Conventional wisdom believes that Chinese schools before World War II were founded and maintained by wealthy Chinese businessmen and the Chinese community, whereas English schools were established and funded by the colonial government. Although the above perception might have some basis in reality, it would also lead to some stereotypical views. Does this mean that the Chinese businessmen and community sponsor only Chinese schools but not English ones? From the start, were English schools founded and established solely by the colonial government? This essay intends to go beyond the normal practice of separating discussion on Chinese and English schools by using case studies of a Chinese school (The Chinese High School, renamed Hwa Chong Institution in 2005) and an English school (Raffles Institution) to discuss the relationship between the Singapore Chinese community/leaders and Chinese and English schools.

A Singapore Council for Adult Education (SCAE) was thus set up in December 1950. The council had 12 members, representing the Chinese, Indian, Malay, and European communities. The Singapore Chinese Schools’ Conference (SCSC) was true to its word and took up the responsibility to run the classes. The Chinese classes it offered started to enrol students on 15 March 1951 and officially commenced on 2 April. The plan was to have ten classes for the first batch of students and 30 in a class. Male and female students above 13 years old were eligible for enrolment. The adult Chinese classes offered by SCSC, ever since its inauguration, received tremendous attention from the community. It was reported in the press that the adult students exemplified “great enthusiasm in seeking knowledge and strong self-discipline in class.” They were said to have outperformed even the day-schools’ students in this regard.