Campus Transformation 2: A New Home in Ang Mo Kio (1982)

Yio Chu Kang Secondary School made her first move into a new building, in a new location in Ang Mo Kio to meet the needs of the community. The new facilities also reflected the new national curriculum, which enabled all students access to standard facilities such as spacious classrooms, technical workshops, computer and science labs. The provision of a library and a language lab reflected the national move to adopting English as a first language in all government schools and a phasing out of other language medium schools. Also welcomed were a sports field, paved areas for parade practices and court games and a large hall with a good stage for performances. These facilities enriched the school programmes the school could offer. Students did not need to travel to another school to use basic facilities such as the hall or the field. The school thrived with greater diversity of CCA programmes and talents in performing arts. The vibrancy of the performing arts scene in the school made possible highlights to come. In 1984, 700 students participated in the mass dance display at the National Day Parade, bringing national attention to the school. This has seeded a tradition of the school in building talents in the performing arts. The school participated in two more National Day Parade Mass Displays in 2010 and 2017. Through the school’s vibrant arts programme, students were able to pursue interests in these areas. One prominent celebrity to emerge from this was Pan Ling Ling. Today, this legacy can be seen in the school’s choice of distinction in the Learning for Life Programme (LLP) focused on the Arts, Media and Design. Again, the school’s programme needs soon outstripped the limitations of the facilities. For instance, many of the performing arts groups held their practices in the corridors of the classrooms. It was time to move to bigger premises again!