Tampines is the third largest new town in Singapore and as such, the third most populated as well. As the regional centre for the East, Tampines is perpetually swarming with people and its bus interchange and MRT station rarely see a drop in human traffic.
Its popularity has much to do with it being a matured town with many HDB blocks and shopping malls like Tampines Mall, Century Square and Tampines 1. These three malls surround the ever-busy MRT station and are always teeming with activity. Century Square is also where Shaw Theatres is. Before residents in Marine Parade got the GV cinema in 112 Katong, this would be the closest cinema to visit outside of Orchard. Residents of neighbouring Marine Parade and Bedok would travel to Tampines to catch a movie.
As a major population hub, Tampines is incredibly self-sufficient, making its popularity warranted.
But the malls, cinema and transportation aren’t the only factors that make Tampines such an inviting place to live in. It is also, unsurprisingly a town where many educational institutions and schools are.
There are 12 primary schools, nine secondary schools, four tertiary schools and one international school.
These primary schools are; St. Hilda’s, Angsana Primary, British Council Pre-school, East View Primary, East Spring Primary, Tampines North Primary, Tampines Primary, Yumin Primary, Chongzheng Primary, Gongshang Primary, Junyuan Primary and Poi Ching Primary.
The secondary schools are; East Spring Secondary, East View Secondary, Dunman Secondary, Junyuan Secondary, Ngee Ann Secondary, Pasir Ris Secondary, Springfield Secondary, Tampines Secondary and St. Hilda’s Secondary.
SOurce: Deoma12 / Wikicommons
The tertiary institutions are; ITE College East, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Tampines Junior College (TJC) and Tampines Polytechnic (TP).
The United World College of South East Asia has a Tampines Campus as well, rounding off an already impressive array of public and private schools for Tampines.
These schools do not include the kindergartens, play schools and assorted day care centres located throughout the town.
Source: Ng Dj / Wikicommons
While it used to be that Tampines only has one main MRT station on the East West line, the opening of the Downtown line has helped ease traffic. For example, the Tampines West MRT station in Tampines Ave 5 is within walking distance to Junyuan Primary, East View Primary and Temasek Polytechnic.
The Tampines East MRT Station under the junction of Tampines Ave 2, 9 and 17 will get students in the Tampines East area to Tampines Junior College and Ngee Ann Secondary quicker as well.
With new developments incoming to Tampines North, there are plans to add more schools to Tampines to satiate the high demand in the area and from around the East region. There will also be a Tampines North MRT station built along the Cross Island Line(2030) to increase accessibility. Slowly but surely, Tampines looks as if it is turning into the East Region’s most prolific educational hub.
