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Our History
Our History
The school opened its doors on 11 January 1960 to the
children of the rural folk comprising manual workers, small traders, and pig,
vegetable and poultry farmers who lived in Bukit Panjang and the surrounding
areas of Bukit Gombak, Mandai and Woodlands. It made history as the first
integrated government secondary school in Singapore. The challenge for the
school was to foster integration between the English and Chinese educated
students – something it did with panache and imagination through extra-curricular
activities such as folk dancing.
Underlining the importance of the school in the nation’s
educational landscape, BPGHS hosted visits by three prominent national leaders:
President Yusok Ishak on 23 June 1961, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 25 July
1965 and SM Goh Chok Tong on the occasion of its 45th
anniversary on
16 July 2005.
The 70’s
In the Seventies, as the first generation of Housing Board
estates were being built across the island, bricks and mortar issues also
dominated the agenda at BPGHS. The school worked tirelessly to raise funds to
upgrade its facilities to offer students learning opportunities outside the
classroom. Academically, the school became well known for producing sterling
results in the Chinese Language at ‘O’ and ‘A’ levels.
The 80’s
In the Eighties, education in Singapore went through a sea
change with the phasing out of vernacular schools. BPGHS showed its mettle when
students and teachers from the Chinese stream persevered in overcoming the
difficulties of adjusting to English as the main medium of instruction. Not
content to rest on its laurels, the school then set its sights on improving its
results in English Language – a feat that was achieved in 1985 following a
rigorous English Language programme. BPGHS’ track record of sustained progress
led to its being accorded autonomous status in 1994.
The 90’s
In the mid-Nineties, the school embarked on a new chapter
in its history when it moved from its
Teck Whye campus to a new location at Choa Chu Kang Avenue
4. The new campus, officially opened in 1995, presented a nurturing environment
that supported holistic learning. At the turn of the century, the school
archive was set up to trace the school’s history and to reaffirm the ideals on
which it was founded. The school underwent PRIME redevelopment between 2007 and
2008 and moved back to its refurbished campus after two years at a holding
site.
The 21 st Century
Today, BPGHS has consistently produced value-added academic
results and is recognized for its organisational excellence and student
development beyond the academic arena. The school continues to excel in its
niche areas such as Science and Elective Malay Language Programme (EMAS), even
as new peaks of excellence are charted by our sporting, aesthetics and
uniformed groups. The school offers the Art Elective Programme (AEP) which
provides greater opportunities for academically able and artistically talented
students to further develop their interests and hone their skills in Visual
Art. As a Centre of Excellence, BPGHS leads in the professional development of
Mathematics and Science teachers in the West Zone.
In 2014, the school was conferred the School Distinction
Award and Best Practice Awards in the following areas: Teaching and Learning;
Student All-Round Development; Character and Citizenship Education; and Staff
Development and Well-being. The school was also awarded the Singapore Quality
Class.