St. Andrew's School, Brunei

St. Andrew's School is a private, co-educational, school in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, offering kindergarten, primary and secondary education to more than 1000 students. It accepts foreign students. St. Andrew's School is located in Jalan Hj. Basir in the heart of Bandar Seri Begawan opposite Pusar Ulak Primary School.

Places at the school are in high demand, and applicants are tested in English, Malay and mathematics. Classes in Kindergarten and lower primary are taught in Malay, while from upper primary to upper secondary English is used. Lower Secondary students study for a local examination called the Penilaian Menengah Bawah (Malay for Lower Secondary Assessment Exam) whereas Upper Secondary students study for the Brunei-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O' Level).

The school has produced outstanding results for public examinations like the Penilaian Menengah Bawah (PMB) and GCE O' Level, but has produced champions in national and international competitions. St. Andrew's School team won the Brunei National Mathematics Quiz (eXplomaths) for the tenth time in 2005.The school has also won 1st place in JIS maths competition in the year 2015.

Although initially founded as an Anglican school, it aims to serve "all races, creeds, cultures and nationalities in the country". Halal food is served in the canteen.

History

The school was founded in 1956 by Canon Paul Chong En Siong, as a primary school with 70 students and 3 teachers. It was the first Anglican school in Brunei. Until 1964 it was based in a church vicarage. That year it moved to its current locations, a site donated by Dato Paduka Ong Kim Kee. The school introduced Computer Studies classes in 1995.

St. Andrew's School motto

The school motto is "Courage and Love", and is reflected in the first stanza of the school song. From mid-1990s onwards (possibly earlier), only the first two verses of the school song are sung (a possible reason is that the inclusion of the word 'Jew' in the third verse is generally frowned upon by the predominantly Muslim country the school is located in).

VERSE 1:
United we stand at St.Andrew's for truth, for truth;
Determined forever to choose the truth, the truth;
In games and studies, in all we do,
Nothing comes above
Our search for truth that makes us free,
With courage and with love.

VERSE 2:
We ask that we live and we labour in peace, in peace;
Each man shall be our neighbour in peace, in peace;
Distrust and hatred will turn to love,
All the prisoners freed,
And our only war will be the one
Against all human need.

Principals/Heads

• Canon Paul Chong En Siong (1957–1963)
• Mr. Daniel Alchuk (1964)
• Father Paul Samuel (1964–1966)
• Father William Arnold Marshall (1967–1970)
• Father Lance Johnston (1970–1973)
• Mr. George Koshy (1973–1989)
• Mr. Solomon Soo (1990–2000)
• Mr. Jacob Chin (2000–2007)
• Ms. Jane Keasberry (2008–present)

Deputy Principals

• Mr. Peter Tow (? - 1987)
• Mr. David Pang (1987–1994)
• Mr. Peter Khor (1994–2004)
• Ms. Jane Keasberry (2004–2008)
• Mr. Chong Ah Fook (2008–present)

Deputy Principals (Primary Section)

• Mr. Wheeler Seneviratne (? - 1988)
• Mrs. Ho (1988–1989)
• Mr. R.L. Tiwary (1989–2004)
• Mrs. Kang (2004–present)

Facilities

• Hall for assemblies and indoor sports,
• Canteen selling drinks, snacks and halal food,
• Two audio-visual rooms,
• Sick bay,
• Conference hall,
• Three science laboratories (for Physics, Biology and Chemistry),
• Air-conditioned computer labs for computer studies students,
• Islamic Religious study room,
• Room used both as a Mandarin resource room and a counselling room,
• Dental clinic,
• Two-storey library,
• Art room

Notable alumni

• Prince Al-Billah (b. 1974), Crown Prince of Brunei, who completed his primary education at the school.
• Prince DMKH, Son of DMCCB, who completed his secondary education at the school.

External links

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