Alumni fear loss of heritage with mergers
Damai Secondary School students. TODAY file photo
SINGAPORE — For Bishan Park Secondary School (BPSS) alumnus Nur Nadiah Ahmad Jani, the judo training grounds in the school are among the things she will miss most when her alma mater moves into Peirce Secondary School’s Sin Ming Walk premises as part of a merger in January 2018.
“I have so many fond memories training there with my former team-mates and coaches in the short four years. I found my passion for sports through judo and BPSS and I want the legacy to continue so future students will get to share the same experience,” said the 25-year-old, who is now a teacher.
BPSS’ white and navy blue uniform and team of dedicated teachers are other distinct features that are etched in Ms Nadiah’s memory, and she fears they will be lost after the merger — part of 11 mergers over the next two years.
Agreeing, a former school-mate Avinash Iswar, 25, said: “I hope to still see my teachers when we go back to school, and that the merger will not have too much of an impact on them.”
Damai Secondary alumnus Haraf Tamhar hopes the school’s “kampung spirit” will be preserved after it merges with Bedok North Secondary in January 2018.
“It is heartbreaking to know that Damai will never be the same as before ... During my time in Damai, everyone got along well with just about anybody. Students in upper secondary befriended the younger ones. I hope this spirit will continue,” said the 21-year-old banker.
Nostalgic sentiments aside, most ex-students of the schools that will be merged recognised that the moves hold potential benefits for prospective students. “It may be quite sad, but as long as all students get access to better programmes and attention from teachers, it is better down the road,” said homemaker Josephine Toh, who was in the first batch of students at Pioneer Secondary in 1994. Her alma mater will merge with Boon Lay Secondary in January next year.
Siglap Secondary principal Low Joo Hong said students and staff received news of the school’s impending merger with Coral Secondary with a mixed bag of emotions, ranging from anxiety and uncertainty to excitement. “I trust that as teachers, we serve whoever needs us and do not choose who we teach. So, I think we are all prepared to move on and achieve the best we can in this situation,” he added.
Coral Secondary’s principal Arivazhagan Manickam said both schools are looking for opportunities for their students to gather and bond over joint activities. The merger will allow schools to leverage on each other’s strengths, he said. KELLY NG
