Umar Pulavar Tamil School

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School History

Umar Pulavar Tamil School, named after a famous Tamil poet who lived in the 17th century, was established in March 1946. Located at 72 Tanjong Pagar Road, the school was a shophouse owned by the Indian Muslim community and Kadayanallur Muslim League.

In early 1950, a single-storey building was completed at 16 Maxwell Road. Ten years later, a new three-storey building was completed. The school with its new premises was renamed “Umar Pulavar Tamil High School”. It was declared open in 1960.

In the years that followed, the school also opened a library with approximately 1,700 books in both English and Tamil to support the educational needs of its students. Extra-curricular activities were introduced with student participation in the National Day Parades between 1965 and 1969.

To make way for development, the school was relocated to Rangoon Road in 1975. The school closed in 1982 due to falling student enrolment. Remaining students from Umar Pulavar Tamil High School joined Rangoon Road Secondary School to continue their learning in 1983.

Following its closure, the school’s management committee set up the Umar Pulavar Scholarship Trust Fund to provide financial assistance for needy students. During its active years, the school undertook efforts to alleviate the educational, cultural, social status of the local Tamil community.

To pay tribute to the historical literary figures that gave the schools their name, Umar Pulavar is honoured by renaming St George’s Road Tamil School to Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre in 1983.

Key Milestones


1946	Founding of Umar Pulavar Tamil School.
1950	Official opening of new single storey building at Maxwell Road.
1960	Official opening of three-storey building by former Minister for Education Tong Nyuk Lin; became known as “Umar Pulavar Tamil High School”.
1976	Became an integrated school to offer bilingual education in English and Tamil.
1982	Closure of school.
1983	Renaming of St George’s Road Tamil Language Centre to Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre.