.jpg?itok=o0Z6VJwZ "‘Some of us are poor’: What to do when your wealthier friends want to meet up for an extravagant dinner")
NEIGHBOURHOOD TAG SHUNNED
The role of alumni associations, whether formal or informal, has evolved over the years, from the days when meeting the basic necessities of newly-founded neighbourhood schools was high on the agenda.
Mr Lim Cheng Hwee, the Broadrick Secondary School Alumni Association’s founding president, remembered the strong community spirit of decades past.
“Back then (when the alumni association founded in 1973), the kampong spirit was strong. After all, it took a village to raise everyone, and people had to pool money to raise funds so we could go to school,” he said.
“So even though we didn’t have much after we graduated, we found ways to raise funds for needy students like starting up a lion dance troupe to earn money during Chinese New Year… it was our way to give back.”
Over time, the association has seen the tides change — for example, it nearly shuttered when a principal stopped supporting the association.
“After all, alumni want to go back to see the school, see their teachers. But when the teachers leave or the alumni can’t go back onto the campus – why would they want to support (the school),” Mr Lim said.
The alumni association also has to find new ways to contribute to the school as government spending on education has risen over the years, meaning some initiatives were no longer necessary.
This included providing food for students staying late to study for national examinations on campus, said Mr Lim.
Meanwhile, some neighbourhood schools are relatively new so unlike the more storied elite schools, they don’t have a large pool of established and successful graduates to tap on.
This was what Mr Vincent Chan, 34, a civil servant, noticed when he started up Canberra Secondary School’s alumni association in 2012 at the behest of a teacher there. The school was founded in 2000.
“The biggest challenge was our former students were young so their priority was very much inclined towards getting their career footing, or focused on their young family,” he said.
He added with social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, alumni were able to network and stay connected without needing to attend alumni events or volunteer their time.
As for 17-year-old Krystal Sandar Swe, deputy chairperson of Bedok View Secondary School Alumni (Youth Wing), she noted that unfounded stereotypes against neighbourhood secondary school students make some feel embarrassed by their alma mater.
“Sometimes we hear things like how neighbourhood school students are ‘gangsters’. But that isn’t true — we have so many seniors that do well in society and are recognised,” said the first-year Tampines Meridian Junior College student.
“That’s why we started our alumni youth wing: So our juniors know that we can be successful and can be proud of our school.”
STAYING TRUE TO SCHOOL VALUES
In response to queries from CNA TODAY, the ACS Old Boys’ Association said: “Every school is capable of developing solid alumni bases and networks but understandably, schools which offer a 10- or 12-year education will develop a more solid alumni base by virtue of time spent in school.”
The association has more than 11,000 alumni from the Anglo-Chinese Schools (ACS) in Singapore, and provides support through school activities, among other things.
While larger-sized alumni associations have the capacity to host more activities, the spokesperson added that all alumni associations need to continuously stay relevant to their alumni community.
But why is it so important for secondary schools to have alumni associations?
Mr Clarence Ching, founder and executive director at Access Singapore, a social mobility charity, said that it is because alumni groups provide a range of resources and opportunities such as mentorship programmes and financial benefits.
“Alumni groups can have a significant impact on making some schools better resourced than others, especially in Singapore. Schools with established and affluent alumni networks often benefit from additional funding and scholarships that can enhance students’ overall learning experiences… which can give these schools a competitive edge,” he said.
“This, however, creates a disparity between schools with well-connected alumni networks and those without, particularly neighbourhood schools or those with less affluent alumni.”
Mr Ching added that Access Singapore is developing its own alumni network, allowing students from less-resourced schools to receive the same benefits that established alumni programmes can provide.
