Dunman Secondary School

Dunman Secondary School was founded in 1963 as Dunman Integrated Secondary School, with Mr Au Keng Chu as the first principal.[1] The school was named after Thomas Dunman, the first Commissioner of Police in Singapore from 1856 to 1871.[1] It was the first integrated school in Singapore—an experiment to develop a common educational experience for children of different races and languages. Dunman Secondary Integrated School was situated at Haig Road and shared a large field with Dunman High School and Dunman Primary School.[1]

Pupils were enrolled into the school even as the building was under construction. Nine English-stream secondary one classes were conducted at Matter West Vocational Institute while three Malay-stream secondary one classes were at Tun Seri Lanang school. Mr Felix Chew and Mr Abdul Kadir headed the respective schools. The completed school consisted of three buildings. The main building had four floors of airy classrooms and staff rooms. The science laboratories were in a shorter building opposite the main building. Next to the laboratories was a strip of garden where the science teachers grew plants used in the botany class. The school hall was one floor above the canteen or "tuck-shop" (as it was called then).

In 2000, in recognition of consistently strong academic results and co-curricular achievements, Dunman Secondary School was announced by the Ministry of Education to be accorded as an autonomous school in 2001. In the same year, the School received the Thinking Culture Award, Best School East Zone as well as the value-added award. Dunman Secondary School emerged as one of the five schools to receive the Singapore Quality Class in 2001, as one of the first schools in Singapore to receive the Award.[1]

In 2002, the Dunman Life Sciences Training and Research Centre was launched by Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development Dunman Secondary received the prestigious Public Service Award for Organisation Excellence from SPRING, Singapore in 2006. It also received the Singapore Innovation Class and the Partner's Award.[1]

In 2007, Dunman Secondary received the School Distinction Award, Sustained Achievement Award for Academic Excellence, Character Development Award and National Education Award. It also received the East Zone and National Thinking Culture Award valid for 2 years from 2007. In the same year, Dunman Secondary School was selected for upgrading works under the Ministry of Education's Programme for Rebuilding and Improving Existing Schools (PRIME) from 2007 to 2009. Upgraded works include the school hall, which was expanded to double its capacity with air-conditioning systems installed, as well as a new indoor sports hall.[1]

Dunman Secondary School celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2013.[1]

The school motto "Pengetahuan Suloh Hidup" is written in Malay, which means "Knowledge: The torch of life". The school motto is also re-interpreted as Dare to achieve your dreams,[2] in line with Dunman's DARE (Dunman All Round Excellence) framework.[3]

The former Dunman Secondary school crest was designed in 1963, consisting of a white lion with an open book bearing the school motto. The new school logo design is simplified with a lion and a torch.

The school song, composed by Mr John de Souza, was first sung in 1968. It expresses the purpose and mission of the school.

The Express Course is a nationwide four-year programme that leads up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination.[5]

The examinable academic subjects for Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level offered by Dunman Secondary School for upper secondary level (via. streaming in secondary 2 level), as of 2017, are listed below.[6]

Notes:

1. Subjects indicated with ' * ' are mandatory subjects.
2. All students in Singapore are required to undertake a Mother Tongue Language as an examinable subject, as indicated by ' ^ '.
3. "SPA" in Pure Science subjects refers to the incorporation of School-based Science Practical Assessment, which 20% of the subject result in the national examination are determined by school-based practical examinations, supervised by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board. The SPA Assessment has been replaced by one Practical Assessment in the 2018 O Levels.[7]

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, abbreviated as N(A) and N(T) respectively.[8]

In the Normal (Academic) course, students offer 5–8 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination. Compulsory subjects include:[9]

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

A 5th year leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination is available to N(A) students 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.[8]

The Normal (Technical) course prepares students for a technical-vocational education at the Institute of Technical Education.[9] Students will offer 5–7 subjects in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Normal Level examination.[9] The curriculum is tailored towards strengthening students’ proficiency in English and Mathematics.[9] Students take English Language, Mathematics, Basic Mother Tongue and Computer Applications as compulsory subjects.[9]