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SINGAPORE : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said that Singapore cannot expect to go back to the growth rates achieved before the global economic crisis.
Speaking at the annual Edusave Scholarship awards ceremony at his Teck Ghee division on Sunday, he said it will be tougher and Singaporeans must work harder and smarter.
Mr Lee said that Edusave Scholarship presentations are one of the happiest functions in the year for students who have done well.
Noelle Chan, recipient, Edusave Scholarship, said: "When my family is short of money, we can take out this Edusave and use it for reading materials, books and uniforms."
Another recipient, Sambhavi Rajangam, said: "I can use it for any extra assessment books to help increase my knowledge in a very useful way. That is the whole purpose of this Edusave Scholarship...I would definitely use it in a good way and not waste it."
Mr Lee also had some advice for the recipients.
He said: "The scholarship we are giving you is to encourage you. Use it to help further your education and do well for yourselves and for Singapore."
Mr Lee also emphasised the importance of education and skills upgrading in a period of lower economic growth.
He said: "So instead of being seven, eight, nine per cent, we may (achieve) three, four, five per cent growth. But what we must try to do is to make sure that our per capita performance goes up.
"So even if the economy is not growing bigger and bigger, for each one of us, we will be doing better and better and performing well. And that means being able to contribute and having the skills and the know-how and the education in order to do well."
Mr Lee said he makes a few visits to some schools each year and intends to continue with the practice this year too. He said he wants to encourage teachers, students and their parents to make the effort to ensure the children do well in the Singapore education system.
One hundred and eighty primary and secondary students from Teck Ghee received Edusave Scholarships, an increase of 15 per cent from last year.
Another 530 students received bursaries worth S$105,000 at an earlier ceremony on Sunday.
Under the Edusave Scholarship scheme, primary school students receive S$200 while secondary students receive S$240. - CNA/ms
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