EIGHTY years ago, 13 men founded the Fiji Chinese Primary School which one day would become one of the leading schools in Fiji.
And that is how Yat Sen School came to be.
The founding fathers’ vision was simple.
All they wanted was to prepare their children intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically for life and for eternity.
According to an extract from the Yat Sen School Souvenir Magazine 1976 by Frances Fong, in the early 1930s the Chinese community in Suva were concerned with the preservation and transformation of the Chinese language and culture to its Fiji-born Chinese children.
The community, which was then under the leadership of the late Fong Sue Kee, K.W. March, Harm Narm, Messrs. Yee Kam Chee and B.S. Seeto, founded the school.
The school was officially opened on June 15, 1936.
Their aim for the school was to preserve and transmit the Chinese culture — its language and attitudes.
The objective of the school was to also educate all Chinese from China. This was to enable them to communicate in the Fijian colony and be able to participate in commerce.
The other objective of the school was to also provide opportunities for adult Chinese to learn English.
Original location
The first school building was at the Kuomintang Building in Margaret St, Suva. It was housed at this particular building for a few months following its formal opening until the school committee raised enough funds to buy the property at Gordon St from The Church of England. The building is now known as the Ra Marama House.
In an extract from the magazein, Ms Fong said, because of the outbreak of the war three years after its opening the school was closed because Government regulations then restricted assembly of more than 15 children for only one-and-a-half-hour.
In 1942, she said, the school building was occupied by Government as a hostel for Fijian clerks, so there was no school.
In February 1943, the school reopened at its original site at Kuomintang building. Classes resumed at its building at Gordon St on May 20, 1943.
Move to Flagstaff
The school was relocated to Flagstaff, Suva, in 1952.
This was after the leaders of the Chinese community then decided to sell the school property at Gordon St in Suva to finance the building of its new school at its current location in Flagstaff.
Yat Sen Secondary School
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Fiji Chinese Primary School in 1986, the Chinese Education Society of Fiji established the Yat Sen Secondary School.
According to a reflection by Gregory Yee and Lionel Yee in the Yat Sen School 70/20 anniversary magazine, the school started operation after the society was able to get initial financial and educational support from both the Fijian and Chinese governments then.
80/30 Anniversary
It is no doubt that the Chinese community in Fiji has put in the hard yards to give the best education to their children; one that can closely link and connect them to their roots and rich history. The school that started with only 12 boys and five girls now boasts a school roll of around 1000 multiethnic students in its primary and secondary schools.
Chinese Education Society of Fiji chairman, Newton Yee said the celebration of the school’s 80th and 30th anniversary two weeks ago was a major milestone for the society.
The legacy of its founding fathers, he said, was a gift to many generations of students in Fiji.
“Now we embrace the future, which means to embrace our students — challenging them to emulate past success, to achieve more, to do better — no surprise, as this is Chinese trait.”
As parents have entrusted their children’s education to Yat Sen School, the society in return, he said was committed to providing all the necessary physical infrastructure for students to excel in their education.
Achievements
The Yat Sen schools have certainly accomplished a lot in the last 80 and 30 years respectively.
This was significant when President, Jioji Konrote spoke highly of the school and its achievements during its anniversary banquet dinner at the Yat Sen School hall two weeks ago.
Mr Konrote paid tribute to the founders of the school and said the school was among the highest achieving institutions in the country.
One of the biggest achievements of Yat Sen schools, he said, was the production of many of its students who have gone to contribute positively towards the country’s growth.
“I believe that the Yat Sen community is continuing to contribute very positively to Fiji’s socio-economic and cultural development in precisely the same way that Government wants all our respective communities to do,” Mr Konrote said.
“That is, for all our communities to collaborate with Government in harnessing and cultivating a knowledge-based society through a focus on high quality education and continuous learning.”
He added the dreams of the founders of the schools have been achieved and would continue to be realised by the generations to come.
Future plans
The Chinese Education Society, Mr Newton said, remained committed to constantly improving all aspects of its school — renovating and improving existing classrooms and facilities.
Plans, he said, were in progress to build an extra extension block to the secondary school to be used as an additional classroom and language centre.
“The school is continuously upgrading and improve teaching using technology, having just completed a new IT room this year for the primary school,” Mr Newton said.
