The good story of St Patrick’s school

Published on: Sunday, October 17, 2021

By: Kan Yaw Chong

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Dr. KM George (3rd left), James Power, Bishop Melter Tais, Dr. James Ku, Tung Yow Choi at the centenary cake cutting, 7 July 2017.

TELL good stories, they say. Last week, we ran a story on the Primacy of Service behind the founding of 104-year-old St Patrick’s Church Tawau, based on the latest book entitled St Patrick’s Tawau 1917-2017: The story of an Anglican Church and its schools.

“Hail Servire Regnare” – in Latin means “To Serve is To Reign”.

This week, the focus is on its schools.

Why and who started St Patrick’s school in 1917 no doubt intrigue the curious.

But a distant past like 1917 may not mean much to a contemporary reader.

So those who are curious, grab a copy of the book and read it in its entirety.

Suffice it here to write what I remember about the St Patrick’s School in the 1960s.

The dominant memory of St Patrick’s days that we “san bar lao” (hilarious self-deprecating joke as good only for the wild) were cherished.

One never feels judgemental teachers as unworthy, thanks to the school motto, “To Serve is the Reign” – understood as real authority comes from service in practice. And surprisingly that was the order of day or atmosphere in a school that was full of Australian teachers later joined by a raft of teachers from India.

Why so many Australian teachers

So, if you read Part D – Schools: the middle years, an interesting question arises; Why did St Patrick’s attract so much Australian interest.

Strange as it may sound, it goes back to World War 2, especially two persons – Ken Perry and Walter Newmarch who were both soldiers on the islands around Borneo in World War 2.

Newmarch, a member of the Intelligence Corps was on active frontline military duty with the 2nd Australian Infantry Force. While in Balikpapan, he believed the people of Borneo was his calling to bring the message of hope and love.

So he applied to CMS (Church Missionary Society) of Australia and actually travelled with CMS Federal Secretary Archdeacon Hewitt on a mission survey to Borneo in December 1953.

To cut the story short, Newmarch and wife Camille arrived in Tawau in May 1954.

Newmarch became the overall Principal of St Patrick’s School which then had three educational groups – English Primary, English Junior Secondary and Chinese Junior Secondary under Headmaster David Wang.

But lack of trained teachers presented real difficulties.

Threat to close St Patrick’s brought the Powers

Towards the end of 1956, the education authorities inspected the school and told Newmarch he must recruit the services of trained teachers for the school before the beginning of 1957 or the school would be closed.

Faced with this life-threatening crisis for the school, Newmarch apparently scrambled to reach out CMS Australia for help.

Guess who responded? James Power and wife Betty who were told to leave for Borneo immediately after Christmas 1956!

Precisely the highly qualified graduates, trained and experienced teachers Newmarch was asked to get.

Power studied Chemical Engineering prior to studying at Wagga Wagga Teacher Training College in 1949-50 and at the University of Sydney where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and taught in government schools in NSW while Betty was trained as a primary school teacher and had taught in NSW schools.

Given Power’s zeal and frequent appeal to “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding” and his unambiguous emphasis on discipline, St Patrick’s regularly topped the State in Cambridge exams in the 60s, reversing completely previously poor standard that once even caused the North Borneo Department of Education to bar St Patrick’s from opening up a Form 3 class.

Bridge classes

But what if one had a Malay or Chinese primary school education – any chance to opt for a transit to an English Secondary school?

Very interestingly, after St Patrick’s had introduced Bridge Classes for two years in the late 50s, the North Borneo Government made Bridge Classes an official Policy and this is how this writer transited from Chung Hwa to St Patrick’s.

The Powers returned to Australia at the end of 1965 and left behind a huge legacy of major achievements, which included the physical development of iconic school padang from a coconut plantation, both the 1959 classroom block and the 1963 block joined up as one long building near town, and the planned new site in Kuhara.

The Goodlets

By then, Ken and Jane Goodlet had already taught at St Patrick’s since the May 1965.

Besides history, Goodlet taught English.

One incident that may have decided my destiny was this.

One day, Goodlet read my essay in front of the whole class about a trip to Cameron Highlands.

“Wow: You mean I could write good English?”

But before the Powers could see the shift of the school from town to Kuhara in June 1966, they had already returned to Australia.

KM George replaced Power

KM George, who arrived in Tawau on 1 May 1963 from Kerala, India, with Elizabeth George, replaced Power as principal of St Patrick’s in the beginning of 1966.

After the departure of the Powers, KM George practically inherited the development of the block of eight classrooms cum staff room and library and the Science Block in Kuhara.

In the process, he almost lost his life.

“On September 19, 1964, while I was supervising the clearing, a huge tree fell on me. For three days in hospital, I remained unconscious, but by God’s grace I was given a second lease of life.”

Untold shock incident

This sort of shock helps to raise appreciation for what KM had done for the school but except for the book which has recorded this, few would know.

He also secured the help of the 5th Malaysia Engineers under Major Mohindar Singh to build a 400-metre track sports field out of what was a rubber plantation below the school in 1967.

However, the biggest problem after the acquisition of the Kuhara property was fundraising, said KM George.

Given the bank balance was zero, he said Church in KK agreed to lend RM100,000 to start the process, with some help from the Government later but as school results improved and demand for places high, public donation became the biggest support.

Malaysianisation and the first non-expat Acting Principal

Under the Malaysianisation programme, KM George became the last expatriate principal of St Patrick’s when he passed the baton Koo Hon Syn on February 7, 1976.

It was KM George who proposed he be replaced by an old boy Hon Syn who took over as “Acting Principal” and vowed to continue the long tradition established by the school.

Key changes in the 70s saw opening of afternoon school, as predominant expatriate teachers became 100pc locals, Bible knowledge be taught outside school hours not as a subject while Diocesan schools had no more say in the selection and appointment of teachers.

One result of the extension of the Federal Education Act to Sabah was that principals could be transferred to any part of the State.

It happened to Hon Syn in 1979 when he received a letter from the Director of Education on his transfer to the Kuhara Secondary School next door.

“I felt that St Patrick’s is where I should be. I felt that the time had come for me to go.”

When Hon Syn resigned

At the resignation of Hon Syn on July 31, 1980, Archdeacon Yong Ping Chung asked Yvonne Ching to take over as Acting Principal until August 1, 1982.

When the Department of Education appointed Elizabeth Au Yong as Principal for 1982-1983, Yvonne Ching became her Senior Assistant until Au Yong’s transfer to St Ursula Convent in March 1983.

Return of Yvonne Ching

So 1983 to 1993 marked the decade of return of Yvonne Ching as principal until she was transferred to SMK Beaufort.

Sng Aun Nee was appointed Action principal, strangely for few times, like April-May 1993; September 1993 to October 1994 and August to December 2004.

Datuk Yap Kain Ching

One big name is Datuk Yap Kain Ching, a former student, who was appointed Principal between May and September 1993.

The manner in which principals Tung Yow Choi & Lee Ken Voon were picked

Well, who has the final say in the choice of principal?

“The final choice of principal is the government which in practice relies on the recommendation of the bishop.

“The bishop relies on the school board of management making a recommendation – someone who can maintain the academic strength, the discipline and quality of the new school buildings and understands the ethos and character of this mission school,” noted Dr James Ku, Chairman of the Board of School Management.

In the case of Tung Yow Choi who was principal from 2004 to 2016, it was Yvonne Ching who proposed Tung, the Board agreed, the bishop recommended Tung and the Government accepted it, Dr Ku said.

In the case of current principal Lee Ken Voon, the Board and Bishop Melter Tais recommended his appointment as principal in 2016 to the Department of Education which approved his appointment.

The 1959 block (at left) and the 1963 Secondary School block (at right). (Pic: Jim Power)

Four recent St Patrick’s Secondary School principals (from left): Yvonne Ching alias Lim Khoon Chin, Mary Yap Kain Ching, Tung Yow Choi and Lee Ken Voon. (Pic: St Patrick’s archives)