Our Story

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 and the dictation of the classics for children such as the Red Books which was in line with the teaching laid by the Qing Dynasty. There was no learning of art and music, or any provision for sports.

1906

Mr Lu Dun Kui from China was appointed the first Principal of Yeung Ching School. Mr Song Mulin, who was recruited by Mr Lu, came to Singapore with him.

1908

Yeung Ching held her 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, Mr Lu Dun Kai, addressed the school on that occasion. Mr Song Mulin became the second Principal in 1908, after Mr Lu had left for Sydney to take up a teaching post in a Chinese school.

1912

In 1912, the school adopted the new syllabi used by schools in China, after the Qing Dynasty ended its reign and the Republic of China was formed. Mandarin became the language of instruction from 1912 onwards. Since then, English Language was introduced as a teaching subject by the second Principal. Mr Song Mulin also set up classes for females despite facing strong objections from the community. The traditional belief then was that girls did not need to attend schools.

Overaged adolescents and those who had to work in the day were accepted for the night class provided by the school.

1916

Mr Song Mulin left Yeung Ching School to take up the Principalship of a High School in Kuala Lumpur. Mr Liang Xiangwu became the successor of Mr Song and became the 3^rd Principal of Yeung Ching School.

1917

The school had financial difficulty and was unable to sustain the running of the girls’ department. The girls from Yeung Ching School left to join Nan Hua Girls’ School. The chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Jian Ying Fu, resigned and Mr Ng Seng Pang J P took over as Board Chairman for 15 years. Yeung Ching School had a close relationship with Ling Nan University Guangzhou. Many of her graduates were recruited to teach in the school. Mr Liang Xiangwu left for China after one year. He was remembered for disallowing corporal punishment in school.

1918

Mr Lin Yaoxiang from Ling Nan University Guangzhou was appointed the 4^th Principal at the age of 29. He held the post for 3 years 4 months. A new building was required to meet the increase in the enrolment and improve the facilities of Yeung Ching School. A mansion known as ‘Cuilan Ting’ which was built by a wealthy businessman Khoo Hun Yeang, was purchased with a big bank loan. The building, which was converted to a school compound, was situated on a small hill at Club Street. Living quarters were 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 purchased as the school playground so that physical activities could take place there.

1921

Mr Liu Lifu became the 5th Principal but he left for Ling Nan after a year.

1923

Mr He Jianwu, the former Director of Education of Guangzhou, became the 6^th Principal. He emphasised the importance teaching English and providing education for the girls. As a result, the Female Education Department, as well as the establishment of a full-day teachers’ training department, was set up.

1927

The economy was facing a down turn in all parts of the world, including Singapore. In addition, 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 School girls. Principal He donated a large sum to help establish the girls’ school. Jing Fang Girls’ School ceased to exist after the school compound was destroyed by a bomb during the Japanese invasion in 1942. Most of the staff from Jing Fong Girls’ School joined Nan Hua Girls’ School after the war.

1928

Principal, Mr He Jianwu took up the appointment as the 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 the post for medical treatment after a few months and he died in his thirties.

1929

Another new Principal, Mr Kuang Weizhou, was appointed. However, he left in less than 3 years as his father was seriously ill.

1932

Mr Lu Weijue, a Ling Nan graduate, joined the School as the School’s 9^th 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 10^th Principal (1935 - 1936). He was in Yeung Ching School for less than a year.

Mr Zhang Mianzhi was the 11^th Principal from 1936-1937. In 1942, Mr Zhang Mianzhi was arrested and murdered by the Japanese during the Sook Ching Operation. It was a tragedy.
In 1937, the Board of Directors recalled Mr Lin Yaoxiang to be her 12^th Principal. He served until his retirement in 1959, at the age of 71 (1937-1959). He made history being the longest serving Principal of Yeung Ching School.

When the school funds were insufficient to cover the expenses, the colonial government was approached for a subsidy. The Board and the teaching staff contributed money to keep the school running. This period of hardship went on for three years.

1941

The pupil population increased to more than 900 pupils. Yeung Ching School became the only Chinese school in Singapore to have such a high enrolment.

1941

The Japanese invaded Singapore. The school had to close temporarily. However, she was allowed to start classes again during the Japanese Occupation. The Principal and the teachers had to study Japanese Language and teach the pupils the language.

1945

Soon after the Japanese had surrendered in 1945, Yeung Ching School reopened during the British colonial government. 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

Due to space constraint in the school, 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 complete 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, Phase I of the project was completed. The right wing, comprising 4 storeys and 24 classrooms, was ready for use.

1959

The school hostel ceased to operate. Mr Lin Yao Xiang retired in December 1959.

1960

An alumnus, Mr Long Xuefan (1960 - 1966) was appointed as the 13^th Principal. He was the first alumnus to become the Principal

1961

The ground breaking ceremony for the second phase of the building project took place in 5  March. The second phase of the building was completed in December.

1963-1965

The third phase of the building project 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 60^th anniversary and held the opening ceremony in 1965. The, then, Minister of Education, Mr Ong Pang Boon, was the guest-of-honour.

1966

In December, Principal Long retired.

1967

The Vice-Principal, Mr Huang Litong (1967-1972) became the 14^th Principal.

1970

The school became a co-educational school. She accepted pupils taking both Chinese and English Languages. During this year, the pupils were given the option to take either Chinese or English as their first language.

1972

The Principal, Mr Huang Litong retired.

1973

The school appointed her first lady Principal, Mdm Xu Jieling (1973-1987) to be the 15^th Principal.

1974

The 7^th and 8^th 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 57^th 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 was merged with Telok Ayer and Peck Seah Primary Schools. However, the school was able to retain her original name and her government-aided status.

1988

The school moved to a new building with a totally new pupil enrolment at Serangoon Avenue 3. She became a government school and adopted the Hanyu Pinyin name, Yangzheng Primary School, under a new Principal, Mrs Dorothy Francis.

1990

Yangzheng Primary School held her official opening on 22 October at the new campus.

1992 -1998

Mrs Germaine Kong, was appointed the Principal of the school.

1999 -2000

Mr Sam Wong Poo Mun was appointed as the Principal. However, he resigned from service on 15 Nov 2000.

2000

Mrs Lim Kian Huat was appointed as the Principal on 16 Nov 2000.

2001

The school PRIME commenced in 2001.

2002

A group of parent volunteers formed the parents' support group- The Yangzheng PALS.
A second trip to Guangzhou was organised (10 to 15 June). The Chinese Immersion Programme was a learning journey for pupils to be immersed in the culture.

2003

The Yangzheng (Yeung Ching) Alumni was established.

2005

The school celebrated her 100^th anniversary with a year-long centennial celebration. Minister for Education, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam was the Guest of Honour.

As part of its centennial celebrations, Yanzheng collaborated with the various stakeholders:

·       School Advisory Committee (SAC) - to organise its third trip to Guangzhou

·       Alumni - to organise ‘Xiang Xing Hai Centenary Concert’ at Singapore Conference Hall for Xian Xing Hai, a former pupil of Yangzheng who is a World Renown composer of the Yellow River Cantata.

·       SAC Chairman, Mr Lo Hock Ling - to publish Tales of Grandfather Lo.

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 24 March 2006.

2007

Mrs Jacinta Lim was appointed as Principal of Yangzheng Primary School on 17 December 2007.
SAC Vice Chairman, Mr Wan Shung Ming received the Service to Education award.

2008

The 1^st Twinning Programme with Zhongde School in Beijing was established. Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed on 11 November 2008.

2009

The school organised her 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’s curriculum with the main objectives of engaging the pupils through experiential learning and learning beyond the classroom boundaries.

The school organised the first Sports Fiesta on 8 April 2009 to encourage all Yangzhengnites to remain active and adopt a healthy lifestyle.

On 30 September 2009, Yangzheng Primary School celebrated the official opening of the 200-metre 3-lane running track with Mr Wan Shung Ming (Vice Chairman of SAC).

Yangzheng Primary School is identified as the first Singapore primary school to partner with a Sichuan school. 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 SAC were present in Dayi county to witness the official opening of the school.

2010

The school celebrated her 105^th anniversary with the theme ‘RICH HERITAGE, VIBRANT PRESENT, PROMISING FUTURE’ to portray the school’s journey towards achieving excellence.  The school held an anniversary dinner on 23 July. The 105^th anniversary commemorative book was also launched during the anniversary celebrations.

On 31 March, the school staged a musical titled Carboxy War – the Musical. The 50-member cast performed live at Republic Polytechnic.

On 21 July, the school commemorated Racial Harmony Day by producing an animated video, ‘Son of an Immigrant’. This video was launched by Dr Cheah Horn Mun, Director of Educational Technology and it was 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 achieved the following awards:

·       The Meritorious Defence Partner Award was conferred to the school in recognition of the school’s commitment and support towards the total defence of our country.

·       The National Education Award (Development) for its concerted effort in promoting National Education.

·       The Bronze Vanda Award by the Singapore Scout Association for its strong support for the Scout Movement.

2012

Yangzheng Primary School was one of the 9 primary schools to be awarded the Programme for School-Based Excellence (PSE): Uniformed Groups (UG) Scouts and Brownies. The PSE (UG) gallery was officially opened on 8 August 2012 by Mr Wan Shung Ming, Chairman of SAC. The gallery showcases the history and achievements of our Scouts and Brownies.

The Community in Bloom (Gold Award) was conferred to the school in recognition of its efforts for cultivating its gardens by pupils, teachers and parent volunteers on green spaces within the school premises.

The school attained the 2^nd consecutive Work-Life Achiever Award for its efforts in applying work- life strategies.

In line with the school’s Multi-Cultural programme, the Chinese, Malay and Indian Heritage Hubs were set-up at the school’s concourse. Pupils will be able to learn and appreciate the traditions and culture of the various races through the exploration of the various activities at the Heritage Hubs.

2013

Mrs Christine Lam took over as Principal of Yangzheng Primary School with effect from 15 December 2013.

Yangzheng Primary School was awarded the following awards:

·       PARTNERS Award (Merit) in recognition of the efforts made by schools in promoting and strengthening collaborative partnerships with their stakeholders.

·       National Arts Education Award (Sparks) by the National Arts Council (NAC) Singapore in recognition of the efforts in promoting Arts Education.

·       School Green Awards- Lotus Sustained Achievement Award which is the pinnacle award given to schools that have attained the Lotus Award three or more times consecutively.

·       Gold for the NEA 3R Awards (Reduce Reuse Recycle) in recognition of the school’s efforts in raising environmental awareness among its pupils and staff.

2014

The school celebrated her anniversary with the theme ‘OUR FUTURE ASPIRATION, THE PEOPLE AND THE PLACES’.

The school received the Singapore Productivity Award (SPA) In-house IQC Assessment, Bronze Award for her continuous improvements and productivity in striving towards excellence.

The school also won the Work-Life Achiever Award 2014 for the 3^rd consecutive time, a testament to our culture of care shown to staff.

For the school’s environmental conservation efforts, the school received the following awards:

·       NEA 3R Awards-Gold Award

·       Green Audit Awards- Lotus Sustained Achievement Award

For its efforts in inculcating courteous and kind behaviour amongst pupils, the school was awarded the Friend of Singa Merit Award.

2015

The school celebrated her 110^th anniversary with a year-long celebration events and the theme ‘OUR YANGZHENG. OUR CELEBRATION. OUR FUTURE.’ which highlighted the school’s rich history and successes as well as its next step towards excellence. The series of anniversary celebration events included a Yangzheng SG50 Trail, an Alumni Brunch held on 27 June and a concert in collaboration with the Singapore Chinese Orchestra on 11 November.

A school publication to commemorate our 110^th Anniversary was published.

The school achieved the Best Practice Awards for ‘Staff Well-Being and Development’ as well as ‘Partnership’ after the External Validation Exercise in 2015.

The school continued to achieve awards for our environmental efforts:

·       Singapore Environment Council (SEC)-StarHub School Green Awards (SGA) – Lotus Sustained Achievement Award

·       NEA 3R Award – Sustained 3R Award.

2016

The school celebrated her anniversary with the theme ‘BIG-HEARTED YANGZHENGNITES’ in alignment to the school’s vision of every Yangzhengnite being a caring friend.

Mr Hoong Kong Fatt (treasurer of SAC) and Mr Ng Yok Kuan (SAC member) were conferred the Service to Education award by Ministry of Education.

For her environmental efforts, the school received the following awards:

·       SEC-StarHub School Green Awards (SGA) – Lotus Sustained Achievement Award

·       Community in Bloom organised by NParks –Gold for 3^rd consecutive year

·       Gold Star award for the LOO (Let’s Observe Ourselves) organised by the Restroom Association.

The school completed the General Repair and Repainting project to enhance the facade of the existing school building.

2017

The school celebrated her anniversary with the theme ‘a PEEK INTO THE FUTURE’ with activities that focused on how pupils perceived what the future of the school would be like. The pupils also used the virtual reality cardboard cameras to view the past and present of the school, a project in collaboration with RICOH.

Mr Ng Siew Quan (Chairman of SAC) was conferred the Service to Education (10-19 years) award by Ministry of Education.

For her environmental efforts, the school received the following awards:

SEC-StarHub School Green Awards (SGA) – Lotus Sustained Achievement Award.

·       The Excellence award for Green Schools@South East awards organised by Southeast CDC and NEA.

·       The PUB Water Efficiency Award for her commitment to water conservation.

2018

The school celebrated her anniversary with the theme 'REMEMBERING OUR PAST'.

For her environmental efforts, the school received the following awards:

·       SEC-StarHub School Green Awards – Vanda Miss Joaquim award.

·       Green Schools@South East awards organised by Southeast CDC – Excellence award.

·       Community in Bloom organised by NParks - Platinum.

The school begins the 2-year- PERI upgrading project n Oct 2018 to enhance the teaching and learning facilities in the school.

2019

The school celebrated its 114th anniversary on 6 March 2019 and the celebration was aligned to the Singapore Bicentennial celebration.

2020

The school celebrated its 115th anniversary with the theme ‘Yangzheng our pride and love’ which highlighted the school's achievements and Yangzhengs’ finest efforts.

Mrs Lim-Foo Boon Ching took over as 21st Principal from 15 December 2020.

2021

The school celebrated its 116th anniversary. The celebration was held virtually on 1 March and it featured the contributions of the school's founding fathers and alumni. The event acknowledged the part they played in influencing values and character development in the school.

2022

The school celebrated its 117th anniversary on 8 March and 11 March with the theme ‘Our history, our story’ with the focus of understanding key milestones in YZPS History. Yangzhenites received a special 117th School Anniversary Gift pack as part of the celebration.

2023

The school celebrated its 118th anniversary from 6 March to 8 March with the theme ‘YZPS -Possibilities and standing the test of time’ with a focus on acknowledging the accomplishments and resilience of the school over the years.