Hong Wen School

Founded in 1920 by Hin Ann Huay Kuan, Hong Wen School was born out of the foresight of its founders who believed in the importance of education for the young, as well as the promotion of Chinese language, culture and values. In 1920, Mr Chen Yao Ru, Mr Lin Zhi Cheng, Mr Lin Hong Bin, Mr Li Hao, Mr Zheng Xian Bin, Mr Guan Fu, Mr Chen Zong Fan, Mr Dai Zun, Mr Xue Wen Bin from the Hing Hua dialect group initiated the setting up of the Hin Ann Huay Kwan at 133 Queen Street. Hong Wen School was founded in the same year with only fifty pupils. The school was headed by Mr Song Shao Lian, founding Principal of the school. In 1923, the school was closed due to economic recession. It reopened in 1925 under the leadership of the 2nd Principal, Mr Guo Zi Hui. The school moved to 189 Waterloo Street the following year. The number of pupils had increased to more than a hundred. In the 1930s, the enrolment of the school increased steadily. The school closed again in 1941 because of the Japanese Occupation. With the liberation of Singapore in 1945 and through the concerted efforts of the School Management Committee, the school functioned again in the same year in a rented building at 2 Dickson Road. Madam Lin Fang Lan was appointed as the school’s 5th Principal. In 1955, the school met with yet another crisis when it was ordered by the landlord to vacate the Dickson Road premise. The school community, led by the School Management Committee and principal, rallied together to raise funds and bought over the building from the landlord. Thus the crisis of having to vacate the premises was averted. The school became a government-aided school in 1957. The enrolment of the school increased to more than a thousand. A number of classes had to be conducted in rented premises at Dunlop Street and Jalan Besar. The school also held classes in the evenings to overcome the space constraint.