Musings - We're One ACS

As a student in Anglo-Chinese Primary School in Coleman Street, I remember how awestruck we boys were whenever one of our seniors from the secondary or Pre-U classes walked along our school corridors. We only had the words “ACS” sewn onto our school shirts but those boys wore the ACS badge. We wanted so much to be like them and go onto ACS at Barker Road.

Likewise when we entered secondary school, we looked up to our Secondary 4 and Pre-U boys. They were our leaders and mentors in the various sports and UYOs that we belonged to. I was in the ACS Military Band and the Pre-U boys took on the role of disciplining and coaching us, and at the same time joined us in our perennial favourite game - football. We knew and felt that we were all part of one big ACS family.

Things, however, have changed. We are now 6 schools comprising about 9,000 students spread over 5 campuses, as a result of which many of our boys do not see ACS as one big family. They know very little of what is happening outside their own schools and the aspiration among our primary school boys to have a 12 year ACS education is getting weaker.

What can be done? I believe that principals and teachers of our schools have an important role to play in imparting to our boys the concept of ONE ACS, ie the notion that all our schools are part of one big ACS family.

On its part, the ACS Old Boys’ Association (OBA) together with the ACS Board of Gpvernors, is spearheading the ONE ACS concept by:

To this end, the OBA has organised events which bring together all our ACS schools in one venue. We have had joint Founder’s Day celebrations at the Indoor Stadium and a combined National Day Celebration two years ago at Queenstown Stadium. These events give an opportunity for our boys and teachers to realise the massiveness and strengths of our ACS family. The OBA has also encouraged our UYOs and Sports teams to work, not only within its own school, but across all ACS schools by organising joint training camps, parades and sparring sessions.

The Old Boys can play a vital role in this respect by offering their services as coaches and trainers to our various sports and UYOs. They can also offer themselves as speakers to our schools on various topics such as career guidance, motivation, finance etc. Old Boys can, through the proper channel, also be mentors to our younger boys.

It is important that the notion of ONE ACS be taken seriously. I come from a generation where most of my classmates would easily have had 10 to 12 years in ACS. We cherish the name of our school and come back together to celebrate our school’s Founder’s Day and sing the ACS anthem with gusto.

We need to ensure that the present generation of ACS boys realise that whilst they may be at different campuses, they all belong to one big family which has the same motto, school crest and school song. We all share the same goals and aspiration and they need to know that together as one family we are strong.