的校长张依雯校长，

大家晚上好！非常感谢大家邀请我来和大家一起恭敬晚餐。

回顾九十载校史与传承

今天晚上的聚会意义非凡——九十年来，我们春风化雨， 我们桃李满天下， 教育了许许多多的子民。

我们在公教所受的是双语教育与天主教价值观的熏陶。

学校教导我们要「亲爱忠诚，敬业乐群」，让我们明白，教育不只是知识的灌输，更是品格的培养。

即使离开了校园，这些价值观能够让你享用不尽。

今天晚上我们的校友们在这里一起齐聚，就是这一个最好的见证。

我要在这里特别感谢我们的修士、校长、老师们，特别是在校舍分散的时候，他们依然坚守岗位、引领方向。

九十年校友情怀：饮水思源，薪火相传

一代又一代的公教学子，不仅成就自我，更以「饮水思源」的精神来回馈社会跟母校。

他们通过各类的教育项目，在艺术、科学、领导与服务上的专长传承给我们的下一代，我们的学弟学妹们。

我们更要感谢我们的创校神父劳爱华神父的远见和卓识——九十年前，他为我们种下了双语双文化的种子，许多的良师益友更是用心的耕耘，让这颗种子能够成为今天的大树。

九十年历程：与新加坡并肩前行

九十年的校史，也跟新加坡的六十年的国史互相的辉映。国家与学校都曾经历国蜕变，从殖民时期一直走向独立自主。

正如黄循财总理今年国庆演讲中所强调的，「我们要所造一个 We-First 的新加坡」——这份共同体的精神，与公教中学历久弥新的校训不谋而合。

作为「公教一家」，「We-First」意味着我们不仅要成为「领袖、双语的学者、彬彬的君子」，更要以仁爱之心和服务之志，来贡献于家庭、学校和社会。

迈向百年：与时代共进

站在九十周年的门槛上，我们展望下一个十年。

世界正在经历巨大的巨变。

我们也必须与时俱进，不断地继续前行，不断地培训，不断地提升。

我也高兴看到在我们的校长的引领下，在我们的校友会与学校的配合下，我们已经规划了未来发展的四大方向。

也正如我们的校歌所说的「敦品励学，无间无休；振我邦国，万祀千秋」，这首校歌我们刚刚才唱过的，希望大家能够记得，也能够铭记在心。这一切的努力正是为了让公教的学子能够迎接未来的挑战，勇敢的开创属于他们的新天地。

号召校友：十年树木，百年树人

今天晚上，我借这个机会呼吁我们所有的校友继续参与支持母校的发展。

我们在这里不只是缅怀历史，更是要为未来而撒种。

所谓「十年树木，百年树人」，九十年只是一个开始。不久（之后），我们将庆祝我们的百年纪念，我们要同时肩负着下一个百年培育领袖、君子、双语学者的这个使命。

我们的科技日新月异，但有些价值是永远不变的：关怀、诚信与服务的精神。

这些，也正是公教人最宝贵、最独特的财富。九十年来，无数的校友以师长、导师、和资助者的身份回馈母校，让新的一代学子能够有把握、有信心，永远不必孤单前行。

在这里感谢校友们在「公教百年基金」的支持下，推动了母校的长远发展。展望未来，我希望更多的校友加入这份行列，让公教能够继续辉煌。

结语

在母校九十周年的校庆, 校友会56周年纪念之际，让我们能够以同样的勇气、谦逊与期盼，来继续编写新的篇章。

我祝愿公教继续培养出一代又一代的「领袖、双语学者、彬彬的君子」，不仅以成就卓越而闻名，更以品格与服务为典范，惠及家庭、社会与国家。

愿我们携手共进，迈向更加辉煌的百年！

谢谢大家。

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