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SINGAPORE: Tamil has an important place in Singapore as one of the four official languages, said Deputy Prime Minister S Jayakumar.
Speaking at the closing programme of the three-week long Tamil Language Festival on Sunday, Professor S Jayakumar said the government is "steadfast in its support for Tamil" language.
"It helps us become a dynamic and resilient community with the right attitude and values and is as important and relevant in the present, modern world as they were in the past," said Prof Jayakumar.
He added that the government has allocated necessary resources for the teaching and learning of Tamil in Singapore.
The Tamil Language Learning and Promotion Committee has worked with community groups to initiate reading programmes, drama classes and overseas immersion trips for students who are learning Tamil.
And with MediaCorp's Indian channel, Vasantham, becoming a standalone channel in the fourth quarter of this year, the local Indian community will get to enjoy more interesting television programmes.
Prof Jayakumar said this presents more opportunities for homegrown creative talent to develop attractive media content, as well as collaborate with the Tamil diaspora in other parts of the world.
To take advantage of the recent economic growth and job opportunities, the deputy prime minister said the Tamil community must focus on retraining and skills development.
Prof Jayakumar was also happy to report that at the school level, the community has done well and they should ensure that the success continues.
The proportion of Indian students who pass at least five O-Level subjects has increased from 66.2 percent in 2000 to 75 percent in 2006.
The percentage of Indian students admitted to post-secondary institutions has grown from 74.9 percent in 2000 to 90.1 percent in 2006.
- CNA/so
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