Our School History
Chapter 1: It all started with a bold dream
Mr Yap Fun Hong had a dream. He wanted to provide education to the predominantly Chinese community in the Hougang-Serangoon area. During those times, many people were uneducated or had their education stopped halfway, due to the Japanese occupation. Schools, including kindergartens and high schools, were limited and only those who were considered “rich” among the rest were able to attend classes.
Together with Mr Heng Chin Soo and Mr Tan Choon Teng, Mr Yap planned to set up a school for the needy and those who lived far from the central district, where most schools were located. At that time, raising funds was not easy as most people were poor and would rather use their money to buy daily necessities. Determined to turn his dream into a reality, Mr Yap sold his five pigs to rent three bungalows along Upper Serangoon Road to accommodate 620 students.
Thus, Sin Min School was born on 1 November 1945.
Chapter 2: The challenges of the early years
Sin Min School's early years did not go by smoothly. The main problem was the lack of funds to maintain the school. When Mr Heng Chin Soo took over as the Principal of Sin Min School in 1950, the school bought one of the three bungalows and student enrolment increased to 1,000. However, the students were provided with only very basic facilities. They had limited desks and chairs made of cheap and rough wood, and sometimes the students even had to share a table or sit on the floor. They also had very few toilets, a small canteen with only one stall, a muddy little grass patch as their school field, and insufficient classrooms.
With the lack of school funds, the school was unable to give the students the education they needed. The poverty-stricken students who yearned to see the world beyond the classroom were unable to do so as the school was not able to bring them on excursions or field trips. The teachers also did not get much pay from the principal as the school was low in funds.
In 1954, Mr Tung Sey Yew became the Principal of Sin Min School. He recognised that a secondary school was sorely needed in Hougang and appealed to the Ministry of Education to establish a secondary school. He also opened doors to allow girls to attend school. When the Ministry approved his application, secondary school sessions were added in January 1956. This was a historical moment for many poor families in the neighbourhood as it symbolised a dream of a better future coming to realisation.
As for the teachers and students, they saw that the lack of funds deterred the school’s progress, and decided to come together to overcome this problem. In 1958, they decided to stage a 2-night concert at Broadway Theatre, New World City, for fund-raising. They worked together tirelessly to rehearse and also to prepare the props and costumes. As they were short of cash, they had to improvise. With the dedication of the staff, and the cooperation of the students who loved their school, they managed to put up a spectacular performance and raised $10,000! The money was used to build 6 additional classrooms and to purchase a plot of land for future expansion. Thus, Sin Min came to acquire its location at Hougang-Serangoon area.
Chapter 3: Don’t be pushed by problems, but be led by dreams
Mr Chew Peng Leng started on his arduous journey as Principal in 1965. He continued to expand the school premises and facilities through various fund-raising events, such as inviting Teochew Opera troupes to perform and screening movies in the cinemas. In addition, groups of students would be seen going from house to house, village to village to ask for donations.
With the surge in intake of students, the 2-storey block was rebuilt into a 3-storey new school building in 1974. Through the generous donations of the Alumni Association and the School Management Committee, a new administrative block was also added to the school compound.
Mr Chew’s next task proved equally demanding. As Singapore was undergoing many changes following its independence, the housing development situation and the new English education system drove numerous students away. Nevertheless, Mr Chew continued to strive to provide a well-rounded education for the students. He oversaw the conversion of Sin Min from a Chinese medium school to an English medium school, and the proclamation of the primary section as an independent primary school.
Thankfully, Sin Min’s new status as a government school revitalised the school. Mr Chew continued to lead the school and became the longest serving Principal of Sin Min High School. Given that even his children were educated at Sin Min, it is no surprise that his love for the school had deep roots.
In 1986, Mr Teo Ting Kok assumed the role of Principal and worked to raise the level of English proficiency among the students. He established the School Advisory Committee, which provided invaluable support and immense contributions to the advancement of the school. It was during his tenure that Sin Min High School was relocated to Hougang Ave 8.
Chapter 4: The turning point of Xinmin’s history
In 1991, when Mr Goh Tong Pak was asked to lead a school, he requested to be posted to his alma mater, Xinmin Secondary School. His decision touched the hearts of many teachers.
When the Ministry agreed and appointed Mr Goh as the Principal of Xinmin Secondary School in 1992, he started his task of transforming Xinmin into a choice school in Hougang.
Mr Goh started by tackling the disciplinary problems as he believed that teaching and learning would not be able to take place without good discipline. He believed that every student could be moulded as long as they had the correct attitude. To improve academic results, he introduced the Self-Study Programme and set up Study Corners. He often encouraged students to give their best in every aspect of school life.
In 1994, Xinmin Secondary School adopted a new school logo to reflect the school’s new philosophy. The school also received its first Academic Value-Added Award. By 1997, within five years of Mr Goh’s leadership, he had brought up the ranking of the school from 134th position to the 50th position.
Chapter 5: The continuing transformation of Xinmin Secondary School
Mr Lee Hak Boon continued Mr Goh’s dream of transforming Xinmin into a premier educational institution that prepares students for life and work in the global economy. When he took over the leadership of the school in 1998, he revamped the school image and placed emphasis on the all-round development of students. To symbolise the beginning of a new era, the school uniforms were changed and Mr Lee put in place a new set of school values and the student’s creed.
In 1999, Xinmin’s ranking soared to the 31st position, and in 2001, Xinmin Secondary School became the first neighbourhood school in Hougang to be awarded the Autonomous School status and receive the prestigious Singapore Quality Class (SQC) certification.
Mrs Low Ay Nar took over as Principal of Xinmin Secondary School in 2003 and continued to lead the school to new peaks of excellence. Her simple yet powerful formula X=Q (Xinmin = Quality) reflects the school’s belief in quality education. She spearheaded many bold and innovative initiatives, such as “Take Charge! Own Your School!” to reinvent itself as a quality school, and formed Parents@Xinmin (P@X) to involve parents in the school’s decision-making process.
During Mrs Low’s leadership, Xinmin achieved many awards, including the School Excellence Award (SEA) in 2005, the highest and most prestigious award in MOE’s Masterplan of Awards framework, and was ranked a Band 1 school as its students emerged among the top 10% of their cohort in the GCE O-Level examinations. Xinmin also received the Outstanding Development Award for Character Development for its innovative and exemplary approaches to character development.
In 2006, Mdm Liew Wei Li (formerly Special Assistant to Director-General of Education) took over the helm of leadership from Mrs Low as the Principal of Xinmin Secondary School. Her direction was for Xinmin to be a Finishing School for Leaders, who, equipped with the necessary Attitudes, Skills and Knowledge (ASK), become change leaders with a heart. Together with the staff, she focused on quality teaching and learning, and created opportunities for the students to excel holistically.
It was during Mdm Liew’s tenure that Xinmin organised the 1st Secondary Schools Mother Tongue Teachers and Students Symposium in 2008, and the 1st Science and Technology Symposium in 2009. She also initiated the building of the Creative Arts Complex to recognise the talents in the performing arts groups.
Under Mdm Liew’s leadership, Xinmin received the Outstanding Development Award for Character Development for its innovative and exemplary approaches to character development, and continued to be ranked a Band 1 school.
Chapter 6: The way forward to holistic education, enhanced by technology
From 2011 to 2017, under the strong and stable leadership of Mrs Ong Hong Peng, Xinmin moved into an age of experimentation and innovation in various domains of student development. As a supporter of the arts, the Creative Arts Complex (CAC) project turned from blueprint to reality. This was a massive undertaking that the school saw through. The CAC would boast a performance theatre, and several special rooms to cater to the various CCAs such as Choir, Dance and Guzheng Ensemble. As such, in the years following the CAC’s opening, the students were involved in several arts activities such as Drama Night, Xinfony, Xinthesis and Melizo. The upper levels were allocated to sports - The Arena, a space for badminton tournaments, and The Cage, a court on the uppermost level which has stunning views of the Hougang neighbourhood. With the completion of the CAC, our students can enjoy and utilise these facilities for day-to-day learning and to hone their talents in the arts or sports. It could not have been achieved without the hard work and contributions of the SAC, the Alumni Association, staff and students of many cohorts. In fact, a special Gala Dinner was organised to raise funds for this building. We were honoured to have Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as our Guest-of-Honour that evening, and Minister Lawrence Wong for its opening later.
It was also through Mrs Ong’s foresight that the school first moved into employing engaging pedagogies enhanced with technology. Flipped Classroom was such an initiative where teachers designed lessons to encourage students to take more ownership of their learning. Instead of waiting to learn from teachers in school, they would have to prepare for lessons from home, by reading stimulus material or watching a video. Curriculum time in school was then used to discuss concepts and ideas to clarify students’ questions and misconceptions. In line with this move also came the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative. Students were allowed to bring to school a device of their own to aid them in their learning and foster the ownership of learning. It was during her time as Principal that applied subjects such as Computing and Drama were offered to students who had passion in those disciplines.
The leadership changed hands in 2018 with Mr Tan Kuo Cheang taking over as Principal. The education landscape was shifting at that time and there was added emphasis on developing students’ 21st Century Competencies (21CC) as we prepare them for the world beyond school. Competencies such as critical thinking, collaborating well with others, global awareness and staying rooted in values were as, if not, more important to develop in all our students. It was with this goal to develop lifelong learners that Mr Tan led the school in a major re-envisioning exercise, to ensure that as a school we remain aligned to the national goals of education in Singapore. While the school vision remained relevant, our mission and values were revised to reflect the currency of the times. The Desired Xinmin Outcomes (DXOs) were also crafted with much deliberation among various stakeholders of the school. With those sorted out, the management team then devised the new Learning Experience Framework which encompasses the total curriculum we provide in Xinmin, to develop all our students to achieve the DXOs. One of the outcomes of this streamlining process was the refinements to the four Signature Programmes we offered – Coding@Xinmin, RefleXions@Xinmin (a drama programme to develop empathy and collaboration skills), the Student Leadership Academy and XinminCares (VIA programme).
Chapter 7: A turbulent time that called for resilience and unity, and one that accelerated the birth of a new era in education
The years of 2020 to 2021 were amongst the most challenging times for Singapore, and the world, as the COVID-19 virus hit hard. In our school, events and processes we took for granted year-on-year had to either cease or take on entirely new forms. We even had to stop face-to-face learning and pivot online to keep students safe. Mass programmes, level camps, CCA sessions, learning journeys - these were all halted, some for longer than others, and we just had to pull through. We did the best we could as a school to provide quality education and meaningful experiences for our students. Under Mr Tan’s leadership, we learnt as a staff to conduct mass assembly programmes online for the first time. We supported one another to learn, unlearn and relearn conducting lessons and assessing students from home. When schools reopened, the school management team thought long and hard how to keep our students safe upon their return. This was when we introduced the Grab@Xinmin initiative where students could order their food online and get those delivered to them in the classroom by class leaders.
This was also the time when initiatives from the Ministry were introduced to all schools, including the National Digital Literacy Programme (NDLP), Blended Learning and Full Subject-Based Banding (FSBB), as a response to the disruptions and insights gained from learning to deal with the virus. Mr Tan led the various teams in the school to prepare all staff for these changes, in particular in reviewing the staff training direction to suit the pressing needs. As COVID-19 restrictions eased in 2022, the school welcomed the resumption of events such as Cross-Country and the birth of new ones such as virtual learning journeys using VR technology. Mr Tan Kuo Cheang passed the reins of leadership to Mr Tan Soon Hui in 2023, who took over the leadership of the school with the world and our nation starting new chapters in an endemic COVID-19 new normal.
第一章：一切从敢于梦想起步
叶帆风先生有这样一个梦想：他想为后港、实龙岗一带的学子提供接受教育的机会。日据时期，许多人没有机会接受教育，目不识丁，有些人则中途辍学。当时的教育体系，上至高等学府，下至幼稚园，招生人数都很有限，而且只有家境富裕子弟享有受教育的机会。
当时，大多数学校都设立在新加坡的中心商业区，为了让居住在偏远地区的学生有机会接受教育，叶帆风、王振翥、陈春霆三位先生萌起创校壮志。由于大部分家庭一贫如洗，收入微薄，仅够支付日常生活开销，因此筹募创校基金困难重重。为了实现兴校办学的梦想，叶帆风先生卖掉家中养的五头猪，以此租下了实龙岗上段的三间旧洋楼，当年招收了六百二十名学生入学。
1945年11月1日，公立新民学校正式创校。
第二章：创校伊始的破冰期
新民创校初期历经风霜，最主要的问题是学校运转资金匮乏。1950年，王振翥先生接任校长，学校买下了三座洋楼之一，学生注册人数增至1000人。尽管如此，仍只有最基本的教学设施可供学生使用：桌椅粗陋，有时学生甚至要共用书桌，或坐在地板上；厕所数量极少；食堂很小且只有一个摊位；学校操场是一块小小的泥泞的草地；课室也不敷使用。
由于资金匮乏，学校无法满足学生的受教需求。一贫如洗的学生渴盼看看课室以外的世界，但却无法梦想成真，学校不能带他们去远足或进行户外教学活动。教师也是薪金微薄。
1954年，董息游先生担任校长，他有感于后港、实龙岗一带亟需一所中学，于是着手向教育部申请增办中学，并开始招收女生入学。1956年1月，教育部正式批准新民增办中学课程的申请。对于后港邻里的众多清苦家庭来说，这是个历史性的时刻，它象征着美好的未来初露曙光。
学校师生看到了资金匮乏对学校发展的束缚，决定同心合力解决这个问题。1958年，学校在新世界百老汇剧院连办两晚的游艺晚会，以此筹募资金。全校师生为了这意义非凡的演出，倾尽全力，精心排练，自制服装道具，不亦乐乎。师生的通力合作，为大众呈现了一台精彩的演出，共筹得一万元。募款用于增建六间课室，并购买门牌819号校地用于未来的发展。自此，新民开始置入当时的校地。
第三章：不要被问题所逼迫，要用梦想来引导
1965年，周炳麟先生接任校长，同时开始面对一段艰辛的历程。他继续着扩校的步伐，周校长通过一系列筹款活动，如潮剧义演、电影义演、师生的沿门募捐等，为学校增建了校舍及附属设施。
1974年，由于学生人数激增，学校将原本两层楼高的教学楼改建为三层楼高。许多校友和学校管理委员会的成员慷慨解囊，使新的行政楼得以落成。
新加坡自独立以来，历经诸多变化，新的住宅建设和新的英文教育体系，导致学生人数锐减，周校长面临了同样耗费心力的难题，然而，他仍一如既往地为学生提供全面教育。周校长亲自主持了新民由华文源流的学校转型为英文源流的学校，以及小学部脱离新民中学，改名为“新民小学”的历程。
新民中学转为政府学校，使它重新焕发了活力。周校长继续任职，并成为新民校史上任职时间最长的校长。周校长的子女也在新民求学，显然他对学校的爱已深深植根其中.
1986年，赵镇国先生接任校长，致力于提升学生的英文水准。他建立的学校咨询委员会，为学校的发展提供了宝贵的支持，作出了巨大的贡献。赵校长任职期间，新民中学迁至现址。
第四章：新民校史的转捩点
1991年，吴中博先生婉拒了担任某所中学校长的任命，毛遂自荐回到新民中学，以校长的身份继续为母校服务。这一决定深深地打动了每位教师。
1992年，教育部同意了吴中博先生的申请，委任他为新民中学的校长，自此，吴校长开始了将新民中学打造为后港区一流学府（a choice school）的大业。
吴校长从纪律问题着手治校，他的看法是：“没有纪律，教与学就无法相辅相成。”吴校长坚信，只要有正确的待人处事的态度，每个学生都是可造之材。为了提升学术成绩，他推行了自修计划，并设立学习角落；并常常鼓励学生在学校生活的方方面面都要全力以赴。
1994年，新民中学采用新的校徽，以体现全新的办学理念。学校获颁第一个“学术成绩增值奖”。截止1997年，在吴校长五年的领导下，新民中学的全国排名由第134名跃升至第50名。
第五章：化茧成蝶的新民中学
1998年，李学文先生接棒成为新民中学的校长，他延续了吴中博校长的梦想，继续努力将新民中学提升为一流教育学府，培养学生为全球经济化下的工作与生活做好准备。他全力提升学校形象，以“五育并重，平衡发展”为治校目标。
1999年，新民中学的全国排名跃升至第31名，2001年，新民中学成为本地第一所自治的邻里中学，并获得新加坡素质局的褒扬，跃升为一所高素质的学府。学校设计了新的校服，校训由“勤俭敏慎”改为“坚韧不拔，殷勤为众”，李校长还制定了《新民学生信约》，由此揭开了新民中学新纪元的序幕。
2003年，沈爱娜女士接手校长一职，带领新民中学再登卓越高峰。她提出了简单有力的公式：新民=高素质。这一简单有力的公式反映了学校发展素质教育的坚定信念。沈校长还提出了众多大胆而又创意的倡议，如：“自治自校” 。同年，新民中学家长会成立，使家长有机会参与学校的决策过程。
在沈校长的任期内，新民中学获得了众多奖项，特别是2005年新民中学成为本地第一所荣获“学校卓越成就奖”的邻里中学。这是新加坡教育部在“学校奖励计划总蓝图”下授予学校的最高荣誉 。并连续几年屹立于“第一等（band1）”教育学府的行列。新民中学同时在学生品格发展方面独辟蹊径，由此获得这方面的“卓越发展奖”。
2007年，刘慧丽女士（前教育部提学司特别助理）接棒沈爱娜女士，继任校长。她致力于将新民打造成一所培养领袖的精修学府，学生除了应具备一名领袖必需的处事态度、工作能力与领域知识，还应有一颗时刻关怀的心。偕同全校教职工，刘校长孜孜以求高素质的教与学，并为学生追求全面卓越的发展创造机会。
在刘校长任期内，新民中学母语部门在2008年组织筹备了第一届“中学华文与马来文研讨会”；2009年，新民中学科学部门组织筹备了第一届“科技研讨会”。为了使表演艺术团体充分发挥才能，她还发起了建设创意艺术中心的项目。
第六章：通往结合科技的全面教育之路
从2011年到2017年，在林凤萍校长稳健的领导下，新民中学在各个领域进入了实验和创新的时代。热衷艺术的林校长致力于将创意艺术中心（CAC）的梦想变为现实。这是一项庞大的工程。创意艺术中心将设有一个表演剧院，以及几个特别的设施，以满足合唱团、舞蹈和古筝团等各种课程辅助活动的需要。在创意艺术中心开放后的几年里，学生组织并参与了许多艺术活动，如戏剧之夜、Xinfony、Xinthesis和Melizo 等演奏会。创意艺术中心二楼的空间用于体育活动—The Arena提供羽毛球比赛的场地，而三楼的The Cage则是举办其他球类运动的好场所，从那里还可以欣赏到后港邻里社区的迷人的风景。随着创意艺术中心的竣工，学生可以充分利用这些设施，以提升他们在艺术或体育方面的才能。这个梦想能够成为现实，得益于学校咨询委员会、校友会、教职工和各届学生的辛勤努力和贡献。为了建设这个艺术中心，学校还特别举办了一场别开生面的筹款晚宴。我们很荣幸邀请到李显龙总理担任晚宴的主宾，之后的开幕典礼黄循财部长也莅临现场。
凭着林校长的远见，学校开始采用以科技促进教学的方法。翻转教学就是其中一项举措，教师利用翻转教学鼓励学生更自发自动地学习。他们不再被动地向教师学习，而是在家中通过阅读资料或观看视频的方式，预习课程。学生利用学校的上课时间讨论概念和想法，澄清疑问。学校还由此推出了自带学习设备的计划。学生可携带自己的学习设备到学校，帮助他们学习，强化他们的并掌握学习自主权。在林校长任职的期间，学校还开办了电脑课和戏剧班等应用学科，让有兴趣的学生参加。
2018年，陈国强先生接任校长一职。当时教育的大环境正面临转型，更注重培养学生的21世纪技能，为将来步入社会做好准备。批判性思维、协作能力、全球意识和植根于价值观等通用能力对学生来说都至关重要的。为了培养终身学习者，陈校长带领学校进行了一次重新规划，以确保新民中学与新加坡教育体系的目标一致。虽然学校的愿景仍然合宜，但新民的使命和价值观必须与时俱进。经过与各方的深入讨论，学校也设计了新民中学的理想学习成果。在此基础上，，学校管理层制定了新的学习体验框架，其中涵盖了新民中学所提供的全面课程，以帮助新民学子达成学校为他们设定的目标。这一系列调整的成果之一是将本校四个特色项目进行了更细致地划分，即：编码@新民、映像@新民（培养同理心和协作能力的戏剧课程）、学生领袖学院以及新民关爱计划（“德育在于行动”计划）。
第七章：动荡时期展现坚韧和团结，共同开启教育新篇章。
2020年至2021年，由于新冠病毒造成了严重冲击，这两年对于新加坡和全球来说是最具挑战的时期之一。对新民中学而言，以往的各种活动和学校流程不得不停办或改变形式。为了确保学生的安全，新民不得不停止实体授课，转而在线上教学。大型活动、年级营会、课程辅助活动和学习之旅等都被无限期暂停。作为学校，新民尽力为学生提供优质的教育和有意义的学习体验。在陈校长的领导下，我们首次在线上举行周会。老师们群策群力，互相支持，学习如何在家中进行教学和评估。当学校重新开放时，学校领导层反复认真考虑如何确保学生安全返校。Grab@Xinmin计划应运而生，学生可以上网向食堂摊主订餐，并由班级领袖将食物送到教室里。
同时，鉴于疫情造成的阻断影响，以及在应对病毒时积累的经验，教育部推出了一系列举措，包括全国数码通识能力计划、混合式学习和全面科目编班计划。陈校长带领学校各个团队为了帮助教职工应对这些新举措，尤其在检讨教职员的培训方向以满足迫切需要方面，做好准备。2022年，随着冠病疫情限制的解除，学校迎来了恢复了许多活动；重启越野赛跑的活动，并开展了一些新的活动，例如使用虚拟现实技术进行的虚拟学习之旅等。2023年，在世界与我国都开启了与冠病共存的新常态这一新篇章时，陈国强校长将领导全校的重任交给了陈顺惠先生。