CLOSURE OF AIDED AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS FROM JULY, 1959 TO 31ST MARCH, 1963

Mr Ong Chang Sam asked the Minister for Education how many aided schools and private schools have been closed by the Government from July 1959, to 31st March, 1963; of these, how many were (a) Chinese schools, (b) English schools, (c) Tamil schools and (d) Malay schools; and how many teachers have lost their employment as a result of the closure of these schools.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, during the period July 1959 to 31st March, 1963, two Government-aided and eight private schools were closed by the Government on the service of notices under the provisions of the Education Ordinance. 1957. The breakdown is as follows:- Government-Aided Private Total English Nil 5 5 Chinese 2 2 4 Malay Nil 1 1 Tamil Nil Nil Nil --- --- --- 2 8 10 --- --- ---

The 2 Government-aided schools were unable to comply with health requirements and therefore were served with notices of cancellation of registration.

However, 13 other Government-aided schools have had their grants-in-aid withdrawn for the following reasons and have ceased to exist:- 7 for being unable to comply with health requirements and at the request of the school authorities themselves that the Ministry would post pupils and staff elsewhere; 1 as a result of split in the Committee of Management and at the Supervisor's request; 1 for withdrawal of grant-in-aid as a result of the Supervisor's failure to carry out a repeated request from the Ministry to submit the name of a new Principal for approval; 1 Parents having exercised their preference to have their children continuing education in the new Government Chinese school at Bukit Ho Swee; 1 at the request of Principal-cum-Supervisor-cum-Manager on account of serious illness; 1 at the request of both the Supervisor and the Principal who could not agree on how to administer the school; 1 where the Principal persistently refused to hand over administration of the school to his successor.

It has been the policy of -the Ministry to ensure that before a Government-aided school is closed down, whether for health reasons or at the schools' own request, every pupil is first found a place in a nearby Government or Government-aided school. Also that teachers of such schools wishing to continue employment will be assisted to find employment elsewhere in other Government or Government-aided schools. So far only 1 Government-aided school teacher has not been re-employed but the decision would appear to be his own, as he has failed to call at the Ministry and therefore it is presumed that he has found employment elsewhere or is not interested to continue teaching.

Finally, as no public funds are involved in respect of private schools, the Ministry does not follow up on the fate of teachers when private schools are dosed down.