United World College of South East Asia - History

History

In 1970, the site on which UWCSEA's Dover Campus now stands was occupied by the St John's Army School, run by the British Army, but in the light of British military withdrawal from Singapore in 1971, it was due to be vacated. Lord Mountbatten, then the President of the UWC movement, was keen to set up a United World College in Singapore and the Singapore government was equally keen to have a school for the education of the children of expatriates.

The school was opened as the Singapore International School in 1971 in an official opening ceremony attended by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The Singapore International School was affiliated with the United World College movement, and formally became a member of the movement in 1975, changing its name to the United World College of South East Asia.

Originally a secondary-only school, UWCSEA Dover today has a primary section which takes students as young as four. The total number of students (Kindergarten 1 - Grade 12) is now over 2,900.

In 2006, Singapore's former Ambassador to the United Nations and former President of the United Nations Security Council Kishore Mahbubani was appointed Chairman of the Board of Governors.

UWCSEA's East Campus opened its doors on 1 September 2008 in a transitional campus in Ang Mo Kio. The East Infant School moved to its permanent home at the Tampines Campus in 2010. Initially a Kindergarten 1 - Grade 4 primary school for 420 students, by 2015 UWCSEA East will offer over 2,500 places to Kindergarten 1 - Grade 12 students, including 120 boarders.

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