Nanyang Girls' High School

Nanyang Girls' High School (NYGH) is an all-girls secondary school in Singapore. It participates in the Integrated Programme with Hwa Chong Institution (formed by the merger of Hwa Chong Junior College and The Chinese High School) under the Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme. It also offers an internal Gifted Education Programme (SBGE), the Art Elective Programme, the Higher Music Programme, Bicultural Programme and the Global Classroom Programme.

School-based Gifted Education (SBGE) students come from the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) in primary school, and participate in activities organised by the MOE Gifted Education Branch (GEB) such as the Leadership Development Programme.

Nanyang Girls' High School introduced the Humanities Programme (HP) in 2008, training students who are identified to be talented in the humanities. HP students are offered philosophy, Advanced Literature, Advanced Geography and Advanced History as well as the opportunity to participate in national and international humanities-based competitions and projects. Such competitions include the Humanities and Social Science Research Programme (HSSRP), Moot Parliament Programme (MPP) and Leadership Development Programme (LDP).

The Science and Math Talent Program (SMTP) was introduced in 2009, for students who are gifted in Sciences and Mathematics. They are offered the Stanford EPGY Mathematics Course as part of the program.

It has been consistently ranked as one of the top among secondary schools in Singapore in the official annual school rankings published by the Ministry of Education. Notable alumni include the former First Lady of Singapore, Ong Siew May.

Logo
The first school logo of Nanyang Girls' High School was a diamond-shaped motif with the school name in Chinese printed in white against a light blue background. It was designed by Madam Chen Jun Wen, a former art teacher of the school.

In 1968, the logo was changed. The diamond-shaped motif was superimposed on top of a yellow ring emblem with the words 'Nanyang Girls' High' printed on it. The ring emblem was positioned above a yellow banner printed with the school motto, in Chinese. The school motto, when translated into English, reads 'Diligence', 'Prudence', 'Respectability' and 'Simplicity'.

History
The Singapore Nanyang Girls’ School was founded in 1917 by Tan Chu Nan and Teo Eng Hock. The first principal was Yu Pei Gao, and its first premises was a shophouse at No. 7 Dhoby Ghaut.

In 1921, Mdm Gao resigned as principal and six principals took occupancy of the post over a short period of time.

Chairman Lee Chin Tien, and the principal at the time, Mdm Liew Yuen Sien, developed the school further in 1927. The school was renamed as Nanyang Girls’ High School in 1930 and began operations at its new premises at King's Road the next year. The school system was altered to provide three-year Junior Middle and Senior Middle School courses.

On 8 December 1941, war in the Pacific began. The school premises was taken over by the British army and became a field office. The Japanese Army took control of the school premises during the invasion of Singapore in 1942, and caused great damage to its facilities.

After the 1945 Japanese surrender, the British reclaimed its rule of Singapore. The school's Board of Management, teachers, students and old girls worked together to rebuild the school and resume operations.

In 1957, Nanyang Girls' High School was chosen for the NJH Face Aided School Scheme. Subsequently, Nanyang Kindergarten began operating independently in 1960 as the Government-Aided School Scheme excluded the school's Kindergarten section.

Mdm Liew Yuen Sien retired in 1967 after 40 years. Mdm Chua Liang became Principal in 1977.

1978 was a significant year as the Primary Section gained autonomy, and Nanyang Primary School was formed. It is still affiliated to Nanyang Girls' High School.

In 1979, Nanyang Girls' High School became a Special Assistance Plan school, hence English and Chinese were offered as first language subjects to her students. The school was the first to implement the Art Elective Programme (AEP) for artistically proficient students in 1984. The school's AEP programme continues to thrive today.

Nanyang Girls' High School became an Independent School in 1993. Mdm Chua Liang retired in 1995 and was succeeded by Mrs Ng-Gan Lay Choo, a Nanyang alumnus.

The School became a Gifted Education Programme Centre in 1998.

Nanyang Girls' High School moved to a new campus at Linden Drive on 6 June 1999. The school's late Chairperson, the then First Lady, Mrs Ong Teng Cheong officiated the ceremony. Nanyang Girls' Boarding School on Linden Drive began operating in December.

Mrs Ng-Gan left Nanyang Girls' High School to lead Yishun Junior College in December 2001 and was replaced by Mdm Mak Lai Ying.

In 2004, the school began the Integrated Programme in partnership with Hwa Chong Institution, to enable academically able students to bypass their O-level exams and take a six-year course. This will comprise project work and a broad-based education, eventually leading to the GCE A-level exams.

In 2006, Mdm Mak left the school for an overseas appointment and was replaced by Ms Yap Wah Choo.

In 2009, Ms. Yap left the school to become Director of Research and Development at the Singapore Examinations and Assessments Board (SEAB). She is replaced by Mdm. Heng Boey Hong, former principal of Nanyang Primary School.

Uniform
Nanyang Girls' High's prescribed uniform is a white sleeveless cotton blouse with small slits at the side edges of the uniform, a knee-length accordion-pleated cotton skirt, shorts underneath, a PE polo tee, and NYGH socks with plain white shoes. Name tags with different colours for each level must also be worn with the uniform. The colours are rotated each year so that a student, theoretically, can use the same colour of name tag for the four years while she is in Nanyang.

For student leaders like Peer Support Leaders, Student Councilors, Board of Elected CCA Leaders and Board of Monitors, a gold name tag must be worn with the uniform. Student councilors are prescribed a white cotton blouse with long sleeves (which are to be folded up) instead.

Affiliation
Nanyang Girls' High School is affiliated with Hwa Chong Institution, consisting of the former Hwa Chong Junior College and The Chinese High School and the two schools frequently conduct joint programmes and activities.

Additionally, it is affiliated with Nanyang Primary School and Nanyang Kindergarten, and is part of the Nanyang Family of schools.

Co-curricular activities
Nanyang Girls' High School has around 33 CCAs for the students. The activities consist of sports, performing arts, clubs and societies and uniformed groups. Students undergo rigorous training and practices in preparation for any competitions or performances depending on the CCA.

The school has done very well in the past years, repeatedly clinching titles in sports championships in inter-school competitions. The school also excels in the performing arts. In the 2009 Singapore Youth Festival, Nanyang Girls' High School clinched six Gold With Honours, one Gold and two Silvers for its nine performing arts CCA in total(Gold WH: Choir, Chinese Dance, Chinese Orchestra, Guzheng, Modern Dance, Chinese Drama|Gold: String Ensemble|Silver: Band, Theatre). Students of the school's Infocomm Club often take part in infocomm-related competitions, bagging prizes in competitions such as robotics competition RoboFest and coding competition Code Xtreme.

The Nanyang Debate Club (NYDC) is also one of the best and notable debate teams in Singapore, clinching runner-up at The Arena, a televised national debate competition as well as in 2008's Julia Gabriel's Debate Competition. Also, they have emerged as Champions in Hwa Chong Debate Invitationals and done reasonably well at the recent NUS Challenge Shield 2009. Three speakers from the team in the Victoria Junior College Invitationals have been ranked in the Top 5 Best Individual Speakers, with one clinching the Overall Individual Best Speaker award.

School facilities
The campus at 2 Linden Drive (off Dunearn Road) has an area of 36,400 square metres and can accommodate about 1700 students. It is divided into nine blocks.

There are project rooms for all academic subjects. The rooms are equipped with a computer connected to the internet as well as a LCD projector. All CCA groups have a single room to themselves, except for a few performing arts CCAs like Choir and Theatre Club, which share rooms with Guzheng Ensemble and Strings Ensemble respectively, using the rooms on alternate days. The new campus is networked with broadband internet access.

There is a dance studio, a sculpture and ceramics studio, a drawing and painting studio, several art storerooms which house art supplies and digital peripherals, a kiln as well as a darkroom. The CCA Centre has a gymnasium, a gallery and a rock climbing wall. There are also tennis courts, netball courts and basketball courts, including an indoor one.

The campus has an auditorium, two lecture theatres, four computer laboratories (PC), an iMac laboratory and a three-storey library (with computers at the third level). Each classroom is equipped with at least one networked computer (with access to the internet), LCD projector and a visualizer. Newly added facilities include two life sciences labs, a music technology lab, and a music studio, in addition to the current lot(more than 10). The library has undergone a revamp, with a new cataloguing system implemented.

Siew May auditorium
A purpose-built theatre provides the school and community with a first rate venue for performances of all kinds. With a seating capacity of almost 500 and audio-visual equipment, the auditorium is available for rental throughout the year. The auditorium is fully air-conditioned.

Seating capacity
 * Total: 490
 * Circle seats: 121
 * Stall seats: 369

Student Activity Centre
The Student Activity Centre (SAC) was the latest project undertaken by the Nanyang Student Council, together with Nanyang teachers in 2002 after the idea came from a senior student via the Pupil Suggestion Scheme (PSS). The Parent Support Group then entered the scene in 2003. The Student Activity Center (SAC), which had an official unveiling on August 16, 2004, is now a conducive place for students to hang out at after school.

After the idea was mooted by the Student Council, then-Principal Madam Mak brought up the idea to the Parent Support Group. Seeing the importance of such a project, parent volunteers in the Ad Hoc committee were given the responsibility to work with the teachers and student leaders to help the SAC become a reality.

In the SAC itself, there is a mess room which can be split into private areas by use of cushion partitions, music areas partitioned off into individual cubicles, and a video lounge for students to enjoy movies. CCAs are also able to make use of the outdoor activity area to hold small events. Young entrepreneurs are able to rent the spaces to set up their business ventures.

Nanyang Girls' Boarding School
The girls-only Nanyang Girls' Boarding School has been providing boarders with a home away from home since 2000. There are activities such as formal dinners, enrichment, performances and sports. They also benefit from cultural exchange with boarders from countries like Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The first of its kind in Singapore, the school can accommodate 500 students and provides an opportunity for students, both from Nanyang and from other schools, to experience the life of a boarder.

The school is able to house a maximum of 494 boarders in 190 rooms comprising 2-4 bedded units, air-conditioned and non-air-conditioned. Services include 24-hour security, meals and laundry.

Facilities in the boarding school include four music rooms, garden, boarders' room, four sports courts (two basketball courts, one multi-purpose field, one multi-purpose court), dining hall, function room, student lounge, pantry, computer room and three study halls.