| Hwa Chong International School (Chinese: 华中国际学校) |
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|---|---|
| Location | |
| 663 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269783 Singapore |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private international school/co-educational/Secondary 1 to Pre-U 2 |
| Established | 2005 |
| Principal | Mr Tooh Fee San |
| Enrollment | 600 |
| Campus type | Limited access with security |
| Colour(s) | Red, white,khaki |
| Affiliation | Hwa Chong family of schools: Hwa Chong Institution, Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School |
| Abbreviation | HCIS |
| Religion | Secular |
| Website | www.hcis.edu.sg |
Hwa Chong International School (Chinese: 华中国际学校; pinyin: Huá Zhōng Guójì Xuéxiào), a co-educational secondary international school in Singapore, is an affiliated school of Hwa Chong Institution catering to both local and foreign students.
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HCIS was founded in 2005.[1] A fully private independent school, it is an extension of the Hwa Chong cluster of schools and colleges. Local regulations require international schools to keep at least half their places for Singaporeans and permanent residents.[2]
It was reported in 2010 that the school planned to increase its enrolment from 480 to 600.[2]
Many HCIS students stay at the Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School, next to HCIS.
HCIS offers a six-year programme, Secondary 1 to Pre-U 2 (Grade 7 to Grade 12), finishing with the International Baccalaureate (IB).[1] The school switched to the IB Diploma programme in 2009. Previously, it offered a six-year course for International 'A Level' in a wide range of subjects.
The final batch of 'A Level' students graduated in 2010 along with the first batch of graduating IB students.
In the latest IB results in February 2011, HCIS achieved a pass rate of 100%, making it one of the top IB performers worldwide.[3]
Students have been awarded Gold and Silver awards at the Scholastic Environment Fund Oratorical contest, and were ranked 26th out of 102 schools in the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad.
In November 2007, Hwa Chong International School hosted an International Youth Forum on Global Warming, attended by students from several countries.[4]
In 2009, a group of Pre-University 2 students participated in the HPC Quest, an educational outreach program by A*STAR'S (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) Institute of High Performance Computing. The team brainstormed on the topic 'Digging for Cavities', working closely along with their teacher and a researcher from IHPC. HCIS was announced as the challenge champions.
HCIS was one of the three IB schools in Singapore chosen to host the International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Regional Workshop in March 2009.[5]
In June 2010, 15 students represented HCIS in the 20th Model United Nations (SMUN) hosted by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Among the 20 schools, both local and foreign, which participated in SMUN, HCIS was given the SMUN Best Delegation award, an achievement earned by the top three schools based on their team performance in the writing of position papers and their actual performance during the SMUN, which involves debates and redrafting of resolutions.
HCIS screened the 2010 World Cup finals in the school's multi-purpose hall.
The present HCIS campus was completed in 2006. It stands between the canteen of the high school section of Hwa Chong Institution and the Boarding School, and contains two blocks. One has 36 classrooms, while the other contains the administration office and staff rooms, six science laboratories, a multi-purpose hall, a lecture theatre, the gallery, a computer room, a media resource centre, a street soccer court, an ecogarden and a two-floor library, which opened in 2009. The campus provides wireless internet in key locations. Classrooms are air-conditioned. The school is building a boarding school within the campus. HCIS continues to use some of the facilities of Hwa Chong Institution, such as the canteen, track and field, gym, swimming pool and tennis court.
HCIS is currently in the process of establishing on-campus housing for its students. In addition to this expansion, HCIS is in the midst of constructing a multi-sports complex, street soccer court and tennis courts.
Fees at HCIS were reported in 2009 to be considerably less than at "exclusive" private schools in Singapore.[6] The annual fees for 2011 are SGD 18,000 in Secondary 1 to Secondary 4 and SGD 20,400 in Pre-university 1 and 2.[7]
HCIS has a scholarship fund to help students from humble backgrounds who could not otherwise afford an international school education. Peter Lim, a former remisier, donated SGD 2 million to it in March 2011.[8]
Students who wish to enrol in the school via Direct School Admission (DSA) have to take an entrance exam which involves two papers, Mathematics and Science, and this is preceded by an interview with a teacher. Students enrolling using their PSLE results will need only to take an interview with a teacher.
All subjects are taught in English, except for Chinese. All interactions with teachers must be in English.[9] The school claims to provide a holistic education by means of "rigorous academic lessons, structured co-curricular activities and customised school programmes".[10]
The school uniform is a casual jacket with the HCIS logo, a Polo T-shirt, and white trainers, with visible white ankle socks. Girls wear either khaki skirt or bermudas. Boys up to and including Secondary 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) wear khaki shorts. Only in Secondary 4 (Year 10) and above may they wear long trousers.[11]
The school states that it employs "a full range of consequences, both positive and negative", to guide student behaviour.[12] Good work is rewarded with commendations, award of certificates of merit and achievement, early promotion to a higher grade, positive reports from teachers to parents, and selection for overseas visits.[13]
For behaviour there is a merit and demerit point system. Poor conduct may result in a student being placed on report, with daily feedback to parents and the Principal; denial of privileges such as free time during break periods; and "time out" periods. Demerit points require attendance at a weekly "formal reflection" session. Male students who persistently misbehave receive corporal punishment in the form of a caning. Students who accumulate 10 or more demerit points, and make no effort to improve, face strokes of the cane (boys) or suspension (girls). The same penalties are also applied in the case of serious offences such as vandalism, bullying or defiance.[10]
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