What is a National Monument? Who gazettes them? How many national monuments are there in Singapore? To date, the Preservation of Sites and Monuments, a division of National Heritage Board, has identified and gazetted 77 buildings, structures and sites of national significance as an integral part of Singapore’s built heritage.
In this edition, we put under the magnifying glass one of Singapore’s oldest Chinese schools, Chung Cheng High School (Main).
Location
The entrance arch and administration building of Chung Cheng High School (Main) were collectively gazetted as the 66th National Monument.
The nearest MRT stations are Dakota and Tanjong Katong.
Significant dates
Date built:
- Jan 24, 1939: Chung Cheng High School was founded on Kim Yam Road
Milestones:
- 1947: Chung Cheng High School began admitting female students due to a surge in Singapore’s student population after the end of World War II (1939-1945)
- Sept 19, 1965: The foundation stone for the administration building at Chung Cheng High School (Main) was laid
- 2014: The school celebrated its 75th anniversary; its entrance arch and administration building were collectively gazetted as Singapore’s 66th National Monument
Date collectively gazetted: July 10, 2014
History
Founded on Jan 24, 1939, Chung Cheng High School began as an all-boys school on Kim Yam Road. At the time, government funding favoured English-medium schools, leaving Chinese schools with little support. A group of well-known Chinese philanthropists, recognising the lack of higher education facilities in Singapore, came together to establish the new Chinese school.
