SJK (C) Chong Cheng 崇正华小, Sungai Ara

SJKC Chong Cheng Primary School (5 June 2011)


SJKC Chong Cheng (GPS: 5.32427, 100.27112; Simplified Chinese: 崇正华小, Traditional Chinese: 崇正華小), formerly Chong Cheng Primary School, is a primary school in Sungai Ara, Penang. It was built in the early 20th century to educate the children of Chinese farmers in the Sungai Ara Estate area. The school, which began as a collection of flood-prone wooden structures, have been thoroughly renovated and expanded in the recent decade. Today it includes a three-storey main building, a canteen, and the school hall, named Watts Hall in honour of the late H.R. Watts, who was instrumental in setting aside land and funds towards the school.

SJKC Chong Cheng started in 1930 in an attap shed with an initial intake of thirty pupils. During the Japanese Occupation, it remained as a Chinese school. In 1947 the community held a fund raising. It included an interest-free loan from H.R. Watts. This enabled a proper school building to be built. The school introduced after sessions in 1954. Nonetheless the number of pupils continued to increase, to 657 pupil in 1957.

Until the late 1970's, Sungai Ara was predominantly plantation land dominated by the 404-hectare Sungai Ara Estate, which is one of the many estates belonging to the Brown Family. H.R. Watts was the manager of the estate and eventually majority shareholder. Longtime residents of Sungai Ara who worked for him usually express their gratitude to Watts and his family for their kindness and generosity to the various ethnic communities living in Sungai Ara.

In 1989, the principal of the school Hun Shih Kwang held a new fundraising to build the school hall. The hall accommodating 800 people was completed the following year. Total pupil exceeds a thousand in 1997.

Author's Note

In the early 1990's, I used to go to the Sungai Ara Estate to give tuition to the Tamil children. The place has totally transformed into the Taman Desa Ria Housing Estate.

Watts Hall at Chong Cheng Primary School (5 June 2011)

Getting there

The nearest bus stop is a short distance outside the school. It is served by Rapid Penang bus 302 and 308.

Chong Cheng Primary School is on the Map of Sungai Ara, Penang

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