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Victoria School is an autonomous government secondary school, ranked as one of Singapore's premier education institutions. It is one of the very few remaining all-boys institutions. Since its inception in 1876, Victoria School has produced Queen Scholars, Members of Parliament, ministers, military officials, businessmen, and athletes. Victoria School prides itself on being the former institution of the incumbent President Of Singapore , His Excellency Mr S R Nathan . Victoria School was founded in 1876 and had its origin in an early English Class organised by Mr M. Hellier while Singapore was still a colony under the British Crown . The school excels in various areas including sports. It has also achieved gold awards in the national school competitions for the performing arts. It also prides itself in hosting local as well as foreign students and scholars, as part of its mission to 'provide a stimulating environment that promotes life-long learning for high-calibre students from Singapore and abroad'. The school has moved five times since it was established in Kampong Glam; well-known VS campuses include the Tyrwhitt and Syed Alwi (Victoria Bridge) campus, of which the latter is featured on the reverse side of the Republic's S$2 bill alongside the former Raffles College (King Edward VII College of Medicine). The institution's new campus is located at Siglap Link in Marine Parade, faces the East Coast (like its affiliated junior college Victoria Junior College ), and is referred to by many as ‘school by the sea’. Neighbouring landmarks like the East Coast Park are occasionally used to conduct lessons and activities. The campus was officially declared open in 2003 by the President of Singapore. PROFILE Recent history When top schools were given a choice to go independent, or remain government sponsored/government-linked, in 1990, Victoria remained a government sponsored school. The school advisory committee concluded that for the institution to retain its character as a school for students of all backgrounds, it would not charge fees comparable to independent schools. However, some cited the lack of independent status as the impediment to vastly expanding and differentiating its programmes and curriculum, which was achieved by the Raffles family of schools which opted to go independent. Victoria School became the second government school after Dunman High School to have a Gifted Education Programme (GEP) department in Singapore when it started with one GEP class in 2001. The school achieved good progress in GEP until 2004, when its enrolment in GEP was deemed too small to form one class. Similarly, Dunman High School had its enrolment cut from two classes to one in 2004. The school was optimistic about making it to the ranks of top schools in Singapore when it moved to its current state-of-the-art campus. When Hwa Chong Institution and the Raffles family of schools embarked on their own independent integrated programme, Victoria School failed to attain approval from the Ministry of Education to start a four-year integrated programme with its sister college, Victoria Junior College (VJC). As such, VJC went ahead with the integrated programme alone, which commenced in 2005. (See {Link without Title} ) Victoria School's colonial past is evident in many forms. While respect for school staff has not been emphasised in many institutions, Victoria School's boys continue to address school staff as 'Sir' for males, and 'Ma'am' for females. This tradition has been passed through generations of Victorians and has been viewed favourably by the public.
o 1.1 Victorian Anthem
o 4.1 Other credentials
o 6.1 Uniform o 6.2 Affiliation o 6.3 Secondary One Orientation Camp o 6.4 Secondary Three Camp o 6.5 Prefectorial board/Monitors Council o 6.6 Class Executive Committee o 6.7 Leadership Training Camp/Camp Instructors' Camp o 6.8 Houses
o 7.1 Competitive Sports o 7.2 Uniformed Groups o 7.3 Performing Arts Groups o 7.4 Service Clubs o 7.5 Cultural Clubs o 7.6 Academic Clubs o 7.7 Special Interest Clubs
o 8.1 Art Elective Programme Media Lab o 8.2 Sports Facilities/Eco-Pond o 8.3 School Hostel o 8.4 Academic facilities
Recent Achievements VS has also been awarded the Ministry of Education's Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) for the Arts (since 2004), Physical Fitness (since 2004) and Uniformed Groups (since 1999). This is a testimony to the school's holistic education. Recent Academic Performance In terms of overall academic performance, the 2004 cohort scored an L1B5 (First Language and 5 Best subjects) mean of below 11 points, putting Victoria School in the top tier of schools with awards (denoted by stars) given for academic value as well as aesthetical and fitness excellence (released by MOE). Although a significant improvement from the 2005 cohort is not expected, the school has put in place programmes such as the Enhanced Study Programme (ESP) alongside enrichments such as Learning Styles and Resiliency courses to aid weaker students to maintain the school's performance. Upon request from students, the school has also extended its library operating hours past office hour, and has also made the study area on the second floor open to all students. Like most schools, VS endeavours to create a conducive academic environment for its students. Programmes While possibly not as extensive or diverse when compared to that of independent schools such as Raffles and Hwa Chong, VS does have its fair share of programmes to complement its regular academic curriculum framework. The school is noted for its leadership programmes (recognised by many as one of the best in Singapore), which hones future leaders for the community. This includes programmes such as the Secondary One Orientation Camp, Camp Instructors' Camp, Leadership Training Camp, and Secondary 3 Adventure Camp, of which the latter two are held overseas. Many of these camps, albeit funded by the school, are actually organised and facilitated by (senior) students themselves, giving them a chance at applying what they have learnt pragmatically - something which very few educational institutions offer. Consequently, Victorians are sought after for their leadership skills and are offered various scholarships such as the SAF Scholarships after their GCE 'A' Levels. In line with the institution's core value of establishing 'strategic alliances' and being 'global-minded', VS has established links with many school abroad to promote a Singaporean brand of education and an exchange of ideas - particularly in China (PRC), of late. Subsequently, the school has bilateral exchange programmes with schools in China, Malaysia, Thailand, and possibly India and Australia - some examples are Chung Hwa High School (Malaysia) and Hebei-Baoding (PRC). The school also had students studying foreign languages representing the Ministry of Education’s Language Centre (MOELC) on the month-long Study-cum-Immersion Programmes (SCIP) to countries like France, Germany and Japan. Victoria School's sister college, Victoria Junior College, offers the Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP). The VIP is a 4-year JC-plus course in which Victorians bypass the traditional GCE 'O' Level examinations and directly sit for the GCE 'A' Levels at the end of Year 4 or JC2. School Crest The school crest is somewhat similar to Oxford University’s crest, highlighting vestiges of the school’s English origins. The open book symbolises lifelong learning, while the torch symbolises truth and the passing on of a tradition. It also illuminates the way of Victorians who venture forth to excel beyond the shores of Singapore. School Colours Yellow: Stands for dignity and excellence, especially in the Asian context. Red: Symbolises universal brotherhood and equality, and is one of the State colours. School Motto "Nil Sine Labore" The school's motto is in Latin, meaning "Nothing without Labour", emphasising the need for Victorians to work hard in fulfilling their dreams and passion - great things can only be achieved through hard work. Strategic values The institution has eight core/key strategic values (in no particular order): performance excellence, professionalism, innovation, integrity, compassion, tradition, strategic alliances, and global-mindedness. The adoption of corporate ethos as typified by the identification of 'core values' is not unique to VS and is a trend observable in many Singaporean schools. Victorian Anthem The Victorian Anthem has a somewhat upbeat neo-colonial tinge to it, befitting the school's image as an English institution. The Anthem - a common symbol of pride amongst Victorians from both VS and VJC alike - is proudly sung by members of the Victorian community on important events, and on Mondays during the flag-raising assembly.
Uniform Victorians have a distinct uniform to mark its identity. In addition to a short-sleeved shirt, lower secondary boys wear khaki shorts, while upper secondary boys wear long white trousers. On Mondays, Victorians wear a maroon striped tie across their bleached apparel. Victorians wear the school badge prominently above the left chest pocket, with the exception of those from notable student bodies such as the Prefectorial Board, Monitors' Council, and Peer Leaders' Council who, instead, wear the badges of their respective student bodies. The mandatory school socks are white with the initials 'VS' imprinted in red. 2005 saw the birth of the 'Victoria' shoe, which is not compulsory and is worn mostly by the lower secondary students. During physical activities and camps, Victorians wear a yellow T-shirt with black trim, and black shorts. On the T-shirt, the school crest is located prominently on the left chest area while the word 'Victorian' is printed on the back. The 'Bumblebee', as termed by many, has been in use since the late 80s (1987/88). On the shorts, the school crest is again located in the bottom right corner. Each house has their own running vest (singlet) available in the respective house colours. The house colours include yellow (Rochore), blue (Kallang), green (Kapor), purple (Whampoa), and red (Glam). Teachers have no formal wear. SCHOOL IDENTITY - ''THE VICTORIAN SPIRIT'' Victoria School prides itself on its strong ''esprit de corps''. Students, old boys, and staff alike will start cheering for the school during sporting events, as well as other important events. This strong spirit is one of the key trademarks of Victoria School. Victorians usually turn up in force to support their school in sporting events such as the National Track Championships. In previous years, nearly the whole student population, which amounted to more than 1,000 students, made their way down to Turf City to support their school's cross country team. Tradition is identified as a 'core value', given her status as one of Singapore's oldest educational institutions. In 2005, rumours of a proposal for the school to go co-education to improve her academic standing in light of failure to secure the Integrated Programme, was met with forceful and public opposition from Victorians, past and present, on the grounds that admitting girls from Sec 1 on would dilute the traditional all-boys school culture. Some Victorians set up an online petition, and the Old Victorians Association also expressed its opposition. In light of opposition, the school administration ruled out the possibility of admitting girls. Most Victorians have a strong sense of pride in their institution, and school events often end with the singing of the school song, 'The Victorian Anthem', followed by a spontaneous rendition of the 'Spelling Cheer', often led by the more enthusiastic senior pupils. SPORTS AND CULTURE The standard of the cultural and performing arts groups in VS is generally regarded as above average. In 2003, the school achieved a grand slam by attaining Gold status in the prestigious biennial Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Competition for its Chinese Orchestra, Concert Band, and Indian Dance. The Victoria School Choir, arguably the best all-boys school choir in Singapore, also struck Gold. The VS Choir is part of the prestigious Singapore Choral Excellence scheme, and the VS Concert Band has represented the Republic in exchange programmes in Australia in the past. This enabled VS to attain the Sustained Achievement Award (SAA) for Arts by the Ministry of Education in 2004. The school had even more cause to celebrate when Gold and Gold with honours awards in the 2005 SYF competition were achieved by the Concert Band, Chinese Orchestra, Choir, Indian Dance, and English Drama. Drama's achievement was remarkable because it was the first time in recent years that VS had competed in that category. In addition, the Chinese Orchestra was also one of only two all-boys Chinese Orchestras (the other coming from the current Hwa Chong Institution, formerly The Chinese High School) to have achieved two consecutive golds in past years. In total, VS achieved a total of five Golds, of which two are with Honours (Choir and Concert Band). The choir was rumoured to be the top choir for the 2005 Central Judging and was given the opportunity to perform at the Esplanade in July 2005 for the year's choral presentation. The concert band on the other hand was one of the few concert bands across Singapore that performed 'live' music for morning assembly. This made Victoria School one of the best schools in terms of performing arts. VS is widely perceived to be good in sports - and that is true to some extent. Recently, she has had a healthy track record in Cross-Country, Badminton, Cricket, Tennis, Hockey, and Track & Field, consistently medaling, although her overall sporting record is perhaps less impressive when compared to traditional sporting powerhouses such as Raffles and ACS(I). The lack of tradition of sporting excellence and more pertinently, the lack of financial muscle, often means that VS is unable to offer as wide a range of sports as independent schools. One sport in which VS does particularly well is cross-country, winning at least one title each year since 1995. In 2005, VS managed to double for the first time since 1999, winning both the National Cross-Country 'B' and 'C' titles to add on to its SYF achievements, beating the independent schools such as Hwa Chong Institution (formerly The Chinese High School ) and the Singapore Sports School. On the whole, the school has a strong performing arts and sporting culture, as can be seen from intra-school events such as the biennial Drama Festival (Dramafest) and Evening of Music & Drama (EMD), as well as the Annual Victoria School Sports and Cross-Country Championships. Although, there has been some displeasure over the schoolallotting more to the sports CCA, which do not gold medal as often; the English Drama, for example, had to work with a budget of less than a thousand dollars for their SYF Central Judging Competition - a far cry from what other CCAs receive. DEMOGRAPHICS Unlike most top schools in Singapore, VS stands out for having a student demographic which reflects that of the state at large. While ethnic Malay students are underrepresented at top independent schools and Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools, this is not the case in VS. Ethnic Chinese Victorians also come from both Chinese-speaking and English-speaking homes. Victorians come from a good variety of socio-economic backgrounds, and the school has in its enrollment numerous Southeast Asian (ASEAN) and Chinese scholars. Some have remarked that VS is a microcosm of Singapore's diverse and cosmopolitan society, and a matter of school pride. VICTORIA HALL Victoria Hall is a newly-built hostel inside Victoria School. It is home to about 500 boarders of different nationalities such as Malaysians, Indonesians, PRC Chinese, Indians, Vietnamese, and Thais. However, the majority of boarders in the hostel are the PRC and ASEAN students. The Hall prides itself as being the only hostel in Singapore that is both beside the sea and beside East Coast Park; thus giving boarders both a bay view and easy access to the sporting facilities at the Park. AFFILIATIONS Victoria School is affiliated to Victoria Junior College , and both campuses are co-housed in East Coast side-by-side. The two schools occasionally conduct joint programmes and activities such as concerts and overseas trips. Both institutions are under the charge of the Victoria Executive and Advisory Committee (VEC/VAC) and share a common alumni association - the Old Victorians' Association (OVA). PROMINENT VICTORIANS
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