National Junior College
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Motto | Service with Honour |
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| Established | 1969 |
| Type | Government, Single-Session |
| Principal | Virginia Cheng (Mrs.) |
| School code | 0701 |
| Colours | Red, White, Grey |
| Locale | Bukit Timah, Singapore |
| Enrollment | Approx. 1500 |
| Website | njc.edu.sg |
 Republic of Singapore |
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National Junior College (NJC) is the first junior college (JC) founded in Singapore (in 1969) to provide a centralised two year pre-university education leading to the GCE 'A' Level certificate. Since then, many other junior colleges have been established with the same model to provide the same opportunity to many more aspiring students who aim to go on to top universities, both locally and overseas.
NJC was consistently ranked among the Top 5 JCs by the Singapore Ministry of Education according to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'A' Levels results, even coming in as the top JC several times such as in 1996, before the ranking system was removed for being too academic-focused. Apart from being recognised for its academic excellence, NJC is also well-known for its other achievements in areas such as co-curricular activities for which it has been awarded the MOE Sustained Achievement Award in Aesthetics, Sports and Physical Fitness as well as the Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award. In addition, it has also been awarded the Singapore Quality Class and Best Practice Award in Student All-Round Development, Teaching & Learning and Staff Well-Being. For these outstanding achievements, NJC was awarded the MOE School Distinction Award where it is recognised as one of the top education institutions in Singapore - capturing the College's endeavour to be a College of Nation known for its excellence.
NJC also introduced the 4 year Integrated Programme (IP) in 2004 to provide a through-train education for secondary 3 students, allowing them to bypass the traditional GCE 'O' Levels and giving them the opportunity for more creative pursuits that the mainstream students do not enjoy in the traditional path.
The current principal is Mrs. Virginia Cheng.
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[edit] Mission, Vision, and Values
Motto: Service With Honour
Mission: College of the Nation: Home of Scholars and Leaders who Serve with Honour
Vision: NJCians have sound moral values and a deep sense of responsibility to College and Country. They are prepared to Lead with Sensitivity and Serve with Honour.
Values: Scholarship with Creativity, Loyalty with Integrity, Leadership with Sensitivity & Service with Honour
[edit] School history
Established in 1969, the College was created with the aim of centralising the two-year pre-university course with maximum utilisation of specialist personnel and resources. The academic and co-curricular programmes are organised with the specific purpose of training and nurturing a new generation of alert and independent young minds with responsible and responsive social attitudes compatible with the Singapore and Asian millieu.
In keeping with its name and philosophy, the College claims no affiliation with any secondary school but instead draws its students from a wide spectrum. Thus each year about eighty Singapore secondary schools will have representatives amongst the College's student population, and everyone will have equal opportunities of attaining the highest levels of achievement in all fields. In addition, scholars from India, China, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Malaysia and students from Indonesia, Korea and Thailand mix with Singapore students. NJC also plays host to German, Taiwanese and Japanese students in Immersion programmes.
The College philosophy is founded on the basis that its ultimate aim is to bring out, to the fullest, each student's physical, moral and intellectual potential. Apart from emphasising academic excellence, the College stresses integration of Singapore's cultures through the celebrations of ethnic festivals. Qualities of self-discipline, social responsibility and social awareness are also inculcated through co-curricular activities. Identification with the College and the nation, the ability to put group interest before self, a positive attitude to problem solving, the stamina to see things through, a keen sense of commitment and of "Serving with Honour": these are the valued and expected educational outcomes of the College and contribute towards its unique spirit.
When NJC was first established in 1969, it occupied a small site at Linden Drive, off Bukit Timah Road. The College moved into its present premises in Hillcrest Road in 1997, and is presently one of the biggest single schools in Singapore in terms of land area (covering approximately 7.4 hectres). The original site which NJC occupied is now the site for Nanyang Girls' High School. Currently, the plot of land along NJC Rise and Hillcrest Road is being developed as part of the College's expansion plans to build a hostel, slated for completion in late 2008.
The school uniform is coloured grey, although the PE attire is in shades of red and white. Girls skirts are A lined and they normally wear the dark red PE shorts underneath. Metal epaulettes are to be worn with their blouses and shirts.
[edit] Special Programmes offered by the College
[edit] Art Elective Programme
The Art Elective Programme (AEP) was introduced in 1985 and is specially designed for artiscally-talented students. It aims to expand their knowledge and appreciation of Arts and Design. It is available to students who have done Art at GCE 'O' Level or show exceptional talent in the field. All students who offer the AEP at NJC are eligible for the Art Elective Scholarship offered by MOE, and will take up Higher III Art in their second year of study.
NJC is the first College to introduce the AEP in Singapore. Equipment to carry out this programme successfully include a multi-media studio, a 3-dimensional work/pottery/sculpture studio, a drawing and painting studio, a pottery kiln room, a Casting Room, and a Photography Dark Room - all housed in a dedicated Art Centre.
Today, NJC's Art Elective Programme is reputed for producing excellent results. NJC's AEP students have performed consistently well throughout the years and regularly received top accolades in major competitions like UOB Painting of the Year, Singapore Youth Festival Art & Crafts Exhibition and Young Designer’s Award in addition to participating in arts and charity events such as the "100 Chairs" CHAIR-ity event where works of NJC's AEP students have emerged as top pieces to be auctioned off.
[edit] Humanities Programme
NJC was among the first 5 Colleges to be centres for the Humanities Programme alongside Hwa Chong Junior College (now Hwa Chong Institution), Raffles Junior College, Temasek Junior College and Victoria Junior College. As of 2007, Anglo-Chinese Junior College was also recognised as a centre for the Humanities Programme.
The Humanities Scholarship is awarded by the Ministry of Education annually to outstanding pre-university students who are interested in studying the Humanities.
Humanities Scholars must, for the GCE 'A' Levels, take English Literature and at least two other Arts & Humanities subjects such as Art, Economics, History, Mother Tongue Language & Literature, Music or Geography among others, at the Higher II level. Throughout the course of their study, scholars will be taught by specialised tutors to encourage critical thinking and intellectual curiosity. Humanities Scholars are eligible for undergraduate scholarships to continue their studies in the Humanities, either in overseas universities or at the National University of Singapore.
In terms of curriculum, Humanities Scholars are often given priority and wider opportunities to pursue additional enrichment activities and academic related courses over normal arts students, in addition to being encouraged to take up a Higher III subject in the Humanities. For instance, they were sponsored to go on an overseas trip as part of their scholarship deed, going to places such as China to study the historical, geographical and literary aspects of the Chinese society. The single humanities class thus gets more chances to head for such conferences and events, unlike the normal arts classes. However, unlike most JCs offering the Humanities Programme such as HCI and RJC, NJC does not exclusively segregate Humanities Scholars from non-Humanities Scholars. As such, both IP and Mainstream NJC Humanities Scholars generally go for the same lectures and tutorial classes as the other Arts students under the same tutors, considering the relatively small size of the Arts Faculty in NJC. Including the IP students, there are generally approximately 100 Arts students in each cohort of approximately 650 students.
[edit] Sapphire Scholars Programme
The Sapphire Scholars Programme is an NJC-initiated programme which was introduced in 2002. It is extremely elitist in nature. It seeks to groom NJC's top students into all-rounded future leaders and scholars, who will vie for the Nation's top scholarships, and places in world-class universities around the globe in hope of continuing the College's tradition of producing illustrious scholarship recipients and alumni. All students are welcome to apply to be part of the programme, although only approximately 60 will eventually be chosen to specialise and give more attention to each student. Additionally, Sapphire Scholars may also be recruited throughout their two years in NJC with teacher's recommendation.
In general, the Programme aims to develop:
- Well-rounded individuals who excel in their studies and also possess a strong portfolio on their CCA as well as Community involvement.
- Confident and discerning individuals who are knowledgeable about geopolitical issues and can conduct themselves well in any situation, such as in dialogue sessions and interviews.
- Committed individuals who have a strong sense of dedication and sharing towards the community and nation.
All Sapphire Scholars are given the flexibility to chart their own development. However, guidance is always close at hand if needed as each Sapphire Scholar is allocated an experienced tutor (called a Sapphire Mentor) who will advise and guide his/her charge so that they constantly shape their personal targets and overall portfolio towards attaining the scholarship of their choice. As each Sapphire Mentor manages only 3 scholars at most, close attention can be paid to each student. Apart from this guidance, students on the Sapphire Scholars Programme will also be given further leadership opportunities and exposure to give them the added competitive edge in their applications for top scholarships and universities.
Some of the activities that are organised for the Sapphire Scholars include:
- Visits to relevant Ministries and statutory boards / companies (e.g. EDB, GIC, SPF) to enable them to make informed choices about their future careers or scholarships.
- Visits / attachments with grassroots committees and self–help groups (e.g. CDAC, Mendaki) to broaden their perspectives of their socio-political environment.
- Philosophy Circles and geopolitical talks to keep our students well informed about the situation around the world.
- Leonard Personality Inventory (LPI), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and academic and career guidance sessions to expand their knowledge of self.
- Interview skills workshops, including mock interviews to simulate the interview process.
- Film appreciation, jazz and ballroom dancing classes to enrich their aesthetic senses.
In 2007, students from the Sapphire Scholars Programme and the Student Council have come together to organise the NJC Leadership Symposium in March, where NJCians are given opportunities to interact and shadow prominent political and grassroots leaders who are mostly alumni of NJC. A selected number of students from other JCs were also invited to take part in the programme, although it remains largely exclusive for students of NJC. However, this programme is disputed by many NJCians as only catering to the elite students without equivalent assistance to the main student population.
[edit] Student Training and Research (STaR)Programme
The STaR Programme is an NJC-initiated programme. It aims to provide opportunities for its students to participate in research attachment in both local and overseas Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) and Research Institutes (RIs). The College also liaisons with high schools and universities overseas to establish summer research programmes.
The participating institutes in 2005 are:
- University of Southampton (in the United Kingdom)
- Institute of Molecular Cell Biology
- Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
- Institute of Chemical and Engineering Sciences
- Institute of Materials Research and Engineering
- Institute of Environmental Science and Engineering
- Institute of High Performance Computing
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NTU
- School of Materials Science & Engineering, NTU
- Faculty of Engineering, NUS
[edit] Language Elective Programme (German)
NJC was the only JC offering the Language Elective Programme (German). It is designed for students who have completed German at GCE O Level and wish to attain an A Level in the language. The course covers not only language studies, but also the history and culture of Germany. The College has a native German speaker from Germany to conduct the lessons, and also plans various enrichment activities for the students taking LEP (German).
Despite having produced excellent results since its inception in addition to producing scholars who continue their studies overseas, be it in Germany or otherwise, the MOE decided to discontinue the programme in 2007 and centralising all lessons at the MOELC despite protests by students from both the junior IP level, as well as the senior IP and Mainstream levels. Similarly, the LEP (French) at VJC was also discontinued as of 2007 as there was only one student taking Higher II French in 2006. Currently, only RJC had been given the green light to continue their LEP (Japanese) programme.
[edit] College Anthem & Song
There are two college songs, namely the College Anthem and the College Song which is entitled "The National Dream".
The College Anthem, which is in the Republic's national language of Malay, is sung on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while the College Song is sung on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is accompanied by the NJC Symphonic Band and Choir, a tradition of NJC.
College Anthem
Dengan semangat bakti semata, || With a spirit of total dedication,
| Original Malay Lyrics | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Inilah maktab banggaan kita, | This is the College of our pride, |
| Tempat pelajar segala bangsa; | A place for students of all races; |
| Diasuh dididik mencapai cita, | Nurtured and educated to achieve the aim, |
| Satu negara 'neka budaya! | Of one multi-cultural nation! |
| Di sini kita menuntut sama, | Here we learn together, |
| Tanpa mengira kekasta bangsa; | Regardless of caste and race; |
| Bergerak maju berbuat jasa, | Moving forward in service, |
| Tetap berbakti jujur dan setia. | Constantly serving, sincere and loyal. |
| Marilah semua belia negara, | Come all youths of the Nation! |
| Satukan tenaga bertindak mara, | By uniting our energy for progress, |
| Kita jayakan rakyat Singapura! | We lead the people of Singapore to success! |
The National Dream
Building a family
To answer a Nation's calling
Students of old will always be
The beacon in our dreams
Chorus:
The National Torch
A stream of light
We pass from year to year
The best of the old
And the best of the young
Prepared to serve and lead
With common vision, aspirations
Strength from memories
The National Dream
Fulfilled for all to see!
Embracing our destiny
Standing with colours blazing
Shoulder to shoulder
Friends are we
Honouring our creed
(Chorus)
[edit] Notable Alumni
- Lee Hsien Loong (1969-1970), Singapore's current and 3rd Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and first son of Singapore's former Prime Minister and present Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew
- Dr Vivian Balakrishnan (1979-1980), Singapore's Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports & Second Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts
- Lee Hsien Yang, President & CEO of SingTel, second son of Singapore's former Prime Minister and present Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew
- Ho Ching, CEO of Temasek Holdings, wife of Singapore's current and 3rd Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong
- Davinder Singh, CEO of Singapore law firm Drew & Napier, ex-Member of Parliament (wef. 2006)
The first four are President Scholar graduates.
[edit] External links
- National Junior College webpage
- National Junior College Integrated Programe webpage
- National Junior College Integrated Programme Wiki
- National Junior College Shooting Club website
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- Satellite image from WikiMapia or Google Maps
- Street map from Multimap or GlobalGuide
- Aerial image from TerraServer
| edit |  Pre-University Centres and Post-Secondary Institutes in Singapore |
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|---|---|---|
| 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) |
