This picture, believed to be taken in the 1960s, shows students from Khee Fatt School (now known as Qifa Primary School) running in a race. In the early years of Singapore’s independence, the government’s priority was to administer and improve primary and secondary education, especially in the area of technical training for young citizens to acquire vocational skills. Nevertheless, sports was still promoted and emphasised in schools. This was not just to promote a healthy lifestyle, but also to foster team spirit and increase social cohesiveness. The then Minister for Education, Mr Ong Pang Boon, identified extra-curricular activities as one of the keys to inculcating moral and citizenship values. The exposure to events such as combined school uniformed group camps equipped students with better social and communication skills.
