About Anglo-Chinese School and why diversity is good

Dear Friends,

The ACS family of schools just celebrated its 121st Founder’s Day on March 1st 2007.

On thinking back, the 10 years I spent in ACS were indeed the best years of my life. Those who are mathematically inclined would have realized that 2 years are missing from my school-life. Those two years I spent at National Junior College (but that will be the subject of another post).

In the ACS of my time, boys were allowed to be boys. We lived life with abandonment and spent much time and energies on extra-curricular activities and friendships (and some on their studies).I was involved in Athletics, Rugby and several societies.

Our teachers were legendary for their dedication and love of the school.

There are few schools which can boast of teachers who have touched the lives of 3 generations of any family but ACS can. Many of my teachers taught my sons.

Kind acts and other Mushy stuff

I came from a poor family.

From the second day in Primary 1, I took the public bus by myself. My mother, who was a nurse, accompanied me to and from school on the first day (on the bus also of course).

Miss Tan, my Primary One form teacher, somehow found out about this later on, and volunteered to send me home every day. Of course, I sat in her Ford Anglia quiet as a mouse each day!

This skinny boy will never forget such acts of kindness nor take them for granted.

Miss Tan was later to marry Mr. Ong Ai Teik, another legendary teacher who influenced us ACS boys greatly. God bless you Mr. and Mrs Ong. Thank you.

These acts of kindness were by no means confined to my teachers only.

One day whilst rummaging through old stuff during spring cleaning, I came across a note from my son, C’s Primary Six teacher. In this note was written words of encouragement and prayer for his (then) upcoming PSLE examinations. They were truly inspirational words and must have spurred him during his stressful exam period.

It is no wonder that C kept the note (and not discard it as is his habit).

Other teachers that have influenced me (for better or for worse) include:

Secondary school:
Mrs Lee Gek Kim, Mr. Ong Ai Teik, Mr. Ernest Lau, Mr.Ang Cheng Kim (deceased),Mr. Tan Soo Hian (my athletics teacher) (deceased), Mr. Ying ( with wry neck problems), Mr. Andrew Yuen, Mrs.Kee,Mr. Wee Kim Cheng.

Primary (Pr 1-2)/Junior school (Pr 3-6):
Mrs Ong ( Miss Tan), Mr. Ng Kim Liang, Mr. Navaratnam, Mrs Retnam, Mrs Huang ( who was also my aunt), Miss Ng (who wore mini-skirts).

There are numerous others that have touched my life but whose names just escape me now. Best wishes and good health to all.

ACS : according to my son

We, parents, are always wondering if we have made the right choices and have done the best for our kids.

It was after C’s O levels and we spent some time talking about his past and future.

I asked him, “Do you regret not going to Raffles Institution after your PSLE, as had some of your primary school mates?”

He answered, without hesitation, “The four years of my life in ACS ( ie secondary school) has been the best years of my life. ACS is the best school that any boy can hope to be in!” ( I vouch these are C’s true words and not some shameless plug for ACS)

I think those comments were only partly influenced by the fact that my alma mater takes a “balanced” attitude to academic results. Great emphsis was placed on character building.

For instance, I still remember who the champion athletes were but would have difficulty recalling who the top academic students were (ok, just sour grapes). But of course, the true blue heroes were the Scholar Athletes! Good in sports yet excel in studies!

I am sure that my other son, T will also have similar things to say once his days at ACS are done.

I agree with Philip Yeo! ( a rare situation)

Parents should diversify children's education experiences: Philip Yeo

(By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia Posted: 23 February 2007 1941 hrs)

SINGAPORE: Singapore's top civil servant Philip Yeo said Singapore cannot afford to have its best and brightest students only in a few top schools receiving the same system of education. The Chairman of A*Star said the greater the diversity of backgrounds and talents, the better Singapore would be able to respond and compete in this new world. This is because children will face new and as-yet-unknown technologies, industries and jobs.
(click on link to read more)

Trend not promising

Schools will tell you that it is a lost cause trying to retain their top students.

ACS (Primary & Junior), St Michael’s (now called St. Joseph Jr),Catholic High, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, CHIJ all face the grim prospects of losing their ablest and best.

Many of their top Primary students (to different degrees) will continue their secondary education at the Raffles Institution or Raffles Girls’ School and later Raffles Junior College ( the R-schools). All the more since the “through-train” Integrated Programme allows them the luxury of skipping the O levels.

Many will argue ( with good reasons too) that this is after all what meritocracy is about. If you are good, you get to choose where you want to go. I do not disagree.

However, as Philip Yeo has alluded to, in the long run, the lack of diversity will not be healthy and the students exiting from these schools risk being trapped by “groupthink” and having a homogenous outlook to life and public policy. And many of these students in the R-schools are high achievers slated for prominent roles in government and industry.

We cannot (and should not) prevent parents from sending their children to schools that they feel may help their children fulfil their maximum potential. But the mainstream media can help highlight the achievements of other schools. This positive publicity can help them retain their better students as well as attract applicants from other schools. This would help prevent talents congregating only in a few schools.

Resources (manpower and capital) should be made available for schools to allow them to build on their strengths so that their programmes will be part of their unique brand (what marketers call USP- Unique Selling Proposition).

Hopefully in time to come, we will have a diverse population with varying outlooks to life’s challenges. With future leaders getting heterogeneous but rich school experiences, there will then be less groupthink in government and more willingness to try new ways of running this little red dot called Singapore.

Cheers,

and

The Best Is Yet To Be,

Dr.Huang Shoou Chyuan