This is the common type of classroom of most schools. The most obvious things that you may not be able to see in nowadays classrooms were probably the “blackboard” and the type of “tables and chairs”. The photo above taken in 1962, shows a typical classroom in a rural area then.
Below are some of the things we used in the classes and schools of the 60s and 70s. Credit to National Archives of Singapore for the National Heritage Fair in 2007.
A morning exercise or PE lesson scene;
The type of old tables we used in the classroom;
Typical PE ‘tools’ then. I remember these round rubberised type we used during PE lessons, also not forgetting those bean bags. I’m surprised to find out from my daughter that it’s still being used now.
How a blackboard looks like;
Of course to write on a blackboard, you need to use chalk and not markers. There were different colors for chalk too. To erase, we used the duster.
The other use of the duster is for the teacher to throw it at those naughty or sleeping students. Remember those chalk and duster marks left on the face once the duster hit your face. Back then, no parents seem to bother to complain and students also don’t bother to tell their parents too.
I had my primary education from 1969 to 1974, when was yours?
Times of My Life 
My primary education was bteween 1961 and 1966 in a rural area. THings I remembered having to carry the desks/chairs to the open space in order to wash the classroom.
Alaso “eating chalk” for talking too much in class. I think students love to talk when the teacher was teaching. The punishment began with standing-up, next standing-up on a chair, next putting a chalk in the mouth like smoking a cigarette, next mouth full of used chalks, next standing outside the classroom, next see the principal, finally if all things don’t work, a bad remark was written on the report card.
Other punishments I recall – writing lines “I shall not talk during lesson hours” 100 times, sometimes 500 times. We devised an ingenious method of typing a rubber band around 5 pens so that at one go we write 5 lines already.
Sometimes the blackboard was used to write down the “scores”. There was a time when a teacher awarded marks for all kinds of classroom competitions; keeping quiet, subject tests, etc. The classroom was divided into “teams” based on the desk layout. Mine was by column.
We had a duty roster for cleaning the blackboard.
At Katong convent we sometimes had to stand outside of the classroom with a baby ‘tito’ in our mouths as a humiliating punishment for talking during lessons.
@ Profkingsfield that eating chalk punishment must have been so icky!LOL! I love that ingenious method of tying a rubber band around 5 pens to write 5 times at one go.Wow!
But writing lines on the blackboard was the classic penalty.I used to annoy everyone at times by screeching the chalk on purpose causing everyone to cringe and cover their ears!
I remembered when the teachers rubbed off the chalk writings from the blackboard, the dust particles usually lands on the students who sat on the front rows in front of the blackboard.
One other punishment should one speak vulgar language like genitals in Hokkien or FXXX, the student had to go to the basin (some classrooms had basins) to wash the mouth and gargle with foam made from the blue-colored AYAM brand soap bar (Victor I think you remember that washing clothes on that wooden board required cutting a piece of the long soap bar?).
The punishment for looking at pretty Convent primary school girls was cover one’s eyes with 2 hands and standing in the corner of the classroom. If one carried a handkerchief, the handkerchief was used to tie around the head to cover the eyes.
I still remember caning is still allowed in schools when i was in primary school in the early/mid80s. Back then, we don’t dare to complain to our parents and teacher’s words seems to be the ‘law’ then.
I had this teacher who use to throw the textbooks literally when he is returning the signed assingments back to us.
You are right Peter, eating chalk and having the chalk being thrown at the face were the other popular punishment by the teachers then. Seems like most of the teachers used the same method of punishments, why? Of course writing lines is one that will have to go thru at least once in the 6 years of education.
Hi Ordinary Guy, some blackboard were in a horrible condition that they were very difficult to clean off. The students even have to use wet cloth to wipe them clean.
Yes Timothy, I don’t know why some teachers like to throw the students books…
We used compass and dividers to dig holes in our desks to play ‘golf’. Well maybe the holes were already there, we just enlarged it.
Oh yes Chun See, you reminded me of all those holes caused by the compass and dividers!
making holes on the desk must have been 1969- that was the year singapore hosted the world golf championship at the SICC. jack nicholas, gary Player and Lee Trevino were some big names who took part.
@ profkingsfield2004 Thanks for giving me a really good giggle with the vulgar language punishment. I certainly remember the Ayam brand soap bar but I never imagined someone gargling with its foam LOL!
If we were caught saying rude words relating to genitals or copulation we girls had to wash our mouths but with Popinjay soap(don’t know if its still exists) and report to the Principle for punishment. Saying bad words was the worst and apparently very dramatic. Parents were telephoned or sent a note. And everyone in school stared at you like you were the Elephant Man.
@ ordinary guy Your’e absolutely right about those dust particles landing on the hair of front rowers LOL! And if you wore specs it was double the trouble! And teachers would often drop the duster as they wiped the blackboard and everyone would automatically look at the duster on the floor.LOL!
Hm…some common punishments I remembered are standing on chair, behind or outside classroom, standing inside a small circle the teacher drew on the floor and carry chair/schoolbag/books above the head. Usually female teachers like to give such punishments.
peek-a-boo: which year did you study in CHIJ KC?
Can chalk be stuffed into the mouth without health problem? Quite surprised it ranks lower than standing outside classroom in the hierarchy of punishment.
Haha Icemoon, where do you find the hierarchy of punishment? I guess the hierarchy is different in every school and time. Standing outside classroom or on chair is more common in my school.
I’m impressed! So many different types of punishments that most of us have gone thru during our school days.
@snoppy81,
Was referring to the punishment for talking too much by profkingsfield2004. First comment.
Haha… what other punishments u all recommend? How about standing on 1 leg? hehe…
Asking girls in mixed school to stand on chair (with 1 leg? hehe) like a bit demeaning right?
Haha… its bad to ask girls in mixed school to stand on chair in the boys’ pressence?
Yup, not to mention a bit dangerous. You may slip if tired or when you try to shift your weight on the legs.
Hm… stand on chair dangerous meh?
Well, I remember some of them unbalanced on the legs.
I mean uneven on the legs, sorry.
Also if you look at the old photos by LKK, the girls were sitting on stools, not chairs.
Icemoon: I mean during the 80s or 90s when we are sitting on chairs and not stools.
This is cool!
Anyone knows where we can still find classrooms of this sort? Schools with blackboard especially…
Not too sure Kai, but in the 80s many still using such blackboard.
Laokokok,
Excellent job on maintaining a very enjoyable blog. Reading this blog has brought back many fond memories of my childhood in Singapore during the 1960’s and early 1970’s. I attended Delta West Primary School from 1967 to 1972. My family migrated to the US in 1972 and I have been here ever since. If I remember correctly, we left Singapore the day the rest of my classmates were taking the placement exam for secondary schools. I do remember the “blackboard”. In those days, we alternated between the morning and afternoon sessions from one school year to the next. When I was around 10 or 11 years old, I attended the afternoon session. I was the tallest kid in my class so I had to sit in the back of the class room. The late afternoon sunlight made the blackboard very difficult to read. The teacher called my mother in and told her I needed glasses. I don’t remember caning at my school but hitting the knuckles with a ruler was a very common punishment. And one male teacher was very accurate at throwing chalk at inattentive students.
Thank you db 1688. Sad to say the blackboard days were gone and the whiteboard though eliminate those dusty chalk problems, but light reflection is another big issue.
Hi db1688
I read your post with interest as you mentioned Delta West Primary School.
My dad, Mr. Ponnampalam, was the principal for a number of years. I do not know if you remember him or have any memories of studying there when he was the principal.
Please let me know.
cheers
Siva
Oh, I find it hard that there aren’t any chalkboards apparently. In my school every classroom has them 😛
I remember vividly. It was 1966, and we had our best teacher, Miss Keean. We were all 8 or 9. Miss Keean didn’t believe in corporal punishment. She never had to punish us. I do remember one hot summer day towards the end of the year. Our classroom had an industrial fan that made the classroom an icebox. When the class had being talking to much, she made us miss ten minutes of lunch, sitting at our desks with our eyes closed. It was so hot out, we actually enjoyed it, especially when we all started footfighting. Miss Keean was non the wiser.
I remember one boy, Josh, getting slippered.
I still have a blackboard at my school and I’m. In middle school
Wow! You guys really wonderful. Remembering all the mischief we did in school during our younger days. Now is the youngsters turn. I wonderful what mischief my grandchild can do since his dad used be very naughty during his school days.
wanted to find primary school in the 60s near the basin on corner of liverpool road and mountain highway. The basin….
Another humiliation for boys was being told sit under a table, in the corridor out side class ,with four chalks in the mouth and one each in the ears. The girls passing by use to torment these guys.
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Hi Siva
I was at Delta West Primary School from 1968 to 1973 when your father was still the Principal. How is he now? I remember him as nice & caring to all his students. I am still in contact with my primary school cohort; it would be good to hear from him.
Thanks!
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Thank you!
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