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92-580: GESS was a boys' school for 102 years before it became co-educational in 1987. The school was also the first in Singapore to form a parent-teachers' association in 1950. Currently, GESS is recognised among the top 50 schools in Singapore by the Ministry of Education . The school's founding site at Telok Ayer Street was designated as a national historical site by the National Heritage Board in 1997. It

184-666: A broad array of policy instruments targeting a wider range of beneficiaries over a longer-term horizon – schooling years, early career, mid-career or silver years – with a variety of resources available to help them attain mastery of skills. Every Singapore citizen from the age of 25 is given S$ 500 (approximately $ 370) by the Singapore government for the SkillsFuture Credit to invest in their personal learning. This sum can be used for continuing education courses in local tertiary institutions, as well as short courses provided by MOOC providers such as Udemy , Coursera , and edX . By

276-594: A centre for technical training and a pre-university school in 1970. In 1982, GESS was chosen to participate in its first mass display item titled Singapore - Past, Present and Future inspired by the movie Star Wars , featured interesting movement danced to the theme music of the movie. GESS participated at the Singapore Youth Festival that year, followed by the National Day celebrations in August and in 1983, at

368-444: A desire to form such an association to keep in touch with the school and with one another earlier. Since then, GESSOSA has continuously organise activities to strengthen the bond of old students to their alma mater. During its long history, it has managed to organise some highly successful past functions like Career Forums, Students' Mentoring Scheme, April Ball to raise funds for the association's scholarship and charity schemes. One of

460-636: A government school. In 1923, the school was renamed Gan Eng Seng School in its founder's honour. In the same year, the 8th Singapore Troop (now the Gan Eng Seng Dragon Scout Group) by G.C.S. Koch with 38 pioneering Scouts was founded. Chan Chon Hoe, who studied in GESS from 1921 to 1927, became the Troop Leader in 1927. Under the colonial system of education, GESS was a feeder school to Raffles Institution . The feeder school provides education up to

552-543: A green skirt. On formal occasions such as the weekly assembly, all students wear a maroon school tie embroidered with the school emblem. The campus was designed by eleven architects headed by project architect Jimmy Lam, an alumnus of the school. Design inspiration was taken from the symbol of the school crest, namely the Dragon and the Ship. The colours used bear resemblance to the school colours. Its final look and feel are reminiscent of

644-637: A healthy lifestyle and lived strictly by the ethics of the Scout movement. Even at his advanced years in the 1990s, Chan participated in New Nation Walk and later the New Paper Walk well into his 90s, wearing his Scout uniform and badges on every occasion. Chan attended the school's centenary celebrations at Shangri-La Hotel in 1985 and was honoured by the Singapore Scouts Association in 2000 - he

736-610: A new statutory board under the Ministry of Education (MOE), SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), was formed to drive and coordinate the implementation of SkillsFuture. It took over some of the functions currently performed by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and absorbed the Committee for Private Education (CPE). Civil servants employed by the Ministry of Education are organised into several Unions, including

828-717: A popular food-crop just as it did the other vegetables. After taking Singapore, the Japanese established the Shonan Japanese School ( 昭南日本学園 , Shōnan Nihon Gakuen ) , to educate the Malays, Chinese, Indians, and Eurasians in the Japanese language. Faye Yuan Kleeman, the author of Under an Imperial Sun: Japanese Colonial Literature of Taiwan and the South wrote that it was the most successful of such schools in Southeast Asia. During

920-465: A school and help those who are poor as he prospered and became wealthy. Gan was far-sighted in placing emphasis on bilingualism in English and Chinese from the start. The school proved to be a success - the enrolment figure reached a record of 167 by 1890, and rose to an all-time high of 94% in 1892. In 1888, GESS became an aided school, which meant government recognition as an education institution. In 1889,

1012-446: Is a matter of marked importance that an institute of this kind should have been founded by a Chinese resident. I know of no similar institution in the colony... The school might be devoted to the study of English, but I am glad to know that a knowledge of Chinese will also be gained here, which to me appears to an essential part of the education of a Chinese boy. -- Quote from a speech by Governor Sir Cecil Clementi Smith on opening of

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1104-576: Is a nationwide four-year programme that leads to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examinations. As of 2006, 97.3% of its Secondary 4 (Express) students qualify for junior college admission. 99.5% obtained passes in 3 O-level subjects and 97.8% passes in 5 O-level subjects. 4 students scored 8 distinctions and 51 students scored 5 distinctions. GESS was highlighted in MOE's press release for having students with outstanding results at

1196-553: Is located off Punggol Road in northeastern Singapore. The inscription on the monument reads: On 23 February 1942, some 300–400 Chinese civilians were killed along Punggol foreshore by Hojo Kempei (auxiliary military police) firing squad. They were among tens of thousands who lost their lives during the Japanese Sook Ching operation to purge suspected anti-Japanese civilians among Singapore's Chinese population between 18 February and 4 March 1942. The victims who perished along

1288-505: The British colonial government offered a site at No. 106 Telok Ayer Street. Gan accepted the site and wholly financed the construction and furbishment of the building which could accommodate up to 300 primary students. Tan Keong Saik , a prominent Chinese businessman and board trustee of the school, briefly gave a history of the institution to the distinguished gathering. Before Gan died on 9 September 1899, in his will he had made provisions for

1380-517: The Empire of Japan (anti-Japanese elements in the local population). The Sook Ching massacres claimed the lives of between 25,000 and 55,000 ethnic Chinese in Singapore as well as in neighboring Malaya. These victims, mainly males between the ages of 18 and 50, were rounded up and taken to deserted spots and remote locations around the island, such as Changi Beach, Punggol Point, and Siglap, and killed systematically using machine guns and rifles. Moreover,

1472-536: The Japanese occupation of Singapore , the school ceased to exist as it was shut down by the Japanese military administration. After the surrender of Japan , the British Military Administration took charge of Singapore and attempts were made to revive the school again. The school had lost most of its administrative documents, records, its former students and teachers at the aftermath of the war. The school

1564-516: The Kempeitai established an island-wide network of local informants to help them identify those they suspected as anti-Japanese. These informers were well-paid by the Kempeitai and had no fear of being arrested for their loyalty was not in question to the occupation forces. These informers worked at Kempeitai screening centres where the Japanese attempted to single out anti-Japanese elements for execution. Japanese soldiers and Kempeitai officers patrolled

1656-456: The Kempeitai . Those who passed the arbitrary screening were released with 'Examined' stamped on their faces, arms or clothes. Others, not so fortunate, were taken to outlying parts of Singapore and executed for alleged anti-Japanese activities. Tens of thousands were estimated to have lost their lives. For those who were spared, the Sook Ching screening remains one of their worst memories of

1748-448: The National Heritage Board as one of the six oldest schools in Singapore by marking its founding site at 106 Telok Ayer Street . This marker is sited nearby at the junction of Telok Ayer and Cecil Streets. In December 2000, GESS moved to its new site at No. 1 Henderson Road, its eighth home, where it stands to this day. The new School building bears the hallmark of many GESSIANS both past and present, who have contributed and helped in

1840-635: The Singapore Teachers' Union , Singapore Chinese Teachers' Union, Singapore Malay Teachers' Union and Singapore Tamil Teachers' Union for Education Officers; and the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees for the non-Education Officers. All these unions are affiliates of the National Trades Union Congress . The Government of Singapore invests heavily in education to equip citizens with the necessary knowledge and skills to compete in

1932-612: The Supreme Court Building , City Hall , Fullerton Building and the Merdeka Lions. The two iconic crests by Nolli were lost when the school moved on to Raeburn Park in 1986. Not only is it the first to be opened under the Ten-Year Plan... but it's a link with the past: a bridge between the old and the new... Raffles Institution went through the same stages in its history and I am confident that Gan Eng Seng School will rise to

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2024-566: The beachhead . The Japanese advance continued and the Allies began to run out of supplies, particularly after the Battle of Bukit Timah from 10 to 12 February and the Battle of Pasir Panjang on 13 February. During the Alexandra Hospital massacre on 14 February, Japanese soldiers killed more than 200 hospital staff and patients. By 15 February, about a million civilians in the city were crammed into

2116-488: The staple food of most diets of many Singaporeans because they were considerably cheaper than rice and could also be grown fast and easily in backyard gardens. They were then turned into a variety of dishes, as both desserts and all three meals of the day. Such foods helped to fend starvation off, with limited success in terms of nutrients gained, and new ways of consuming sweet potatoes, tapiocas and yams with other products were regularly invented and created to help stave off

2208-616: The 2007 GCE O-Level Examination. The examinable academic subjects for Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level offered by GESS for upper secondary level (via. streaming in secondary 2 level), as of 2018, are listed below. Notes: The Normal Course is a nationwide 4-year programme leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examinations, which runs either the Normal (Academic) curriculum or Normal (Technical) curriculum, abbreviated as N(A) and N(T) respectively. In

2300-504: The 50,000 taken in Malaya; many died of neglect, abuse or forced labour . Three days after the British surrender, the Japanese began the Sook Ching purge, killing thousands of civilians. The Japanese held Singapore until the end of the war. Churchill called it the worst disaster in British military history . The main army which took Malaya, the 25th Army, was redeployed to other fronts such as

2392-672: The Empire on 15 August. In the radio address , he announced the surrender of Japan to the Allies. The surrender ceremony was held on 2 September aboard the United States Navy battleship USS Missouri at which officials from the Japanese government signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, thereby ending the hostilities. On 12 September 1945, a surrender instrument was signed at the Singapore Municipal Building . That

2484-429: The Japanese Sook Ching operation to purge suspected anti-Japanese civilians among Singapore's Chinese population between 18 February and 4 March 1942. Tanah Merah Besar Beach, a few hundred meters south (now part of Singapore Changi Airport runway ) was one of the most heavily-used killing grounds where well over a thousand Chinese men and youths lost their lives. — National Heritage Board. The site of this monument

2576-542: The Japanese Occupation. — National Heritage Board . The site of this monument is located in Changi Beach Park (near Camp Site 2) in the eastern part of Singapore. The inscription reads: 66 male civilians were killed by Japanese Hojo Kempei (auxiliary military police) firing at the water's edge on this stretch of Changi Beach on 20 February 1942. They were among tens of thousands who lost their lives during

2668-465: The Japanese crossed the Johore Strait by boat and attacked Singapore from the north-west, at the weakest point in the defences. Percival had expected a crossing in the north-east, especially following a Japanese feint at Pulau Ubin the day before, and failed to reinforce the defenders in time. Communication and leadership failures beset the Allies and there were few defensive positions or reserves near

2760-507: The MOE announced that GESS would move from Anson Road to Raeburn Park in mid-1986 and would cease to be a boys' school in 1987. In 1986, the school was relocated to Raeburn Park after spending 35 years at the Anson Road's premises. The school became co-educational with the first intake of girls into Secondary 1 in January 1987 and the phasing out of the pre-university classes by 1991. By 1996, GESS

2852-652: The Ministry returned to being headed by one minister. The Ministry is headed by the Minister for Education , who is appointed as part of the Cabinet of Singapore . The incumbent minister is MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC Chan Chun Sing from the People's Action Party . Japanese occupation of Singapore Syonan ( Japanese : 昭南 , Hepburn : Shōnan , Kunrei-shiki : Syônan ) , officially Syonan Island ( Japanese : 昭南島 , Hepburn : Shōnan-tō , Kunrei-shiki : Syônan-tô ) ,

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2944-485: The Normal (Academic) course, students offer 5-8 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Compulsory subjects include: A 5th year leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination is available to N(A) students who perform well in their Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Students can move from one course to another based on their performance and

3036-537: The Opening Ceremony when Singapore played host to the 12th Southeast Asian Games at the National Stadium . In 1985, the school celebrated its centenary year with celebrations that included a party for the under-privileged children, a walkathon, a variety concert, an exhibition and a grand dinner, during which Minister for Communications and Information Yeo Ning Hong was the guest-of-honour. In September 1985,

3128-507: The Philippines and New Guinea shortly after the fall of Singapore. The Kempeitai (the Japanese military police ), which was the dominant occupation unit in Singapore, committed numerous atrocities towards the common people. They introduced the system of " Sook Ching ", meaning "purging through purification" in Chinese , to get rid of those, especially ethnic Chinese , deemed to be hostile to

3220-593: The Public Works Department declared the school building unsafe for occupation and ordered its evacuation. From September 1941 onwards, classes had to be held at two separate buildings in Sepoy Lines Malay School in Park Road and nearby Pearl's Hill School due to space constraints. On 5 December 1941, the school was closed for Christmas holidays but classes only resumed four and half years later. During

3312-637: The Sino-British guerrilla task force Force 136 in 1942 with Captain John Davis of the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Operation Gustavus was aimed at establishing an espionage network in Malaya and Singapore to gather intelligence about Japanese activities, and thereby aid the British in Operation Zipper – the code name for their plan to take back Singapore from the Japanese. Force 136

3404-681: The Standard V (equivalent of Primary 6 today), after which the student need to gain admission to Raffles Institution via an entrance examination if he wished to pursue his education to Standard IX (equivalent of Secondary 4 today). Chan attended Raffles Institution from 1928 to 1929, and the Scouts promoted to Raffles Institution from GESS were grouped under the Gan Eng Seng Patrol led by Chan. Due to his sound training and values inculcated in Scouting, Chan led

3496-523: The United States detonated an atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Sixteen hours later, US President Harry S. Truman called again for Japan's surrender and warned it to "expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth." On 8 August 1945, the Soviet Union declared war on Japan and the next day invaded the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo . Later that day,

3588-647: The United States dropped a second atomic bomb, this time on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Following those events, Emperor Hirohito intervened and ordered the Supreme Council for the Direction of the War to accept the terms the Allies had set down in the Potsdam Declaration to end the war. After several more days of behind-the-scenes negotiations and a failed coup d'état, Emperor Hirohito gave a recorded radio address across

3680-614: The architectural design, the setting up of the Alumni Room and Heritage Hall in the school. The new school premises and the Heritage Hall was officially opened on 2 August 2001 by Education Minister Teo Chee Hean . To celebrate the 120th anniversary of GESS, the Gan Eng Seng School Old Students' Association (GESSOSA) published a pictorial history book in 2006 to document the school's rich traditions and history as well as

3772-552: The assessment of the school principal and teachers. The Normal (Technical) course prepares students for a technical-vocational education at the Institute of Technical Education . Students will offer 5-7 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. The curriculum is tailored towards strengthening students’ proficiency in English and Mathematics. Students take English Language, Mathematics, Basic Mother Tongue and Computer Applications as compulsory subjects. Before 1938,

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3864-420: The boys were divided into 5 houses which had their respective logos for sporting activities and other competitions. They were named after famous names on the school's Board of Trustees: The house system was dropped for a period of nine years from 1972 to 1980. In 1980, it was renamed after their trustee in their full name. Gan House was replaced by Chen Su Lan House, after Chen Su Lan, another prominent trustee in

3956-506: The broad base of private companies, and strengthen collaboration between training institutions, unions, trade associations, and employers to develop the skills of the Singaporean workforce. In terms of funding, according to the Singaporean government budget report, a provision of $ 220 million has been made for SSG in the fiscal year 2018 to implement plans, policies and strategies to support skills development programs under SkillsFuture. With

4048-500: The contribution made by its pioneers, old students and staff. All sale proceeds of the 230-page book were channelled into a students' fund for use to help any needy students. A copy was donated to Lee Kong Chian Reference Library for public reference. The choice of red and green for the school crest had been influenced by the colours of the Gan Eng Seng Scout Troop. The Scout Troop's scarves were red and green. The dragon on

4140-409: The crest is a traditional Chinese emblem of good luck, courage and determination. Red is the colour of fire and suggests the fire of courage and leadership as written in the school song. The junk is a symbol of the slow but irrevocable progress which the school has achieved over the last 100 years. Green in colour to suggest the peaceful but relentless educational spirit which has guided the progress of

4232-525: The early 1960s. The memorial was officially unveiled by Singapore's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew on the 25th anniversary of the start of the Japanese occupation in 1967. It was constructed with part of the S$ 50 million 'blood debt' compensation paid by the Japanese government in October 1966. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Lee said: We meet to remember the men and women who were the hapless victims of one of

4324-428: The electricity, water supply and telephone services. It took four or five years for the economy to return to prewar levels. When British troops finally arrived, they were met with cheering and fanfare. Banana money became worthless after the occupation ended. To keep alive the memory of the Japanese occupation and its lessons learned for future generations, the Singapore government erected several memorials with some at

4416-563: The end of 2017, the SkillsFuture Credit has been utilised by over 285,000 Singaporeans. There were more than 18,000 SkillsFuture credit-approved courses available at that time. As of 2016, there were also a total of 40 Earn and Learn Programmes. SkillsFuture has established a multi-level training system with dozens of initiatives and programs targeting the different skill-training needs of different social groups, such as students and employees in different career stages. Moreover, SkillsFuture also invests in forms of industry collaboration to uplift

4508-480: The event. GESSOSA has a dedicated room that is nestled in the school CCA Block that continue to serve as a melting pot for both past and current students to this day. Notable alumni include: Ministry of Education (Singapore) The Ministry of Education ( MOE ; Malay : Kementerian Pendidikan ; Chinese : 教育部 ; Tamil : கல்வி அமைச்சு ) is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for

4600-445: The expanding scope of education in Singapore and the implementation of SkillsFuture in 2016, the Ministry was led by two ministers; Minister for Education (Schools), who oversees the pre-school, primary , secondary , and junior college education; and Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills), who oversees the ITE , polytechnic , university and SkillsFuture education. In 2018,

4692-522: The fires of history... If today we remember these lessons of the past, we strengthen our resolve and determination to make our future more secure then these men and women for whom we mourn would not have died in vain . On 15 February every year, memorial services (opened to the public) are held at the memorial. The site of this monument lies within the Hong Lim Complex in Chinatown. The inscription on

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4784-611: The former massacre sites: Spearheaded and managed by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry , the Civilian War Memorial is located in the War Memorial Park at Beach Road . Comprising four white concrete columns, this 61-meter-tall memorial commemorates the civilian dead of all races. It was built after thousands of remains were discovered all over Singapore during the urban redevelopment boom in

4876-540: The formulation and implementation of policies related to the education in Singapore . The ministry currently oversees 10 statutory boards which includes 5 polytechnics and 2 institutes: SkillsFuture Singapore, Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board , ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute , Institute of Technical Education , Singapore Polytechnic , Ngee Ann Polytechnic , Temasek Polytechnic , Nanyang Polytechnic , Republic Polytechnic and Science Centre, Singapore . In 2016,

4968-470: The global marketplace. Singapore currently spends around a fifth of its national budget on education. To boost its economic standing, the Government of Singapore created a mandate that most Singaporeans learn English. It is the language of governance and administration in Singapore and English is also the medium of instruction in most, if not all, schools in Singapore. As a result, the country rose from one of

5060-545: The histories of several nations, including those of Japan , Britain, and Singapore . Singapore was renamed Syonan-to, meaning "Light of the South Island" and was also included as part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere ( Japanese : 大東亜共栄圏 , Hepburn : Dai Tōa Kyōeiken ) . Singapore was officially returned to British colonial rule on 12 September 1945, following the formal signing of

5152-412: The image of a banana tree printed on most of such notes of the currency) as their main currency during the occupation period since British Straits currency became rarer and was subsequently phased out when the Japanese took over in 1942. They instituted elements of a command economy in which there were restrictions on the demand and supply of resources, thus creating a popular black market from which

5244-577: The local people to learn their language (Japanese). Textbooks and language guidebooks were printed in Japanese and radios and movies were broadcast and screened in Japanese. Every morning, school-children had to stand facing the direction of Japan (in the case of Singapore, looking northeast) and sing the Japanese national anthem (" Kimigayo "). Japanese propaganda banners and posters also went up all around Singapore, as did many Japanese Rising Sun flags raised and hung across many major buildings. Basic resources, ranging from food to medication, were scarce during

5336-427: The locals could obtain key scarce resources such as rice, meat, and medicine. The "Banana" currency started to suffer from high inflation and dropped drastically in value because the occupation authorities would simply print more whenever they needed it; consequently on the black market, Straits currency was more widely used. Food availability and quality decreased greatly. Sweet potatoes , tapiocas and yams became

5428-417: The maintenance of the school and its management by a board of trustees. The board of trustees was composed of distinguished pioneers of Singapore such as Tan Keong Saik , Ho Yang Peng, Wee Theam Tew, Lee Cheng Yan, Chan Sze Jin , Wee Swee Teow, Song Ong Siang , Lim Boon Keng and Gan's descendants. They all gave of their dedication, leadership and unfailing support to the school until 1938, when GESS became

5520-479: The monotony. Both the British colonial and Japanese occupation authorities encouraged their local population to grow their own food even if they had the smallest amount of land. The encouragement and production were similar to what occurred with " Victory Gardens " in Western nations (predominantly in Europe) during World War II as food supplies grew ever scarcer. Ipomoea aquatica , which grew relatively easily and flourished relatively well near water sources, became

5612-527: The monument reads: The site was one of the temporary registration centres of the Japanese Military Police, the Kempeitai , for screening 'anti-Japanese' Chinese. On 18 February 1942, three days after the surrender of Singapore, the Kempeitai launched a month-long purge of 'anti-Japanese elements' in an operation named Sook Ching . All Chinese men between 18 and 50 years old, and in some cases women and children, were ordered to report to these temporary registration centers for interrogation and identification by

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5704-691: The most impoverished Asian countries to one with the strongest economies and highest standards of living. The SkillsFuture initiative was introduced in 2015 to support Singapore's next stage of economic advancement by providing lifelong learning and skills development opportunities for Singaporeans. SkillsFuture aims at unlocking the full potential of all Singaporeans, regardless of background and industry. The program contains several key initiatives, such as SkillsFuture Credit and SkillsFuture Earn and Learn. SkillsFuture caters to many stakeholders, with initiatives centred on students, adult learners, employers, and training providers. In general, SkillsFuture involves

5796-417: The new school building of Gan Eng Seng School on 4 April 1893 GESS was founded in some shophouses at Telok Ayer Street in 1885 by the philanthropist Gan Eng Seng and was known as "Anglo Chinese Free School". Born in 1844 into a poor family in Melaka , Gan came to Singapore at a young age to seek his fortune. Since he was unable to have much of an education in his youth, it was his ambition in life to build

5888-473: The occupation, the Japanese had also opened the Shonan First People's School. Singapore was the target of various operations masterminded by Allied forces to disrupt Japanese military activities. On 26 September 1943, an Allied commando unit known as Z Force led by Major Ivan Lyon infiltrated Singapore Harbour and sank or damaged seven Japanese ships comprising over 39,000 long tons (40,000 metric tons ). Lyon led another operation, codenamed "Rimau", with

5980-413: The occupation. The prices of basic necessities increased drastically over the three and a half years due to hyperinflation . For example, the price of rice increased from $ 5 per 100 catties (about 60 kg or 130 lb) to $ 5,000 by the end of the occupation between August and September 1945. The Japanese issued ration cards , also known as "Peace Living Certificates", which were very precious to

6072-476: The old Anson Road campus. The building includes the Arena, where the daily flag raising ceremonies, parades and special functions are held, the Heritage Gallery, the school's tallest structure, and the Alumni Room, a gathering place for students. As a government secondary school, GESS offers three academic streams, namely the four-year Express course, as well as the Normal Course, comprising Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) academic tracks. The Express Course

6164-490: The old days. The flags of the Houses no longer adopt their previous logos but simply a coloured flag with the name of the house spelled across the flag. Today, only four house names remain: Lim Boon Keng, Chan Sze Jin, Lee Cheng Yan and Chen Su Lan. As part of its co-curricular activities for students, GESS has six uniformed groups, five sport teams and ten special interest groups in its offerings to date. Headed officially by Kiang Ai Kim in 1958 after some old boys had expressed

6256-431: The people at that time, to limit the amount of resources distributed to the civilian population. Adults could purchase 5 kg (11 lb) of rice per month and children received 2 kg (4.4 lb) accordingly. The amount of rice for adults was reduced by 25% as the war progressed, as much of the scarce rice supplies were sent to feed the Japanese military. The Japanese issued " Banana Money " (so referred to due to

6348-426: The regular events is the Annual Dinner, is held annually to foster old ties not just for the alumni but also include teachers past and present, members of the Gan's Association to be updated with the latest happenings in and around the school. GESSOSA also co-organises the school's Anniversary Dinners which have been held every 5 years (except 1990). Notable alumnus were usually invited to attend as Special Guest to grace

6440-522: The remaining area held by Allied forces, 1 percent of the island. Japanese aircraft continuously bombed the civilian water supply which was expected to fail within days. The Japanese were also almost at the end of their supplies and Yamashita wanted to avoid costly house-to-house fighting . Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita demanded unconditional surrender and on the afternoon of 15 February, Percival capitulated. About 80,000 British, Indian , Australian and local troops became prisoners of war , joining

6532-485: The same heights of academic and athletic distinction as Raffles Institution has achieved. -- Quote of speech by Governor of Singapore, Sir Franklin Gimson , on opening of Gan Eng Seng School building on 15 May 1951 A new chapter in the history of GESS began in 1951 with the opening of the new school premises in Anson Road, as a secondary school ever since. For the second time in the school's history, Governor Sir Franklin Gimson officiated its opening on 15 May 1951. He

6624-489: The same objective almost a year later and sank three ships. Lyon and 13 of his men were killed fighting the Japanese during this operation. The other 10 men who participated in the operation were captured, charged with espionage in a kangaroo court and subsequently executed. Lim Bo Seng of Force 136 led another operation, code-named Gustavus , he recruited and trained hundreds of secret agents through intensive military intelligence missions from China and India. He set up

6716-708: The school developed through the decades, its students affectionately called GESSIANS brought honour to the school. Many students went on to post-secondary and tertiary education, and in 1966 seven students were awarded Colombo Plan scholarships. The uniformed groups, namely Scouts , National Cadet Corps , National Police Cadet Corps , St John Ambulance Brigade and Brass Band, achieved eminence in their respective units, often at national level to this day. With Singapore's independence after its separation from Malaysia in 1965, manpower consideration assumed top priority in education planning. The emphasis on technical training and post-secondary education led to GESS being singled out as

6808-399: The school. The school's motto - "Onward" - with its sense of determination reminds one of the slow, painful but relentless advances which have been made over the last century. Boys in lower secondary wear a white short-sleeved shirt with white short trousers while boys in upper secondary wear the same white short-sleeved short with white long pants. Girls wear a white short-sleeved blouse with

6900-404: The streets often and all commoners had to bow to them with respect when they passed by. Those who failed to do so would be slapped, punched, beaten and some people would even be taken away to imprisonment or even face execution. To discourage Western influence, which Japan sought to eliminate from the very start of their invasion, the Japanese set up schools and education institutions and pressured

6992-544: The surrender at the Municipal Building , currently known as City Hall. After the return of the British, there was growing political sentiments amongst the local populace in tandem with the rise of anti-colonial and nationalist fervor, as many felt that the British were no longer competent with the administration and defence of the crown colony and its inhabitants. Shortly after the war, the Straits Settlements

7084-446: The training and development of a child as a useful member of the community." In the same year, the construction of a new school building in Anson Road began. Aroozoo had commissioned Italian sculptor Rudolfo Nolli to deliver two school crests, one slated for outdoor placement at the main block overlooking the school entrance and the other, for indoor placement inside the school hall above the stage. Some of Nolli's notable works included

7176-421: Was confident that the school would rise to heights of academic and athletic distinction. The new building could accommodate some 800 students in 20 classrooms, had an assembly hall, a library and a science block. In the school hall, Gimson also unveiled a portrait of Gan Eng Seng that was presented as a gift by the parent-teacher association "to honour the late Mr Gan Eng Seng for his great services to education". As

7268-545: Was considered so important that Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered the British Lieutenant-General, Arthur Percival , to fight to the last man. Percival commanded 85,000 Allied troops at Singapore, although many units were under-strength and most units lacked experience. The British outnumbered the Japanese but much of the water for the island was drawn from reservoirs on the mainland. The Battle of Singapore lasted from 8 to 15 February 1942. On 8 February,

7360-427: Was dissolved and Singapore became a separate crown colony in 1946. It would go on to achieve self-governance in 1959 and join with Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963, before becoming a sovereign city-state a few years later in 1965. The day of the surrender of the British to the Japanese in 1942 continues to be commemorated in Singapore with Total Defence Day , which is marked annually on 15 February. Singapore

7452-576: Was eventually disbanded after the war. In August 1945, two XE class midget submarines of the Royal Navy took part in Operation Struggle , a plan to infiltrate Singapore Harbour and sabotage the Japanese cruisers Takao and Myōkō using limpet mines . They inflicted heavy damage on Takao , earning Lieutenant Ian Edward Fraser the Victoria Cross . From November 1944 to May 1945, Singapore

7544-558: Was finally re-opened on the premises of Outram School by headmaster, Percival Frank Aroozoo on 13 May 1946. Aroozoo, a Eurasian of Portuguese descent, was the grandson of Simon Aroozoo, a close friend and colleague of Gan Eng Seng who had worked with Gan at Guthrie and Company for 50 years. A year later, the school was moved to the former Japanese National School building (now the Stamford Arts Centre) at No. 155 Waterloo Street and remained there until 1951. During this period, GESS

7636-466: Was followed by a celebration at the Padang , which included a victory parade. Lord Louis Mountbatten , Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia Command , came to Singapore to receive the formal surrender of the Japanese forces in the region from General Seishirō Itagaki on behalf of Field Marshal Hisaichi Terauchi . A British military administration, using surrendered Japanese troops as security forces,

7728-416: Was formed to govern the island until March 1946. After the Japanese surrendered, there was a state of instability ( anomie ) in Singapore, as the British had not yet arrived to take control. The Japanese occupiers had a considerably weakened hold over the populace. There were widespread incidents of looting and revenge killing. Much of the infrastructure had been wrecked, including the harbour facilities and

7820-662: Was hit by the first Japanese bombs on 8 December 1941. The Japanese forces initially focused on invading Malaya (present-day Peninsular Malaysia), which they captured within 55 days . They captured Johor Bahru by 31 January 1942, with the British forces retreating to Singapore and blowing up the Johor-Singapore Causeway , which linked Singapore to the mainland. Singapore was the foremost British military base and economic port in South–East Asia and had been of great importance to British interwar defence strategy . Singapore

7912-477: Was made mainly of wood, it suffered badly from dry rot and termite infestation. In 1937, the board wrote to the Education Department detailing the plight of the school and urged the government to take over its management. In 1938, GESS became a government school and in the same year, the government proposed to build a new school building at Anson Road. However, no immediate plans were drawn up. In July 1941,

8004-543: Was ranked 21st by the Ministry of Education among the top 50 schools in Singapore and continued to stay within the top 50 rankings to this day. In 1995, the GESS's Scouts celebrated the school's 110th anniversary by building a light two-seater aeroplane, Microlight Challenger that was supervised by five pilots who were former Scouts of GESS. The plane was paraded at the anniversary dinner in front of guests that included guest-of-honour S. Vasoo , Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC and an old boy. The school's library

8096-521: Was renamed the Percival Aroozoo Library on 20 July 1996 as a tribute to one of GESS's most beloved principals. The Ceremony was officiated by three of Aroozoo's daughters: former National Library Board director Hedwig Anuar ; former CHIJ Katong Convent principal Marie Bong; and former LASALLE College of the Arts librarian Eleanor Smith. On 30 August 1997, the school celebrated its recognition by

8188-457: Was still a primary school. The teething problems were soon over and in December 1949, Aroozoo launched the school's periodical Onward to chronicalise the legacy and milestones of the school. On 29 May 1950, GESS became the first school in Singapore to form a parent-teacher association . Its formation was an initiative by Aroozoo, who said, "Parents as much as the teacher have a great deal to do with

8280-446: Was subjected to air raids by British and American long-range bomber units. Naval facilities and docks in Singapore were also bombed on eleven occasions by American air units between November 1944 and May 1945. These attacks caused some damage to their targets but also killed a number of civilians. Most Singaporeans, however, welcomed the raids as they were seen as heralding Singapore's liberation from Japanese rule. On 6 August 1945,

8372-483: Was the name for Singapore when it was occupied and ruled by the Empire of Japan , following the fall and surrender of British military forces on 15 February 1942 during World War II . Japanese military forces occupied it after defeating the combined British, Indian , Australian , Malayan and the Straits Settlements garrison in the Battle of Singapore . The occupation was to become a major turning point in

8464-403: Was the only person to have attended the very first and last Scouts' Jamboree in the 20th century before dying at the age of 94 in Singapore. With the economical downturn in the early 1930s, the survival of the school was at stake when community funding dwindled and the school building had reached such a deteriorated state that major repairs were urgently needed. As the two-storey school building

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