Ngee Ann College opens

Ngee Ann College, an institute of higher learning established by the Ngee Ann Kongsi, was officially opened on 25 May 1963.^[1] In officiating the college's inauguration, then Minister for Education Yong Nyuk Lin described the founding of the college as “the culmination of decades of laudable efforts towards the educational welfare of the youth of Singapore”.^[2]

From the 1950s onwards, Chinese-educated students in Singapore found it increasingly difficult to go to China for further studies due to the political turmoil and the rise of communism in the country.^[3] At the same time, the students were unable to enrol in the tertiary institutions set up by the colonial government in Singapore since entry into these institutions required them to have achieved a minimum level of English proficiency, a language which they were unfamiliar with.^[4] The lack of opportunities soon created a void in their education.

The idea to establish an independent college of technology and commerce was first proposed in May 1961 by Ngee Ann Kongsi under the presidency of Lien Ying Chow. The proposal was met affirmatively by Yong and Lee Khoon Choy, who was then the parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Education.^[5] Lien was appointed chairman of the board of governors of the college , which included other members from Ngee Ann Kongsi – Lee Wee Nam, Teo Hang Sam, Chew Teng How, Teo Siew Jin and Lim KimSeng. Also on the board were university educationists T.G. Ling, Robert Ling,  Liu Yin Soon and Heah Hock Meng.^[6] By January 1963, the college had acquired a 100-acre (0.4 sq km) site along Bukit Timah Road, and multi-million dollar plans were under way for its construction.^[7] Until the new campus was ready, the college shared the new Teochew Building at Tank Road,  which was completed  in March 1963, with  Tuan Mong School.^[8]

In January and February 1963, the college fielded applicants for its seven courses  – Accountancy, Business Administration, Chinese Language, Malay Language, Applied Chemistry, Telecommunications and Domestic Science – under its three divisions of language, commerce and technology.^[9] With the exception of courses conducted by the Malay section, all other courses had English and Mandarin as the media of instruction.^[10]  The first cohort of Ngee Ann College students, who began their academic year on 16 April 1963, comprised 311 full-time and 122 part-time evening students.^[11]

At the inauguration ceremony of the college on 25 May 1963, Lien revealed Ngee Ann Kongsi's eventual plan to develop the college into a full-fledged university in the near future.^[12] However, disagreement within the management of the kongsi resulted in the suspension of construction work on the extension of the college’s department of technology in May 1965.^[13] The suspension was met with heavy opposition from the students who had hoped that the college would in time progress into a university. A massive boycott of classes by the students, which took place in June1965,^[14] led to an inquiry commission^[15] headed by Thong Saw Pak, then head of the Physics Department in the University of Malaya, to look into the running of the college and its future development.One of the recommendations by the commission was to convert Ngee Ann College into a public institution to train commercial and industrial technicians.^[16] This recommendation eventually led to the passing of the Ngee Ann College Act in parliament on 7 September 1967.^[17]

On 22 August 1968, the college changed its name to Ngee Ann Technical College.^[18] With the passing of the Ngee Ann Technical College (Amendment) Act on 3 March 1982, Ngee Ann Technical College was renamed Ngee Ann Polytechnic.^[19]

References
1. 义安大学将诞生 [Microfilm: NL 2859]. (1963, May 25). 民报 [The Minpao Magazines], p. 6.
2. Lim, B. T. (1963, May 26). A surprise gift. The Straits Times, p. 2. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. 崔贵强 [Cui Guiqiang]. (2007). 新马华人国家认同的转向,1945–1959.  [Xin Ma hua ren guo jia ren tong de zhuan xiang, 1945–1959] (pp. 107–162). Singapore: 新加坡青年书局. Call no.: RSEA 305.895105957 CGQ.
4. Gopinathan, S. (1974). Towards a national system of education in Singapore 1945–1973 (pp. 2–12, 39). Singapore: Oxford University Press. Call no.: RING 379.5957 GOP.
5. Tan, S., & Goh, S. T. (2005). Ngee Ann Kongsi: Into the next millennium (pp. 73–74). Singapore: Ngee Ann Kongsi. Call no. : RSING 366.095957 NGE.
6. All students welcome at Ngee Ann College. (1962, August 11). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
7. College to spend millions on expansion. (1963, January 31). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. 潮州大厦工程完竣近日举行落成典礼 [Microfilm: NL 3479]. (1963, May 25). 星洲日报 [Sin Chew Jit Poh], p. 6.
9. College calls for candidates. (1963, January 9). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. College looks for staff. (1962, August 21). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
11. The Straits Times, 26 May 1963, p. 2.
12. The Straits Times, 26 May 1963, p. 2.
13. Ngee Ann Board of Governors quit in protest. (1965, June 3). The Straits Times, p. 16. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
14. Lim, B. T. (1965, June 5). 1,000 call for resumption of extension job – Ngee Ann row: A protest by students. The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
15. Ngee Ann Kongsi to inquire into running of the college. (1965, July 1). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
16. Thong, S. P. (1966). Report. Singapore: Committee of Review on the Future Development of Ngee Ann College. Call no. : RCLOS Other 378.5951 SIN.
17. Singapore. Parliament. Parliamentary Debates: Official Report. (1967, September 8). Ngee Ann College Bill: Third Reading (Vol 26, pp. 236–237). Singapore: [s.n.]. Call no.: RCLOS 328.5957 SIN v.26 Jul–Dec 67.
18. Ngee Ann College attains full autonomy. (1968, August 23). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
19. Republic of Singapore. Government Gazette. Acts Supplement. (1982, April 16). Ngee Ann Technical College (Amendment) Act 1982 (Act 4 of 1982, p. 13). Singapore: [s.n.]. Call no.: RCLOS 348.5957 SIN; Renaming of Ngee Ann Technical College. (1982, March 20). The Straits Times, p. 8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.