User:Kappa/Townsville Primary School


 * this article was created User:Tony Sidaway

Townsville Primary School is a co-educational primary school in Singapore, founded in 1983, and officially opened in 1985 by Singapore's then-Minister of State for Defence, Trade and Industry, Lee Hsien Loong. Queen Elizabeth II paid the school an official visit in 1989.

In 2000, Tong Cheng Wei, Jagdish, and Lin Rongwei, three students at the school created a www tutorial, "Simple Machines Made Simpler", which is widely referenced in educational materials of other schools worldwide.

MOE ExCEL Day 2001, an event organised by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) to encourage innovation, was held at Townsville Primary School. The opening address was given by the Singapore Education Minister RADM Teo Chee Hean

The Straits Times reported in 2003 that Townsville was starting interactive science classes for its pupils from Primary 1. The head of the Department of Science, John Ow, was quoted as saying: "We looked at the kindergarten curriculum and realised that the children were already exposed to concepts such as life cycles there. Since they come in with the knowledge, we just make sure they do not forget it by having science lessons in Primary 1."

The idea was first suggested by the school's principal, Chiang Wai Leng, who said: "Children are very curious when they enter primary school and it's the best time to teach them science."

The school is one of three participants in the Pathlight School project, which is intended to integrate autistic students into the educational community. Pathlight will have a new building in 2008 situated next to Townsville Primary School for the purposes of colocation and integration.

Awards received by staff

 * Mr Ow Eu Gene John, a Head of Department, was awarded an Efficiency Medal by the Singapore Ministry of Education, in the Singapore National Day Awards of 2004.