National Service Riots of 1954

http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_1202_2006-07-28.html

Timeline of Important Events of Chung Cheng

1939 – Opened at Kim Yan Road by Aw Boon Haw and some other businessmen and started as an all-boys school

1950s – Chung Cheng Lake (中正湖) was reduced by about two-thirds by several school-expansion

1956 – Riots in Chung Cheng

1968 – Completion of the grand auditorium which was the largest in the whole Southeast Asia region when it was just opened

1975 – Completion of Science and Technology Block

1979 – Became a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school

1982 – First batch of the Special Stream students taking O-levels

1993 – Ranked among the top 10 ‘value-added’ schools

1996 – Achieved autonomous status for consistently good O-level results

2003(July) – Heritage gallery was opened by Chan Soo Sen, Minister of State of Education.

2003 – Presented with the Singapore Quality Circle Award and received the MOE Thinking Culture (Best Schools) awards for three consecutive years (2002-2004)

2005 – Selected to serve as the Centre of Excellence for Chinese in the East Zone, setting a new Guinness World Record for the longest can-chain to inculcate environmental awareness and raising funds for the needy and awarded the coveted ‘School Distinction Award’

2006 – Completion of Innosphere

2007 – Launched I-café to show the strong partnership between the School and Parent Support Group

2009 – Celebrated 70^th anniversary, alumni and friends of CCHMS gathered at Suntec Singapore to celebrate and received the Best Practice Award (Staff well-being) and the Character Development Award.

2010 – Awarded the School Excellence Award (SEA) which is the pinnacle award recognizing all-round excellence under MOE’s Masterplan of Awards and the Best Practice Award (Student All-Round Development)

2012 – Lauched Chung Cheng Arts Festival, with the theme of ‘roots’.

Riots in Chung Cheng

          In 1956, after Lim Yew Hock replaced David Marshall as Chief Minister of Singapore, he began to take rough measures to suppress communist activities with the support of the British Governor and Commissioner of Police.

         

          In September, Lim Yew Hock deregistered and banned two pro-communist organizations: the Singapore Women's Association (SWA) and the Chinese Musical Gong Society. The Singapore Chinese Middle School Students Union (SCMSSU) was also dissolved.

         

          In protest, students gathered and camped at Chung Cheng High School and The Chinese High School. They sat-in over the next two weeks, organizing meetings and holding demonstrations. On the October 24, the government issued an ultimatum that the schools be vacated. As the dealine approached, riot started at the Chinese High School and spread to other parts of the island.

         

          The government decided to take action and the police cleared the students by using tear gas. 13 people were killed and more than 100 were injured over the next five days. 900 people who were arrested, were released in 1959 when the People's Action Party, led by Lee Kuan Yew, won the 1959 general election to form the government as Singapore gained self-rule.