Gan Eng Seng School
| Gan Eng Seng School 颜永成学校 Yányǒngchéng Xuéxiào |
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| Address | |
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Henderson Road Bukit Merah 156561 Singapore |
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| Coordinates | 1°17′21.8″N 103°49′25.8″E / 1.289389°N 103.823833°ECoordinates: 1°17′21.8″N 103°49′25.8″E / 1.289389°N 103.823833°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Government School |
| Motto | Onward |
| Established | 1885 |
| Session | Single session |
| School code | 3006 |
| Principal | Mdm Jenny Tan |
| Enrolment | 1,300 |
| Colour(s) | Red and Green |
| Website | www.ganengsengsch.moe.edu.sg |
Founded by philanthropist Gan Eng Seng in 1885, Gan Eng Seng School (Abbreviation: GESS) is one of the oldest schools in Singapore. GESS was the first school to be set up by a local Chinese and the first to form a parent-teachers' association in 1950. It was an all-boys school for 102 years until it became co-educational in 1987. Before it became a government school in 1938, many prominent Chinese gentlemen such as Sir Song Ong Siang K.B.E, Dr. Lim Boon Keng OBE, Tan Keong Saik and Gan's descendants served on its Board of Trustees. By 1996, GESS was ranked 21st by the Ministry of Education (MOE) among the top 50 schools in Singapore and continued to stay within the top 50 rankings to this day. The school's founding site at Telok Ayer Street was designated as a national historical site by the National Heritage Board in 1997. The school is currently located at Henderson Road in Bukit Merah on the western district of Singapore.
Gan Eng Seng School was founded in some shophouses in Telok Ayer Street in 1885 by the philanthropist, Gan Eng Seng and was known as Anglo Chinese Free School. Born in 1844 into a poor family in Melaka, Gan came to Singapore at a young age to seek his fortune. Since he was unable to have much of an education in his youth, it was his ambition in life to build a school and help those who are poor as he prospered and became wealthy. Gan was far-sighted in placing emphasis on bilingualism in English and Chinese from the start. The school proved to be a success—the enrolment figure reached a record of 167 by 1890, and rose to an all-time high of 94% in 1892.
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