Gan Eng Seng School (GESS) is a co-educational government secondary school in Bukit Merah, Singapore. Founded in 1885 by philanthropist Gan Eng Seng, the school is the first school established by the overseas Chinese community in Singapore and is one of the oldest schools in the country.
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.
History 1885–1899
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 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.GESSOSA, "1885—1899: Our Pioneering Years", pp. 23—31.
In 1888, GESS became an aided school, which meant government recognition as an education institution. In 1889, 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 the maintenance of the school and its management by a board of trustees.
1899–1941 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.Dabbs, pp. 109—20. They all gave of their dedication, leadership and unfailing support to the school until 1938, when GESS became a government school.GESSOSA, "1899—1941: Board of Trustees and The Pre-War Years", pp. 33—47.
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 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.GESSOSA, "Alumus Extraordinaire—Chan Chon Hoe", pp. 40—1. Due to his sound training and values inculcated in Scouting, Chan led 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 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 was made mainly of wood, it suffered badly from dry rot and termite infestation.Dabbs, "Anglo-Chinese Free School - Board of Trustees", p. 32. 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, 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.
1941–1951
During 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 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.Dabbs, "Simon Aroozoo", p. 42. 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 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.GESSOSA, "1941—1951: Courage in Adversity", pp. 49—63. Its formation was an initiative by Aroozoo, who said, "Parents as much as the teacher have a great deal to do with 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 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.
1951–1959
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 was confident that the school would rise to heights of academic and athletic distinction.GESSOSA, "Sir Franklin Gimson's Opening Ceremony Speech on 15 May 1951", p. 70. 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".GESSOSA, "1951—1959: The Early Anson Years". As 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.
1959–1986 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 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 the Opening Ceremony when Singapore played host to the 12th Southeast Asian Games at the National Stadium.GESSIAN, 1982.
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, 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.
1986–2000 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 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 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 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.
2000 onwards 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 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.GESSOSA, "Gan Eng School Official Opening Ceremony", pp. 212—215.