Major events of this period

The Straits Times, Nov 28, 1961 Excerpt from report A boycott by several hundred students today delayed the Government Chinese Secondary Four examination by an hour -- but a large number of pupils sat for the examination all the same. Student pickets waited at gates and approach roads to all the 18 examination centres, and it was their attempts, mostly by persuasion, to keep students away from the centres that caused the delay. The boycott was in protest against changes in the Chinese secondary education system. As part of the protest campaign, the students put up posters, banners, and distributed pamphlets to the public, but their general behaviour was orderly. ... There was some tension at the Seh Chuan High School, where the 11 students (those who took the exam) remained behind locked doors for nearly three hours after finishing their papers. This was because of aggressive pickets outside. The first groups of students wanting to sit for the examination began arriving at the centre at 8 am -- an hour early. Some of the "non-strikers" were won over by the pickets, but others, mostly those accompanied by their parents, thrust aside the pickets and walked into the centres. Most determined pickets were observed at the Nanyang Girls' High School in King's Road, the Seh Chuan High School and the Chung Hwa Girls' High School in Bartley Road. Previous Moses' start page Leslie's start page Chee Beng's start page Nura's start page Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.