The initial subjects offered were Art and Craft; Commercial Studies; Domestic Science; Library Science; Metalwork and Woodwork; Physical Education; and Science; with Audio-visual Aids being introduced into the teaching of each subject.
In the field of Physical Education, Teoh, the superintendent of Physical Education in schools then, was tasked with the set-up of the department. On hindsight, there could not have been a better man entrusted to set up the department at the STTI. The facilities such as the swimming pool, gymnasium, courts, games’ fields and training rooms, were each constructed to its required dimensions, befitting a specialist college of training.
On Jan 4,1960, a unique teacher-training programme commenced at the STTI, with the first intake of 32 male qualified teachers for PE who must have had at least two years of teaching experience. The oldest was 43 years old. This one-year course was to elevate their knowledge in the teaching and administration of the subject.In its second year, the first batch of 14 female PE teachers were introduced with a reduction in the number of male PE teachers to 18.
The Institute derived its name from a proposal by Teoh, that since it was built to train specialist subject teachers, it should be called Specialist Teachers’ Training Institute.