Interview with Mr Tan Wee Pin

1. When were you in the GM School Management Committee? What were the significant milestones that occurred in the school during your time in it?

I was in the GM School Management Committee since 2006. And as I was also in the GCM Church Steward Committee since 1959, I would like to highlight some significant early milestones of the school for the benefit of GMS.

When the Geylang Methodist Schools were rebuilding in early 2000, the School Management Committee intended to let a church to fund and build a chapel in the secondary school. The then Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Dr Lee, urged that priority should be given to Geylang Chinese Methodist Church, because the relationship between the church and the school had been so close and long.

When the proposal was made to the Church in 2005, the Steward Committee of the Church unanimously accepted it. By God’s grace the Church was ce;lebrating its centenary then, and donated $2 million to the school to build the chapel to be presented to the almighty God.

In the following year, for the first time, Bishop Robert Solomon appointed the Pastor in Charge of the Church, then Rev Goh Nai Lek, to be the Chaplain of the Secondary School, and myself to be a member of the School Management Committee.

2. What are your thoughts on the partnership between GCMC and the School?

The partnership between GCMC and the School began to flourish since 2003. Yearly, the Church would support one or two Christian Ministry staff to the school, to assist in the guiding and training field. In addition, the Church also assisted the School to build up the School Family Education, working with at-risk students, interest groups, assisting with needy students, providing free remedial classes etc. All in all, the Church subsidized about $100 000 annually for the School projects. In addition, in 2010 the Church sponsored about $300 000 to install air conditions for the school hall. In appreciation to this, the School honoured the Church to name the school hall as “Friendship Hall”. All glory be to God.

3. Was God leading you in any particular way as you served the church and the school?

I should say yes. During my 11 years serving the GMS School Management Committee, I was also the Chairman of the Church Steward Committee. Thus, I was able to bring the needs of the School to the Church, and liaised what the Church could help to the School.

4. Do you have any significant memories of the school?

Yes, I noticed that the school’s GCE O-Level Examination results had improved year after year. This shows that both the teachers and the students were working very hard.

5. If around in 1984, what was your experience when the school transitioned to co-ed?

Initially the School intended to ask me this question. I told them that I was not in the school then. But later I thought I must take this opportunity to enlighten the school briefly, by quoting an early history from the 1960 Malaysia Methodist 75 Year Anniversary magazine. It stated that when the Church built its first Sanctuary in 1914, at the corner of Geylang Road and Aljunied Road, it was used as a church during the weekend, and, as a girls and boys school during the weekdays. In 1916, the Government established the Geylang Boys School at Lorong 23. The GM School then changed to admite girls only, and named it as Geylang Methodist Girls School.