Victoria School

Victoria School
维多利亚学校
Wéiduōlìyǎ Xuéxiào
Sekolah Victoria
விக்டோரியா பள்ளி

Nil Sine Labore
Nothing Without Labour
Address
2 Siglap Link Singapore 448880
Marine Parade
Information
Type Autonomous, Government
Established 1876
Session Single session
School code 3014
Principal Mr Andrew Lim Boon Kong
Enrolment 1600+
Colour(s) Yellow and Red
Website http://vs.moe.edu.sg

Victoria School (abbreviation VS) is Singapore's second government secondary school. The all-boys school, founded in 1876, is located at Siglap Link. It is about one kilometre from affiliated Victoria Junior College and a very short walk to East Coast Park and the beach.

Previous campuses of Victoria School include the Syed Alwi and Tyrwhitt Road sites. The Syed Alwi site is featured on the back of Singapore's S$2 banknote. See Singapore Portrait Series currency notes. The Tyrwhitt Road site was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2007 and was awarded URA's Heritage Award in 2009. [1][2][3]

History

[4]

Kampong Glam: 1876-1900

Victoria School had its beginnings in an English class formed in Kampong Glam Malay School in 1876. Kampong Glam Malay Branch School was then established with twelve Malay boys. The school enrolment grew but the school provided poor shelter from the weather and was often flooded.

In 1897, the enrolment recorded was 122, and the school's first football team was formed by the school principal, F.W. Hartley.

Syed Alwi: 1900-1932

The school moved to new premises at Syed Alwi, near the Victoria Bridge. The school was renamed Victoria Bridge School.

The first annual sports meet was held in 1915 and the first annual Speech Day the following year.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) was formed in 1918. Scouting was first started in the school when the 5th Singapore (HQ Malay) Troop was formed in 1919.[5]

By 1920, the school enrolment was 733.

The House system was introduced in 1929 and House prefects were appointed in 1930.

Until 1930, the school had only primary classes. It became the second government secondary school in Singapore in 1931.

Tyrwhitt Road: 1932–1984

In 1932, the school moved to Tyrwhitt Road, off Jalan Besar. The new school building was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, the Chief Architect of the Public Works Department, who also designed the Supreme Court Building and other prominent landmarks in Singapore.[6] The school was renamed Victoria School in 1933.

In 1940, the school motto, 'Nil Sine Labore', was adopted.

During the Japanese Occupation from 1941 to 1945, Victoria School was renamed Jalan Besar Boys' School by the Japanese authorities. It was one of the few schools selected to teach a Japanese-language-oriented school syllabus and the use of English as a language of instruction was disallowed.

In 1950, the first-ever school science and laboratories block in Singapore was built in VS. It was designed by the school principal, R.F. Bomford.

In 1951, Post-School Certificate (present-day GCE 'A' Level) classes were started, and for the first time, girls were admitted into VS. Secondary one to four classes remained boys-only. The school anthem was composed in the same year.

In 1955, the school recorded a 99.5% pass rate at the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate Examinations (present-day GCE 'O' Levels), making it the top school in Singapore.

In 1957, the school had the best results in Singapore for the University Entrance Examinations.

In 1984, VS became one of the first two secondary schools to offer the Art Elective Programme.

With the setting-up of Victoria Junior College in 1984, VS ended its Pre-University intake, and the last batch of Pre-University students sat for the GCE 'A' Level Examinations in November 1985.

The Tyrwhitt Road site was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in 2007. It is one of the few early city-centre schools still in existence and features two school buildings from the pre- and post-war period on a single site. The Hall-cum-Canteen Block is the only known school hall left of this style and configuration in Singapore. The site was awarded the URA's Heritage Award in 2009.

The site is now also a marked-out historical landmark of the Jalan Besar Heritage Trail.[7]

Geylang Bahru: 1984–2003

The school moved to the Geylang Bahru campus in 1984. The move to the new site was marked with a 2.3 km march by 1500 present and former students, teachers and principals from Tyrwhitt Road, led by Member of Parliament and old boy, Major Abbas Abu Amin.[8]

In 1993, the Minister for Education, Lee Yock Suan, announced during the school's speech day that Victoria School would be one of the first six secondary schools to receive autonomous status. This followed the Ministry of Education's decision not to grant independent status to any more secondary schools. VS had applied for the school to go independent in 1991.

In 1996, the school was placed fifth in the Ministry of Education's ST Ranking for all secondary schools in Singapore, based on academic results.[9]

Siglap Link: 2003-

The ceremonial move in 2003 to the new campus at Siglap Link[10] was attended by President S R Nathan, an old boy of VS.

The cost of construction of the new campus, which consists of the school and hostel, was almost S$40 million. A new indoor sports hall costing S$5 million was added in 2009.

The campus was selected to participate at the 9th International Architecture Exhibition at Venice, Italy.[11]

In 2008, Victoria School became the first school in Singapore to offer Physical Education as a GCE 'O' Level subject.[12] It also became one of the first four secondary schools to offer the Regional Studies Programme.[13]

Victoria School started offering the Integrated Programme together with Cedar Girls' Secondary School and Victoria Junior College in 2012.[14]

Headmasters/Principals

School Symbols

School vision

Every Victorian is a Gentleman, Professional and Sportsman who makes tangible contributions to his family, work, community and nation.

School mission

To groom upright and balanced individuals with leadership qualities

School crest

The open book symbolizes lifelong learning. The torch symbolizes truth and the passing on of a tradition. It also illuminates the way of Victorians who venture forth to excel beyond the shores of Singapore.

School colours

Yellow stands for dignity and excellence. Red symbolizes brotherhood and equality.

School motto

Nil Sine Labore, a Latin expression meaning "Nothing Without Labour", i.e. nothing is achieved without work.

Culture and tradition

Uniform

The Victoria School uniform is worn at all times, apart from the maroon blazer which is worn only during formal events. It consists of a white short-sleeved shirt, with either khaki short trousers (for secondary 1 and 2 students) or white long trousers (for secondary 3 and 4 students). A label bearing VICTORIA is sewn on the back pockets of the trousers. Secondary 3 and 4 students wear a black school belt with the school motto engraved on the buckle.

The school socks are white with the initials VS in red on both sides. Shoes have to be at least 70% white. In 2005, an official 'Victoria School' shoe bearing the letters VS on each side was introduced.

Victorians wear a maroon striped tie every Monday and on formal occasions. The school badge is worn above the left chest pocket. Student bodies such as the Prefectorial Board, Peer Support Board and Monitors' Council have their own badges, but the school crest remains the main feature of the badges.

For physical activities and camps, students wear a bright yellow T-shirt with black trim, black shorts and white socks (PE kit). VICTORIAN is printed on the back of the T-shirt and the shorts has a back pocket.

Each house has its own running vest (singlet) in the house colours. These are yellow (Rochore), blue (Kallang), green (Kapor), purple (Whampoa) and red (Glam). It is worn during competitive athletic events.

Identity

Students, teachers and the principal are referred to and addressed as "Victorians" or "Gentlemen". Victorians are expected to address all male teachers as 'Sir' and female teachers as 'Ma'am'.

Demographics

The Victoria School student demographic largely reflects that of Singapore as a whole, with a substantial number of ASEAN (South-east Asian), People's Republic of China (PRC) and A*STAR scholars in its midst who reside in the school's hostel, Victoria Hall.[15]

Victorian Anthem

Victoria in Singapore
There are other schools we know
Victoria is something more
The school that watch'd us grow

For here we've learnt and striven too
And played the sportsman's game
Victoria we give to you
The honour that you claim

Victoria thy sons are we
And we will not forget
Victoria thy triumphs see
And victories we share yet

For others came before and went
And carried to the world
Victoria's fame and our intent to
Keep her flag unfurled.

Lyrics by J A Fraser
Music by W E Meyer

Note: The anthem, composed in 1951, was slightly amended in 1987, with the establishment of Victoria Junior College. The word 'School' after 'Victoria' in the lines of the first two paragraphs was dropped. 'Victoria' in these lines is now being sung as 'Vic-to-ri-a' instead of 'Vic-to-ria School'.

Peer Support Board

The Peer Support Board serves as a friend and facilitator to new secondary one students and helps to ease their transition from a primary school to a secondary school environment. They also seek to instil in the new students the Victorian Spirit.

The Peer Support Leaders have important roles to play in both intra- and inter-school activities, like helping to facilitate the smooth running of events. Like prefects, they also regulate discipline to an extent.

All Secondary 2 students are given the opportunity to apply to be a Peer Support Leader, and all applicants will be put through an interview by the Senior Peer Support Leaders, as well as the teacher-in-charge of the Peer Support Board. Applicants who have passed the interview would then go through an assessment, the Victoria Enhanced Leadership Outdoor Camp Instructor Training (abbreviated as Veloci-T), and the Peer Support Leader Training Camp (abbreviated as PSLTC). Successful applicant who have passed the assessment and camps will then become a Junior Peer Support Leader, and receive a Junior Peer Leader badge.

The Peer Support Board works closely with the Monitor's Council for a wide range of activities and also works with Cedar Girls Secondary School's Peer Support Board to organise Supörté.

Prefectorial Board

The Prefectorial Board organises school events and helps regulate school discipline, and is the highest student authority in the school.

The board is led by a Head Prefect and two Deputy Head Prefects. Since 1989, these three positions have been chosen annually by the students and teachers of the school through an online voting process.[16]

Monitors' Council

The Monitors' Council acts as a bridge of communication or dissemination of information between the school administration, the various student bodies, and students. Like prefects, they also regulate discipline to an extent. Selected monitors are also sent to represent the school during its open house.

It is one of the three leadership boards in Victoria School and the Board frequently organise events with the Peer Support Board as well as the Prefectorial Board. The Peer Support Board also recommends new students who are of suitable material and calibre to the form teachers and Monitor's Council EXCO Members. Joint interviews will then be held to determine the new Monitors.

The EXCO of the Monitor's Council consist of upper secondary students who are selected through intensive interviews and peer evaluation by the current Monitor's Council EXCO Members. There are 6 members in the EXCO, and they organise student-led activities such as Teacher's Day. The various positions in the Monitor's Council EXCO are Chairman, 1st Vice-Chairman, 2nd Vice-Chairman, Head of Council Affairs, Secretariat and Head of Communications and Logistics.

Since 2013, Monitor's Council has also sent potential EXCO members to the Peer Support Board's Supörté event in order to learn more about providing support and boosting class as well as school morale.

House System

This is just for the purposes of record.

"I studied at Victoria School in the years 1938 through 1941. The 'HOuse System'was there when I joined but they were 'Lion', 'Tiger, 'Panther' and 'Bear' respectively. I was assigned to 'Bear House', and if my recollection is not far wrong, each class had 32 students.

The 'five houses' and differing names must have been introduced in the post WWII years.


'The students are grouped into five houses, namely Glam, Kallang, Kapor, Rochore and Whampoa, where they compete against each other in the school's annual Sports Day, Cross-country Championship and inter-house games.,

Victoriana

The school publishes a biannual newsletter called the Victoriana, which was first published in 1982. The editorial board consists of teachers and students from the school's Media Club.

Victorian Spirit

The Victorian Spirit is a sense of pride and belonging to the school. It encapsulates the fighting spirit and striving to their best for the school by Victorians. It lives on in the Victorian even after many years he had left the school, and bond different generations of Victorians together.[17][18]

Special Programmes

Victoria School offers the Integrated Programme, GCE 'O' Levels Physical Education Programme, Art Elective Programme, Regional Studies Programme, and Higher Mother Tongue Languages in Chinese, Malay and Tamil. VS students may also enrol in the Music Elective Programme in Secondary Three, or a third language (French/German/Japanese). However, these lessons are held at external venues. VS students of foreign languages take part in the Ministry of Education Language Centre's (MOELC) month-long Study-cum-Immersion Programmes (SCIP) in countries such as France, Germany and Japan.

Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP)

Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) is a 6-year Integrated Programme (IP) which allows VS students to bypass the GCE 'O' Levels and take the GCE "A" levels. Students complete their secondary education in VS before joining Victoria Junior College in Year 5. VS started offering the IP together with Cedar Girls' Secondary School and Victoria Junior College from 2012, building upon the success of the 4-year Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP) started by VJC in 2005.[19] The VIP saw its last batch of students in the 2012 intake.

GCE 6080 Physical education

In 2008, Victoria School became the first school in Singapore to offer Physical Education (PE) at GCE 'O' Levels, gaining the Ministry of Education's approval in 2006. The course involve both theoretical and practical aspects, including modules on weight training, football, hockey, and cross-country running, among others.

Students take the 'O' Levels theory examination at the end of the course (i.e. November of the graduating year). This examination contributes 40% of their overall grade, the other 60% coming from the practical component, assessed over a period of time.

In order to better acquaint students with the style of GCE PE lessons, PE Theory lessons are also conducted in lower secondary classes, as an examinable subject. The selection process for GCE 'O' Levels PE candidates is carried out towards the end of secondary two, and students whose applications have been approved by the PE department are notified prior to the subject combination allocation process at the end of the school year.

Art Elective Programme (AEP)

The Art Elective Programme leads to the GCE 'O' Levels Higher Art examination. The AEP is offered to academically good students with talents in art. For lower secondary classes, the AEP class is not entirely made up of AEP students. About half of the class take AEP lessons while the other half will have Home Economics or Design & Technology lessons. For upper secondary classes, AEP lessons are conducted after normal school hours.

Regional Studies Programme (RSP)

Students in the RSP take Indonesian as a third language, and learn about Southeast Asian culture and contemporary society. The curriculum includes overseas immersion programmes and structured enrichment modules spread throughout the course.

VECTORS

VECTORS is a school-based talent programme aimed at nurturing students who demonstrate high abilities in Mathematics and Science. Students are given a wide range of opportunities to learn beyond the curriculum. The programme also provides students with the opportunity to participate in enrichment modules at junior colleges, polytechnics and universities, research mentorships and other institutions.

Co-Curricular Activities

The school offers 40 Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) in the four areas of sports, uniformed groups, performing arts, and clubs and societies for its students. [20]

The school holds performing arts and sporting activities, such as the biennial Rhapsody, Drama Festival (Dramafest), Musical World, Arts Festival and Evening of Music and Drama (EMD), as well as the annual Sports Day and Cross-Country Championship.

Sports

Thirteen sports are offered in Victoria School: badminton, cricket, cross-country, floorball, football, hockey, sailing, shooting, table-tennis, tennis, track & field, volleyball and wushu. The school also participates in the Inter-School Dragon Boat competition.

Victoria School has always received the highest number of sports colours awards among the secondary schools in East Zone. More than one-third of the secondary school boy awardees in East Zone is from VS. In the 2010 Schools Sports Colours Awards, Victoria School received 12 individual national colours awards, 14 individual zone colours awards and 14 team awards.[21]

In cross-country, VS won 33 out of 50 team titles from 1988 to 2012, winning at least one "B" or "C" Division (Boys) team title every year except for 2007.[22]

VS also participates in the Singapore Floorball Association local men's league.

National Schools Games

[23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28]

Sports Year National - B Division National - C Division East Zone - B Division East Zone - C Division
Badminton 2009 --- --- Champion Third
Badminton 2010 --- --- Champion ---
Badminton 2011 --- --- --- Fourth
Badminton 2012 --- --- --- Third
Badminton 2013 --- --- Third Fourth
Badminton 2014 --- --- --- Runner-up
Badminton 2015 --- --- Runner-up Third
Cricket 2009 Runner-up Third No Competition No Competition
Cricket 2010 Champion Third No Competition No Competition
Cricket 2011 Third Fourth No Competition No Competition
Cricket 2012 Third Third No Competition No Competition
Cricket 2013 Fourth Fourth No Competition No Competition
Cricket 2014 Fourth Fourth No Competition No Competition
Cricket 2015 Third No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2009 Runner-up Champion No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2010 Champion Champion No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2011 Champion Third No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2012 Champion Fourth No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2013 Fourth --- No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2014 --- Fourth No Competition No Competition
Cross-Country 2015 Third --- No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2009 Runner-up Champion No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2010 Runner-up Third No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2011 Runner-up Champion No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2012 Champion Champion No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2013 Fourth Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2014 Fourth Third No Competition No Competition
Floorball 2015 Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Football 2009 Runner-up Runner-up Champion Runner-up
Football 2010 --- Runner-up --- Third
Football 2011 --- Runner-up --- Champion
Football 2012 --- Fourth Runner-up Runner-up
Football 2013 --- --- Third ---
Football 2014 --- --- Champion Fourth
Football 2015 --- --- Champion
Hockey 2009 Third Champion No Competition No Competition
Hockey 2010 Third Third No Competition No Competition
Hockey 2011 Champion --- No Competition No Competition
Hockey 2012 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Hockey 2013 --- Champion No Competition No Competition
Hockey 2014 Runner-up Fourth No Competition No Competition
Hockey 2015 Fourth No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2009 Fourth --- No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2010 Fourth Fourth No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2011 Third Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2012 Runner-up Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2013 Runner-up Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2014 Runner-up Champion No Competition No Competition
Sailing 2015 Third Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Pistol 2009 --- --- --- Runner-up
Shooting - Pistol 2010 --- --- Third Runner-up
Shooting - Pistol 2011 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Pistol 2012 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Pistol 2013 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Pistol 2014 --- Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Pistol 2015 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Rifle 2009 --- --- Fourth Runner-up
Shooting - Rifle 2010 --- --- Fourth ---
Shooting - Rifle 2011 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Rifle 2012 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Rifle 2013 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Rifle 2014 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Shooting - Rifle 2015 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Table-tennis 2009 --- --- Third Third
Table-tennis 2010 --- --- Fourth Fourth
Table-tennis 2011 --- Runner-up Third Champion
Table-tennis 2012 --- Fourth Champion Champion
Table-tennis 2013 Runner-up --- Champion Champion
Table-tennis 2014 Champion Fourth Champion Champion
Table-tennis 2015 Fourth Third Champion Champion
Tennis 2009 Runner-up --- No Competition No Competition
Tennis 2010 --- Fourth No Competition No Competition
Tennis 2011 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Tennis 2012 Fourth --- No Competition No Competition
Tennis 2013 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Tennis 2014 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Tennis 2015 Fourth Fourth No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2009 --- Runner-up No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2010 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2011 Fourth Fourth No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2012 Runner-up --- No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2013 Fourth --- No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2014 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Track and Field 2015 --- Fourth No Competition No Competition
Volleyball 2009 Fourth Fourth Third Champion
Volleyball 2010 --- Third Third Champion
Volleyball 2011 --- --- Third Third
Volleyball 2012 --- --- Fourth Third
Volleyball 2013 --- Fourth Fourth Runner-up
Volleyball 2014 --- --- --- Fourth
Volleyball 2015 --- Third
Wushu 2009 --- Third No Competition No Competition
Wushu 2010 --- Third No Competition No Competition
Wushu 2011 Runner-up --- No Competition No Competition
Wushu 2012 Champion --- No Competition No Competition
Wushu 2013 --- --- No Competition No Competition
Wushu 2014 --- Champion No Competition No Competition
Wushu 2015 --- Runner-up No Competition No Competition

Note: Sports like badminton, football, table-tennis and volleyball have zonal competitions because of the high number of schools participating.

SSSC Best School Boy Award (Sports)

VS students who have won the Singapore Schools Sports Council (SSSC) Best School Boy Award for respective sports, since it was started in 2010:

Year Name Sports
2010 Jeffrey Adam Lightfoot Football
2010 Fung Junjie Wushu
2010 Rezza Gaznavi * Cricket
2011 Marcus Ng Yu Pei Cross-Country
2011 Ryan Lo Jun Han Sailing
2012 Fung Junjie * Wushu
2013 Samuel Tan Wei Han * Wushu

Note: * - Former VS students in junior college

Uniformed Groups

Victoria School has six uniformed groups.

Uniformed Groups' Best Unit Competitions

Former VS NCC cadets include the former Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces, LG Neo Kian Hong.

Performing Arts

Victoria School has six performing arts groups.

Victoria School Choir is one of the top school choirs in Singapore. In the biennial Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Choral Judging Competition, the school has always attained a Gold with Honours award, except for 2007, when a Gold award was attained. It has also won gold medals in international choir competitions. In the 2012 National Day Parade, the 300-strong Combined School Choir was formed by students from Victoria School and Cedar Girls' Secondary School.[29]

Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging - Awards

Performing arts groups 2009 2011 2013
Chinese Dance Gold Silver Certificate of Accomplishment
Chinese Orchestra Gold Gold Certificate of Distinction
Choir Gold with Honours Gold with Honours Certificate of Distinction
Concert Band Gold Silver Certificate of Accomplishment
English Drama Bronze Silver Certificate of Accomplishment
Indian Dance Bronze Gold Certificate of Distinction

Clubs and societies

In The Straits Times National Youth Media Competition, VS holds the best record among all the schools in Singapore, clinching the championship twice and runner-up position thrice since the competition was inaugurated in 2005.[30]

Community Involvement Programmes

Youth Day

On Youth Day, Victoria School boys attempt to 'paint the town yellow' as they go round nearby housing blocks in the neighbourhood collecting old newspapers and items for disposal. Residents are notified in advance about the collection. The boys are clad in their yellow PT kit so that they are easily identified.

President's Challenge

Victoria School participates in the President's Challenge every year. In 2004, each class did a specific activity to raise funds for the charity. Activities included washing cars, going door-to-door to do household chores for a donation. In 2005, it held a watch design competition and the best designs were made into real watches and put on sale. In 2006, it sold small booklets containing the artworks of past and present Victorians.

Victoria Challenge

Started in July 1987, the Victoria Challenge allows classes to identify tasks that will contribute to the school. The "challenge" itself is for classes to plan their tasks carefully and pledge to complete it within 24 hours. It is conducted once every four years. Special T-shirts have been designed for every Victoria Challenge since its inception. Every class challenge is unique, and the challenges encompass various domains. Past challenges have ranged from creating miniature clay figurines, drawing floor murals to creating an "Arts Nook" in a corner of the school, complete with books and a piano.[31]

Overseas Exchange Programmes

Victoria School has established ties with schools abroad to promote a Singaporean brand of education and an exchange of ideas.

As part of the initiative to improve bilateral education links between Singapore and Malaysia, Victoria School has been linked up with Penang Free School, Malaysia by the Ministry of Education.[32][33] Other schools with which Victoria School has bilateral exchange programmes include Hebei Baoding Yizhong, English School Attached to Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Beijing Sanfan Zhongxue and Nan Hai Zhi Xin Zhongxue (all from People's Republic of China), Modern School of Vasant Vihar (India), University of Griffith (Australia) and Sultan Omar Ali Saiffudin High School (Brunei).[34]

Humanities Trips

Victoria School offers week-long overseas humanities trips to ASEAN and other parts of Asia for secondary 1 to 3 students. The aim of these trips is to expose students to the realities of lessons learnt in class and to provide an eye-opener and cultivate a global mindset for students and staff.

Camps

Secondary One Bonding Camp

During January, all secondary one Victorians attend a three-day-two-night camp usually held at the Ministry of Education's Jalan Bahtera Adventure Centre. They take part in physical, interactive and character-building activities designed to let them make new friends within the class and the cohort, as well as to adapt to the new secondary school environment.[35]

Secondary Three Overseas Adventure Camp

In 2001, Victoria School became the first school in Singapore to send its entire cohort of secondary three students on an overseas camp. The camp, which used to be held typically in March, is now held in January concurrently with the secondary one and two cohort camps on farmland in Malaysia. The aim is to bond the new secondary three students and help them settle into their new classes after being streamed according to their subject combinations, as well as to expose them to life outside the confines of urban Singapore. Also, following the "EDGE" model of the school, the camp aims to "Grow" (Third letter of the acronym) the students into effective leaders as they will be the new batch of student leaders to take over various leadership roles from the secondary four students. Rigorous activities ranging from rafting, trekking, river-crossing to mountain-climbing are held during the camp.

From 2001 to 2010, the annual camp had been held at Kahang Organic Rice Eco-Farm, Kahang town, located near Kluang, Johor. From 2011, the location of the annual camp was shifted to Tanjong Sutera Resort, Tanjung Sedili, near the town of Kota Tinggi, Johor.

Victoria Enhanced Leadership/Outdoor Camp Instructor Training Camp (VELOCI-T)

The VELOCI-T is a grueling 5-day outdoor camp held locally (for one part) and immediately overseas at Mawai Eco Camp, Malaysia the following day. It is run by external camp instructors in collaboration with selected Secondary Three Junior Leaders for that year. It has garnered praise for being one of the most trying and effective leadership camps among local institutions. 100 Secondary Two students, nominated through CCA teachers that will undertake leadership positions the following year are trained to run camps and conduct activities commonly carried out during outdoor camps. All Prefects, as well as nominated Peer Support Leaders which have successfully pass their interview, will have to go for VELOCI-T. They also learn the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership through hands-on activities and undergo rugged adventurous activities. The VELOCI-T 2010 saw trainees making an expedition on inflatable rafts and kayaks from East Coast Beach to the MOE Adventure Campsite in Changi, doing high elements and braving a water obstacle course. There is also a mountain climb of Gunung Arong for every year's camp except in 2010, where a heavy downpour made it impossible. After the camp is concluded, the participants' performances are reviewed and if found suitable, promoted to the rank of Junior Leader (JL) or, upon further application and stringent selection, Senior Leader (SL). In recognition of these, they are then awarded Red shirts and Black shirts respectively.[36] The JLs and SLs are informally called Red Shirts and Black Shirts due to the shirts awarded to them. The JLs and SLs form the backbone of student leadership in VS and play an instrumental role in rallying and organising the student population.

Campus and facilities

In the 3.5-hectare VS campus, the "Eco-Street" forms the central artery, which acts as a green lung, providing the space between the Classroom Block and the Science Block. This space allows more natural light in classrooms and improved ventilation.

The flora and fauna of the Eco-Street, including various tropical plants, fish and turtles, provide a setting for outdoor learning to take place. The Victoria Pool, Learning Garden, Bio Pod and Exploration Patch are intended to represent a move away from rigidly-structured, classroom-based instruction.

The classrooms on ground level, known as Learning Studios, are air-conditioned and have sliding doors that open out to the landscape, and are suitable for impromptu lectures, meetings and project work. Some classrooms on the upper floors have balconies, taking advantage of the sea view.

There is also a 500-seater auditorium and a three-storey library.

Victoria Hall

Victoria Hall is a hostel consisting of two 11-storey blocks within the school compound. The Hall is beside the sea and East Coast Park, giving boarders both a refreshing sea view and convenient access to the sporting facilities at the Park. It is home to about 500 boarders of different nationalities, such as Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese, many of whom attend either Victoria School or Victoria Junior College.

Sports facilities

A S$500,000 AstroTurf field replaced the conventional field in early 2007.

A S$5 million multi-purpose sports hall was completed in June 2009. It consists of two storeys, but the height of the building is approximately seven storeys due to the high ceiling.

The school also has an air-rifle range, a tennis court, PE rooms and a gymnasium.

Computer facilities

The school has a Wi-Fi system. The entire campus is covered with a Wi-Fi signal that allows both teachers and students access to the internet anywhere on campus.

Incentives and sanctions

There are rules concerning students' uniform, grooming and attendance.

Electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets are used for IT Learning to enhance the learning experience for all students. Students are allowed to use their electronic devices during curriculum time only after receiving permission from teachers for IT Learning, or for emergency purposes. Students are allowed to use the school Wi-Fi freely anytime by logging in with their given accounts. Students are allowed to use their electronic devices outside of curriculum time. However, unauthorized usage within curriculum time, especially in the classroom may result in a temporary confiscation of the electronic devices.

The most common punishments at VS are school community service, detention for minor offences. For repeated major offences such as playing truant, gambling, vandalism, fighting, smoking, theft, bullying, cheating, or being repeatedly disrespectful to staff, students are sent to the principal to be disciplined with corporal punishment in the form of caning. There is general support for this given the high standards of the school and low tolerance towards blatant misbehaviour. For a repeat of minor offences such as inappropriate hairstyles and being late consecutively, the student's conduct grade recorded in the report card may be reduced, for example to "Fair" or "Poor". [37]

Awards

In 2009, Victoria School was awarded the Ministry of Education's School Distinction Award (SDA). [38]

Victoria School has also attained various CCA awards, such as the Sustained Achievement Awards for sports, performing arts and uniformed groups, in recognition of its consistently high performance in national competitions, sports meets, the biennial Singapore Youth Festival and other events.

Scholars

Nine Victoria School students had received the prestigious Queen's, State and President's Scholarships.

Note: Queen's and State Scholarships are the predecessors of the President's Scholarship

Victoria Junior College

Victoria Junior College (VJC), affiliated to Victoria School, was established in 1984 to replace the Pre-University classes in VS. Over the years, it has been recognized as one of the top three junior colleges in Singapore.

Students from VS and Cedar Girls' Secondary School in the 6-year Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) continue their Year 5 and 6 education in VJC. Non-IP students from VS get two bonus points off their GCE 'O'-Level L1R5 academic aggregate if they apply to continue their two-year junior college education within the Victorian family at VJC.

With the introduction of the Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme in 2012 and the further sharing of expertise and facilities between VS and VJC, this raises the possibility of a merger in the future as seen in the Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College merger of 2009.

Victoria Advisory Committee

The Victoria Advisory Committee (VAC), formed in 1968, set the direction and advises on the future of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College. The principals of VS and VJC, as well as the President of the Old Victorians' Association, sit on the Committee. The present Chairman of the Committee is LG (NS) Ng Yat Chung, a former Chief of Defence Force of the Singapore Armed Forces and old boy of the school.

Victoria Chorale

Formed in 1988, Victoria Chorale, which comprises graduands of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College, is one of the top semi-professional choirs in Singapore. It has won numerous prizes at many prestigious international competitions, including gold medals at the Choir Olympics.

Old Victorians' Association

The alumni body, Old Victorians’ Association (OVA), was established in 1941. It serves as a channel for former students of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College to continue to associate with their alma mater. [39]

The OVA supports the activities undertaken by the schools, assists needy students, and promotes sports, social and cultural activities among members. Every first Saturday of March has been designated Victorians' Day, when Victorians from VS and VJC of all years play games, eat school canteen food again and catch up with long-time schoolmates.[40]

The OVA football team plays an annual friendly football match with Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association (VIOBA), the alumni body of Victoria Institution, Malaysia. The OVA men's and women's hockey teams play in the Singapore Hockey Federation hockey leagues.

In 2009, OVA organized the inaugural combined VS and VJC gala concert, with a 260-strong cast comprising both students and celebrity alumni, at the Esplanade Concert Hall.[41][42][43]

In 2011, OVA organized the Victoria School 135th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the former VS campus at Tyrwhitt Road.[44]

Notable alumni

Head of State

Politics

Government

Military/Police

Education

Legal

Medicine

Religion

Business

Sports

See Victoria School alumni

Trivia

Cedar Girls' Secondary School is considered to be the sister school of Victoria School.

References

  1. ↑ Carol Lim, "Old School Charm", Skyline, Urban Redevelopment Authority, July–August 2009. Includes photographs of the old school building at Tyrwhitt Road.
  2. ↑ Cheryl Tan (5 October 2009). "8 win heritage awards". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  3. ↑ Nur Dianah Suhaimi (30 January 2010). "A grand old building for PA". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  4. ↑ (15 October 1983). "Milestones". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  5. ↑ History of Singapore Scouting
  6. ↑ "Frank Dorrington Ward"
  7. ↑ "Jalan Besar, Heritage Trail"
  8. ↑ Matilda Gabriel (19 November 1984). "Victorian farewell...". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  9. ↑ "Top 50 Schools in the 1995 GCE O-level Examination (Special/Express Course)".
  10. ↑ Jane Lee (24 May 2003). "Victoria School goes green". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  11. ↑ "Architectural awards", Education, CPD Corporation
  12. ↑ Alfred Siew (20 July 2006). "Victoria School to offer PE as O-level subject". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  13. ↑ Lynda Hong (14 January 2008). "Students learn Bahasa Indonesia or Malay in Regional Studies Programme". Channel News Asia (Singapore).
  14. ↑ Hoe Yeen Nie (1 September 2010). "Seven new schools join the Integrated Programme". Channel News Asia (Singapore).
  15. ↑ Ho Ai Li; Vincent Leow (22 April 2007). "Red stars rising". The Star (Kuala Lumpur).
  16. ↑ Imran Hashim (26 September 1989). "Election '89 the Victorian way". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  17. ↑ Mavis Toh (14 September 2009). "School spirit keeps Victoria diehards going". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  18. ↑ Aaron Aik (10 August 2009). "The Victorian Spirit – The story of the Victoria School B Division football team". Red Sports (Singapore).
  19. ↑ (18 November 2011). "Implementation of Integrated Programme (IP) on Track"
  20. ↑ http://vs.moe.edu.sg/cca.html
  21. ↑ "EZSSC_ANNUAL_REPORT_2010"
  22. ↑ Erwin Wong (25 March 2010). "Double victory for victorious Victoria in National Inter-School Cross Country". RedSports (Singapore).
  23. ↑ Lim Say Heng (21 January 2009). "Victoria School: Lack of space is no excuse". The New Paper (Singapore).
  24. ↑ Yvonne Yap (18 August 2009). "Victoria School beat Teck Whye to clinch C Division Boys Hockey title". RedSports (Singapore).
  25. ↑ V K Santosh Kumar (8 April 2010). "Victoria victorious after 41 years". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  26. ↑ Noor Farhan (9 April 2011). "B Division Hockey: Victoria edge Teck Whye 3-2 in overtime with golden goal to win final". RedSports (Singapore).
  27. ↑ Yap Ann Ann (3 April 2012). "Victoria School wins National Inter-School Floorball Championship after 4-year wait". VOXSPORTS (Singapore).
  28. ↑ Felicia Quick (16 August 2013). "Victorians triumph in ‘C’ Div hockey final". Today (Singapore).
  29. ↑ Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid(4 August 2012). "Combined schools choir returns to this year's National Day Parade". Channel News Asia (Singapore).
  30. ↑ Sheryl Quek (18 December 2011). "Victoria School is tops in ST news contest". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  31. ↑ Log of the 2007 Victoria Challenge.
  32. ↑ Sandra Davie (3 July 2005). "School ties that bind". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  33. ↑ Sandra Davie (4 December 2007). "S'pore, M'sia forge stronger links in education". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  34. ↑ Mohammad Abdullah (17 November 2009). "S'pore students get taste of Brunei". Brunei Times (Brunei).
  35. ↑ Randell Siow, "EDGE 2010", January 2010.
  36. ↑ Randell Siow, "Veloci-T 2009 - The PULSE of Victoria", 22 November 2009.
  37. ↑ "Discipline page", Victoria School.
  38. ↑ Ministry of Education (10 September 2009). "Recognising School Achievements in 2009". Press release.
  39. ↑ Nurul Asyikin Mohd Nasir (10 September 2009). "Victoria school alumni: Boys only, please". The New Paper (Singapore).
  40. ↑ Patricia Yap (28 February 2005). "Victorians' Day to kick off on March 5". Today (Singapore).
  41. ↑ "Singapore Celebrity Magicians to Add Magic to Old Victorian Association Concert at the Esplanade" (Press release). Webwire. 19 May 2009.
  42. ↑ Kenny Chee (2 June 2009). "Victorians labour to celebrate artistic talents". The New Paper (Singapore).
  43. ↑ Christopher Toh (4 June 2009). "Two upcoming local gigs to look forward to". Today (Singapore).
  44. ↑ Huang Lijie (19 September 2011). "Victoria School celebrates 135 years with 1,500 alumni, ex-teachers". The Straits Times (Singapore).

Books

External links