Founded in 1956, North Vista Secondary School started as Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School, and was renamed Thomson Government Chinese Middle School in 1959.

In the 1950s, Singapore was in a state of unrest, with widespread strikes and protests by students and workers, which affected the community-run Chinese-medium schools. To provide uninterrupted education, the government, led by Singapore’s second Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock (1914–1984), established the island’s first four government-run Chinese-medium secondary schools in 1956. They were: Singapore Government Chinese Middle School1, Kallang West2, Gan Eng Seng3 and Hua Yi. All four schools bore the words “Government Chinese Middle School” in their names.

North Vista Secondary School’s original school song was titled “Together We Progress”, which was also the school motto.4 The lyrics were written by Liu Chucai (birth and death years unknown), a teacher at the school. The school song encourages students to study diligently and be all-rounded individuals who contribute to society and the nation.

The school crests (from left): 1956–1970, 1971–2000 and 2001–present. Courtesy of North Vista Secondary School.

School motto

Together We Progress (Thomson Government Chinese Middle School)

Viva La Vista (North Vista Secondary School)

Brief history

When it was founded, Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School operated temporarily from Gan Eng Seng School at Anson Road. Most of its students had transferred from Chung Cheng High School. Gan Eng Seng School held classes in the morning, while Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School ran in the afternoon. Its first principal was Chen See How (unknown–1996), formerly a teacher at Chung Cheng High School. While the school lacked books and facilities at the time, its priority was to provide a stable environment for students to focus on their studies. Meanwhile, the government began constructing a new campus for the school on a small hill opposite the Police Training School along Thomson Road.

On 15 January 1959, Gan Eng Seng Government Chinese Middle School officially moved to its new premises at 500 Thomson Road. The new campus adjoined Toa Payoh New Town, which was Singapore’s second satellite town. Following the relocation, the school was renamed Thomson Government Chinese Middle School in honour of John Turnbull Thomson (1821–1884), the first government surveyor in Singapore.

The school bought equipment from Hong Kong for chemistry and physics lessons, and added 1,000 books to its library to bolster its resources. At the time, applications for enrolment were overwhelming. Each class had 44 students, and there were a total of eight senior-middle and 18 junior-middle classes.

Due to its relocation to Thomson, most of its students were from areas such as Sembawang, Chong Pang, Yishun, Mandai and nearby Thomson Road and Toa Payoh. Under the dedicated guidance of their teachers, many students excelled not only academically, but also in sports and uniformed groups.

In 1959, owing to pressures from leftists, many principals of government Chinese middle schools were posted to other schools. Chen was among those affected. The Ministry of Education transferred him to the Chinese department of Serangoon Garden Secondary School. In 1962, he was posted back to Thomson Government Chinese Middle School and became its principal for the second time in 1963.

In 1969, the school underwent another major restructuring when it merged with the nearby Thomson Integrated Vocational Secondary School to become Thomson Secondary School.

School campus along Thomson Road, circa 2001. Courtesy of North Vista Secondary School.
Students attending chemistry class, 1960s. Courtesy of North Vista Secondary School.
Students attending volleyball class, 1976. Courtesy of North Vista Secondary School.

Following the merger, the school expanded in scale and introduced both Chinese and technical sections, in which subjects such as the Sciences and the Humanities were taught in Chinese. The Chinese section offered the subjects from secondary to pre-university levels, while the technical section offered subjects such as metalwork, woodwork, electrical work and home economics. With two classroom blocks operating morning and afternoon sessions, Thomson Secondary School ran 70 classes in 1972. At its peak, the school had over 3,000 students, making it one of the secondary schools in Singapore with the largest student enrolment then.

From 1969 to 1991, Thomson Secondary School became double-session, offering both secondary and pre-university classes. In 1991, the pre-university classes ceased and the school became single-session. In 1994, Thomson Secondary School Alumni was established in response to calls from former principal Chen See How.

When the school moved to 11 Rivervale Link in Sengkang in 2000, its name was changed to North Vista Secondary School. The Chinese name of the school was maintained to preserve its historical links to Thomson Secondary School.

In 2001, North Vista Secondary School started afresh in Sengkang by admitting students for its Secondary 1 classes. As many as 2,000 applicants vied for the first 360 places. The school continued the tradition of admitting both boys and girls, and the new campus was officially opened in 2003.

In 2004, the first cohort of Secondary 4 students of North Vista Secondary School since its relocation to Sengkang graduated. That year, the students sat for the GCE O-Level music examinations. Construction of the school’s music centre was funded by Shaw Foundation and the N1 School Cluster. Since then, the performing arts have flourished at North Vista Secondary School, becoming one of its key strengths alongside basketball.

In 2006, the school kicked off its 50th anniversary celebrations with a torch relay and homecoming from its first campus on Anson Road, passing by its previous campus along Thomson Road and finally ending at its current premises in Sengkang. In 2016, to mark the school’s 60th anniversary, its basketball team and seven performing arts groups held their first public performances by staging two shows of a large-scale English musical, Dreams, at the National Library. It involved 300 students and teachers.

Alumni of North Vista Secondary School have made contributions in various fields, including politics, business, arts and culture, and the media. Among its former teachers are notable persons such as distinguished scholar Chew Cheng Hai and Cultural Medallion recipients Lin Gao (Lim Hung Chang) and Zhou Can (Chew Kok Chang).

 

School campus at Rivervale Link, Sengkang, 2024. Courtesy of North Vista Secondary School.

 

Editor’s note: This article is compiled from secondary resources on the topic. We would like to express our gratitude to North Vista Secondary School and heritage researcher Yeong Show Chang for their assistance in reviewing the content.

 

Principals and years in service

  • Chen See How (1956–1959)
  • Lin Tzung (1959–1963)
  • Chen See How (1963–1972)
  • Lim Nai Tian (1972–1973)
  • Puah Se Yong (1973–1987)
  • Khoo Chee Eng (1987–1993)
  • Lau Kum Leng (1994–2000)
  • Lim Lai Chuan (2001–2012)
  • Regina Lee (2012–2018)
  • Yap Thiam Chuan (2018–2025)
  • Tan Eng Hong (2026–present)