Our School Building Heritage

Explore how Singapore's school buildings have changed over the years, from early community spaces to modern, purpose-built schools.

Last updated on 16 September 2026

Our School Building Heritage

Discover our school heritage and how school designs have transformed over the years.

Early School Spaces

photo of children playing outside a thatched-roof school building surrounded by palm trees.

In the early 1800s until the 1940s before World War II broke out, schools were mainly set up by various communities whose main purpose was to provide education for their children.

Purpose-built Schools

These were purpose-built buildings erected for educational use. Many of these schools were built in the European architectural style.

Old photo of a colonial building with a dome, arched facade, palm trees, and a horse-drawn carriage nearby.

St Joseph’s Institution building at Bras Basah Road, completed in 1867 (c. 1900).
Arshak C Galstaun Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of a person cycling past an old colonial school building dated 1912, with trees nearby.

Alsagoff Arabic School, established in 1912, was named after Syed Mohamed Alsagoff, a wealthy Arab merchant and philanthropist.
© Urban Redevelopment Authority. All rights reserved.

Sepia-toned vintage photo of a large group of people posed in front of a grand multi-story colonial building.

Tao Nan School (1920s).
Francis Lee Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of a two-story colonial building with columns, a tram, and pedestrians outside.

Raffles Institution at Bras Basah Road (1920).
Lim Kheng Chye Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Schools in Religious Buildings

Places of worship like temples, churches and mosques bonded people within their communities. Many of these were converted to become schools offering a vernacular education.

Black and white photo of Chong Hock Girls School with ornate curved Chinese roof and people standing at entrance.

Chong Hock Girls’ School, beside Thian Hock Keng Temple (1930).
Tan Kah Kee Memorial Museum Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Schools in Shophouses

Many early schools started in shophouses that functioned as living quarters for immigrants, or offices for clan associations. These shophouses were built with a covered five-foot-way at the shopfront and were either two or three storeys.

Old sepia photo of a colonial-style building with arched columns and laundry hanging outside, people walking below.

The first Anglo-Chinese School in a shophouse at 70 Amoy Street.
Courtesy of Anglo-Chinese Schools Board of Governors.

Large group posed in front of Vinayagamenda Tamil School on Blair Road in a sepia-toned historic photo.

Teachers and students at Former Vinayagananda Tamil School.
Francis Lee Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore

Village Schools

Schools were often set up in kampongs so that people living in villages would have access to education. A village school was typically built with an attap roof and wooden walls.

Old sepia group photo of many children and adults posing in front of a building with Chinese characters above.

Chin San Primary School (now Jingshan Primary School), was built and founded by businessmen and villagers of the Chin San Village in the 1940s.

Vintage photo of Hong San Primary School entrance with brick pillars, metal gates, Chinese characters, and a parked car nearby.

Hong San Primary School (now Fengshan Primary School) building in the 1950s. It was first set up as a village school in the 1933.

Standardising School Designs

Vintage sepia photo of a four-story building with a parked car and bicycle near the entrance.

During post-war Singapore, it became the top priority of the day to ensure that every child had a place in school. The 1960s saw schools being built rapidly and the addition of new facilities to meet the needs of the developing nation.

Multi-Storey Schools

Under the 1947 Ten-Year Programme, five standard school designs were created. This included multi-storey school buildings which were proposed to maximise land space. By building upwards, schools were able to increase student enrolment and accommodate more facilities.

Black and white photo of a sports ground with players on a grass field and low white buildings along the boundary.

One of the school designs during the 1950s.
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of a two-story rectangular building with large windows and small trees in front.

A three-storey primary school by Public Works Department (1955).
Public Works Department Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of a grass sports field with a goal post, large buildings, and tall trees in the background.

A four-storey school building with a playing field (1958).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Technical Schools

As the nation shifted its focus towards technical and science education, technical schools were built and facilities were expanded to accommodate the curriculum. Science laboratories, metal and carpentry workshops and home economic rooms became standard features in schools.

Black and white photo of a blacksmith workshop with three forge stations with hoods and several anvils on stands.

Metal workshop of Serangoon Secondary Technical School and Thomson Primary Technical School (1964).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of several women in aprons working at kitchen counters in what appears to be a cooking class.

Home economics room of Serangoon Secondary Technical School and Thomson Primary Technical School (1964).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Three young girls in school uniforms conduct a science experiment with glassware in a laboratory classroom.

Students at the science laboratory of Upper Serangoon Technical School (1966).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of students in aprons working at numbered woodworking benches in a workshop classroom.

Technical workshop at Kim Seng Technical School (1966).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Integrated Schools

Integrated schools were created to foster bonding among students from two or more language streams. The typical design for primary schools was a four-storey H-shaped building. For secondary schools, the design incorporated facilities for academic, science and technical education.

Black and white photo of a multi-story school building with a flagpole and open lawn in front.

Tanglin Integrated Primary School with the typical H-shaped design (1964).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of a large workshop with metal lathes on benches, a drill press, and wire mesh safety gates.

Technical facilities at Serangoon Garden Integrated Secondary Technical School (1964).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Black and white photo of a teacher demonstrating to students at a lab bench with test tubes and equipment.

Science laboratory of Tanglin Integrated Secondary Technical School (1966).
Ministry of Information and the Arts Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.

Breaking the Mould

Large red and white school building with a clock tower, palm trees, and a green lawn in front.

With a growing population in the 1970s and 1980s, more schools were built in new housing estates. These schools sported new designs and were equipped with modern facilities. Over the years, many schools developed their own architectural identity.

Junior Colleges

In 1969, the first junior college, National Junior College, was established. Every junior college was given a six-hectare plot of land and equipped with lecture theatres, audio-visual rooms, language and computer laboratories, multi-purpose halls as well as a host of sports facilities.

Aerial view of a large multi-story orange and white building complex surrounded by trees and houses.

First junior college, National Junior College at Linden Drive (1968).

Black and white photo of a mid-century two-story building with a curved facade and open ground floor.

Second government junior college, Temasek Junior College in 1976 with improvements made based on the first junior college.

Aerial architectural scale model showing a school campus with a red running track, soccer field, and white building blocks.

One of the seven junior colleges, Raffles Junior College in the early 1980s. This follows the success of the initial Junior College Building Programme in the 1970s.

'1980' Generation Schools

New school designs sprang up in emerging housing estates. 12 different plans were introduced and each had a unique design identity. A common school design was a large sloping tiled roof and a steel space frame over a concourse.

A wide low-rise building with red-brown roofs surrounded by green trees, a road with cars, and tall apartment blocks nearby.

School design of the 1980s, featuring a sloping tiled roof as seen at Bedok Town Secondary School (1984).

Aerial view of a white building with an orange-red roof, surrounded by tall multi-story buildings near a waterfront.

Radin Mas Primary School at Bukit Purmei Avenue.

A low, wide white modern building with circular windows set against a blue sky with clouds, surrounded by grass.

Jing Shan Primary School at Jalan Lempong with a cubist design for a visually distinctive look.

PRIME

In 1999, MOE launched Programme for Rebuilding and Improving Existing Schools (PRIME) in line with the vision of ‘Thinking Schools, Learning Nation’. Schools constructed before 1997 would be upgraded or rebuilt in phases, to ensure a conducive environment for teaching and learning.

Aerial view of Bukit View Primary School with colorful blue and orange buildings and a parking area.

Bukit View Primary School after PRIME upgrading in 2001, with improved facilities such as a new classroom block and additional computer and science laboratories.

Fajar Secondary School building with bold yellow vertical fins on a white facade and a stop sign at the entrance.

Fajar Secondary School with a new building frontage after PRIME upgrading.

Aerial view of Changkat Primary School, a multi-story building with yellow, blue, and white exterior.

Changkat Primary School at its present premise in 2004, after relocating from an external holding site due to PRIME.

FlexSI

Complementing PRIME, Flexible School Infrastructure (FlexSI) framework was introduced in 2005 to give primary and secondary schools more control over their spaces. This provided school infrastructure with greater flexibility in teaching and learning.

Children in costumes perform on a colorful stage while seated students in uniforms watch from an auditorium.

Many-In-One Room that can be converted for different learning activities.

Young children in white uniforms sit on the floor facing a teacher in a bright, colorful classroom.

Modular furniture are used to facilitate large group lectures.

Aerial view of a group of young children and adults gathered on a path surrounded by lush green plants near a building.

External areas, such as an outdoor learning trail, is converted into a learning space for students.

Students in uniforms sit in a circle outdoors while a teacher stands in the center holding papers.

Outdoor amphitheatre at Fairfield Methodist Primary School supports the visual and performing arts.

Indoor Sports Hall

In 2006, MOE announced the provision of an indoor sports hall in schools to promote greater sports participation. Schools were able to vary the design of their sports hall to match students’ needs and construct different sports facilities indoors.

Exterior of Unity Primary School with a fenced grass field, multi-story buildings, and a partly cloudy sky.

Unity Primary School has an indoor sports hall elevated over a court.

A multi-story blue and white patterned school building beside a green sports field under a blue sky.

Fajar Secondary School’s newly renovated indoor sports hall.

Aerial view of Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus Secondary School, a cream building with arched windows and HDB blocks behind.

CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) has an indoor sports hall located on the roof level, above their multi-purpose hall.

MOE Kindergartens

MOE also launched their first five pilot MOE Kindergartens in 2014 to provide affordable, quality pre-school education. Located within primary schools and community spaces, these schools are designed to provide purposeful spaces for learn and play.

Young children in blue uniforms sit on a rug facing a teacher at a whiteboard in a bright classroom.

Inviting indoor spaces to support teaching and learning.

Green tunnel crawl tubes on a rubber playground surface, with a chain-link fence and tall apartment buildings behind.

Specially designed outdoor spaces to engage and excite children.