Our History

History of Zhonghua Alumni Association

The Zhonghua Alumni Association was officially established in year 1990, with three basic objectives :

  1. To foster fraternal ties among former students of Zhonghua Secondary School
  2. To support the school in all its efforts to raise the academic excellence of its students
  3. To promote the moral well-being of Zhonghua pupils.

 

The idea of setting up an alumni association was conceived as early as 1970s among former Chung Hwa students. It was only in 1986 that an official application was submitted to the Registry of Societies. After years of preparation and through the persistence of a group of warm-hearted alumni, the application was eventually approved by the Registry of Societies towards the end of 1989. The Zhonghua Alumni Association was officially established in conjunction with the alma mater’s 79th anniversary celebration on 15th September 1990. Madam Chuang Yong Eng was elected president of the Association at the election of its first committee. Madam Chuang, a senior dedicated to the cause of education has donated much money and contributed many efforts in this respect.

Motivated by their attachment for the school, the alumni wish to build a bridge to connect with their alma mater and liaise with fellow alumni. They also hope to foster unity and cooperation between alumni and current students while enriching the lives of members of their Association through sports, social and recreational activities. They have pooled resources to help current students from needy families. They have also helped their alma mater popularise its educational programmes and contributed to its development, thereby repaying their alma mater for educating them.

At the alma mater’s 80th anniversary gala dinner held on 13th September 1991, the Association setup the Zhonghua Alumni Scholarship and the Zhonghua Alumni Bursary to reward and help deserving current students. When Principal Sheng Peck Choo passed away on 19th April 2005, her son, Mr Simon Hu Kek Chay, upheld traditional Chinese virtue by setting up the Sheng Peck Choo Memorial Fund to do his bit for the school. The school has since presented annually the Zhonghua Alumni Scholarship to five students with outstanding performance in their studies and co-curricular activities, eight Bursaries to needy students and awarded the Sheng Peck Choo Memorial Fund Scholarship to three students with academic and artistic talents.

A Zhonghua Alumni Youth Group was formed in 1999 by a group of active and energetic young alumni. In the spirit of remembering their alma mater with gratitude and repaying her, they have enthusiastically participated in the events organised by their alma mater. There is a Chinese saying: “As in the Changjiang River where the waves behind drive on those before, each new generation excels the last one.” The Youth Group will be our new force and future successor!

 

To mark the alma mater’s centenary on 9th September 2011, the Association pooled effort with the Principals, the School Advisory Committee, the teachers, current students and their parents to hold a 133-table gala dinner at Swissotel The Stamford. The unprecedented event was a complete success! Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was the Guest-of-Honour for the evening.

Zhonghua has repeatedly survived its relocation. With the hard work of its successive principals, she has become one of Singapore’s excellent schools and achieved remarkable successes in academic results and co-curricular activities.

Under the wise leadership of Madam Chuang Yong Eng, the Association has entered its 25th year. It has contributed much to the alma mater’s development and accompanied it through its glorious years. To mark the 25th anniversary of the Association, Madam Chung has contributed $200,000 to setup an Active Fund to support the Various activities of the association. It will forge ahead into the future, building on the foundation laid with the concerted efforts of alumni from different batches. It will organise more activities to strengthen the cohesion among fellow alumni. Let us pool the wisdom and efforts of everyone, help one another out and carry forward the Zhonghua spirit, enabling it to shine with bound less radiance!