Hwa Chong Junior College

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Hwa Chong Junior College
Name Hwa Chong Junior College
(Chinese: 华中初级学院)
Abbreviation HCJC
Address 661, Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269734
Founded 1974
Type Independent Junior College
Religion Secular
Students Mixed
Levels JC 1 - 2
Colours Red
Motto Towards Progress
Vision Live with Passion, Lead with Compassion
Publications Hwa Chong's Own Magazine (MOCH)
Website HwaChong.edu.sg
Email Email


Hwa Chong Junior College (Chinese: 华中初级学院) is a junior college in Singapore. It was founded in 1974. On 1 January 2005, Hwa Chong JC merged with The Chinese High School to form Hwa Chong Institution.

Contents

[edit] Overview

Hwa Chong JC
Hwa Chong JC
Hwa Chong JC during Chinese New Year celebrations in the central plaza
Hwa Chong JC during Chinese New Year celebrations in the central plaza

Founded in 1974, Hwa Chong Junior College (HCJC) has, since its inception, been one of Singapore's premier learning institutions. It is the second oldest junior college to be founded, after National Junior College, and is the first Government aided junior college.

The college has an excellent track record in academia, sports, music, culture and the arts. It is assumed that alumni will go on to become leaders in research, industry and government. Hwa Chong JC was widely recognized as one of the top junior colleges in Singapore in the 1980s. In May 1987, Hwa Chong JC was forced to move out of its premises in Bukit Timah due to structural problems with the building, and it spent the next few years moving from place to place until the college premises were rebuilt in 1992.

Since moving back to its Bukit Timah premises, Hwa Chong JC has resumed her place as the top junior college in Singapore based on the official college rankings introduced in the 1990s - she is consistently ranked as the top college for Arts and Commerce, and she frequently trades pole position with its present key rival Raffles Junior College for top position in the Science stream and the overall ranking.

In January 2004, it became the country's first junior college to turn independent.

To date, HCJC has produced the highest number of President's scholars among all junior colleges in Singapore. The President's scholarship is the country's most prestigious undergraduate award offered by the Public Service Commission. Hwa Chong students also take an impressive share of government and private organisation undergraduate scholarships every year. Over 99% of each cohort go on to undergraduate study, with more than 15% going to renowned overseas universities.

Competition for places to the college is severe. Every year, about 25% of each cohort of students in Singapore are admitted to one of 16 junior colleges. HCJC admits pre-university students who are within the top 5% of the cohort. All 1800 students are selected on the basis of academic merit, personal qualities, and excellence in a wide range of co-curricular activities. HCJC also has the distinction of being the top college for two elective programmes: namely, the Humanities Programme and the Chinese Language Elective Programme. HCJC has the highest percentage of students awarded government scholarships for these two programmes amongst the colleges that offer either programme.

The 2-year Advanced-level (A-level) curriculum is very demanding. School is in session 5 days per week (5½ days before implementation of 5-day work week), 40 weeks per year. Many students vying for prestigious overseas and local scholarships read S-level papers in 1 or 2 subjects in addition to the GCE core curriculum. The academic year begins in January and students sit for the GCE A-level and S-level examinations in November of the second year.

[edit] History

A building in Hwa Chong Junior College
A building in Hwa Chong Junior College

In 1970, then Singapore Minister for Education Ong Pang Boon approached a group of Chinese community leaders from the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCSI) to discuss the possibility of establishing 10 junior colleges to replace the pre-university classes in the senior high sections of Singapore's secondary schools.

Ong informed the Chinese community leaders that the construction cost of one junior colleges was estimated to be S$2.2 million, and the government hoped that the SCCCI would be able to raise half of the total costs i.e. S$1.1 million with the government matching the contributions. Ong subsequently appointed Tan Kong Choon, a prominent business leader and Managing Director on the Board of The Chinese High School to drive the issue.

After the SCCCI leaders had met and discussed among themselves, the Chinese community leaders informed Ong that with the current financial abilities, they found it rather difficult to raise such a huge amount of funds for the construction of 10 JCs although the establishment of one to two junior colleges were more likely to be realised.

Subsequently, the management boarb of The Chinese High School decided to stop the School's pre-university classes in preparation for the establishment of a new junior college. In 1974, Hwa Chong Junior College was established at the Bukit Timah Road campus of The Chinese High School, under the same management board with the latter school as its affiliated secondary school. The name Hwa Chong was an abbreviation of the Chinese name Hua Qiao Zhong Xue (华侨中学) of The Chinese High School, to signify its roots and the close relationship between the two schools. Hwa Chong Junior College is the first government-aided junior college, and the second, after National Junior College.

[edit] Merger

The Chinese High School was merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 after 31 years of separation to become Hwa Chong Institution, offering a 6-year "Integrated Programme" from Secondary 1 to JC 2. The program allows students to skip the GCE 'O' Levels and directly take the GCE 'A' Levels examination at the end of their six years in the school, thus allowing them much more time to embark on various educational endeavours that will greatly benefit them. Nanyang Girls' High School also joined the programme but it is separate and independent.

[edit] School songs

The English version of the school song is as follows:

As part of our glorious land, sharing her spreading fame,
Hwa Chong will firmly stand, always to maintain her name.
Multi-racial we study together, for knowledge we wish to attain.
Many races we shall gather, each day to achieve its aim.
We shall strive with verve, for health in body and mind.
We'll learn to lead and yet to serve in character ruggedly fine.
May Hwa Chong shine forever, her name big and strong,
One and all, let's stand by her, that she may live on and on.

The Chinese version of the school anthem is as follows:

我们亲爱的祖国 一片欣欣向荣
华中巍峨矗立 肩负教育的重任
兄弟姐妹共聚一堂 为知识我们努力
为理想我们团结 共朝目标迈进
贯彻德智体群 培养健全身心
服务国家努力学习 为光明前程奋斗
愿华中大业千秋 康壮又坚强
犹如松柏长青 日月炫耀永恒

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] External links

The Tahan Mountain Trekking Team (a CCA in HCJC), on an expedition to Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal in 2000
The Tahan Mountain Trekking Team (a CCA in HCJC), on an expedition to Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal in 2000



edit Pre-University Centres and Post-Secondary Institutes in Singapore Flag of Singapore
Pre-universities Anderson JC (AJC) • Anglo-Chinese JC (ACJC) • Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACS-I) • Catholic JC (CJC) • Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) • Innova JC (IJC) • Jurong JC (JJC) • Meridian JC (MJC) • Millennia Institute (MI) • Nanyang JC (NYJC) • National JC (NJC) • Pioneer JC (PJC) • Raffles JC (RJC) • St. Andrew's JC (SAJC) • Serangoon JC (SRJC) • Tampines JC (TPJC) • Temasek JC (TJC) • Victoria JC (VJC) • Yishun JC (YJC)
Polytechnics Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) • Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) • Republic Polytechnic (RP) • Singapore Polytechnic (SP) • Temasek Polytechnic (TP)
ITE Colleges ITE College East (ITE CE-SM) • ITE College West (ITE CW) • ITE College Central (ITE CC)
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