Pearl’s Hill School, formerly known as the Singapore Chinese Branch School, was established in 1881.1 It was one of the first government English elementary schools set up by the British colonial government.2 It became known as Pearl’s Hill School in 1913. The school relocated to a 12-storey building on Chin Swee Road in 1971, and ceased operations in 2001.3
Early history
The history of Pearl’s Hill School can be traced back to the Singapore Chinese Branch School, which was established in 1881 on Cross Street as a feeder school for the Raffles Institution and other bigger schools.4 It had an initial enrolment of 193 boys and five teachers.5 By 1885, the school had become known as Cross Street School.6 It offered elementary education up to Standard Four.7
In 1906, the school was converted into a preparatory school, acting as a feeder school for Outram Road School (the predecessor of Outram Secondary School).8 It became known as Cross Street Infants’ School,9 and M. A. Buxton was appointed its head mistress.10 Under the new scheme, students who had completed their Standard One education were posted to Outram Road School to complete the rest of their elementary education.11 The affiliation between the two schools continued until 1953.12
Developments
In 1914, Cross Street Infants’ School was closed down and replaced with a new school on Pearl’s Hill Road. Known as Pearl’s Hill School, the new school could accommodate 640 pupils compared with only 370 pupils at the former Cross Street building.13 Buxton continued to be the head mistress until 1921 when she was succeeded by Mrs L. A. Bishop.14
The Parent-Teacher Association was established in Pearl’s Hill School in 1953 to create greater contact and co-operation between parents and teachers. In the following year, the school was converted into a full primary school that provided primary education up to Primary Six.15
Due to the Urban Renewal Scheme, Pearl’s Hill School had to be shifted again to a new 12-storey building on Chin Swee Road, lying on the slope of Pearl’s Hill. Declared officially opened by then Minister of Finance and member of Parliament for Havelock Hon Sui Sen on 2 June 1972, the building was the tallest school building in Singapore at the time, housing both Pearl’s Hill School and the Sekolah Melayu Sepoy Lines (Sepoy Lines Malay School).16
Pearl’s Hill school celebrated its 100th anniversary in 1981.17
In 1995, Pearl Park Primary School merged with Pearl’s Hill School, with the latter retaining its name.18
The school ceased operations on 31 December 2001.19 The Stamford Student Residence occupied the school building subsequently, before it was leased out by the Singapore Land Authority.20 The former school building currently houses Hotel Re!.21
Significance
Pearl’s Hill School had a long history in providing education for underprivileged children living in Chinatown.22 It nurtured many prominent personalities, including the fourth president of Singapore, Wee Kim Wee; former Supreme Court Judge Choor Singh; and former Cabinet Minister Yeo Ning Hong.23
Author
Chow Yaw Huah
References
1. Pearl’s Hill School, Centenary Celebration Souvenir Programme (Singapore: Pearl’s Hill School, 1981), 7 (From BookSG); Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine in Commemoration of Completion of New Building (Singapore: The Committee, 1979), 115–16 (Call no. RCLOS 300.95957 HAV); “School on Stilts Has Come a Long Way,” Straits Times, 26 September 1981, 13. (From NewspaperSG)
2. “Pearl’s Hill School,” National Heritage Board, accessed 19 December 2017; “Cross Street School,” Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 19 January 1898, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine, 115–16; “School on Stilts Has Come a Long Way”; “Where Has My School Gone?” Straits Times, 24 November 2014, 4 (From NewspaperSG); “Former Primary School at Pearl’s Hill Transformed into S$13M Hotel,” Channel NewsAsia, 8 February 2008. (From Factiva via NLB’s eResources website)
4. “The Government Schools,” Straits Times, 7 January 1885, 2 (From NewspaperSG); Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine, 115–16.
5. Pearl’s Hill School, Centenary Celebration Souvenir Programme, 7.
6. Pearl’s Hill School, Centenary Celebration Souvenir Programme, 7.
7. “Cross Street School.”
8. Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine, 115–16; “The Cross Street Preparatory School,” Eastern Daily Mail and Straits Morning Advertiser, 4 December 1906, 2 (From NewspaperSG); “History,” Outram Secondary School, accessed 20 December 2017.
9. “A Government Experiment,” Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 20 December 1907, 8; “Cross Street School”; “Pearl’s Hill School,” Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 18 December 1913, 398. (From NewspaperSG)
10. Pearl’s Hill School, Centenary Celebration Souvenir Programme, 7.
11. Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine, 115–16; Outram Secondary School, “History.”
12. Outram Secondary School, “History.”
13. “Pearl’s Hill School”; “New School Opened,” Straits Times, 17 December 1913, 9. (From NewspaperSG)
14. “School Principal’s Retirement,” Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 24 June 1932, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
15. Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine, 115–16.
16. Havelock Community Centre. New Building Working Committee, Havelock Community Centre Souvenir Magazine, 115–16; Hon Sui Sen, “The Official Opening Ceremony of the New Building for Pearl’s Hill School and Sepoy Lines Malay School,” speech, 2 June 1972, Ministry of Culture (From National Archives of Singapore document no. PressR19720602); “Former Primary School at Pearl’s Hill Transformed into S$13M Hotel”; “Minister: Moving School Should Be Occasion for Joy,” Straits Times, 2 June 1972, 10. (From NewspaperSG)
17. Pearl’s Hill School, Centenary Celebration Souvenir Programme, 7.
18. Pearl’s Hill School, Pearl’s Hill School (Singapore: Pearl's Hill School, 1996), 2. (Call no. RCLOS q372.95957 PHS)
19. National Heritage Board, “Pearl’s Hill School”; “Former Primary School at Pearl’s Hill Transformed into S$13M Hotel.”
20. Joyce Teo, “Boom in Hostels for Foreign Students,” Straits Times, 3 January 2005, 3; Tan Hui Yee, “From School to Hotel,” Straits Times, 2 March 2007, 43. (From NewspaperSG)
21. “About Us,” Hotel Re, accessed 19 December 2017; “Former Primary School at Pearl’s Hill Transformed into S$13M Hotel.”
22. Hon Sui Sen, “The Official Opening Ceremony of the New Building for Pearl’s Hill School and Sepoy Lines Malay School.”
23. Singapore Chronicles: A Special Commemorative History of Singapore (Hong Kong: Illustrated Magazine, 1995), 52–54 (Call no. RSING 959.57 SIN-[HIS]); Wee Kim Wee, Wee Kim Wee: Glimpses and Reflections (Singapore: Landmark Books, 2004), 15 (Call no. RSING 959.5705092 WEE-[HIS]); J. Chua, In Memory of Justice Choor Singh. (From National Archives of Singapore); Who’s Who in Singapore (Singapore: City Who's Who, 1981/82), 35. (Call no. RCLOS 920.05957 WWS)
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