SINGAPORE - About 390 schools, from primary to special education schools, got together to contribute to a commemorative e-book to celebrate Singapore's 50th birthday.
President Tony Tan and Education Minister Heng Swee Keat launched the e-book on Wednesday at Presbyterian High School in Ang Mo Kio.
Titled SG50 Reflections: Our Hopes and Memories, the e-book contains photographs, videos, artwork and poems that looked back on the country's past 50 years.
The entries covered five themes - culture and celebrations, defining moments, faces of Singapore, memorable spaces, and progress and achievements.
National Junior College (NJC) contributed an entry on its history as the first junior college in Singapore. The college located in Bukit Timah also paid tribute to its founding principal, the late Mr Lim Kim Woon.
Student Deborah Fong, 18, said much of the college's leadership initiatives today were built on Mr Lim's vision, which was to prepare students to deal with problems.
Deborah, a member of NJC's student council, added: "I had many opportunities to learn from my teachers in the council. They really taught me how to talk to people, lead meetings, and work together with others in a team."
Mr Heng described the e-book as a "unique and precious gift from our students to the nation".
"Through their collective efforts, they've come together to reflect on our journey as a people, on our development as a nation... In the process, I'm happy that they've been inspired to build a better future for themselves, for Singapore," he said.
Bishan's Guangyang Secondary contributed an entry on The Teenage Textbook by Singaporean lawyer Adrian Tan. The popular novel about the lives of a group of junior college children, was first published in 1988 and later adapted for the big screen.
Teck Ghee Primary in Ang Mo Kio contributed a piece on void decks, and how the common space is creatively shared by different groups of people, from avid bird watchers to children out to play and neighbours gathering for a chat.
Those interested in the e-book can download it for free by searching for 'SG50 Home' in Apple's App Store or Google's Play Store. A web version of the e-book is available at www.SG50home.sg.
