Ringing That Bell!

Sometimes the memories that linger most vividly from our school days are not the pleasant ones, but the moments that shaped our character in unexpected ways. For Daniel Koh, the discipline at Bedok Boys’ School during his years from 1960 to 1965 remains unforgettable.

While many schools of that era practised public caning - Bedok Boys’ included - there was another method considered the “lesser evil.” An offending student, accompanied by a teacher, would go from class to class to explain his misdeed. It was a walk of mild shame, meant not to humiliate but to nudge the boy toward better behavioural outcomes.

What the whole school remembers with a mix of amusement and dread, however, was the Bell Ringing ritual. Once a week, just before the open-air assembly, a loud bell would ring - sharp enough for every boy to hear, whether he was on the field or along the corridors.

The moment it sounded, every student had to freeze. Stand at attention. Hold completely still for 20 to 30 seconds. If anyone so much as twitched, a prefect would jot down his name, and detention or school chores would soon follow. Only when the bell rang again could the boys relax and move.

No one can say for certain how effective this peculiar style of discipline truly was. But looking back across 65 years - with so many former students now in their senior years - one thing seems clear enough: the boys of Bedok Boys’ School turned out to be fine gentlemen indeed.