Damai Secondary School

Bedok North Secondary School was founded in 1981, it briefly shared the campus with Temasek Secondary School for a year before they relocated to their new campus along Bedok North Avenue 3. It had since been relocated again on 4 December 1999 to its current premises at 20 Jalan Damai in order to accommodate the increasing number of staff and students. Due to a fall in enrollment, Bedok North Secondary will be closed on 1 January 2018, with operations merged with Damai Secondary.[1]

Damai students wear an all-white uniform: white shirt (with maroon school tie), white trousers and maroon coloured skirt for girls, white shoes and socks. Boys in secondary 1 and secondary 2 must wear short trousers, graduating to long trousers in secondary 3.

The disciplinary system is based on a demerit points system for minor offences. Students earn demerit points each time their shirt is not tucked in or they are not wearing their tie or for being late to class, eating in class, etc. If they reach 10 points they must serve a detention. At 20 points there is another detention, and the student's parents are informed. Students who reach 30 demerit points in one term are suspended for a number of days (girls) or spanked on the bottom with a big cane (boys) and their conduct is marked "Fair".

Detentions are also given out for latecoming for a number of times. The detention lasts 2 to 4 hours and must be served the following day. Students who fail to turn up for the allotted detention receive suspension (girls) or spanking (boys).

Boys who are caught smoking in school uniform are disciplined with two smacks of the cane and are also referred to the health authority to attend smoking cessation clinic.

For other serious offences such as fighting or vandalism, the student, if male, must receive a "public caning" whereby he is brought in front of an assembly of the full student body either in the hall or on the parade square. Normally a public caning at Damai involves several boys punished in turn. The spanking ceremony is performed by the school's Discipline Master, with a minimum of two strokes across the buttocks for each offender. This serves as a deterrent and it is often only necessary to hold one or two public canings each term.[2]

In 1997, then-principal James Ong told the Los Angeles Times that caning was administered at Damai for offences including fighting or disrespecting a teacher. "We do not seek permission from parents", he said. "We will cane first and inform you later. Parents must trust us to give the child a good education. We have the welfare of the children in mind."[3]

Designed by Samuel Teo Gek Seng, the DMSS logo incorporates the initials DSS of Damai Secondary School, forming the seed of education which is of primary importance in the formative years of young people and which when carefully planted will grow into flames of faith, hope, and charity, the three components of the school motto.

DMSS house of the year trophy

From 1994-2015, to encourage a competitive spirit, Damai Secondary School has a house system comprising four houses. They are the Achievers (Red), Strivers (Blue), Victors (Green), and Winners (Yellow).

At the start of every year, each new student starting in Secondary 1 is allocated by the PE department into one of these houses, based on his/her index number in class.

There are regular house meetings for the selection of new house leaders, and allowing the house members to decide if they want to join in a particular sports events on sports day. Following the house meetings there are house-related activities such as sports or quizzes.

There is a cumulative points system, strengthened by participation in sport or other events. At the end of the year, the house that has accumulated the most points is declared "house of the year", winning the trophy of the house of the year.

The Express Course is a nationwide four-year programme that leads up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination.[4]

The Normal Course is a nationwide 4-year programme leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination, which runs either the Normal (Academic) curriculum or Normal (Technical) curriculum.[5]

In the Normal (Academic) course, students offer 5-8 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Compulsory subjects include:[6]

• English Language
• Mother Tongue Language
• Mathematics
• Combined Humanities

A 5th year leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination is available to students in Normal (Academic) course who perform well in their Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Students can move from one course to another based on their performance and the assessment of the school principal and teachers.[5]

The Normal (Technical) course prepares students for a technical-vocational education at the Institute of Technical Education.[6] Students will offer 5-7 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination.[6] The curriculum is tailored towards strengthening students’ proficiency in English and Mathematics.[6] Students take English Language, Mathematics, Basic Mother Tongue and Computer Applications as compulsory subjects.[6]

In view of rising globalisation, Damai has realised the need for interaction with other schools all over the world, for more resources and better strategies.

To this end, in June 2006 Damai entered a bilateral "sister schools" link with Dongpo Experimental Middle School (DEMS) (in Emeishan, Sichuan, China) in March–June 2006. In the process, two department heads from Damai were sent to China to visit the school, and to sign the agreement.

Twinning immersion projects have been held for some DEMS students visiting Singapore. Their activities in Singapore included curriculum immersion lessons, CCA hands-on, and NELJ. Meanwhile, administrative staff accompanying the students learned about the Singapore's education system, and the mode of operation in a typical Singaporean secondary school.

In 2009 Damai has established an Internationalization Committee to further develop cross-cultural learning and relation-building with people of other countries.

Members of the Student Parliament are known as student councillors, or simply "councillors". Entry is based on a teacher's recommendation or nomination when the student is in Secondary 1. Councillors obtain LEAPS CCA points under the "Leadership" category, and are given certain rights over other ordinary students' discipline. Councillors must wear a special school tie and a name badge with the word "Student Councillor" on it. With effect from 2008, Student Councillors, Peer Leaders and National Education Ambassadors merged to form the Damai Student Leadership body, known as Student Leaders. The Student Leaders represent the student population of Damai Secondary School and have organized many school events. The Student Leaders organize events like the Secondary 1 Orientation Camp and Teachers’ Day celebrations yearly. The Student Leaders are also actively involved in other events like the Sports Day, Meet-the-Parents sessions and Prom Ball. The Student Leaders also assist in the running of the school, which includes morning and weekly assembly duties. Student Leaders actively spread National Education messages to the student population, extend community and national outreach and promote the school image and pride.