CO129-623-6 Education Department- annual report 1-5-1950 - 31-12-1950 — Page 54

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MALAYA

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sacrificed to quantity but I am sure that those who have sponsored so bold an adventure will see to it that nothing in the way of modern educational practice and thought it too good for Singapore and that the expatriate staff will use every opportunity when home on leave or by other means of keeping in touch with the most up to date work being carried on in this country.

2. Here again as in Hong Kong, I was delighted to find the ready partnership of Government and voluntary agencies in education. The voluntary agencies have been more than generous in sponsoring supplementary education plans by taking the new young teachers into their schools and by lending experienced teachers to Government schools.

3.

Interesting work is also being done in training for citizenship particularly in one voluntary agency school where the project is in the hands of an expatriate Englishman who happens to be Chairman of the Local Labour Party, and a Chinese master who is Chairman of the Local Conservative Party. Together they are giving their boys the most practical training and experience in their responsibilities to the community.

It was

in this school too that at the end of the corridor which boys had to pass all the time there was fixed a large map of England and one of the Empire so that as the Headmaster said, "They can't help but see it all the time."

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In the race for expansion Singapore does not neglect the wider aspects of education. Post-certificate boys and girls group together in certain classes and share a number of activities such as debating societies, literary societies, citizenship discussions and dramatic groups. Singapore has been singularly fortunate in having first-class organisers both in music and in art. Unhappily the art organiser is retiring and the time of the music organiser is drawing to a close. It will be very difficult to replace these outstanding personalities. The music organiser, Mr. Glan Williams has developed a large children's orchestra and a teachers' choir in which the Director of Education sings lustily. These two combine and periodically give concerts which are of a very high standard and are greatly enjoyed. art organiser, Mr. Walker has influenced, both through his teaching and through his own paintings the interest in art and the development of artistic ability among boys and girls throughout Singapore and far up into the Federation. He held an exhibition which was his swan song. Everything was sold, so he has nothing of his own work to bring with him into retirement. One of his loveliest paintings which he made when he was an internee he has left with the Bishop of Singapore and many people are proud to have his paintings of local scenes in their schools and in their homes.

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It is an uncanny experience to cross the Causeway from the energy and expansion and enterprise of Singapore into the war-ridden country of the Federation. Here the 9 States with their population of over 5 million of whom 22 million are Malays, 2 million Chinese, million Indians have also their educational ambitions which have increased both in scope and in numbers almost beyond belief since the end of the Japanese Occupation. Every year the numbers of children in schools grow and grow and as the school buildings cannot keep pace with them it means over-crowded classes, double sessions, unqualified teachers. The last figure the Director of Education sent me 10 days ago

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