The VS co-ed Saga
Remember the idea to turn VS co-ed?
No, its not back. But it has been exactly one year since that saga (give or take).
VS just celebrated 130 years of education; instilling the Victorian Spirit in countless Victorians, many of whom are now prominent members of our society. The celebration itself was grand, the atmosphere charged and His Excellency, President S R Nathan and Mrs Nathan were there to witness.
I hate to think what would have been if things were different. If the proposal was indeed followed through. Not that I (nor The Team in general) don’t wish embrace change, but I’ll be damned if our rich Tradition (all 130 years of it) as well as our Victorian way of life, is forsaken for the sake of academic results.
At times I do wonder if we were indeed blinded by rage, perhaps we were at first, but reading the letter sent to the Today newspaper by 4H in the midst of the saga, I smile.
Caus I know that was, and will always be, worth fighting for.
Letter originally published by http://www.todayonline.com/articles/67605.asp
Some things worth more than ranking
Victoria School, co-ed? Camaraderie, history will be lostWE ARE writing as a graduating class of Victoria School 2004.
We are usually thrilled to see our alma
mater being mentioned in the papers, yet
we read with disappointment and general
disgust the article “Girls in Victoria
School?†in The New Paper on Aug 17.During our Sec 1 orientation programme,
the principal promised us and
our parents that Victoria School (VS)
would never be a mixed school.That same principal has turned his
back on 129 years of tradition in order to
move the school up the ranking system
into a band of little significance to what
makes up a real education.Like the Ministry of Education, we
realise that education is more than the
achievement of grades, or the number of
people getting into the VIP (Victoria Integrated
Programme).Victoria School has provided all its boys
with the development of robust character
and a love for the school that very few
schools can rival.I soar with pride whenever the roar of
those in “bumblebee†T-shirts at important
events is heard.This sense of camaraderie and belonging
can only be found in a single-sex
school — and even then, some do not
have it.We are even part of Singapore’s history,
with the old Victoria School campus
at Syed Alwi Road immortalised on the
back of every two-dollar bill.It is not as simple — as the principal
puts it — as “raising the quality†of the
intake. There are other schools that take
in a lower “quality†of students and yet
are able to produce better students. And
there are affiliated schools that take in a
significant intake from their primary
schools and are still able to deliver exceptional
results.As Mr Maran, our discipline master,
used to say, “A school is only as good as
its studentsâ€.It’s not about the gender of the student.
It’s what we make of the school and
how far we want to push it on.A school is more than a place of
learning. Ours was a home to the thousands
of Victorians who spent their years
there.Let us not throw what took so long to
build, away on a mere ranking system
that does not even contribute to real education.
Victoria, Thy Sons Are We.P.S.: An online petition against Victoria
School becoming a co-educational school
is at vs.jonaize.com(This letter was signed off by: Isa Foong, Yeo
Xi Wei, Tan Qin Shan Bertrand, Jeremy
Leck Kian Loong, Koh Sheng Yang Daniel,
Phoon Zhi Xiang, Ong Zhong Yi Andrew,
Yeo Jun Tian Jerrold, Mok Heng Quan,
Wang Zhengjiang Samuel, Tan Tuan Leng
Denys, Chen Wei Xiong Farand, Lau Bing
Hong Wilfred, Tan Rubin, Charles Brian
Suresh, Wong Renhao, Tan Wen Hao, Choo
Shern Min Mason, Faeez Feshal, Cheok Wei
Min, Lua Wei Liang Wilbur, Nicholas Ong,
Sivanessan Kittasamy, Srinivasan
Viswanathan, Looi Yuan Hui, Goh Ciping,
Khang Tat Chung, Marcus Ng, Ng Chee
Kian, Kon Zhu’En Kevin, Lean Yi Peng
Isaac, Andrew Chua and Zulkifli Bin Mohd
Azman.)
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One Year?
It’s interesting how time flies.
I’ve just read Jonsam’s blog concerning the anniversary of the VS Co-ed saga. It is not easy for me to conceive that it has indeed been a year on. I still remember all the anxiety and pure outrage that…
[...] I remember writing an entry about a year ago over the co-ed issue of Victoria School. It was rather kaypo and childish of me to do so then, but reading JonSam’s blog entry just a few minutes ago really brings back many fond memories. I remembered how I secretly entered an online MSN Messenger debate regarding this matter where over twenty Victorians were typing all sorts of ridiculous stuff (they appeared pretty barbaric to me, by the way) with vulgarities and similar nicknames everywhere. [...]