Going To The Upper School

When we were Anak Ansonians in the lower school ( pupils of Anglo Chinese Primary School are refered as Anak Ansonian) we use to admire those seniors in the upper school. Especially so when we see them carrying hard covered text books like the Durell’s Mathematic and the Geography For Today. Wow! Such thick heavy books. Make you look so learned!  Our books were thin paperbacks which normally would have its covers detached from the main book in the 2nd term.  I refer this particularly to the MPH readers.  This is the book we use to act out a play from its scripts.  Just like in the Hollywood, I suppose! :)

We were exposed to the upper school when we had to go there for sports practices.  It was a long march from Anson Road going through Canal Road and then just short of Innes Road, we turned into the upper school via the back entrance.  On the right are the school gardener’s quarters.  On the far left was a caged like structure covered by chain-link fencing.  We never knew what it was for.  Later when we were admitted into the upper school we found out that it was for a funny game called cricket! I then did play for the school’s 1st & 2nd XI team. :)

From the back entrance, the view of the upper school was spectacular. The football field looks so huge. It looked huge maybe because I was just 4 feet 4inches tall!  And there were the classrooms at the far end, beyond the field. On the far left was the woodwork shop commandeered by Mr Krishnasamy.  On the left was the tuckshop where the Wong’s family was the anchor tenant.  That building also houses the store for the gymnastic equipment and facing it were the table tennis tables.  On the right was a new double storey blue coloured building.  It houses Form 4s and Form5s and on the ground floor was En Ahmad’s domain – his Chemistry and Physics Lab.  Everybody knows him as he was the only Lab Assistant.  Students come and go. He was there through thick and thin and had live to serve several principals.

After the end of the 3rd term school holidays, it was time to go to the upper school. Of course to be selected to go there one had to pass the Secondary School Entrance Examination which was usually referred to as the Std 6 Exam.  An intelligence test was part of the examination.  So I guess, we must have been intelligent to be able to go to Form 1 in the upper school. In the first week of 1963 we were not school children anymore!

1963: Our class teacher was Miss Hwa Mei Chee. Where ever you are, teacher...Thank you!

Seated: Woo Chee Yan, Chua Tiong Thor, Sagadeva, Napsiah Omar, Poh?, Miss Hwa Mei Chee, ?, Quah Chai Peng, Kuan Peng Khong, Francis?, Lian Chin Hoe.



Middle Row: ?, Aziz Tahir, Wong?, Zahari, S.Muniandy, ?,?, Akmal Hisham, ?, ?, Cheah?, Hooi?, ?,

Last Row: Ong Pit Teik, Sahar, Hashim, ?, Woo Chee Seng, ?, Yusof, ?, James Bond, Ong Beng Tiong, ?, ?, Azhari, Ong Beng Chye.

Looks like I couldn't remember all. Well, that was 50 years ago! If anybody can remember, please comment so that I could make the necessary corrections.