CARING TEACHER AWARDS 2004

Singapore (September 17, 2004)

Good afternoon, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education; Mr Chan Soo Sen, Minister of State for Education; Professor Leo Tan, Director of National Institute of Education; Dr Nick Aplin, Chairman of the Caring Teacher Awards Organising Committee; principals, teachers, students; ladies and gentlemen.  I am very pleased to be here with you today.

On behalf of ExxonMobil, I congratulate all recipients of the Caring Teacher Awards 2004.  These include the three National Caring Teacher Awards recipients -

Mrs Wong Swan Hua, Ms Chia Chen Chi and Mdm Goh Tan Ee, and the 6 teachers honoured with Commendation Awards at this afternoon's ceremony.

We congratulate the school level recipients of the Caring Teacher Awards, as well as, each and every teacher who received a nomination this year.  We salute your dedication and your contributions to the holistic education and development of your student charges.

ExxonMobil is honoured to be given the opportunity to continue our work with the National Institute of Education.  We are encouraged and heartened that the Caring Teacher Awards continue to receive strong support from students, parents and teaching peers.

Although, ExxonMobil has been in Singapore for more than a hundred years, we began with a significant presence immediately after independence with our refinery in Jurong in 1966.  So you could say we have practically grown together with Singapore.

In Singapore, ExxonMobil's most visible presence is through our network of Esso and Mobil service stations.  While we operate the largest service station network in Singapore, our presence here is more than just our service stations.

We are today, Singapore's single largest foreign investor.  We operate one of the most modern petrochemical plants in the world on Jurong Island.  Our refinery together with our Singapore Chemical Plant form ExxonMobil's largest integrated manufacturing site in Asia.

As a company we do not take our presence for granted.  A cornerstone of our corporate citizenship is running our plants and facilities in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.  ExxonMobil is an industry leader in safety and our performance record speaks for itself.  We strive for an accident-free workplace and an environment where Nobody Gets Hurt.  We believe a company's commitment to the highest standards of safety, health and environmental care is indicative of superior performance in other aspects of its operations.

Wherever ExxonMobil operates, we work to make a positive contribution and strengthen local communities.  For Singapore, where our people are our strength, we recognise the importance of education and its role in the fabric of nation building.  Our time in school not only equips us with skills and prepares us for working life, but also instills in us steadfast values that help anchor us as we move on in life.

Each individual has the opportunity and must strive to develop to his or her full potential and today we recognise the very important role teachers play in the holistic development of our children.  We recognise the noble calling of the teaching profession.  We recognise your dedication and commitment.  We recognise the positive difference you make in helping our children grow.

I would like to conclude by thanking all who have sent nominations for caring teachers.  Your nominations are encouragement for the good work teachers do.

I thank the National Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education for giving ExxonMobil an opportunity again to sponsor the Caring Teacher Awards.  We have enjoyed working with the Caring Teacher Awards Committee in this project.  

Thank you.