God’s perfect plan for Oldham and ACS

"Our Motto is not just a motto, the Best is Yet to Be - it is a promise, a promise for future generations" - An ACS old boy

"ACS is a special gift that will last and and continue only if it is shared and passed on"

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

ACS (I) Founder’s Day Speech

March 1, 2023

Good morning invited guests, school leaders, staff and students of ACS(I)

My former teachers and award recipients and families

I bring you warm greetings on our 137th Founders' Day from the ACS (I) Board of Management and the ACS Board of Governors

Today, we celebrate Oldham and his call to serve God in Singapore.

We celebrate God's Grace and favour for these 137 years.

We celebrate ACS, a Methodist Mission School.

As an ACS Old Boy remarked recently

Our Motto - is not just a motto

- the Best is Yet to Be

- it is a promise, a promise for future generations

ACS is a special gift that will last and and continue only if it is shared and passed on

Jim Elliot, a Christian missionary killed in Ecuador, once said,

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

We are special because we have received the gift of ACS, but this gift will end if we do not share it.

The ACS culture is a vital part of our school.

The ACS Culture has adapted and risen to each challenge that it has faced and emerged stronger and more relevant

The key to ACS - to the ACS culture - is the central belief that this is God’s school and God plays a fundamental role in every decision we make

We are a Methodist Mission School

- from the day Oldham founded ACS till now

That Mission must never be secondary to other purposes

ACS has for many years - sought to expand our presence in Singapore and the region

We seek to provide an ACS School for each type of learner

After many years of prayer we now have an opportunity to embark on launching the our newest school - the ACS Academy

A special needs school that will cater to pupils from primary, secondary and post secondary levels who will be prepared for National Curriculum examinations

At capacity ACS Academy will serve about 850 students

The Plans are to start some levels in 2 years time at a temporary site and move to its home in Tengah at 2031

God’s timing is perfect

The Special Needs conversation was in process with MOE for more then a decade

The support from the Methodist Church in Singapore was unstinting.? The last four Bishops lent their support and prayer for this initiative.

ACS current and former principals, Winston Hodge, Peter Tan, Arene Koh, Loo Ming Yaw and others were central in making this a reality

I thank them and commend them for their passion and dedication to bringing an ACS Brand of Education to the Special Needs Sector.

Also several generations of ACS Board of Governors, many of them here today played significant roles in making this a reality

Our partners at Methodist Welfare Services were vital in bringing a whole solution to special needs families and we thank them for their fervant support

Please let us show our appreciation to them

Before we knew of our approval to set up the special needs school, we had been in conversation with the MOE on finding a future site for one of our primary schools

ACS Junior’s site in Winstedt Road that was leased will be not renewed and we will need to find a new site in 2039

It would be likely that we would not find a site in a central district in Singapore

Given the declining birthrates and schools in Singapore merging and closing there was also not insignificant chance in the future that we might even have to consider merging our two primary schools

Much prayer and thought went into these decisions

We had some latitude for discussion with ACS stakeholders but we were not given permission for widespread dialogue as the decisions were deemed to be market sensitive and any information leaked would possibly have had impact on the real estate market

These we heavy decisions as in renewing the ACS Mission -? We we making decisions for future generations that were not even born yet

The Church, The ACS Board and the ACS OBA management committee did not shy away from the difficult decisions

The timing of the conversations was perfect - and all in God’s timing

While our original intent was to ask for a new primary school

We ended up with enlarged enrollment for ACS Primary and a new special needs school, collocated at a new campus in the town of the future in Tengah

ACS International is also in discussion to establish a new international elementary school for international students

In the plan to establish a site in Tengah - There was very much a pull factor to meet the needs of a new community in Tengah.

The opportunity to plant new schools and churches in young vibrant communities in one of the newest and most advanced new towns was compelling

The push factor was not to discounted with the expiring lease at Winstedt Road

The determining factor in selecting which primary school to move was essentially choosing the smaller school and the increased enrollment that MOE would provide from 240 students to at least 330 students which would allow for less losses of places for alumni families

A secondary factor was addressing the need for a GEP school to move into a new neighborhood

The move to a coeducational school was a significant factor for us but given the needs for the Tengah community for coed places and the coed nature for our special needs school we made the decision to make the relocated school coed

The question came up, if the ACS culture will be weakened by allowing girls? We asked if that was the essence of ACS and if that was a culture worth keeping?

We have had girls in ACS for many years, and our culture has not been weakened.? To the contrary having girls in our ACS Schools has been a blessing.

All of our international schools in Singapore and the region are coed.

We should be grateful that ACS has girls and we have benefitted

On a personal basis I am very happy that ACS schools admitted girls for if it were not the case I would not have had the chance to meet Mrs Seow at ACS

There are different approaches, and I'm not saying all ACS schools should be coed. We are blessed with one of the larger platforms of schools in Singapore and as such we can provide various types of schools to the community

ACS welcomes all, and we want to grow so we are accessible to all kinds of learners, so that each student of ACS can grow to their maximum potential - from the top IB students and now to the special needs learners, all are welcome in ACS and all have a valued contribution to Singapore and to ACS

On this Founder’s day the lessons from Oldham must never be lost.

We must continue to give back to the communities from where we came -

From Amoy Street, to Cairnhill, from Coleman Street to Barker Road, from Dover Road and now to Tengah

From Western Shores to now Tengah - “the center” in Malay - the middle of Singapore

We are here today because of Oldham and the contributions of generations of ACSians

The gift that we have received can only grow when it is shared

Our outreach to the community has taken place in many forms

ACS (I) amongst many of its out reach efforts has has had its programs collaborating? with schools including Grace Orchard School and Crest Secondary

ACS Foundation has launched programs to help fund special needs in the ACS Schools and also to fund ACS schools to outreach in the community

For many years the OBA via the Oldham club - now with 13 sports and activities welcomes all from the community to join in their activities. Senior members from Oldham Club help coach and mentor their charges from the recreational participant to the competitive national athlete.

We must continue to challenge ourselves to be better ACSians and to be better Singaporeans.

From the words of Oldham: "For God and Humanity."

We look forward to all your support to continue the growth of ACS and the Mission that ACS was founded for. ACS will continue? to make sure the seeds that are sown fall on good soil where a bountiful crop is harvested.

We will be successful in this endeavour as long as we keep God at the center of His school, Jesus as our anchor and the Holy Spirit within us

To the Glory of God

The Best is Yet to Be