School History

The school was founded in 1938 by a group of warm-hearted pioneer educators led by Mr Neo Tiew, a well-known philanthropist in Lim Chu Kang. The literal meaning of ‘Qi Hua (启化）’ means ‘rousing the learning spirit’ of the young as it nurtures and prepares its charges for the future, regardless of their race or creed.

In the 1930s, as there were no schools in Lim Chu Kang, with the exception of a few study centres, Mr Neo Tiew, the headman of Ama Keng Village, together with Mr Lim Kim Hoon, the first principal of Kay Wah, and a group of caring and far-sighted community leaders, began the challenging task of merging all the study centres together to form Kay Wah School. It was then a Chinese-medium school with an enrolment of about 200 pupils. It was briefly closed during the Japanese Occupation but re-opened after World War II with an enrolment of 200 pupils in its 3 branches.

The school’s 3 branches were named: Kay Wah Main, Kay Wah Branch I and Kay Wah Branch II, ran by 3 Principals: Mr Ong Hang Tin, Mr Choo Phie Ching and Mr Chen Chick Sin respectively to cater to the rising educational needs of the farming community. In 1976, the school was officially declared a government school by Mr Tang See Chim, then Member of Parliament.

In 1980, Kay Wah Branch II adopted English as its medium of instruction. When the farming community in Lim Chu Kang was resettled, Kay Wah Main and Branch II closed. Kay Wah Branch I shifted to its current address in Woodlands under the headship of Mr Choo Phie Ching in 1988. He initiated a name change to its Hanyu Pinyin name: “Qihua”. It was officially opened by Mr Lee Yiok Seng, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (National Development) and MP for Bukit Panjang on November15, 1990.

Mr Seah Chong Kiat ran the school from 1989 to 1997. Mrs Bilveer Singh took over the headship of the school from 1998 to 2005, and Mrs Koh-Ho Sau Peng headed the school from 2006 to 2016. Currently, the responsibility of headship is under our 9th Principal, Mrs Lee Hui Feng.