Celebrating Kim Gek

AS SINGAPORE COMMEMORATES the 200th anniversary of Sir Stamford Raffles' arrival, one of the country's oldest institutions celebrates its 120th anniversary.

Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) was founded as an all-girls Peranakan school in 1899 by a group of Straits Chinese men including Dr Lim Boon Keng, Sir Song Ong Siang and Khoo Seok Wan. The school was located on Hill Street, and had an English headmistress and seven girls on the register.

Despite its initial shaky years, today, SCGS is considered one of Singapore's top schools, and its notable alumnae include President Halimah Yacob and businesswoman Jennie Chua. Past and present SCGS girls are also known as kim gek, Hokkien for jade and gold, which connotes a young Chinese girl brought up and educated in the best manner.

As part of its 120th anniversary celebrations, the school recently refreshed its SCGS Heritage Centre. Vice principal Shermaine Tang says, "An institution that does not appreciate its own history or heritage robs itself of an insight into where it may go. The SCGS Heritage Centre, therefore serves as a living archive of the school's history, exploring key moments and people who have helped to shape the landscape of our beloved school."

What started out as a small archive room is now a 70 sqm space divided into two galleries. The first gallery spans from 1899 to World War 2, while the second gallery covers the school's history from the post-war years. The exhibits were mainly archived by the school since it was located at Emerald Hill, while some exhibits were donated or on loan by old girls, as well as staff as friends of SCGS.

Some rare exhibits include letters of condolences personally penned by Queen Mary of the United Kingdom, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. These letters were sent to SCGS in 1949 to express Queen Mary's sympathies for the suffering endured by SCGS students and teachers during the Japanese Occupation.

To reflect the school's rich Peranakan heritage, the new Heritage Centre showcases distinctive and fascinating aspects of Peranakan culture that permeate the school, along with the school's key milestones. For example, there is a Peranakan carriage, which ferried rich Peranakan children around Singapore; cabinets and clothing; a classroom and eight-sided wooden seat of yesteryears, as well as the evolution of the SCGS school uniform.

"Every exhibit in the Heritage Centre is carefully identified based on how meaningful it is to the school's history, national history or Peranakan culture and the coherence of the narrative when the story is presented to visitors," says Mrs Tang.

She adds, "Through precious artefacts and lovingly preserved written records, this rich resource centre will stand as a beacon even as we continue to weave the tapestry of our legacy with intentional efforts to curate our precious past so as to preserve our treasured future."

The Singapore Chinese Girls' School Heritage Centre is located at 190 Dunearn Road, and is open on the last Wednesday of Feb, Apr, Aug and Oct 2020, from 3.30pm to 5.30pm. Those who are keen on a guided tour can write in to scgss@moe.edu.sg three weeks prior to date of visit.