Speech by Dato' Khoo Keat Siew
Chairman of the Board of the Governors, of the Penang Buddhist Association on the occasion of the 48th Anniversary of the PBA Kindergarten on 13th November 2011.
It gives me great pleasure to be present this morning at the 48th Graduation Ceremony of the Penang Buddhist Association Kindergarten and also to say a few words.
The Kindergarten has since its inception provided education for pre-school children of all races. The objective of the Kindergarten is to prepare the children so that they will not encounter difficulties when they begin their primary education. Kindergartens are expected to lay the necessary foundation in learning. Besides the teaching of 3RS... Reading, Writing and Arithmetic they are also given computer lessons to keep up with the digital age.
Parents must realize that they are responsible for bringing up and educating their children. They should not delegate their responsibility entirely to the teachers. Very often both parents are working and cannot find time to spend with their children. They are too busy with their own lives thus neglecting their children's emotional needs and welfare. It is necessary for parents to show love for their children so that they will feel secure and loved. A neglected child is more likely to
go astray and become a problem not only to the parents but also to the community.
The Kindergarten has a multi-racial composition of Chinese, Malay and Indian children.
In this environment they are given an opportunity to mix with children of different races and religion.
The Kindergarten has an enrolment of 202 pupils of which 73 will be entering primary schools next year.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Headmistress and the staff for their dedication in their work as well as the parents for their co-operation.
