SJK (T) VIVEKANANDA BRICKFIELDS
BRIEF
1914 - The school was established with 13 students and 1 teacher. Mr AH do R Fonseka was the manager of the school.
1915 - There were 94 students with 4 teachers and the school was managed purely from subscriptions and donations from the public.
1921 – The Ramakrishnan block consisting of 3 rooms (which included a prayer altar where prayers are conducted every day including the Navarathiri Pooja) was built.
Between 1916 and 1926 the school had a chequered development - the First World War which hampered the recruitment of teachers and lack of funds.
1936 - The Vipulananda Block was completed providing classes for the growing student population.
SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT
From 1930 -1950 (except during the 2nd World War from 1941-45) there was a new syllabus by the Education Department and with effective fund raising efforts the following were achieved:
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With new classrooms a Kindergarten was started (1931).
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English Language classes – a trained teacher was recruited and English classes started for Standard III onwards.
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The Government alienated 3 acres of land for the school in Brickfields (1936).
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Government Examination for Std VII was held – Ms Ratnasabapathy Sornambigai passed out 1st in Selangor and 3rd in Malaya topping in Mathematics, Language and Geography.
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Ms Rathi Devi Karthigesu, S Savithiri, R.Jayalakshmi became pupil teachers.
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In 1950 ,there were 13 teachers and 409 students – 51 students received free education.
Mr Mylvaganam was the headmaster.
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The school began afternoon session for students from English medium schools who wanted to learn Tamil.
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Plans for the new building were approved by the Education Department but funds were still not available.
Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Block -1921
From 1951 – 1959
In the 1950s, the school grew in strength . Some of the impressive highlights in the annals of the school in the decade where Malaya got its independence included:
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1952 - The “Vivekananda Block” was built and the opening ceremony was presided by Yang Teramat Mulia Raja Muda Selangor, the late father of Sultan of Selangor.
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In 1954 after the demise of Mr S. Appudurai, the hall in the Vivekananda Block was named after him in recognition of his devoted services to Ashrama and school spanning over 20 years. He was also primarily responsible for the construction of the Vivekananda Block.
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Mr V Kasinathan was appointed as Headmaster in 1951 and served till 1971. The longest serving headmaster of the school and the school experienced growth and improvements during his tenure.
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1953 - The Ramakrishna Block (the first three classes built for the Vivekananda Tamil school Brickfields ) was refurbished and the Vivekananda English School was started for students, in the afternoon.
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The Vivekananda English school Brickfields (afternoon) had 183 students from Stds 1-6 and Forms I and II.TVAKL organised Malay classes for the students.
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1955 -the school was honoured by the visit of Lord and Lady D. Macgillivary, His Excellency the High Commissioner, Federation of Malaya.
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1955 – The Tamil school grew with 700 students and 17 teachers. Malay was taught as a subject.
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In 1957 the new Kindergarten Building was built
Raja Muda Selangor
H.R.H the Raja Muda of Selangor (now DYMM Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah) arrives for the official opening of the two-story Vivekananda Block of the Vivekananda Tamil School, KL on 19.7.1952. He is accompanied by Dato E.E.C. Thuraisingham, the first 'Member' of Education of the Federation of Malaya. In the rear (left) is Mr S. Appudurai, Manager, Vivekananda Schools, and the chief moving spirit of the construction of the new building.
Sir Gerard Templer
On the 12th of May 1954, Sir Gerard Templer, the then British High Commissioner, visited the Vivekananda Tamil School, KL. He was taken around the classrooms. Others in the picture include Mr K Sivaparagasm (left) Hon Secretary V.A, Mr S Appudurai, Manager, Vivekananda Schools, and Mr V. Kasinathan (partly Hidden) Headmaster.
His Excellency the High Commissioner, Federation of Malaya 1955
1955 -the school was honoured by the visit of Lord and Lady D. Macgillivary, His Excellency the High Commissioner, Federation of Malaya.
1957 – MERDEKA.
Malaya gained her Independence on 31 August 1957. In view of the Merdeka celebrations, the Vivekananda Schools were the first educational institution in the country to organise an ambitious “MERDEKA EXHIBITION” on the eve of Independence month. On 27 July 1957, the Hon. Minster of Labour Tun V.T. Sambanthan inaugurated the Exhibition. About 40,000 people visited the school and Armed Forces, Government Departments and commercial firms participated to explain the significance of Merdeka to pupils and youth. Visitors for the exhibition included YB Datuk Abdul Razak, Minister of Education, YM Sir Raja Uda, Speaker of the Council and YM Lady Raja Uda.
1958- With Independence came the Razak Report on education. TVAKL viewed the National Education Plan as its “Article of Faith” and the school set about to establish an ideal way to progress. Other highlights in 1958 were:
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The Kindergarten moved to a new building.
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Special classes in Tamil were conducted for L.C.E. (Form III), N.C.E. (Form IV) and School Certificate examinations.
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Mass Drill on the 1st Anniversary of Merdeka – Vivekananda Tamil School Brickfields was the only School that was invited to participate in the rally.
1960 - 1969
The Vivekananda Tamil School Brickfields, which was still headed by Mr Kasinathan had 377 students and 11 teachers.
The school had the benefit of enthusiastic Committee members of the Ashrama who worked tirelessly with dedication to guide school heads and teachers to strive for excellence in education and character building of its students. Religious education was embedded in the school curriculum. The Ashrama Committee members progressively improved the management and administrative systems in the school. The Education Officers who visited the school had high praises for the functioning and discipline at the school. The school provided an opportunity for teachers to be trained in teaching, religion and administration. The school produced high calibre and dedicated teachers who became school heads and supervisors in the later years of their career.
Till the late 1950s, the Ashrama paid teachers’ salaries and school maintenance from government grants and tuition fees. About 20 per cent of the students studied free and /or paid concessionary fees. The school had a branch at Old Klang Road (Klang Road Tamil School) with about 60 students and 2 teachers. In 1959, the Municipal Education Officer transferred the students to neighbouring schools. The Ashrama protested on grounds that the students could not afford to pay the transport cost and reserved the right to appeal!
The Education Act 1961 brought major changes in the education system of the country. The Act provided for vernacular schools at the primary level and Malay and English schools at the secondary level. All schools were government-funded and had to use a common national curriculum regardless of school type. Other provisions included:
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The formation of a single system of national education.
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Commencement of a Malayan-oriented curriculum.
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Conception of a single system of evaluation for all.
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Recognition of the eventual objective of making Bahasa Melayu the main medium of instruction.
Hence the Vivekananda Tamil Secondary school was converted and renamed as Vivekananda Secondary English school with 60 students from Forms I to III.
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The Ashrama requested the assistance of an old boy of the hostel –YB Encik S Subramaniam to help acquire the land adjacent to the school. With the acquisition of the land and the RM216,000 from the Ministry of Education, six more classrooms, 2 science labs, an Industrial Arts Block were built in 1977.
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By 1979 the Tamil School headed was by Mr M Subramniam had 292 students.
OUR PEOPLE AND ACTIVITIES (Pre 1970s)
1970 -1979
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The Ashrama requested the assistance of an old boy of the hostel –YB Encik S Subramaniam to help acquire the land adjacent to the school. With the acquisition of the land and the RM216,000 from the Ministry of Education, six more classrooms, 2 science labs, an Industrial Arts Block were built in 1977.
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By 1979 the Tamil School headed was by Mr M Subramniam had 292 students.
1980 - 1989
TVAKL saw great strides in upgrading the four schools. Student development in the Tamil schools needed greater attention so that their educational journey from Tamil medium of instruction to Malay medium of instruction in the secondary school would enable them to achieve their full potential.
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The Kindergarten had 92 students with 5 teachers.
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The Ashrama, in view of the increasing student population initiated, planned and carried out the following:
Special classes in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Mathematics for students in all classes.
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“Thevaram” classes,
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Free meals for deserving students, and
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Free books, uniforms and bus fares for students who came from under privileged homes.
1990 -1999
The school celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1991 under the patronage of YB Dato Seri Annuar Ibrahim, Minister of Education. The Minister was also presented with the development plans for the “The Vivekananda Cultural Centre” by Mr Hijjas Kasturi. The development did not take place due to the lack of funds despite the many fund raising activities carried out by TVAKL and the Sabha. This effort included a national lottery draw.
The decade of the nineties saw a new educational curriculum and the Ashrama had to make plans to enable the students to cope with the changes. The performance of the Tamil school students was declining. Some of the initiatives to improve student performance included:
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Students taking the UPSR exams were given additional classes,
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A seminar was held at Shangri-la Hotel for teachers, Headmasters and Senior Assistants to discuss measures to improve the academic performance of the students,
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The establishment of resource centres in all schools as well as awards for students who gain 5 As in the UPSR examinations.
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Residential classes were held during school holidays,
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There were night classes three times a week ,,
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Study camps were also organised for student motivation,
By the turn of the century, it was evident that the initiatives taken by the Ashrama bore fruits as the academic performance of the schools across the board had improved. The students benefitted from the extra-curricular activities in the schools and many students went on to the universities of their choice to become professionals. The school was blessed with many devoted school heads which included Mr. V. Kasinathan (1947 – 1971), Mr. M Subramaniam (1975 – 1982), Mr. V Subramaniam (1984 – 1992) and Ms. B Valarmathi (1997 – 2010).
2000 – and forward
The turn of the century saw TVAKL making great strides in enhancing not only the quality of education in the Vivekananda Schools but also providing improved facilities for the students.
In 2002, the Vivekananda Schools scored the highest number of passes in the UPSR examinations.
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The school added a new 3-storey building in 2003 at a cost of RM2.2 million which included the following:-
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8 classrooms, office, staff room, library, state of the art computer lab and an air-conditioned hall with excellent acoustics and lighting.
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A canteen built for RM150,000 with sufficient foundation for a 3-storey building.
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In 2005, school was awarded the “Best Tamil School” by SP Setia Foundation.
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A generous donor built Computer Lab worth RM200,000.00 for the school .
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In 2010, the Indian High Commissioner HE Mr Ashok Kantha donated musical instruments for the school. Music classes were organised for the students.
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Remedial classes for children with learning disabilities were organised and introduced
“ Empowering Adult Support Children” for the mental and psychological development of kids .
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In 2012 “Program Viveka Academia” was initiated as a 5-year programme with the cooperation of the teachers, parents and well wishers of the Ashrama for the Vivekananda schools. This was made possible by a contribution from MCEF which provided the funds to improve academic standards of the students, provide extra classes for Stds 6, Form 3 and 5 as well as to pay allowances for teachers and student transportation.
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In 2014 Vivekananda Primary School Brickfields became the 2nd Tamil Trust School in the country under the able leadership of Pn. S. Tamil Selvi, the headmistress who worked very closely with Yayasan Amir.
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From 2014 the school has achieved great strides in the students’ academic performance as well as extra-curricular activities. Kudos to the HM, teachers and Yayasan Amir.
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In 2014 TVAKL began the construction of the two blocks of building - three floors above the canteen and the new 2-storey block building for Vivekananda Tamil school and Secondary school .
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In 2017 ,an inter-Tamil schools football competition was initiated KL schools. It saw keen participation and very well appreciated by the students. It has become an annual event.
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In 2018 an inter-Tamil school netball tournament was initiated for the female students.
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2017/18 - Other than sports activities the Ashrama also organised an inter-Tamil school “Thiruvasagam” competition to enhance religious awareness. 20 schools both primary and secondary participated.
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In 2017, the Appudurai Hall in the School was renovated. The school building and hall are about seventy years old. Many memorable functions were held in the Hall. The Management Committee decided to upgrade the Hall which entailed air conditioning and installing new sound system and stage lights.
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The school continues to raise the academic standards of the students and the number of students who achieve enough grades to by-pass the remove class has been a great achievement for the school.
The growth of the school and its activities were due to the untiring efforts of the dedicated members like the following:
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Mr W. Ponnudurai, who was one of the founder members of the Ashrama and the Manager of the schools.
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Mr S. Ponniah was Manager of School.
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Mr S. Appudurai who served as Hon. Secretary of the Ashrama as well as the Manager of the School.
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Mr K. Sivapragasam who was the Hon. Secretary of the Ashrama for many years.
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Mr S Kandiah became the Hon Secretary of the school in 1945 and his service to the schools and Ashrama spanned over 25 years till his demise in 1971. He was also primarily responsible for the establishment of the Vivekananda Primary Tamil School ,Petaling Jaya.
The HMs who provided leadership to the school over the years:-
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Mr.Murukappa
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Mr.Mayilvakanam
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Mrs. J Jeyasegaram
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Mr.V Kasinathan
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Mr.K Navaratnam
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Mr.S. Poologosingam
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Mr.M.Subramaniam
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Mrs. A Thanaletchumy
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Mr.P Periasamy
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Mr.V.Subramaniam
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Mr.M. Ampikapathy
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Mrs. B.Valarmathi
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Mrs. R. Rasamah
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Mrs. Tamilselvi Suppiah
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Mrs. Vimaladevi Kumaran
1935-1939
1940-1945
1945-1946
1947-1971
1971-1972
1972-1975
1975-1982
1982-1983
1983-1984
1984-1992
1993-1997
1997-2010
2010-2013
2013-2017
From 2017
D.Y.T.M RAJA MUDA SELANGOR VISITS VIVEKANANDA TAMIL SCHOOL, BRICKFIELDS
History was made on Wednesday 7th September 2022 when D.Y.T.M. Raja Muda Selangor Tengku Amir Shah Ibni Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj came to Kandiah Hall in SJK(T) Vivekananda for the book launch entitled “The Doctor Will See You Now” – a biography of Tan Sri Datuk Dr K. Ampikaipakan authored by his wife Puan Sri Thamayanthi Devi Ampikaipakan JP. The book launched by YB Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Md. Yassin. It was the second time D.Y.T.M. Raja Muda of Selangor came to SJK (T) Vivekananda, Brickfields Kuala Lumpur, once in 1952 and again in 2022.
Seventy years ago on 2 July 1952, Appudurai Block was opened by Y.T.M. Tengku Abdul Aziz Shah Ibni Sultan Sir Hishamuddin, the Raja Muda of Selangor. It was indeed a momentous moment for the Chairman and Committee of Management of the Vivekananda Ashrama Kuala Lumpur for its dedication to education. The creation of the Brickfields Campus which consists of a kindergarten, a Tamil school, a Secondary school as well as a Sixth Form hub was made possible by a donation of RM 6 million from the Ministry of Education given to the Ashrama in 2013 when YB Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Haji Md. Yassin was the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister.
