Singapore should not forget the history and roots of government-aided schools, Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said yesterday as he explained why children of clan members can participate in an earlier phase of Primary 1 registration.

Mr Ong made the point in a speech at an award ceremony held by the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (SHHK) to recognise outstanding teachers.

He traced the history of the SHHK's contributions to education in setting up six schools, including Ai Tong and Tao Nan: "These are all wonderful examples of schools set up by the community and for the community… Given their origins and the historical backdrop of their origins, these schools also carried the ethos, the culture and the values of their founding communities."

This year, 10 teachers received the annual award sponsored by the SHHK, out of the 224 nominated.

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