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66-516: Hwa Chong Junior College is the second junior college, and the first government-aided junior college to be established in Singapore, after National Junior College . In 1970, the then Minister for Education Ong Pang Boon approached a group of Chinese community leaders from the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI) to discuss establishing ten junior colleges to replace

132-439: A beige blouse and a beige skirt. The same uniform was retained as the uniform for the college section of Hwa Chong Institution . The campus of Hwa Chong Junior College is the current college compound for the integrated Hwa Chong Institution, previously separated and fenced before 2006. The iconic octagonal shaped central building of Hwa Chong Junior College is based on the basis of a divine Taoist sign. It houses facilities such as

198-577: A college specialising in research, National Junior College also regularly hosts many conferences. This includes the International Humanities Symposium, Pre-University Summit and Singapore International STEM Innovation Challenge (SISTEMIC). These summits and conferences are jointly organised with the Ministry of Education , and is participated by more than 70 schools locally and internationally. The National Junior College's boarding programme

264-407: A number of times. The college had an excellent track record in academia, sports, music, culture and the arts. Many of its graduates went on to become leaders in research, industry and government. Between 1980 and 2005, Hwa Chong had been recognized as one of the top junior colleges in Singapore, alongside others such as Raffles Junior College . Hwa Chong was also the first junior college to introduce

330-591: A prominent businessman, proposed setting up a secondary school for Chinese boys in Singapore. Tan's proposal was supported by the Tung Teh Reading Club and a dance troupe, claiming to have raised S$ 20,000 as funds for building the school. On 21 March 1919, the Singapore Nanyang Overseas Chinese Middle School was formally opened at Niven Road with an enrolment of 78 students. Six years later, with an additional funding of S$ 600,000,

396-653: A six-year Integrated Programme , both leading to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examinations. It is among top 5 junior colleges in the country in terms of minimum entry cut off points. Former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong is among its notable alumni. First announced by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in May 1965 as a "super secondary boarding school", it was the first specialised co-educational government school established in independent Singapore for top pre-university students. It

462-447: A statue of school founder Tan Kah Kee was erected. The same year, Tooh retired as the longest-serving Principal in TCHS history, having been Principal for 21 years. He was succeeded by Koh Yong Chiah, who was then succeeded by Hon Chiew Weng in 2002. On 1 January 2005, The Chinese High School merged with Hwa Chong Junior College to form Hwa Chong Institution . The new institution retains

528-604: A tertiary institution with a strong emphasis on Chinese heritage (partly due to its name and student population, of which used to be dominated by students from Special Assistance Plan high schools), Hwa Chong Junior College had a very diverse culture. Malay and Tamil language subjects, as well as foreign languages such as German and French were offered to cater to students' diverse backgrounds and interests. Multi-cultural based co-curricular activities such as English drama, contemporary dance, as well as those representative of other cultures, such as Indian dance, are also featured among

594-483: A university degree from Chinese-medium universities such as Nanyang University . This contributed to a slide in TCHS' fortunes, and it was reported the school, like many other Chinese-medium schools, had been on the brink of closure. According to Tooh Fee San, then a sitting board member on the Ministry of Education 's sports board, "nobody bothered to listen...to the reports from Hwa Zhong". On 12 December 1978, Tooh became TCHS' new Principal, and he would be in charge for

660-470: A wide spectrum. In addition, Singapore students learn alongside students from India, China, Hong Kong, Korea as well as ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. NJC also plays host to German, PRC, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Japanese students in exchange programmes. In January 1985, National Junior College introduced the Art Elective Programme , and subsequently rolled out

726-464: Is currently offers a 6-year course which culminates at 'A’ Level, where students can take Music at Higher 2 level. However, the students may wish to drop the subject at the 2 or 4-year mark. NJC will be offering the Malay and Tamil Language Elective Programmes (LEP) from 2020. National Junior College also offer special programmes related to Science subjects. Some distinct programmes are featured below: As

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792-518: Is deeply reflected in the literary works and composes by its students since the 1970s. Hwa Chong Junior College was consistently ranked as one of the top junior colleges in Singapore based on the official college rankings by the Ministry of Education since the 1990s. The college was consistently ranked as the top college for Arts and Commerce. The college had also been ranked as the top junior college in Singapore in terms of academic performance for its Science stream students and in overall performance for

858-578: Is located at 37 Hillcrest Road in Bukit Timah , houses both the Junior High and Senior High sections of the school, as well as a boarding school . This current campus features five lecture theatres (with two theatres having a seating capacity of 500), three tutorial room blocks and three information technology rooms. The campus also features three Sigma labs, which are equipped with sophisticated scientific instruments and equipment to promote science research in

924-601: The Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examination at the end of the programme. Each year, the school attracted the best performing 3% of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) cohort. The school was also the first one in Singapore to initiate the Integrated Programme . It is the current high-school section in Hwa Chong Institution . The college section of the institution is

990-524: The 'B' and 'C' divisions of the track-and-field competition, and was often the only school to send all its students to the National Stadium to support school athletes. In 1987, the school was granted the status of an independent school by the Ministry of Education and proceeded to implement changes to its curriculum that were unprecedented in other Singapore schools. The changes include the abolition of mid-year examinations in favour of camping trips for

1056-431: The 1950s and 1960s, during periods of civil unrest in Singapore, many students, teachers and alumni participated in or led the anti-colonial riots . A number of students were arrested by police during the riots, and some were expelled by the school. On 13 May 1953, TCHS students made an impromptu march to the Singapore city centre in protest over arrests of their fellow schoolmates. They subsequently barricaded themselves at

1122-486: The 2007 Ministry of Education Workplan Seminar, it was announced that five schools, including National Junior College, will each start their own boarding programme. Thus, National Junior College's boarding school was constructed to cater to the new programme and it was officially opened on 16 May 2009. Built at a cost of SGD $ 20 million, this boarding school has 250 rooms housing around 500 students and teachers. In addition to housing foreign students, who make up half of

1188-549: The Aesthetics Club, AVA & PA Club, Debating & Dramatic Societies (English, Chinese, Malay, Tamil), Greenlink Club, Interact Club and Outdoor Activities Club. The NJC Student Council consists of two wings - a Junior Wing comprising Junior High 2 to 4 students, alongside a Senior Wing comprising Junior High 4 to Senior High 2 students. Both wings of the Student Council work hand-in-hand to implement initiatives, such as

1254-572: The Chinese name and the logo of The Chinese High School. Along with the merger, a six-year Integrated Programme is introduced in collaboration with Nanyang Girls' High School . The new scheme, which integrates four years of high school education and two years of pre-university education, allows students to skip the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination (typically taken by students in secondary four) and proceed to take

1320-654: The College Spirit Committee which rallies all NJCians together in an effort to foster a strong school spirit. In addition, the Councillors will also be allocated to event committees such as Orientation and Open House. All prospective Student Councillors must first undergo a rigorous selection process before taking office; each term in office lasts for a period of 1 year. In particular, the Student Council President and Vice-President are elected to office by

1386-549: The GCE 'A’ Level examinations at the end of their second year in NJC, like all other students taking the JC route towards the exam. In National Junior College, various special programmes are also offered in addition to the standard school curriculum. Such programmes aim to develop student interest in academic and non-academic fields beyond their chosen field of academic studies. National Junior College

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1452-687: The Higher 2 and Higher 3 levels. The college was also one of the six college to pioneer the Humanities Programme scheme in 1987, a scheme by Singapore's Ministry of Education to encourage students to pursue the study of humanities at the pre-university level. In 1992, German was introduced as a subject for the first time in a junior college under the Language Elective Programme. NJC also offers its own Music Programme, not to be confused with MEP (Music Elective Programme). It started in 2006 and

1518-579: The Humanities Programme. Following the Hotel New World collapse in 1986, the school management committee ordered a review on the building structure after walls in the college was reportedly ruptured. On 8 May 1987, Hwa Chong Junior College moved out of its premises at Bukit Timah Road due to structural problems with the building. The campus was redeveloped the following year, with the Ministry of Education covering 80 per cent of cost of standard facilities for

1584-521: The Humanities Scheme in 1987 with experienced British teachers specially arranged to tutor students in various humanities subjects. In 1992, NJC became the first junior college to offer German as part of its Language Elective Programme. The college introduced the four-year Integrated Programme in 2004, allowing students to take on secondary education in the college and bypass the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examination. The programme

1650-643: The Humanities Scholarship Programme for students. As at the time of merger with The Chinese High School in 2005, Hwa Chong Junior College had produced the second highest number of President's Scholars (second only to Raffles Junior College ). In addition, Hwa Chong graduates take an impressive share of government and private organization undergraduate scholarships annually. More than 15% of each graduating cohort move on to study in renowned universities worldwide, such as Harvard University and Cambridge University . Hwa Chong Junior College also had

1716-522: The Junior High and Senior High Orientation programme for new students, that are aimed at improving the welfare of the student population. While in office, Student Councillors will be split into various committees that are in charge of the planning and execution of initiatives that fall under their respective roles. Some of these committees include: the College Outreach Committee which leverages on different types of media and design to reach out to

1782-499: The TCHS campus, and were soon caught in violent confrontations with the police. The situation was finally defused after the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Lee Kong Chian , flew back from London and mediated a resolution between student leaders and the police. In 1961, another major demonstration occurred when Secondary Four students refused to sit for government examinations, when it

1848-524: The architecture style, while the octagonal layout remained in the new building. The rebuilt campus also features the largest and most comprehensive library among all junior colleges in Singapore. Hwa Chong Junior College was one of the first junior colleges to offer the Chinese Language Elective Programme (C-LEP) along with Temasek Junior College , when the course is introduced in 1990. In January 2004, Hwa Chong Junior College became

1914-643: The boarding school population, it also houses students who are participating in the college's Enhanced Boarding Programme. National Junior College offers two education routes that lead to the GCE 'A’ Level examinations: Students who are admitted to the NJC Integrated Programme (at Junior High 1 and 3 level) will skip the GCE ‘O’ Level and take the GCE ‘A’ Level examinations at the end of their sixth year in NJC. Students who are admitted to NJC JC Programme (at Senior High 1 level) must have taken their GCE 'O’ Levels examinations or equivalent. They will take

1980-407: The campus of The Chinese High School . With a cohort size of 1500 students and 88 staff, Hwa Chong Junior College was the largest junior college in Singapore in terms of enrollment. The initial facilities of the campus include a fully air-conditioned library, a multi-purpose hall, two lecture theatres of seating capacity of 300 and 500 respectively, ten laboratories and twenty-four tutorial rooms. In

2046-472: The campus was completed in less than 15 months, at a cost of SGD $ 1.6 million. The original campus featured an audio-visual lab, 10 science laboratories, a library, two lecture theatres, 30 classrooms, nine tutorial rooms, an assembly hall, a canteen, an administrative block with other activity rooms. National Junior College used this campus until 1997, when it shifted to its present location at Hillcrest Road. The current campus of National Junior College

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2112-673: The college have participated in this compulsory programme. National Junior College provides its students with a wide range of co-curriculum activities. Sports and games include badminton , basketball , canoeing & dragonboating , climbing, floorball , football , hockey , netball , shooting, softball , squash , table tennis , tennis , touch rugby and track and field / cross country . There are also performing arts such as Chinese orchestra / Guzheng ensemble, choir , guitar ensemble, string orchestra , symphonic band and dance groups (Chinese, Malay, Indian, Western). Students can also participate in various clubs and societies such as

2178-444: The college library, co-curricular activity (CCA) rooms, and provide ample space for student-led activities. The adjacent tutorial block houses three lecture theatres and an auditorium, as well special rooms for the humanities and language elective programmes. Due to its iconic yellow-coloured walls and oriental architecture, Hwa Chong Junior College was also known affectionately as "黄城" ( Chinese : Literal meaning "Yellow Town") , which

2244-413: The college's array of activities. The college crest used before merger with The Chinese High School was represented by four upward arrows bounded by a horizontal bar. These arrows represents the initial streams in the college, namely Arts, Science, Technical and Commerce, as well as the educational aims of social, moral, intellectual and physical growth, together with continued advancement as indicated by

2310-470: The college's lecture and tutorial system. This resulted in over 40 different subject combinations. Besides General Paper, which was compulsory, other subjects offered to students included Art, Biology, Chemistry, Economics, English Literature, Geography, History and Mathematics. In keeping with its name and philosophy, the College claims no affiliation with any secondary school but instead draws its students from

2376-533: The college. The college has a dedicated art block as part of the Art Elective Programme (Singapore) (AEP). This Art Centre contains facilities such as a 3-dimensional work-pottery-sculpture studio, a drawing and painting studio, a pottery kiln room, and a photography darkroom to enable students in the AEP to experiment with different art media. In May 2019, the school collaborated with food technology start-up Life3 Biotech to launch an agriculture-technology facility. At

2442-515: The distinction of being the top junior college for two elective programmes, namely the Humanities Programme and the Chinese Language Elective Programme. National Junior College National Junior College ( NJC ) is a government junior college located in Bukit Timah , Singapore . Established in 1969, it was the first government junior college in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students and

2508-414: The first institution that operated under this arrangement, which was named National Junior College. On 20 January 1969, an inaugural assembly was held with the pioneer batch of 572 students. The college was officially declared open by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on 14 May 1970. Unlike other pre-university schools of the time, students were given the freedom and flexibility to opt for their subjects under

2574-478: The first junior college in Singapore to gain independent status. On 1 January 2005, the college officially merged with The Chinese High School to form the current Hwa Chong Institution , to facilitate the running of the school's Integrated Programme . Principals who had served the former Hwa Chong Junior College from 1974 to 2004 are as follows. Hwa Chong Junior College was well known for its inclusive yet equally competitive tradition. Despite commonly mistaken as

2640-500: The government that due to financial constraints, they were able to raise sufficient funds for constructing only two of the originally intended ten junior colleges. Subsequently, the management board of The Chinese High School creased the school's pre-university classes in preparation for the building of a new junior college. In 1974, Hwa Chong Junior College was inaugurated at the Bukit Timah Road campus of The Chinese High School, and

2706-488: The hospital. Teh would later become Principal, but resigned in February 1972 over discourse with the student population. The national trend in Singapore was that schools began pursuing English as the medium of education. As workplaces switched to English as working language, a Chinese education became greatly devalued. In fact, it was reported that job applicants preferred to show their 'O' Level certificates, rather than present

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2772-428: The initial years, Hwa Chong Junior College offered pre-university courses in two language mediums, namely Chinese Language and English Language, before the restructuring of the education system in 1982. The uniform was designed by the pioneer batch of students, with the college crest, motto and anthem selected by the pioneering teachers. In 1981, Hwa Chong Junior College became the first junior college in Singapore to offer

2838-593: The introduction of the Special Assistance Plan . Upon the appointment of Tooh as Principal in 1978, The Chinese High School became one of the first nine schools to be part of the Special Assistance Plan . The Ministry of Education conceived the SAP as a means of providing assistance to struggling Chinese-medium schools. Under the SAP, key subjects such as mathematics and science were to be taught in English, in line with

2904-439: The pre-university classes in the senior high sections of The Chinese High School and other high schools in Singapore. Mr Tan Keong Choon , a prominent businessman and the managing director of the board of The Chinese High School was appointed to oversee the project, estimated to cost S$ 2.2 million of which half of the total funds is to be funded by SCCCI. After meetings and discussions, the Chinese community leaders declared to

2970-571: The public and the student population events; the Student Development Committee focuses on the development of students in the college by planning events such as Career Festival and Student Investiture; the NJCommunity Welfare Committee which aims to build a more supportive culture amongst students through the setting up of platforms allowing for students to display appreciation for and encouragement towards one another; and

3036-420: The rest of the nation, while some other subjects such as music and art could still be taught in Chinese. Tooh also turned his focus on raising school morale, and chose the poem "Whole River Red" (满江红), written by the famed general Yue Fei , to be sung by the school population. During Tooh's tenure, TCHS emerged as the dominant force in the school track-and-field scene. In most years, TCHS was able to sweep both

3102-570: The school came under the purview of the Ministry of Education and was accorded the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) status in 1979. It has the unique distinction of having the Independent School status in 1988, a scheme that the ministry perceived had proven successful and was extended to other top schools in Singapore. The Chinese High School remained as one of the best performing schools in Singapore, both in academic achievements and extracurricular activities. As early as May 1913, Tan Kah Kee ,

3168-567: The school embarked on a consortium scheme to improve the quality of education for students. It started with the establishment of the Quest and Aphelion consortiums, followed by ProEd and Radix. In 2000, the iSpark consortium was set up for students in the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). In 2002, Quest and Radix merged to form the Ortus consortium. On 19th March 1999, the school's clock tower

3234-443: The school moved to its new campus at Bukit Timah Road , covering an area of 79 acres (320,000 m ), and officially renamed The Chinese High School. After its founding, the school offered comprehensive secondary level Chinese education. It continued to be funded and supported by Tan Kah Kee until shortly before World War II . The school was temporarily closed in February 1933 when all the teachers resigned. Later in February 1934,

3300-625: The school uniform is grey. There are two official college songs – the College Anthem and a College Song, entitled "The National Dream". The College Anthem was composed by Mr. Leong Yoon Pin, a renowned Singaporean composer whose works include the opera Bunga Mawar and the concert overture Dayong Sampan . The College Anthem is written in Malay , one of the four official languages in the Republic of Singapore. The house system at National Junior College

3366-462: The school was reopened with a new principal and staff. In the same year, Lee Kong Chian , son-in-law of Tan Kah Kee, became the chairperson of the school's management board, and he held the post until 1957. During Lee's tenure, the school almost closed several times due to financial difficulties, but managed to survive due to strong financial support from both Tan and Lee. During the Battle of Singapore ,

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3432-618: The school's clock tower, for its height and vantage point, served as a headquarters for the Allied defenders and later for the Imperial Japanese Army during the Japanese occupation of Singapore . The school also served as a temporary concentration camp to detain people for examination during the Sook Ching massacre . After the war, the school resumed its predominant Chinese education. In

3498-408: The school, as well as the introduction of numerous enrichment programmes in place of lessons. In the early 1990s, the school underwent an extensive renovation, which saw the construction of a new hall, named after the school's founder, a gymnasium, a renovated clock tower block and new classrooms. A Drama Centre was also constructed, catering to the school's performing arts groups. In the late 1990s,

3564-535: The soaring arrows. The horizontal bar that holds the arrows together signifies unity and the withholding of excellence. The college anthem of Hwa Chong Junior College is presently the anthem for the college section of Hwa Chong Institution , sung weekly on Mondays. The anthem, written in English , reflected the ideals of the college as a multiracial environment for holistic learning and growth. A complementary anthem in Chinese

3630-710: The student population and teachers. The Student Council is run by an overall Executive Committee consisting of the incumbent President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, Heads of Standing Committees as well as the six House Captains. National Junior College has nurtured many notable alumni in various fields such as politics, civil service, business, academics, as well as entertainment. This includes former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong , opposition politician Chen Show Mao , and actress and director Claire Wong . The Chinese High School (Singapore) The Chinese High School ( Chinese : 南洋华侨中学 ; pinyin : Nányáng Huáqiáo Zhōngxué )

3696-448: The three-year long redevelopment project, the college itself raised the remaining $ 7 million. Between May and December 1987, lessons were held temporarily at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and Woodlands Street 81. The college shifted to Bukit Batok Street 34 (present-day site of Swiss Cottage Secondary School and St. Anthony's Primary School ) later. HCJC moved back to its Bukit Timah campus in 1992. The new building had considerable changes to

3762-516: Was an independent school in Singapore offering secondary education . The school merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 to form the integrated Hwa Chong Institution . Founded on 21 March 1919, The Chinese High School was the first high school in Southeast Asia to cater to different dialect groups among overseas Chinese in the region. After Singapore gained independence in 1965,

3828-399: Was announced Singapore would switch to the "four-two" system, where the national examination was moved to be after the completion of four years of secondary education. Singapore schools including TCHS had previously utilised the "three-three" system. In 1967, a group of students attacked then-Vice Principal Teh Kim Fatt on the campus, prompting then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew to visit him in

3894-476: Was announced in December 1965 by then Minister for Education Ong Pang Boon that a centralised "junior college" system would be established to optimise the use of teachers and laboratory facilities and to create more educational opportunities for pre-university students. This system replaced the previous pre-university education conducted at various secondary schools across the country. In 1967, construction began on

3960-458: Was established in 1999, replacing the previous Department system. Through this system, students across the different cohorts get to bond together through intra-college house competition and activities. The six houses of the college and their respective mascots are as follows: Work started on National Junior College's campus in September 1967. Located at the junction of Linden Road and Dunearn Road,

4026-535: Was gazetted as a national monument to mark the significance of the institution as the first Chinese medium school to be built in Southeast Asia to cater to the education of overseas Chinese. Two days later, on 21st March, the school held a large dinner in front of the Clock Tower in celebration of TCHS' 80th anniversary of founding. At the dinner, which was attended by alumnus and then- President Ong Teng Cheong ,

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4092-461: Was introduced with the English anthem in 1974, adopting the same chord. The uniform of the former Hwa Chong Junior College was designed by a Malay female student (one of the pioneer batch of students who graduated from HCJC in 1975), and is a distinct feature of HCJC. The uniform for male students comprise a beige shirt featuring two shirt pockets, an identity of the uniform, complemented with long beige trousers. The uniform for female students comprise

4158-432: Was later expanded to a six-year Integrated Programme in 2009. The uniform for male students is a shirt with shoulder epaulettes, secured by square silver buttons embossed with the school crest. The uniform for female students is similar, except that there are no pockets on the blouse and they have a pleated A-line skirt. Students also wear a pin, depicting the college crest, on the uniform's left collar. The main colour of

4224-416: Was launched in 2009 together with the opening of the boarding school. Under this programme, students stay in the boarding school for slightly less than one school term (5~8 weeks). Students also participate in the various activities planned during their stay. Such programmes include aesthetics programmes, leadership development programmes and night adventures. Since 2009, all Integrated Programme students from

4290-614: Was run by the same management board as the high school. The junior college's name was an abbreviation of the high school's Chinese name, to mark the relationship between the two schools. Hwa Chong Junior College commenced lessons on 2 January 1974 in National Junior College , and the former Bukit Timah campus of the Singapore Management University . On 14 June 1974, the college commenced its operation at its permanent site at 661 Bukit Timah Road, located adjacent to

4356-512: Was the first school to offer the Art Elective Programme (AEP) in 1985 to allow student with a passion in Art to develop their talents. Under this programme, the college also provides specialised facilities to allow students to experiment with different art media. At the end of this programme, students are expected to sit for Art as a subject at the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level at both

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