Your S'pore Story: ‘I taught on Pulau Tekong for 10 years'

Straits Times

20 hours ago

The only English teacher at one of the last schools on the island recalls how students paid their fees in fish and prawns
The school bell, once used to signal the start of lessons, remains a cherished keepsake from Mr Kenneth Vaithilingam's decade of teaching on Pulau Tekong.
From 1970 to 1980, Mr Kenneth Vaithilingam taught English at Kampong Pasir Malay School on Pulau Tekong – one of the last schools on the island, with just 36 students.
Watch his video here.
Off the eastern coast of Singapore, Pulau Tekong today is where the Singapore Armed Forces' Basic Military Training Centre is situated.
But before Pulau Tekong became synonymous with National Service and military training, it was home to small villages, sleepy roads and a handful of humble schools, including the one where Mr Vaithilingam spent a decade shaping young minds.
The ferry ride, the motorcycle trek, the classes that began 'whenever we arrived' – he remembers a very different kind of school life, where students sometimes paid their fees in fish and prawns.
Here, the 78-year-old retiree shares memories from a decade of teaching on an island that has since been transformed.
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Mr Vaithilingam flips through an old photo album featuring teachers and students from Kampong Pasir Malay School.
PHOTO: SPH MEDIA
'Besides Kampong Pasir Malay School, there were two other schools on Tekong at the time – Selabin Malay School and an integrated school. My friend Johnny taught maths; I taught English; and the rest – about seven or eight of them – were Malay teachers.
There were only six or seven students in each class, so about 36 students in total. There were just six classrooms, one for each level.
I was staying in Geylang at the time and had to wake up early every day to board the 7am ferry. There was no canteen in the school, so I would prepare breakfast at home and buy lunch before leaving.
After getting off the ferry, I would ride my motorcycle another 20 minutes to the school on the north-east side of Tekong. I just left it by the side of the road. Everyone knew it belonged to a teacher, and on Tekong, that meant nobody would touch it. We were very respected.
School technically started at 7.30am, but really, it was whenever we arrived. If it was raining or there was a delay, we might start at 7.45am. We'd ring a bell to begin the day – I still have it with me.
School fees were waived, but there was a $1.25 supplementary fee. Most students could not afford it, so Johnny and I covered it. They would repay us with fish or prawns – whatever they could spare.
I taught on Pulau Tekong for 10 years. My wife even came over, and we lived on the island together for a few years. But when she got pregnant, she had to return to the mainland as the water on Tekong wasn't safe for babies.
Of all the moments I remember, one stands out the most. A girl once got a very deep cut on her leg. There were no clinics or nurses, so I had to call the army, which was training on the island, for help. It was terrifying, but we managed. That's something I'll never forget.
Of the three schools on the island, ours was the first to close. Mr Lee Kuan Yew had said that vernacular schools should be allowed to close naturally and that's what happened.
After Tekong, I was posted to Kallang Primary School. It was a huge change – from six students per class to 40. It was hard to adjust at first, but I eventually adapted. I taught at two more schools after that and retired after 30 years of service.
I would like to go back to the island, just to see it again. I heard the school's structure is still there. We didn't have much back then but we made it work. We believed in those kids and they believed in us.'