Final
Report: 41st SEAMEO Council Conference
The Swissotel the Stamford
Republic of Singapore
22-23 March 2006
The Swissotel the Stamford
Republic of Singapore
22-23 March 2006
Proceedings
Contents |
| Proceedings |
| Appendices |
Appendix
4.3.8 |
|
Statement By |
Motion
of congratulations to the new SEAMEO Council President and thanks
to the outgoing President and Vice President by the council of Ministers
delivered by H E Dato` Sri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Minister of Education, Malaysia |
| Mr Chairman, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen. |
On
behalf of the Council of Ministers, I would like to firstly extend
our warm congratulations to His Excellency Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam,
on his unanimous election as President of the 41st SEAMEO Council
and Chairman of this Conference. We are fully confident that under
his able guidance and leadership, this Conference will be a success.
|
Our
congratulations also go to His Excellency Prof Dr Bambang Sudibyo,
on his appointment as Vice President and Vice Chairman of this Conference. |
The
Council would also like to put on record our sincere appreciation
to His Excellency Prof Dr Nguyen Minh Hien, Minister of Education
and Training, Socialist Republic of Vietnam and President of the
40th SEAMEO Council Conference, for all his contribution and leadership
in steering SEAMEO during the past year. We thank His Excellency
for his efforts in encouraging greater cooperation in SEAMEO through
programmes and activities aimed at developing our human resources
especially through the various SEAMEO Regional Centres. |
Today,
it is with great pleasure that delegates return to the Lion City
of Singapore to attend the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference. May I
therefore express our appreciation to the Government and people
of Singapore for all the work they have put into hosting this meeting
as well for the warm and generous hospitality that has been accorded
to all of us. |
May
I also convey through you, Mr Chairman, the Council’s profound
appreciation to His Excellency Prof S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister
of the Republic of Singapore for having taken the time to officiate
this Conference and for his very enlightening opening address, and
together with us, welcome the inclusion of Timor-Leste as the 11th
Member State of SEAMEO. Finally, may I, on behalf of the Council
of Ministers, express our appreciation to the SEAMEO Secretariat
and everyone for the services they have rendered in preparation
of this Conference. |
| Thank you. |
| Ladies and gentlemen, |
| Education for a Peaceful Pluralism |
We
live in an age of irony, a juncture in civilization where communities
have been brought ever closer because of technology – because
of the internet, the television and the jet plane. And yet, these
remarkable achievements are set against a backdrop of unparalleled
ethnic and religious tensions. |
Current
developments reveal that whilst the world has ‘shrunk’
because of affordable travel and telecommunications, our cultural
space has become increasingly fraught with uncertainty and at times,
conflict. Indeed, the gap in sympathy and understanding between
different civilizational forces has become worrying. For example,
the recent Danish cartoon incident showed us how serious the gap
of understanding can be. Setting aside for the moment the provocations
of politically motivated groups and people of violence, there was,
even in the most well-meaning people on both sides, a disconcerting
failure to understand each others’ concerns. Meanwhile every
development in the issue was played out across the global media
almost simultaneously. |
| Ladies and gentlemen, |
We
now live in a world in which local conflicts can quickly mutate
into national and even international ones. Conflicts between neighbours
can quickly flare up into conflicts between clans and peoples over
previously unconnected terrains. Although diverse peoples are now
linked by telecommunications, travel and migration, this does not
at all mean that they understand one another, or that they know
how to live together in the common symbolic spaces created by interconnected
news media. Each day we are brought closer to each other by technical
means, but our cultural capacities to make sense of each other in
that proximity lag dangerously behind. It is clear that although
globalization creates common spaces and weaves markets together,
it is just as likely to sharpen differences between communities
as to wash them out. |
As
Ministers of Education in one of the most dynamic regions of the
world, we are of course fully committed to the task of improving
the technical expertise of our students. However, in our haste to
achieve benchmark figures and targets we forget the importance of
building equitable societies that are underscored by mutual understanding. |
Sadly,
we often forget that prosperity also depends on our being able to
educate our young people to live, play and work together in harmony.
In that regard, Malaysia has always insisted that education for
social harmony is just as important as more technical forms of excellence.
We try to maintain a balance between educating for individual excellence
and educating an entire society into the habits of mutual understanding,
sympathy and peace. I am glad we have this forum to discuss ways
to educate people in this region to understand one another, not
just within their countries but across the region. |
For
example, as a majority Muslim nation, Malaysia has found the principles
of islam Hadhari, as articulated by our Prime Minister, valuable
as a framework for articulating the relationship between Islamic
faith and the goals of progressive and inclusive nation-building.
Islam Hadhari emphasizes the importance of seeking knowledge wherever
it is to be found and building a better society. It embraces cultural
diversity and modernisation while holding to the essential principles
of Islamic faith, and constantly re-examining the ways in which
Muslims can be faithful to Divine Revelation in their particular
times and circumstances. Guided by the principle of “Unity
in Diversity” Malaysia has allowed spaces for some of the
major cultural traditions of Asia to thrive as living communities
next to each other. We allow for differences among us without permitting
the hegemony of the culture of one ethnic group over the other.
Malaysia is keen to work with its ASEAN partners to develop and
apply curricula, institutions and practices to foster greater cultural
understanding. |
| Ladies and gentlemen, |
Educators
are tasked to teach how much our seemingly different worlds are
in fact similar and interdependent. Whilst diversity and cultural
integrity are vital, it is the interaction between various communities
that dictates a society’s eventual success or failure. From
early childhood, schools must therefore take every opportunity to
expose children to these diversities, similarities and interdependence.
“Young children” must be given an accurate view of the
world. “Education” must help them discover who they
are. Only then will they genuinely be able to put themselves in
other people’s shoes and understand their reactions. |
Enhancing
the teaching of human geography, foreign languages, literature,
history of religions and customs can contribute towards the greater
understanding of other ethnic and religious groups. Teachers on
the other hand should never forget that they are role models. Their
negative attitude may forever weaken their pupil’s ability
to be receptive to others and face the inevitable tensions between
people, groups and communities within and between nations. |
| Ladies and Gentleman, |
Finally,
within SEAMEO, our focus should not only be on children and youth
but also on adults as well because education is a life-long project.
We should seek to enrich the people with humanistic, ethical, cultural
and international values, in order to provide them with a total
education. Academic excellence is to be commended. But in the real
world nations need a lot more than PhD-holders. |
More
than ever, the contents, methods and outcomes of learning need to
be revisited to make education a more effective and powerful instrument
for building bridges for peace and indeed prosperity. It is particularly
important that young minds are turned away from violence and focused
on the virtues of tolerance, mutual understanding and peace, not
only in action but also in thoughts, words and deeds. As a regional
organization we must redouble these efforts not only to strengthen
knowledge and understanding of the diversity of our cultures but
also promote greater dialogue among Member States. These dialogues
could uncover hidden questions, and sources of misunderstanding,
dispel prejudices, identify and promote commonalties, promote better
understanding and work for peace. It is hoped that through these
dialogues we will learn to accept others, regardless of race, religion
or culture. This in turn will enhance our ability and willingness
to live together. |
| Thank you. |
