“பிணியின்மை செல்வம் விளைவின்பம் ஏமம்
அணியென்ப நாட்டிற்கிவ் வைந்து”
This is a beautiful saying in the Tamil Language, written by Valluvar in the text called Thirukkural, almost 5000 years ago. The meaning of it is that the well-being of a country is dependent on 5 key factors which are:
- The health of the people
- The strength of the economy
- The country’s ability to be self-sustainable
- The happiness of the people
- An excellent armed force as well as stringent law enforcement that ensures safety and security is provided for.
A good country also ensures that it does not repeat the mistakes made in history. There is a Chinese saying that goes, “ 温故而知新 ”, which essentially means, studying the past helps us to understand the present. Our leaders have always been on the lookout for patterns of downward spiral to do the necessary to nip problems right at their bud.
SINGAPORE’S PROGRESS
Singapore has made tremendous progress from being a third world country to being a first world country in a matter of just 50 years, all thanks to our former Prime Minister, Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. As per the blurb of the book called “From Third World to First” (written by Mr. Lee Kaun Yew himself), Singapore was once just an island with fishing villages and under the British colonial rule.
It then transformed rapidly into what is now known to be Asia’s thriving metropolis with world’s number one airline, best airport, busiest port of trade and has one of the world’s highest per capita real income.
In order to keep this progress going, we need to focus on uplifting the youth of the country. Tutors and parents play an instrumental role in the life of youngsters, and they have a huge responsibility to fulfil.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO
A healthy young population
Young Singaporeans these days are heavily influenced by the western culture and tend to follow some habits that are unhealthy. Some examples include consuming junk food and staying up all night (which disrupts their circadian rhythm), which is not the kind of lifestyle that our Asian parents had followed and taught us to follow.
The poor lifestyle and high levels of stress has given rise to an increase in cases of diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidaemia in Singapore. These conditions lead to greater risk of other systemic complications which decrease life expectancy on the whole.
Care for society
Sir Isaac Newton once said, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”
It is never possible to exist all alone and be successful in this world; everyone is dependent on each other. Every individual has the responsibility of giving back to the society that has taught them and supported them all throughout their life. If every child in Singapore aspires to work hard and grow up to work for the good of others, there is no doubt in the progress of this country!
Education
Over the past decade, there has been a burst in the market of tuition agencies and enrichment classes in the education arena. The highly competitive world expects a great deal from the youngsters of this generation and countries all over the world are doing all that is necessary to train their young ones.
The young need to be taught the importance of education. It is not about landing on a career that pays well, and it is not status or prestige. It is about getting rid of ignorance, becoming humbler, and staying true to one’s roots by serving the community that has raised a young and reckless child into a wise and responsible adult!