MILITARY FORCES AND FEDERATION POLICE IN AID OF THE SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE DURING THE OCTOBER RIOTS

Tuesday, 20th November, 1956

Mr John Ede asked the Chief Secretary whether he will give details of the units and strength of (a) the military forces and (b) the Federation Police brought in to assist the Singapore Police Force during the recent riots.

Mr W. A. C. Goode: The following units were made available to assist the Singapore Police Force during the recent riots:

(a) Military Forces:

1 armoured car regiment

8 battalions of infantry

6 squadrons of the Royal Air Force operating as infantry

(b) Federation Police:

4 Police Reserve or Field Force units with 4 more units in reserve in Johore. The strength of these units varied from 50 to 70 men each.

Mr John Ede asked the Minister for Education whether he will supply details of the total cost of construction and equipping of each Government technical, secondary and primary school completed in the year 1956 to date, including figures showing cost of (a) purchase of land, (b) clearance of site, (c) construction of building, (d) provision of roads, playing grounds, drainage and fencing and (e) furniture and equipment; and whether he will give information reagarding the economies made in construction of these schools compared with the schools completed in 1955.

Mr Chew Swee Kee: In 1955 the primary schools were completed; in 1956 twenty-one primary schools and two secondary technical schools. The details of their cost are shown in the following tables:-

GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS (1956) DETAILED COSTS OF CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT (Cols 0821-0828 )

All but two of the primary schools built in 1955-6 were planned in 1953-4. They contain 16 classrooms in a standard three-storey block. 14 class-rooms were then used to accommodate the two streams of a 7-year primary course. With 40 pupils in each class and the schools used for morning and afternoon sessions the schools thus provided accommodation for 1,120 pupils. The other two classrooms were used for the teaching of music and vernacular languages. and, when the folding partition was drawn back, as a school hall.

In 1955, the 7-year primary course was condensed to 6 years, and the schools accommodated 2� streams in 15 classrooms. This means that there are three streams and two streams in alternate classes, so that accommodation is provided for 1,200 pupils in hte two sessions. This economy has meant the sacrifice of accommodation previously used for language teaching, so that classes have had to be held in hte bicycle shed, the tiffin shed, and even in the open.

Primary schools now being planned will be of 3 storeys and will have 18 classrooms with accommodation for 1,440 pupils. The size of each classroom has been reduced from 30' by 22' by 11' 4" to 27' by 20' by 10' 6". Accommodation for music will be provided in an annexe off the tiffin shed. By these and other economies it has been possible to accommodate 320 more pupils in each school without any increase in the cost of building, assuming that the cost of labour and materials remains constant.

As each school will accommodate more pupils, fewer schools need be build, so that there is a further saving on the cost of sites and the salaries of principals, clerks and servants. any further increase in size, however, would have educational disadvantages to offset against the saving in cost.

Two secondary technical schools were completed in 1956. They were originally designed as trade schols and have insufficient classrooms and laboratory accommodation. The school to be built in 1957 will accommodate more pupils and appreciably reduce the cost per pupil.

No academic secondary school was completed in 1955-6.

The need for the greatest possible economy in school building is kept continually in mide by a Working Party on whcih the Tresury, The P.W.D. and Ministry of Education are represented.