Qihua Primary School

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School History

Qihua Primary School was established in 1938 as Kay Wah School by a group of Chinese community leaders led by Mr Neo Tiew. The school offered education in the Chinese medium to the children of Ama Keng village. It was briefly closed during the Japanese Occupation but reopened after the war. Kay Wah expanded from the main school to Branches I and II, with an enrolment of about 2,000 students in its three branches.

The three branches were Kay Wah Main at Tong Hoe Village for upper-primary levels, Kay Wah Branch I at Ama Keng Village and Kay Wah Branch II at Nam Hoe Village for lower-primary levels. The branches were run by three principals to cater to the rising educational needs of the farming community.

In 1976, the school was officially declared a government school. In 1980, Kay Wah I adopted English as its medium of instruction. In 1988, when the farming community in Lim Chu Kang was resettled to set aside the area for military purposes, the school’s three branches merged into one and shifted to its current address in Woodlands and was renamed Qihua Primary School. The literal meaning of ‘Qi Hua’ (启化) means to inspire and educate as it nurtures and prepares its students for the future, regardless of their race or creed.

The school completed its PRIME upgrading in 2001 and PERI upgrading in 2014. It started operations as a single-session school in 2015. In 2018, the school celebrated its 80th anniversary.

Qihua Primary School was accorded the Applied Learning Programme in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and the Learning for Life Programme in Sports Development Programme.

Principals of Kay Wah School:
- Mr Lim Kim Hoon (1938)
- Mr Soh Dan Hong
- Mr Xie Xing Xin
- Mr Ong Sin Teck
- Mr Gan Yong Say
- Mr Choo Phie Ching
- Mr Ye Xi Chuan
- Mr Wang Han Jin
- Mr Chen Ze Xian

Principals of Qihua Primary School:
- Mr Choo Phie Ching (1988)
- Mr Seah Chong Kiat (1989–1997)
- Mrs Bilveer Singh (1998–2005)
- Mrs Koh Sau Peng (2006–2016)
- Mrs Lee Hui Feng (2017–present)

Key Milestones


1938	Establishment of Kay Wah School.
1980	Became English-medium school.
1988	Became government school. Relocation to its present premises. Renaming of school as Qihua Primary School.
1998	Celebration of 60th anniversary.
2001	Completion of PRIME upgrading.
2008	Celebration of 70th anniversary.
2013	Celebration of 75th anniversary.
2014	Accorded Applied Learning Programme – Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Accorded Lifelong Learning Programme in Promotion of School Values through a Sports Development Programme.
2018	Celebration of 80th anniversary.

School Motto

Persevere to Succeed

School Crest

Qihua is a school where students persevere to succeed and aspire for knowledge and lifelong learning in the context of the national education goals. The Chinese name ‘启化’ means to inspire and educate.

The laurels symbolise aspiration for success. The book symbolises the quest for knowledge. The torch symbolises the search for lifelong learning. The globe symbolises the global outlook of the students of Qihua.

School Song

♫ Listen

Green luxuriant trees by the shoreline,
stands our school steadfast on the ground of freedom and equality.
This is the ideal place for learning skills and acquiring knowledge.
Let’s learn together fellow Qihuaians.
For our Qihua, for our country strive diligently.
Persevere on pledging to be strong and brave leaders in our land.