Josephians Engage in Dialogue with SMS Mr Zaqy Mohamad

*photos courtesy of MOM*

On 12 April, our Y6 students had a unique opportunity to engage Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Manpower. The dialogue with Mr Zaqy included small group discussions and a moderated engagement for students to gain a better understanding of a broad range of issues that impact Singapore. These include geopolitical uncertainties and challenges, the impact of social media on our social harmony, our migrant workers community in Singapore, and how youth can engage with issues and members of society in constructive ways.

Mr Zaqy shared that he ‘enjoyed the dialogue with the bright young minds of SJI's Year 6 students. As the future leaders of Singapore, students play a vital role in fostering a more harmonious society’.

The discussion segment was helmed by Samuel Teng and Aloysius Ong from the Society of International and Current Affairs, one of the Creativity, Activity & Service (CAS) groups at SJI. Samuel shared that, ‘the experience and engagement with Mr Zaqy provided our cohort of students with nuanced and unique perspectives on issues. These are issues which many of us are familiar and often think about, but we may not have complete knowledge about.’

Aloysius added that he ‘appreciated and enjoyed the candid discussion with Mr Zaqy who addressed all our questions squarely. I gained many insights and perspectives on issues that may not always be as straightforward as we perceive them to be.’

Rachel Sonsun, Student Council President, shared that she benefited from how ‘Mr Zaqy described and explained the international political climate, including drawing on his experiences. The dialogue also served to remind us that many global developments and issues have an impact on us, even if they may be occurring very far away from Singapore.’

In closing the dialogue and engagement, our Principal, Mr Justin Pierre thanked Mr Zaqy Mohamad for generously sharing his time and insights with our students. Mr Pierre acknowledged that such platforms serve to deepen and enrich our students’ understanding of local issues and global developments that impact Singapore. Through such engagements, we hope students also become more aware of how they can respond to issues in ways that are constructive and meaningful.

SJI is grateful to Mr Zaqy Mohamad for spending his time and engaging our students. Our school community looks forward to more such opportunities and platforms for the benefit of our students!