Good afternoon our Guest of Honour, Director of NIE and Chief Advisor of the Trainee Teachers’ Club, Professor Leo Tan, 2nd Advisor Dr Sylvia Chong, distinguished guests and fellow colleagues. Welcome to the launch of Teacher Culture 2001.

Thank you for taking time off to grace this important event in the calendar of the NIE Student Leaders. Carrying the torch passed from the initiators of Teacher Culture in 1999, Teacher Culture 2001 aims bolster the efforts of our pioneers in promoting a positive culture amongst trainee teachers.

As trainee teachers, we are fundamentally unique as undergraduates and civil servants. As full-time undergraduates, we flow with the conventions of varsity life. Yet, each and every one of us here at NIE has a strong affiliation to the profession. Such an identity is hard to match with the strong bonds we have within the community of future, present and past teachers.

The Teacher Culture spreads across boards as the pillars of NIE work in collaborative efforts to maintain the fine tradition of excellence. A cultured teacher is one who displays both intrinsic and extrinsic attributes. NIE’s strength in population has full potential to contribute in building further not only the unique Teacher Culture existing in the profession but also, the art of varsity life. It will be a continual challenge of all trainee teachers to maximize our potential to work towards holistic teacher training as well as to enrich campus life.

Teacher Culture 2001 starts today, with several activities lined up. There will be a ‘Search for THE Cultured Teacher’ Competition, as our roving committee members stay on a lookout for model trainee teachers who will stand to win $100 cash vouchers each. On your right, are pledge booths where trainee teachers get to make a personal commitment towards being a cultured teacher. Revised posters of the dresscode will also be put around campus as gentle reminders to trainee teachers. The highlight of the event has to be the presentation by our colleagues as they portray the Multi-faceted Cultured Teacher Model which you will see later. Photos of these models have also been put up on the boards here, and will be permanently at the notice boards before you step down into the canteen.

The student leaders, with the help of the NIE administration, have put in a considerable amount of effort in the planning of this campaign. On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to thank Professor Leo Tan, Dr Sylvia Chong and Mrs Seah-Lee Moi Fong for their kind guidance throughout the planning of the campaign.

With a torch ahead, I have full confidence that this campaign will bring about greater achievements in the years to come. What seems evident is that the Teacher Culture lives on its colourfully painted legacy.

With that, I thank you.

Rita Zamzamah
President
Trainee Teachers' Club