Tan Kah Kee's contributions

Tan Kah Kee contributions have been widely regarded to the education of Singapore and his hometown , Ji Mei.

Tan Kah Kee found the importance of education before one can contribute greatly to Singapore.

Tan Kah Kee spent over fifty years in Singapore between 1890 and 1950, these being some of the best and most productive years of his life. However, it must be remembered that Tan Kah Kee’s Chinese background covered a traumatic and painful era that encompassed a vast and exciting revolutionary change in China and the rapid socio-political change in South East Asia. He made generous donations to Chinese Schools in Singapore like Tao Nan, Chung Wah Girls, Ai Tong, just to name a few

He found that after the students graduate from primary , they do not have a chinses secondary school to go in Singapore , instead , they had to go to China. He then decided to collaborate with Malaysia to open up "The Chinese High School", the first-ever chinese school in Singapore. This has contributed greatly to the society , becuase the students is able to go to this school after they graduate without having to go to China. Even when he was facing the risk of the bankrupcy of his company , he still do not stop making donations. As a result , his company closed due to shortage of money but he still continue his genorosity of making donations to various schools.

His involvement and the promotion of English education in Singapore was also impressive and substantial and on record he committed a sum of S$100,000 to the proposed Anglo Chinese School College in 1919. However, when the plan was aborted due to opposition from the British authorities, Tan Kah Kee agreed to transfer $30,000 to Anglo Chinese School as a donation to its physics and chemistry funds. The school then adopted his name for one of the sporting houses.

Besides owning rubber estates in Singapore and Malaya, Tan Kah Kee’s other enterprises include rice mills, pineapple canneries, biscuit factory, shipping, sweets and confectionery, newsprint (Nanyang Siang Pau), rubber manufactories like boot, shoes, hats, tyres, brickworks etc. He also established a Maritime School as Xiamen is near the coast.

In conclusion, Mr Tan Kah Kee had contributed greatly towards the education of Singapore. He built or help in one form or another to a lot of schools , ranging from Tao Nan Primary school to Nanyang Technology University. His contributions levels the standard of education in Singapore. He has realised that the future of Singapore leaders have to had a better education , thus , he contribute greatly to schools and had helped Singapore indirectly or directly better in nuturing the leaders of Singapore

With reference:
http://www.blueskiescom.com/alumni/feb_mar_09/tan_kah_kee.htm