Jit Sin

Jit Sin School was originally a free school offered by Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple（福德正神庙）in 1894 in Market Street, Bukit Mertajam, Penang（槟城，大山脚，巴刹街）.[4] The institution's building was several two-storey shop lots opposite the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple in Pek Kong Cheng（伯公埕）. The school is now shops of Sin Guan Lee（新源利）and Kong Chan（广栈）at the corner lot. In 1918, the institution's name was changed to Jit Sin Primary School（日新小学）and opened on March 2. The president is Mr Zhu Bu Yun（朱步云）and Mr Yang Zi Xiu（杨自修）was employed as the first principal. Prior to its opening there were over 80 students from first grade to fourth grade.[5][6]

On October 10, 1922, all Chinese schools across the country were closed down due to the matter of School Registration Act, 1920. The first batch of graduates of Jit Sin Primary School had their graduation ceremony the second year of the closure, which was until Mr Yang Zhi Xiang （杨芷芗） assumed the post.

In December 1941, the school was suspended for the Japanese invasion of Malaya and reopened in 1945 after the Japanese occupation of Malaya. At that time, institutions work as a whole（统筹统办）. Jit Sin Primary School and several other schools were under a general term of institution, Chung Hwa School（中华学校）, which had several schools at other locations in a region. For Jit Sin Primary School, it was located at a milk package（牛奶袋） factory in Aston Road（爱斯顿路）, which was behind the Han Chiang Association（韩江会馆） building. Due to the deprivation of education during war time, the education given was free and the number of students was enormous. For Jit Sin branch campus there were over 1000 students. At the end of year 1945, the schools went back to their original modes. Jit Sin Primary School was officially reopened in 1946.

In 1948, the main campus in Market Street was demolished under municipal regulation. Although there were other campuses and schools, there were not capable to accommodating the significantly increasing number of students. New campus was decided to be at a piece of land of Mr Huang Jiu Ji（黄九吉） in Aston Road, Bukit Mertajam, which is nearby the original location (now Jit Sin Independent High School). Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple subsequently bought the land.

On the National Day of the Republic of China of 1949（双十节）, Zhong Zhen School（中正学校）and Xin You School（新友学校）were merged into Jit Sin Primary School for unity and development. The date was established as the anniversary of the founding of the school.[7] However the anniversary was later changed to October 9.[8]

Jit Sin Junior High School was officially established in 1950 for the convenience of the primary school's students and the first principal was Mr Zhang Gong Da（张公达）.

In 1952, 17 classrooms of new campus in Aston Road were completed. For primary school, most classes were transferred to the new campus and shared the same classrooms with junior high.

Penang well-known figure Mr Lim Lean Teng（林连登） was invited to the new campus for the opening ceremony on January 12, 1953. The school was not stable within the year for the post of principal until Mr Xing He Nian（邢鹤年） took office in 1954.

Jit Sin Senior High School was established in 1958. Both primary and high schools were subsidized by government and the administration was separated. The principal of primary school is Mr Deng Meng Fa（邓孟发） while the high school is Mr Song Ban Kheng（宋万庆）. Several types of school board were established under education regulations.

In 1959, due to the enormous number of students, the primary school was divided into three campuses, with separate administration. Main campuses was at Aston Street and Taman Usahaniaga (then Jit Sin Kindergarten). To provide education for overage student, Jit Sin Private Secondary School was established at a building borrowed from Han Chiang Association.[9][10]

In 1961, after the third phase of construction of Jit Sin High School, the planning of new primary school campus was started. Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple bought a land at Berapit, Bukit Mertajam（大山脚，武拉必） with RM 33750 while Mr Zou Wen Kai（邹文开） donated and built the road. The construction was completed in 1963 and the morning session of students from the main campus were transferred to the new campus the next year. Due to the lack of school buses, the students from the other two branch campuses and the afternoon session of main campus remained at their original campuses.

In 1965, all primary school students were transferred to the new campus. The school was split into two administrations because of the enormous number of students with School A larger than School B.[11]

In 1962, under the Education Act, Jit Sin Primary School became fully subsidized Chinese vernacular primary school. Jit Sin High School accepted the offer from government for education restructuring and the school was split into two, with one became fully subsidized Chinese vernacular secondary school（日新国民型中学）, while the other one remains to be a Chinese-medium education school and established as Jit Sin Independent High School（日新独立中学）. The school board employed Mr Song Ban Kheng as the principal of Jit Sin High while Mr Chen Tong Xiang（陈桐香） for Jit Sin Ind. High. Both schools and primary school shared the same campus in Aston Street at that time. The Jit Sin Ind. Junior High remained at the Aston Street campus while the Jit Sin Ind. Senior High students was schooled at Hokkien Association in Datuk Ooh Chooi Cheng Street（余水清街） nearby the main campus.[12][13][14]

In 1965, under the new education policy, the primary school examination was abolished. The discontinuity of sources of junior high students resulting in the close down of junior high. The junior high was finally reopened in 1975. The school was completed with secondary education in 1977.

In 1984, the school followed the curriculum of UCSCAM（董总） and participated in the UEC test（统考）until the present. The United Chinese School Committees Association of Malaysia (UCSCAM, the association of Chinese school teachers and trustees) coordinates the curriculum used in the independent schools across Malaysia and organises the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) standardised test. The school also counsels the students to participate in government exam.

After the relocation of Jit Sin High in 1992, Jit Sin Ind. High fully owned the school campus in Aston Road.[15]

Pre-university was established in 1979. The school was completed with secondary school preparatory class to pre-tertiary education.

In 1980, the students had exceeded 3000 and the facilities were inadequate. In 1989, the Minister of Ministry of Education announced that a piece of land at Taman Sri Rambai（南美园） would be sold at RM 1 to Jit Sin High School as the location of new school campus. The construction was completed in 1992. On December 2, school opening ceremony at new campus was held.

On June 24, 1995, the annual sports day was held again after 15 years. Chief Minister of Penang at that time, Mr Koh Tsu Koon was invited to the opening ceremony. On August 13, Deputy Chief Minister of Malaysia at that time, Mr Anwar Ibrahim was invited for the official opening ceremony of new campus. In 1998, the school site was expanded to 11 acre.[16]