Foon Yew High School (Chinese: 宽柔中学, Malay: Sekolah Menengah Foon Yew) is the largest Chinese independent high school in Malaysia. The school has three campuses: first in Stulang Laut, second in Kulai, and recent third in Masai. Foon Yew High School has two semesters each year. An academic year begins in January and finishes at the end of November, with a near two-week holiday in June.
Introduction
Foon Yew High School is the largest Chinese independent high school in Malaysia in terms of both students and campus size. The main school, with its 13-acre (53,000 m2) campus, is located in Stulang Laut, Johor Bahru, the school’s Kulai branch, with its 30-acre (120,000 m2) campus, is located in Taman Indahpura, Kulai, and another branch in Masai, with its 23.2-acre (94,000 m2) campus, is located in Bandar Seri Alam, Masai.
History
On 18 May 1913, Foon Yew Chinese Primary School was founded by Huang Xichu (Chinese: 黄羲初; pinyin: huang xī chū), Luo Yusheng (Chinese: 骆雨生; pinyin: luo yǔ shēng), Zheng Yaji (Chinese: 郑亚吉; pinyin: zheng yǎ ji) and Chen Yingxiang (Chinese: 陈迎祥; pinyin: chen ying xiang). During World War II, the school suffered heavy damage and was forced to close down. After World War II, the school was re-constructed by Shi Liandui (Chinese: 史联对; pinyin: shǐ lian dui). In 1951, the school decided to extend the Chinese education and established Foon Yew High School. In 1963, the number of students reached 1500. In 1980, the school implemented an entrance examination for new students. There were over 4000 students in the school at the time. In 2005, the school’s branch, Foon Yew-Kulai High School, in Kulai, Johor was officially opened. In 2015, Foon Yew High School-Kulai celebrated the school’s 10th anniversary. The current students in both high schools had reached 12000. In 2021, the school’s second branch in Bandar Seri Alam, Masai was officially opened.
Foon Yew High School Seri Alam Campus obtained the official approval from the Malaysian Ministry of Education in 2016. Construction commenced in 2018, and on November 26, 2020, the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) was successfully obtained. The campus covers an area of 93,887 square meters and was built with an investment of over 80 million Malaysian Ringgit.
Principal Dr. Zheng Meizhen（郑美珍） introduced to our reporter that the school will hold a grand celebration for 110th anniversary on August 19, 2023. School principals from dozens of countries around the world, including Canada, Japan, Singapore, China, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Indonesia, will come to offer their congratulations. The school has done extensive work in international cooperation, contributing significantly to expanding students’ international perspectives and enhancing faculty’s teaching and management capabilities.
Vice Principal Lin Keli（林可荔） and Director of Collaborative Activities Ms. Chen Qiuyi （陈秋忆）provided detailed information about the school’s collaborative activities to Mr. Alvin, the Vice Principal of a Canadian high school, and our reporter. Mr. Alvin highly praised the school’s achievements in collaborative activities and expressed his intention to share this outstanding experience with other cooperative schools in different countries to benefit more students worldwide.
- Reporter: Yilin Wen
- Editor: Yilin Wen / Akari Ito
- Proofreader: Runan Liu / Ruihan Xiang
