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History
Year |
Our History |
| 1905 | Yeung Ching School started as a private school for only the Cantonese boys. Its medium of instruction was in Cantonese. The syllabi were mainly recitation, writing, dictation of the classics for children such as the Red Books, in line with the teaching laid by the Qing Dynasty. There was no learning of art and music, also any provision for sports. |
| 1906 | Mr. Lu Dun Kui from China, was appointed the first principal. Mr Song Mulin, recruited by Mr Lu, came with him to Singapore, was the second Principal from 1908, after Mr Lu left for Sydney to take up a teaching post in a Chinese school there. |
| 1908 | Yeung Ching held its opening ceremony on 20 January with a population of over 100 pupils. 6 March 1907 was determined as the School Foundation anniversary date. The first principal addressed the School on that occasion. |
| 1912 | In 1912, the School adopted the new syllabi used by schools on China, after the Qing Dynasty ended its reign and the Republic of China was formed. Mandarin became the language of instructions from 1912 onwards. English language was introduced as a teaching subject since by the second Principal Song. Principal Song also set up classes for females despite of strong objections from the community then. The old traditional belief then was that girls did not need to attend schools. Overage adolescents and those who had to work in the day were accepted for the night class provided by the School. |
| 1916 | The Principal, Mr Song Mulin left the School to take up the principalship of a high school in Kuala Lumpur. Mr Liang Xiangwu took over from him. |
| 1917 | The School had financial difficulty and was unable to sustain the running of the girls’ department. Nan Hua Girls’ School was the founded by some other community leaders. The girls who had to leave Yeung Ching then joined Nan Hua. The chairman of the Board of Directors Mr Jian Ying Fu resigned from the post and Mr Ng Seng Pang JP took over as Board Chairman, the post he held for 15 years. Yeung Ching had a close relationship with Ling Nan University Guangzhou. Many of its graduates were recruited to teach in the School. Mr Lian Xiangwu left for China after one year. He was remembered for disallowing corporal punishment in school. |
| 1918 | Mr Lin Yaoxiang from Ling Nan was appointed the 4th principal at the age of 29. He held the post for 3 years 4 months and left for Ling Nan to become the principal of its affliated High School for overseas Chinese students. A new building was required to meet the increase in the enrolment and the need to improve on the facilities. The mansion known as Cuilan Ting built by a wealthy businessman Khoo Hun Yeang was purchased with a big bank loan. The building that was converted to a school compound was situated on a small hill at Club Street and quarters were also provided for some of the teachers of the school. A plot of land which was owned by a rich Fujian businessman Lim Chwee Chian, was also purchased as school playground so that physical activities could take place. |
| 1921 | Mr Liu Lifu became the 7th Principal but he left for Ling Nan after a year. |
| 1923 | Mr He Jianwu who was former Director of Education of Guangzhou, became the 6th principal . He emphasized the importance teaching of English and education for the girls. As a result the female education department was set up, as well as the establishment of a full day teachers training department. |
| 1927 | Singapore faced poor economy. Also the colonial government announced that girls over the age of 12 were asked to leave a boys’ school. The classes for girls had to discontinue. Some board directors then founded the Jing Fang Girls’ School at Neil Road in 1928 to accommodate the Yeung Ching girls. Principal He donated a large sum to help establish of the girls school. Jing Fang ceased to exist after the school compound was destroyed by a bomb during the Japanese invasion in 1942. Most Jing Fong staff joined Nan Hua Girls School after the war. |
| 1928 | Principal, Mr He Jianwu took up the appointment of principal of a Chinese High School in Jakarta. He recommended his student Mr Zhou Dongqing, a University of Columbia, USA graduate to fill the post. Unfortunately Mr Zhou had to leave for medical treatment after a few months in the post. He died in his thirties subsequently |
| 1929 | Another new Principal, Mr Kuang Weizhu was appointed. He left in less than 3 years because his father was seriously ill. |
| 1932 | Mr Lu Weijue, a Ling Nan graduate joined the School as the School’s 9th principal. The economy of Singapore did not improve and the secondary school section had to stop operating. |
| 1935 -1936 | The period witnessed the appointment of two Principals. Mr Luo Hanchang, the 10th principal (1935 - 1936). He was in Yeung Ching for less than a year. Mr Zhang Mianzhi the 11th principal (1936 autumn/winter). Mr Zhang was arrested and killed by the Japanese during the Shook Ching Operation during the Japanese Invasion in 1942. It was a tragedy. In 1937, the Board of Directors recalled Mr Lin Yaoxiang who was then the Principal of the Chinese High School, Singapore since 1933, to be its 12th Principal. He served the School until his retirement in 1959, at the age of 71 (1937-1959). He made history as he longest serving principal of Yeung Ching. The school funds were short and insufficient to cover the expenses. The colonial government was approached for subsidy. The Board and the teaching staff contributed money and hard work to keep the school running. The period of hardship went on for three years. |
| 1941 | The pupil population further increased to more than 900 pupils. Yeung Ching School became the only Chinese school in Singapore to have such a high enrolment. |
| 1941 (Winter) | The Japanese invaded Singapore. The school had to close temporarily. The school, however, was allowed to open classes again during the Japanese Occupation. The Principal and the teachers had to study the Japanese language and they were then required to teach the pupils the language |
| 1945 (Autumn) | Soon after the Japanese Surrender followed by the return of the British colonial government in 1945, Yeung Ching reopened almost immediately. Books which were hidden away during the Japanese Occupation were brought back and displayed in the school's main library. Classes started officially on 1 October. There were 40 classes in both the morning and afternoon sessions with a total of more than 1800 pupils. |
| 1945-1953 | Facing with an overcrowding and space problem in the school compound, the Board of Directors resolved to rebuild the school- to erect a modern four-storey building on the same site. |
| 1953 | The School Project Committee was formed. The new proposal was considered a major task and it was planned to build in 3 phases. |
| 1956 | The government passed a law to have greater control over the school and new wage level were recommended and approved. The wage proposal was accepted. |
| 1957 | The school building was demolished section by section to make way for the construction of the new buildings. Throughout the year, the school continued to function without interruption. |
| 1958 | On 18 August, Phrase I of the project was completed. The right wing comprising 4 storeys and 24 classrooms was ready for use. |
| 1959 | The hostels ceased to operate and vacated. Mr Lin Yao Xiang retired in December 1959. |
| 1960 | An alumnus, Mr Long Xuefan (1960 - 1966) was appointed as the 13rd principal. He was the first alumnus to become the principal. |
| 1961 | The ground breaking ceremony for the second phase of the building project was initiated took place on 5 March. The second phrase of the building was completed in December. |
| 1963-1965 | The third phase was to build a hall and a canteen. The new school building was finally completed in 1965 at a cost of more than $600 000. The building consisted of 5 storeys with 48 classrooms including a science laboratory, a library, a hall, conference rooms, a staff room, a room for senior staff, a Principal's office and a canteen. |
| 1965 | The school celebrated her 60th anniversary and held the opening ceremony. The then Minister of Education, Mr Ong Pang Boon, was the guest-of-honour. Late admissions into school were discontinued soon after 1965. |
| 1966 | In December, Principal Long retired. |
| 1967 | The Vice-Principal, Mr Huang Litong (1967-1972) became the 14th principal. |
| 1970 | The school became a co-educational school. It accepted both pupils taking Chinese Language and English Language. During this year, the pupils were given the option to take either Chinese or English as their first language. |
| 1972 | The Principal, Mr Huan Litong retired. |
| 1973 | The school appointed its first lady Principal, Mdm Xu Jieling (1973-1987) to be it's 15th principal. |
| 1974 | The 7th and 8th classrooms of the second floor were renovated and a conference room was constructed at a cost of $20 000. The money was donated by the members of the 57th School Board of Directors. |
| 1977 | The open space around the school was used to construct a basketball court, running tracks and a field. |
| 1985-1987 | Yeung Ching School merged with Telok Ayer and Peck Seah Primary Schools. However, the School was able to retain its original name and its government aided status. |
| 1988 | The school moved to a new building with a totally new pupil enrolment at Serangoon Avenue 3 and became a government school. It adopted the Hanyu Pinyin name and became known as Yangzheng Primary School under a new Principal, Mrs Dorothy Francis. |
| 1990 | Yangzheng Primary School held its official opening on 22nd October. |
| 1992 -1998 | Mrs Germaine Kong, was appointed as the Principal of the school. |
| 1999 -2000 | Mr Sam Wong Poo Mun was appointed as the Principal. Mr Sam Wong resigned from service on the 15 Nov 2000. |
| 2000 | Mrs Lim Kian Huat was appointed as the Principal on 16 Nov 2000. |
| 2001 | The school PRIME began. A Cultural Night was organized in November to showcase the pupils' aesthetic talent. |
| 2002 | A group of parent volunteers formed the parents' support group -- The Yangzheng PALS. A second trip to Guangzhou was organized (10 to 15 June). This was a learning journey for the Chinese Immersion Programme. |
| 2003 | The Yangzheng (Yeung Ching) Alumni was establised. There was a greater focus on Life Sciences. |
| 2005 | The school celebrated its 100th year with a year long centennial celebration. Minister for Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the Guest-Of-Honour. Collaborated with SAC to organise Third Trip to Guangzhou. Collaborated with Alumni to organise Xiang Xing Hai Centenary Concert at Singapore Conference Hall for Xian Xing Hai (former pupil of Yangzheng) – a World Renown composer of the Yellow River Cantata. Collaborated with SAC Chairman to publish Tales of Grandfather Lo. Focused on SEED CL and SEED EL. Entrepreneur Club as a CCA formed. Became Champion in YESCOM Competition organised by KESUMA. Was 1st Runner-up in Mediacorp Little Entrepreneurs 2 Competition. Won the Most Innovative Push Cart in the Annual Bluesky Festival held at Suntec City. Entrepreneur cum Games Day on 24th March Raised about $20 000 for SAC Fund and $1000 for Parents Support Group (PALs) Pupils created innovative and fun activities/games for their peers to enjoy. S6 Cluster Maths Trail for Pr.6 pupils on 24th May. Higher Chinese class for the P2 students and P1 students in Term 3. |
| 2006 | The year-long centenary celebrations came to a close with the dotting of two baby lions signifying the beginning of a new era for Yangzheng's glory by Prof Phua Kok Khoo (Alumni President) and Mr Lo Hock Ling (SAC Chairman) on 24th March 2006. We were one of the 14 schools which showed good progress in 2006 PSLE. |
| 2007 | Mrs Jacinta Lim was appointed as Principal of Yangzheng Primary School on 17th December 2007. SAC Vice Chairman, Mr Wan Shung Ming was awarded Service to Education. |
| 2008 | The 1st Twinning Programme in Zhongde School in Beijing was established. Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed on 11th Nov 2008. |
| 2009 | The school organized its first TLLM DAY on Friday, 13 March 2009, as part of the school’s effort to integrate the spirit of TLLM (Teach Less Learn More) into the school curriculum with the main objectives of engaging the pupils through experiential learning and learning beyond the classroom boundaries. For the first time, YZPS Sports Fiesta, a sporting event for pupils of all levels took place on 8th April, Wednesday with the aim of encouraging all Yangzhengnites to be participating actively during the event. This is aligned to the Olympic spirit that the school has been promoting. On 30th September 2009, Yangzheng Primary School celebrated the official opening of the 200-METRE 3-LANE ALL-WEATHER RUNNING TRACK. The occasion was graced by Mr. Wan Shung Ming; Vice Chairman of Yangzheng Primary School Advisory Committee (SAC) and representatives from our other key stakeholders. Yangzheng Primary School is honoured to be identified as the first Singapore primary school to partner with a Sichuan school which has been funded through a fund-raising event in Singapore. The Dayi Caichang Sino-Singapore Friendship Primary School was officially opened by our Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Mr Lim Swee Say, on 17 October 2009. Mrs Jacinta Lim, Principal of Yangzheng Primary and Mr Wan Shung Ming, the Vice-Chairperson of the YZPS School Advisory Committee (SAC) were present in Dayi county on 17 October 2009 to witness the official opening of the school. Momentos from the 2 schools were also exchanged during the ceremony to signify the start of a long-lasting friendship between the 2 schools. |
| 2010 | The school celebrated its 105 th anniversary. The theme ‘RICH HERITAGE, VIBRANT PRESENT, PROMISING FUTURE’ was used in portraying the school’s journey towards achieving excellence. Yangzheng Primary School’s 105th anniversary celebrations culminated in the anniversary dinner held on Friday, 23 July. Guest of Honour, Mr Wong Siew Hoong (Director of Schools), Mrs Mary Koh (S6 Cluster Superintendent), the School Advisory Committee, Yangzheng (Yeung Ching) Alumni, Yeung Ching Open Scouts Group, PaLs, other stakeholders as well as Yangzhengnites, joined in the celebration. The 105 th anniversary commemorative book was also launched during the anniversary dinner. On 31 March, the school staged Carboxy War – the Musical. The fifty member cast performed live at Republic Polytechnic Cultural Centre Theatre. The Guest of Honour for this prestigious event was Mrs Ng Ai Lin, Deputy Director, Schools South (DDSS). On Wednesday, 21 July, the school commemorated Racial Harmony Day. The ‘Son of an Immigrant’ animated video produced by our pupils was launched by Dr Cheah Horn Mun, Director of Educational Technology. It would be used as a teaching and learning resource for Primary 5 Social Studies lessons. The school attained the Character Development Award Level 1 and the Championing Efforts Resulting in Improved School Health (CHERISH) Silver Award. The school was also conferred the Work Life Achievement Award (WLAA) by Ministry of Manpower for the implementation of work-life strategies to maximize staff productivity and help staff enhance their work performance and quality of life. |
| 2011 | The school celebrated its 106th anniversary on Wednesday, 2 March 2011. The anniversary celebrations included the planting of 20 trees in the school. Out of the 20 trees, two of the trees are actually ‘Made-In-Singapore’ trees (White teak). The rest were fruit trees and Tecoma Stans trees. As part of our joint ‘Go-Green’ efforts, these trees were contributed by Merck Pte Ltd (Singapore) and Temasek Life Science Laboratory. Members from our SAC (School Advisory Committee), PaLs, school leaders, key personnel, teacher and student representatives participated in the tree planting activity. The school has achieved the following awards in 2011:
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| 2012 | Yangzheng Primary School turned 107 years old on 6 March 2012. The Community in Bloom (Gold Award) was conferred to the school in recognition of its efforts in cultivating of gardens by pupils, teachers and parent volunteers on green spaces within the school premises. The project is managed by schools’ Environmental Club. Yangzheng Primary School has been awarded the Programme for School-Based Excellence (PSE): Uniformed Groups (UG) Scouts and Brownies. We are one of the 9 primary schools that has been awarded the PSE status this year. The PSE (UG) gallery was officially opened on 8th August 2012 by Mr Wan Shung Ming, Chairman School Advisory Committee during our National Day celebrations. The gallery is to showcase the history and achievements of our Scouts and Brownies. Through the UG activities, we will be able to further enrich and support our pupils’ holistic development in the 4 identified domains of Citizenship, Leadership, Outdoor Education and Excellence, which are very dominant in the UG training programme. The school has also attained the Work-Life Achiever Award for its efforts in applying work- life strategies. The biennial Award pays tribute to organisations that help employees harmonize work and personal commitments and maximize employee productivity at work and help make organisations more competitive. This is the 2nd consecutive Work-Life Achiever Award since 2010. In line with the school’s Multi-Cultural programme, Chinese, Malay and Indian Heritage Hubs have been set-up at the school’s concourse. Through the exploration of the various activities at the Heritage Hubs, pupils will learn and appreciate the traditions and culture of the various races. |
| 2013 | Yangzheng Primary School turned 108 years old on 6 March 2013. Mrs Christine Lam took over the principalship of Yangzheng Primary School with effect from 15 December 2013. Yangzheng Primary School has been awarded the PARTNERS Award (Merit) 2013. This award is presented by COMPASS to recognise efforts made by schools in promoting and strengthening collaborative partnerships with their stakeholders such as parents, the alumni, School Advisory Committee/School Management Committee (SAC/SMC), community groups and business organisations. The school has been awarded the National Arts Education Award (Sparks) by the NationalArts Council (NAC) Singapore in November 2013. The National Arts Education Award is a national award conferred by NAC to recognize schools’ efforts in promoting arts education. The school has also attained the School Green Awards- Lotus Sustained Achievement Award, the pinnacle award given to schools that have attained the Lotus Award three or more times consecutively. In addition the school has also achieved Gold for the NEA 3R Awards (Reduce Reuse Recycle). This award recognizes and reinforces the positive environmental effects which pupils and teachers learn about. |
| 2014 | Yangzheng Primary School turned 109 years old on 6 March 2014. The school clinched the Gold Award for the NEA 3R Awards for inculcating the continuous habit of practising the 3Rs in staff and pupils, contributing to better waste management and enhanced recycling. The school also attained the School Green Audit Awards- Lotus Sustained Achievement Award, the pinnacle award given to schools, for its continuous efforts in recognising and reinforcing positive environmental effects. For the effort in inculcating courteous and kind behavior amongst pupils, the school was awarded the Friend of Singa Merit Award. In line with the school culture of Excellence and Learning, the school was recognized for its continuous improvement initiatives, productivity and strives towards excellence when it won the Singapore Productivity Award (SPA) In-house IQC Assessment, Bronze Award. The school also won the Work-Life Achiever Award 2014 for our innovative work-life balance practices, a testament to our culture of care shown to staff. |
| 2015 | The school celebrated its 110th Anniversary. The theme ‘Our Yangzheng. Our Celebration. Our Future .’ highlighted the school’s rich history and successes as well as its next step towards excellence. The school had a series of celebration to commemorate our anniversary. These celebrations include a SG50 Trail, an Alumni Brunch and a concert in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. The Yangzheng SG50 Trail showcased the heritage, achievements and legacy of the school since we are one of Singapore’s oldest primary schools, from its founding in 1905 to the present. This trail is also a collection of memories and stories of primary school life in Singapore. The Alumni Brunch held on 27 June 2015 aims to provide an opportunity for the alumni and pioneer educators to rekindle their memories and connection for the school. On 11 November, the school collaborated with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra to stage a 110th Anniversary Concert at the Singapore Conference Hall in conjunction with our 110th Anniversary celebrations. The concert reminisced on the school’s history and how the school has progressed so far through newly composed music and audience participation during the concert. A school publication to commemorate our 110th Anniversary was given to all pupils and staff at the end of the year. The school has once again attained the SEC-StarHub School Green Awards (SGA) – Lotus Sustained Achievement Award, the pinnacle award, given to schools that have attained the Lotus Award three or more times consecutively. The school has also achieved the Sustained 3R Award for the NEA 3R Award. The Sustained 3R Award is based on the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and it recognises and reinforces the positive environmental effects which pupils and staff learn about. The school achieved the Best Practice Awards for ‘Staff Well-Being and Development’ as well as ‘Partnership’ after the External Validation Exercise. 2015 |
The school would like to
acknowledge Dr Ho Nai Kiong (Vice Chairman of the Yangzheng Alumni, Paediatric
Specialist, member of Ethics Committee and Medifund Committee of KK Women’s
& Children’s Hospital, Editor and Writer) for his inputs to the school
history in the period of 1905 to 1987.
