Education in Montfort and St. Gabriel's (1959)
1. Mr Tay Keng Hock: Teacher, School Leader and Pioneer@Montfort)
In the pages of an old Montfort School Annual (1959), a farewell tribute to Mr Tay Keng Hock (郑景福) flips. He was a pioneer teacher at Holy Innocents' English School (later called Montfort School, 1961) and he had joined the school in 1923 at the age of 19.
The photographs and accompanying text tell the story of a man whose life was closely intertwined with the development of education (especially Montfort) in Singapore and his work in other areas with the Singapore Techers' Union (STU) and his foray into politics.
By the time of his retirement, he had served the school for 37 years; his contributions stand out.
The tribute described him as a familiar and enduring figure in the Primary classes—someone who had taught generations of children.
“There are not many pupils, past and present, who at one or another period of their school life have not been taught by Mr. Keng Hock.”
He had remarkable rapport with young children and is remembered as someone who handled the youngest pupils with apparent ease and kept them interested in learning. His colleagues associated him so closely with Holy Innocents' that the two seemed almost inseparable.
His career also reflected the growth of the school itself. When Mr Tay first arrived, enrolment stood at only 90 pupils. By the time of the farewell tribute, it had grown to around 1,600. He witnessed—and helped shape—that transformation.
In January 1957, after many years of service, Mr Tay was promoted to become Principal of the Primary School. The tribute noted that he relinquished the post upon reaching the age of 55, but remained as a teacher for another year with Teo Kah Leng and Leong Koo Chye at the helm.
His contribution extended beyond the walls of his school.
He was also among the founding members of the Singapore Teachers' Union (STU), which was set up in in October 1946. Interestingly, the meeting was held at the Assembly Hall of the Malayan Democratic Union (MDU) HQ, a left wing political party 3which had its office at 331 North Bridge Road (today Oden Towers). Kheng Hock served alongside H.N. Balhatchet (President), Yapp Thean Chye (General Secretary), PV Sharma (General Secretary), Lim Soo Sye (Treasurer), N. Scharenguivel (Editor), Kiang Ai Kim, Quah Quek Tin, Frank James, J E K Retnam, and Seow Cheng Fong at the STU.
In 1959, Mr Tay stood as an Independent candidate in Punggol, receiving 497 votes. He was beat by Ng Teng Kian from the PAP,*
It is striking to think that behind an old school photograph is a life that connected the classroom, the teaching profession, politics and the wider story of Singapore.
The farewell message concluded by wishing him many happy years of retirement.
Today, perhaps we can remember Mr Tay Kheng Hock not simply as a name in an old school annual, but as part of a generation of educators who devoted their lives to teaching and who helped lay the foundations of Singapore's educational community.
A teacher's influence does not end when he leaves the classroom. Sometimes, it continues quietly through the generations of students—and the institutions—he helped to shape.
* Ng Teng Kian served as the first Legislative Assemblyman for Ponggol starting in 1959 but in 1961, was expelled from the PAP alongside figures like Ong Eng Guan and S. V. Lingam due to disagreements with the PAP. Following his break with the PAP, he continued to be involved in local politics, later contesting elections as an independent candidate; Ng Kah Ting, an alumni of Montfort and teacher at St. Gabriel's and later Charleton School, would serve as a Member of the Legislative Assembly and later MP representing Punggol SMC from 1963 to 1991.
2. The Literary & Debating Society at St Gabriel's, 1959
In the same year that Mr Tay retired, St. Gabriel's barely 6 years from its start in 1953, was helmed by *Brother Adolphus (Francis Tessier). He had come with the pioneering team of Gabrielite Brothers who landed in Singapore aboard the rench mail and passenger liner, the S.S. Explorateur Grandidier on 29 December 1936 to seend the Gabrielite mission in Singapore.
Bro Adolphus was at the helm of a team of young teachers, many from Montfort School - Peter Tan (Tan Jiak Kim), his brother John Tan, Paul Lee, Heng Seng Lim, John Chia, Francis Khoo, Joseph Low, Wendy D'Cotta, John Teo and future wife, Eunice Roberts, and others.
Other staff included those educated in St. Gabriel's Francis Grosse and Ethelread Fernandez and many others like Peter Goh, Joseph Chua, Lilian Sim, Mabel Gomez, Veronica Ho, Low Wai Kaeng (later Mrs Kattleen Leong), Tan Teck Chye, Tan Jiak Kuen, Tan Bak Ha.
Peter Tan started the Literary & Debating Society at St Gabriel's to encourage public-speaking; It was Bro Adolphus message which was most poignant
"We all agree that it is easy to converse with a friend and exchange our views with his on a particular topic; but how different it is when these views are to be expressed before a crowd! Our ideas seem to run out in no time; with the result that we are soon short of material to go on, unless we have prepared ourselves carefully".
The skills in to be interesting, "seldom referring to your script" and arguments put forward which are "solid" and "expressed in a tone that carries conviction" with proper gestures that win the support of the audience.
The chief aim, ultimately, was to become a “good speaker”. But this meant much more than speaking fluently or winning an argument. A good speaker had to prepare carefully, think clearly and put forward arguments that were solid and convincing; being able to "argue politely, without losing your temper, without feeling annoyed at being contradicted and without giving offence to anyone, not even to your opponents".. More importantly, he had to learn how to disagree without anger or giving offence."
Amidst today's concerns about social media, mental health, school refusal and the many challenges youths face, it is striking to look back at what history tells us in 1959 and how to teach this.
Perhaps it was no surprise that the school organised a teachers' debate on 27 February 1959 to demonstrate how debating was done. The motion was:
“The problems of youth (juvenile delinquency) can be suppressed by stricter control of films and literature and the application of corporal punishment.”
The debate sounds remarkably familiar. We we debate whether social media and mobile phones should be restricted or banned as legislation or as part of school. There are continuing calls, whenever concerns about discipline and youth behaviour arise, to bring back stricter punishments—including the cane.
The technologies and circumstances may have changed, but the fundamental questions remain: What causes the problems faced by youths? Who is responsible? And how far should society go in "controlling" what younths see, read and do in their free t ime?
Perhaps this is what makes the Literary & Debating Society of 1959 so interesting - it helps them to discern and to prepare them to engage with difficult questions which have no easy answers.
And perhaps Brother Adolphus' advice remains relevant today. In a world where opinions can be expressed instantly, loudly and sometimes angrily, the ability to prepare one's thoughts, construct a solid argument, listen to opposing views and “argue politely” may be more valuable than ever.
Perhaps the larger purpose of the Literary & Debating Society was to go beyond teaching youths to be “good speakers”, but to become good people. Brother Adolphus urged them to be proud of their school, treat others with friendliness, reject selfishness, and have the courage to tell the truth.
His message ended with a simple reminder:
“Any good, therefore, that I can do, or any kindness that I can show to any fellow creature, let me do it now.”
The debate society, then, was about more than finding one's voice. It was about how that voice—and one's life—should be used.
Pictures from the 1959 St. Gabriel's Annual. See if you recognize anyone
References
1. Montfort School Annual, farewell tribute to Tay Keng Hock (1959)
2. Elections Department Singapore – 1959 Legislative Assembly General Election Results.
3. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elecciones_generales_de_Singapur_de_1959
4. https://grokipedia.com/page/punggol_single_member_constituency
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Teachers%27_Union
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