Catholic High School old boys dress the part to celebrate 60 years since they turned Primary 1

SINGAPORE – It is not every day that you see a group of men in their 60s dressed in their primary school uniforms.

Among the 42 men donning white shirts adorned with metallic buttons and khaki green shorts in Queen Street – the former location of their alma mater, Catholic High School (Primary) – on Feb 8 was Mr David Kong.

The 67-year-old was the mastermind behind the idea of dressing up for a reunion to mark 60 years since his batch first entered Catholic High School as Primary 1 pupils.

His theme for the gathering was “renew and regain one’s youth”, which was how the decision to wear the school uniforms came about.

Mr Kong, a furniture material trading business owner, said procuring the uniforms was not easy. Placing an order for custom-made shirts in adult sizes from a local school uniform maker took more than two weeks, and he had to get help from the school’s current vice-principal before the retailer accepted his order.

To save costs, Mr Kong had sourced cheaper alternatives for the shorts from China, costing around $5 per pair. He ordered the school badges directly from the school.

Business owner Eric Hooy, also 67, was part of the enthusiastic group donning their primary school uniforms and cheering loudly.

Describing this year’s reunion as “fun” since everyone followed the mandatory dress code, Mr Hooy said it was a “very cute” and “funny idea” to wear their primary school uniforms, as it would be “very special”.

The former primary school building of Catholic High School is currently closed for redevelopment as an arts house under the Singapore Art Museum known as SAM@8Q.

But Mr Kong reached out to the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, which is overseeing the redevelopment works, to ask for permission to have a group photo taken at the site.

His request was initially rejected, but he appealed and finally received the go-ahead just one day before the reunion.

At the gathering, the men chatted over food and drinks at a comedy club located next to the former school site, in addition to singing the school song together and taking a group photo.

Mr Kong has been organising such gatherings for his batchmates during the Chinese New Year period since he returned to Singapore in 2014, after spending 30 years abroad for work.

Former teachers are also invited and presented with gifts and red packets, with their former pupils volunteering to ferry them to and from the events.

This year, seven teachers – all in their eighties – attended the event.

Mr Chen Jie Jue, 86, who taught Chinese language at the school for 45 years, said that seeing his former pupils put on their school uniforms reminded him of what they were like back in Primary 1.

Adding that many of his batchmates ended up starting and operating businesses in China, Mr Kong said: “Our teachers sacrificed a lot back then... They helped us learn all about the Chinese culture and language. Without our background in Chinese education, it would have been difficult for us to survive in China.”

Over the past decade, Mr Kong has managed to contact more than half – slightly over a hundred – of his fellow batchmates with the help of social media, phone directories and mutual friends.

The organising committee members are currently looking for the remaining old boys from their batch. Interested alumni can reach out to collink.sg@gmail.com

In fact, smaller weekly gatherings have formed after Mr Kong’s batchmates met one another at these yearly reunions. They now gather frequently for pickleball, golf, singing and drinks.

Mr Hooy described his bond with his batchmates as “fate”, adding that they treasure one another.

He said he feels closer to his batchmates – whom he had spent his 10 years of his life with, from Primary 1 to Secondary 4 – than his colleagues or other friends.

“These past memories... when we got punished by teachers... and I can call them by their old nicknames to make fun of them... these feelings are strong,” said Mr Hooy.