Hwa Chong Institution
Encyclopedia
Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) is an independent school in Singapore
for students aged 12 to 18 covering both secondary and pre-university levels. A Ministry of Education
-designated FutureSchool, it operates under the Special Assistance Plan
(SAP) for bilingualism, and offers the Integrated Programme
(IP) and also the School Based Gifted Education Programme
(SBGEP), after the Secondary School Gifted Education Programme was phased out. The main campus, in Bukit Timah
, covers 72 acres (29.1 ha) shared between Hwa Chong Institution, Hwa Chong International School, the institution's boarding school
, and the Bukit Timah campus of SIM University
. The campus is markedly larger than most schools in Singapore and the region.
Previously two separate but affiliated schools, The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College
, HCI was the result of a merger on 1 January 2005. The change was in line with the Ministry of Education's introduction of the IP, whereby students undertake a six-year "through-train" education and bypass the traditional GCE 'O' levels. In spite of the merger, the secondary school section remains boys-only, while the pre-university section is co-educational. Approximately 4000 students are enrolled in the school, which has a student-teacher ratio of 13:1.
HCI has produced 50 President's Scholars, and it has been cited as a leading Oxford
and Cambridge
entry centre outside of the United Kingdom. Some of its research and leadership development programmes have gained international accolades; educator Edward de Bono
has referred to HCI as the "Eton
of the East". The school offers a variety of extra-curricular programmes, where achievements include championship-winning sports teams in track-and-field, gymnastics, water polo and judo.
in March 1919 at Niven Road. With an enrolment of 78 pupils, it was the first Chinese institution of higher learning at that time in Southeast Asia
, catering to Chinese dialect groups amongst the overseas Chinese
. Six years later, the school moved to its Bukit Timah
campus.
After its founding, the school offered comprehensive secondary level Chinese education. It remained funded and supported by Tan Kah Kee until shortly before World War II
. In 1934, Lee Kong Chian
, son-in-law of Tan Kah Kee, became the chairman of the school's board and remained in his post until 1955. During his tenure, the school faced the threat of closure 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
, the school's clock tower
, for its height and vantage point, served as a headquarters for the Allied defenders
. Following the war, the school resumed its predominant Chinese education. In the 1950s and 1960s, during periods of civil unrest in Singapore, many students, teachers and alumni participated in or led the anti-colonial riots.
After Singapore gained independence in 1965, the school came under the purview of the Ministry of Education
and was accorded the Special Assistance Plan
(SAP) status in 1979. Later, in 1988 the school achieved the status of an independent school, under a scheme that the ministry perceived as proven successful and which was extended to other top schools in Singapore. On 19 March 1999, the school's clock tower was gazetted as a national monument.
, now HCI's college section, was established in 1974 at the Bukit Timah campus of The Chinese High School as a separate pre-university education institution, but under the same management board. The college was the government-aided junior college, with its name being an abbreviation of the high school's Chinese name to mark the relationship between the two schools.
Hwa Chong Junior College moved out of its campus at Bukit Timah Road in the late 1980s following the discovery of structural problems with the building to facilitate rebuilding. Lessons continued but conducted at various locations. The rebuilding of the campus finished in 1992 and lessons restarted at the campus in 1993. Following The Chinese High School's accord of independent school status in 1987, the junior college followed suit in 2004, becoming the first JC in Singapore to be granted the status of an independent school.
into Singapore's education system
in the early 2000s, The Chinese High School merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution. The school's official title is now 'Hwa Chong Institution', but the names 'The Chinese High School' and 'Hwa Chong Junior College' are still used colloquially to refer to the two sections.
In 2008, HCI was selected by the Ministry of Education to implement the FutureSchools@Singapore programme, one of five initial schools to do so and amongst the eventual fifteen planned. Also in the same year, the Hwa Chong Diploma was introduced. The diploma is awarded to the best performing 30% of its graduating cohort, stacking upon the GCE 'A' Levels
certificate.
The school enrols an estimated 4,000 students, spread across the six levels, with a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. To date, Hwa Chong Institution has the highest number of President's Scholars among its graduates as compared to those of other junior colleges in Singapore, currently standing at 50. The college section's Humanities Programme has a significant percentage of its students going on to study abroad at such universities as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard University
, Yale University
, Stanford University
, MIT, UC Berkeley, Peking University
and Tsinghua University
.
covers 72 acres, making it one of the largest in Southeast Asia
. The campus land is shared between the Hwa Chong Family of Schools - namely, Hwa Chong Institution itself, Hwa Chong International School and Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
. Also onsite is the Bukit Timah campus of SIM University
and its administrative headquarters. Despite the multi-sharing, each entity possesses its own set of facilities, marked by certain perimeters.
The dedicated Science Research Centre, built in 2008, has ten purpose-built laboratories in which students experience different research disciplines outside of the usual curriculum, including labs for Robotics and Engineering, Biotechnology and Microbiology, and the Pharmaceutical Sciences. The centre provides resources to support the research and innovation programmes, serving as a central facility for student research activities.
The Ong Teng Cheong Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre (also called the Ong Teng Cheong SALT Centre, or the SALT Centre), named in honour of alumnus and former President of Singapore
Ong Teng Cheong
, aims to develop students holistically, particularly in arts and leadership development. Housed in it are dance studios, music rooms, and a cardiovascular and weight-training room. A moot parliament is also housed in the centre, modelled on the Singapore Parliamentary Chamber
, and it is a central venue for events such as student council meetings and Model United Nations
conferences.
Apart from the two purpose-built facilities, other facilities in HCI include a three-storey library, a gymnasium, a 400-metre track, a hall, a multi-storey carpark, lecture theatres, general laboratories and classrooms. The 31-metres-tall Clock Tower
of the school is a national monument, the only one in a Singapore school.
, in which classrooms will be leased. A total of 4 batches of students make their way to the campus every year, staying for up to two months. Priority is given to scholars of HCI's Bi-cultural Studies Programme. Students in the campus take lessons together with students from China in partner schools, carry out community involvement activities
, and take field trips to cities such as Xi'an
, Tianjin
and Shanghai. Students maintain a blog, posting their experiences and insights from the programme.
HCI has been quoted as saying that it is looking to opening satellite campuses in India and the United States, with the aim of establishing the two in the near future. In July 2010, it was announced that HCI would be developing a school in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City in Guangzhou
, China, akin to that of its first satellite campus, following the inking of a memorandum of understanding
(MOU). This would see HCI partnering a top local school for exchange and mutual learning programmes. The school is also reported to be establishing a virtual campus offering e-learning courses by Stanford University
's Education Program for Gifted Youth
(EPGY).
final examinations. The school-wide Integrated Programme
offered enables students to skip the GCE 'O' Levels, typically taken by secondary four students in Singapore. The Hwa Chong Diploma was introduced in 2008 and is awarded to the best performing 30% of its graduating cohort. It is awarded on top of the 'A' Levels certificate, and is an added qualification to university applications.
HCI also organises academic competitions and conferences, both for its students and external participants. The school organises the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (APMOPS) and the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (SMOPS). At the same time, the International Science Youth Forum (ISYF) is hosted at HCI and co-organised by Nanyang Technological University
, bringing students from across Asia-Pacific together to network and dialogue, with Nobel laureates coming down to share their experiences in the scientific field; a record five Nobel laureates were involved in 2010.
. The four consortiums in the school are Aphelion, iSpark, Ortus and ProEd. The iSpark consortium houses HCI's Gifted Education Programme
(GEP). The consortiums work closely with one another and each has its own council of students. In the college section, they are instead called faculties, highlighting the differences in function between consortiums and faculties. There are four faculties, namely - Apollo, Ares, Athena and Artemis - all named after Greek deities.
Each consortium is led by the Director (DC) and Assistant Director (ADC) of Consortium. Consortium and faculty life extends beyond curricular education as programmed by the school, with programmes differing amongst consortiums and faculties. These include exchange programmes and student bonding activities. Inter-consortium/inter-faculty contests or gatherings are held throughout the year, an example being the Faculty Shield. It was launched in 2006 and is a year-long competition wherein faculties compete to amass points to win the challenge shield. Points are gained from events such as the Chinese New Year
Faculty Dance competition and the annual Sports Meet (including the cheering competition).
Special programmes offered in the school are as follows:
In 2008, the Centre for Scholastic Education (CSE) was set up to house all special programmes in the high school section except for the Art Elective Programme and the Malay Special Programme. They are the Bicultural Studies Programme, Humanities Programme and the Science and Math Talent Programme. It also used to house the now-defunct Entrepreneurship Programme. CSE is also used as an umbrella term
to describe the specialised academic programmes offered at the upper secondary level.
, and also the United States. There are also specifically organised study trips to places beyond, including the United Kingdom. Different exchange programmes are offered at the high school and college sections; in fact, certain exchange programmes are limited to consortiums within the high school section itself. Apart from sending its students abroad, the school also hosts international events that draw students from several countries across continents, such as the Hwa Chong-Asia Pacific Youth Leaders Summit and the International Science Youth Forum.
The exchange schools working in collaboration with HCI, sorted by country, include: Christian Outreach College Brisbane
in Australia, Rajagiri Public School in India, Ritsumeikan Senior High School in Japan, Chung Hwa High School
in Malaysia, Philippine Science High School in Philippines
, Loudoun Academy of Science
in the United States, and St Nicholas Girls' School and Cedar Girls School in Singapore. In 2008, a collaboration between the Loudoun Academy of Science
and HCI saw the team winning the Extreme Collaboration Award in the Stanford Global Innovation Tournament, in a unique achievement for both schools.
, and this is in part due to the school's large student population and size.
. The gymnastics, judo, shooting, table tennis and track & field teams garner nationwide achievements almost every year. HCI has won track & field championships in most divisions. The HCI track & field team used to hold and currently holds a few national records, particularly in pole vault
.
Other sports which have achieved significant results over the years include the basketball, canoeing, volleyball, water polo and wushu teams. The school's basketball team won the championships in both the A Boys and A Girls divisions in 2010. The same was achieved for the volleyball team, gaining the championships in both A divisions (Boys and Girls). Nine HCI students were selected to represent Singapore
in the Youth Olympics Games 2010
, two of them from the championship-winning basketball team.
, National Police Cadet Corps
, St. John Ambulance Brigade
, and Scouts (and Ventures & Rovers)
. These CCAs provide a highly structured organisation and a well-defined hierarchy. The HCI National Cadet Corps unit (HCINCC) has been awarded Gold for 15 consecutive years, winning the Best Unit Competition (BUC) in 2000. Also, HCINCC is the only Centre of Excellence in Precision Drill department amongst all NCC units in Singapore. The National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) is currently the largest uniformed group in Singapore, and in HCI, in terms of membership. The St. John Ambulance Brigade is one of three School Corps awarded Gold for 11 consecutive years. The Ambulance Cadet team from Hwa Chong won the National Champions for the Inter-Zone First Aid and Home Nursing Competition 2010 and 2011. The Ambulance Cadet team then went on to win the Singapore-Malaysia First Aid and Nursing Competition 2011. The Ambulance Adult team also won 3rd place for the Inter-Zone First Aid and Home Nursing Competition 2011. The Scouts uniformed group hosts the Lion Dance
troupe, which performs at special and commemorative events. All four uniformed groups achieved Gold in the annual national assessment. Apart from regular planned training, other activities include inter-unit competitions in bowling and captain's ball.
, saw the English Drama Club judged, where it attained a Silver Award. The previous year, 2009, saw the other performing arts groups being assessed; a number of awards were garnered, including two Golds with Honours for the Chinese Orchestra and the High School Band.
Apart from occasional performances held locally in Victoria Theatre
and the school's Drama Centre, many of the performing arts groups travel overseas both for exchange and performances. Amongst them, the High School Band
and the Choir are notable for their international achievements. The year 2010 saw the College Choir attaining significant achievements in two international competitions, the Festival of Songs in Olomouc
, Czech Republic, and the Florilege Vocal de Tours in France while in 2011, the choir attained a Gold with Honours in the 2011 Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging of Choirs. The High School Band, which once performed in the Istana, travelled to Hawaii to attend the Pacific Basin Music Festival for the second time in 2010, attaining a gold award. The Band has also performed at the National Day Parade
.
of the school, and comprises the High School Council and College Council which represents the high school section and the college section respectively. Currently into its 38th year, the council is generally regarded to be amongst the oldest student councils in Singapore. It is tasked with caring for the welfare of students in the school, and acts as a middleman between the school administration and the student body. The council also organises multiple events every year, mostly with teacher involvement limited to mentorship only, including skills workshops, forums, the two yearly orientations and the Hwa Chong-Nanyang Annual Track & Field Meet.
(IT) resources. The nature of the youths in Singapore, in that almost all are highly connected to latest technologies (Singapore has an internet penetration rate of 77.8%), is a fillip to IT usage in the school. Announcements and notices are posted regularly online in the school's Electronic Message Board (EMB), as a replacement for traditional school-wide announcements. The school requires that students check the online board regularly.
Also, learning often takes place with the aid of online IT resources, such as wikis. HCI recently came up with a wiki platform of its own online, called the Hwa Chong Institution Wikispaces, which further supports collaborative learning and interacting for all staff and students of HCI. The school also organises home learning periods every term, typically lasting two to three days, where students study and learn from home through the Internet and their computers without the need to return to school.
and white socks, which must cover the ankle, and white shoes. Only Secondary 4 students are permitted to wear long trousers, with a beige shirt.
Students earn demerit points for poor behaviour. Accumulated demerit points can affect final grades and eligibility for certain awards. The student handbook states that, for serious offences, male students at Hwa Chong Institution may be punished with detention, suspension, caning or expulsion. Only the Principal or Discipline Master may administer corporal punishment, which consists of a maximum of five strokes of the cane. Students found smoking are immediately caned or suspended or both. Caning may also be given for integrity-related offences (e.g. cheating), uncivilized behaviour (e.g. defiance), and criminal offences (e.g. fighting).
This event helps freshmen familiarise themselves with the school and integrate into the Hwa Chong family. The freshmen would undergo numerous team building games and cheers.
This event is jointly organised by councillors handpicked from the four consortium councils, and the Secondary One Orientation is the most important event organized by the council every year. The main highlight is the cheers competition held on the final day of orientation. Other aspects of the orientation include the Amazing Race, as well as the Mass Games.
Each orientation has a theme, and the 2011 theme is "Surge Forth, Thunder On". Past themes include "Ignite, Drive", "Step Forward, Make it Happen" and "Blaze the Trail".
that extends to Nanyang Girls High School (NYGH), an all-girls high (junior-high) school, under the name Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme. Under the programme, a majority of NYGH students graduate to the college (pre-university) section of HCI to undergo their pre-university education. All students of HCI's high school section also move on automatically to the college section and undertake the 'A' Levels
, unless they fail to meet requirements or specifically apply to leave.
Under the umbrella Hwa Chong Family of Schools, HCI is affiliated to Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) and Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
(HCIBS). All three schools share the same prefix in their names, and are located in the same main campus. However, in spite of the multi-sharing, each school possesses its own set of facilities.
Hwa Chong International School is a co-educational international school
, offering a six-year programme from Grade 7 (11–13 years old) to Grade 12, finishing with the International Baccalaureate. In the interim years, the students will sit for the iGCSE. The fully private independent school saw its final batch of graduating international 'A' Levels students and the first batch of graduating IB students in 2010. Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School is the institution's boarding school
, accommodating HCI's international scholars. It also houses international scholars studying in other local schools such as Singapore Chinese Girls' School
and Bukit Panjang Government High School
. Local Singaporean boarders staying in the boarding school are participants of HCI's Integrated Boarding Programme. The boarding complex was designed by renowned architect Kenzo Tange
, consisting of seven six-storey halls providing accommodation for up to 1,000 boarders or guests.
:
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
for students aged 12 to 18 covering both secondary and pre-university levels. A Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to education in Singapore.-Statutory boards:...
-designated FutureSchool, it operates under the Special Assistance Plan
Special Assistance Plan
The Special Assistance Plan is a programme in Singapore which caters to academically strong students who excel in both their mother tongue as well as English. It is only available in selected secondary schools. In a SAP school, several subjects may be taught in the mother tongue, alongside other...
(SAP) for bilingualism, and offers the Integrated Programme
Integrated Programme
The Integrated Programme , also known as through-train programme , is a scheme which allows the brightest pupils at secondary schools in Singapore to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of...
(IP) and also the School Based Gifted Education Programme
Gifted Education Programme (Singapore)
The Gifted Education Programme is a Singaporean academic programme designed for the top 1% of pupils, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3.-History:...
(SBGEP), after the Secondary School Gifted Education Programme was phased out. The main campus, in Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah is an area in Singapore and a hill in that area. Bukit Timah is located near the centre of the Singapore main island. The hill stands at an altitude of 163.63 metres and is the highest point in the city-state of Singapore...
, covers 72 acres (29.1 ha) shared between Hwa Chong Institution, Hwa Chong International School, the institution's boarding school
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School is a boarding school in Singapore.The boarding school began its operations in 2002, and was officially opened in 2003 by then deputy prime minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong...
, and the Bukit Timah campus of SIM University
SIM University
SIM University is a private university in Singapore. Established in 2005, UniSIM is approved by Singapore's Ministry of Education to award recognised Singapore degrees. The university is part of the Singapore Institute of Management Group...
. The campus is markedly larger than most schools in Singapore and the region.
Previously two separate but affiliated schools, The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College was a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. The college was founded in 1974 and merged with The Chinese High School on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution.-Founding:...
, HCI was the result of a merger on 1 January 2005. The change was in line with the Ministry of Education's introduction of the IP, whereby students undertake a six-year "through-train" education and bypass the traditional GCE 'O' levels. In spite of the merger, the secondary school section remains boys-only, while the pre-university section is co-educational. Approximately 4000 students are enrolled in the school, which has a student-teacher ratio of 13:1.
HCI has produced 50 President's Scholars, and it has been cited as a leading Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
entry centre outside of the United Kingdom. Some of its research and leadership development programmes have gained international accolades; educator Edward de Bono
Edward de Bono
Edward de Bono is a physician, author, inventor, and consultant. He originated the term lateral thinking, wrote a best selling book Six Thinking Hats and is a proponent of the deliberate teaching of thinking as a subject in schools.- Biography :Edward Charles Francis Publius de Bono was born to...
has referred to HCI as the "Eton
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
of the East". The school offers a variety of extra-curricular programmes, where achievements include championship-winning sports teams in track-and-field, gymnastics, water polo and judo.
The Chinese High School (1919–2004)
The Chinese High School, at that time the Nanyang Chinese High School, was founded by Tan Kah KeeTan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee was a prominent businessman, community leader, and philanthropist in colonial Singapore, and a Communist leader in the People's Republic of China.- Early years :...
in March 1919 at Niven Road. With an enrolment of 78 pupils, it was the first Chinese institution of higher learning at that time in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, catering to Chinese dialect groups amongst the overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
. Six years later, the school moved to its Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah
Bukit Timah is an area in Singapore and a hill in that area. Bukit Timah is located near the centre of the Singapore main island. The hill stands at an altitude of 163.63 metres and is the highest point in the city-state of Singapore...
campus.
After its founding, the school offered comprehensive secondary level Chinese education. It remained funded and supported by Tan Kah Kee until shortly before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. In 1934, Lee Kong Chian
Lee Kong Chian
Lee Kong Chian , was a prominent businessman and philanthropist and the founder of The Lee Foundation in Singapore. He was one of Southeast Asia's richest men in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the son-in-law of philanthropist Tan Kah Kee.-Early life:...
, son-in-law of Tan Kah Kee, became the chairman of the school's board and remained in his post until 1955. During his tenure, the school faced the threat of closure 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
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
, the school's clock tower
The Chinese High School Clock Tower Building
The Chinese High School Clock Tower Building in Singapore is situated in what is now the campus of the integrated Hwa Chong Institution after the merger of The Chinese High School with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005...
, for its height and vantage point, served as a headquarters for the Allied defenders
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. Following the war, the school resumed its predominant Chinese education. In the 1950s and 1960s, during periods of civil unrest in Singapore, many students, teachers and alumni participated in or led the anti-colonial riots.
After Singapore gained independence in 1965, the school came under the purview of the Ministry of Education
Ministry of Education (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to education in Singapore.-Statutory boards:...
and was accorded the Special Assistance Plan
Special Assistance Plan
The Special Assistance Plan is a programme in Singapore which caters to academically strong students who excel in both their mother tongue as well as English. It is only available in selected secondary schools. In a SAP school, several subjects may be taught in the mother tongue, alongside other...
(SAP) status in 1979. Later, in 1988 the school achieved the status of an independent school, under a scheme that the ministry perceived as proven successful and which was extended to other top schools in Singapore. On 19 March 1999, the school's clock tower was gazetted as a national monument.
Hwa Chong Junior College (1974–2004)
Hwa Chong Junior CollegeHwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College was a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. The college was founded in 1974 and merged with The Chinese High School on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution.-Founding:...
, now HCI's college section, was established in 1974 at the Bukit Timah campus of The Chinese High School as a separate pre-university education institution, but under the same management board. The college was the government-aided junior college, with its name being an abbreviation of the high school's Chinese name to mark the relationship between the two schools.
Hwa Chong Junior College moved out of its campus at Bukit Timah Road in the late 1980s following the discovery of structural problems with the building to facilitate rebuilding. Lessons continued but conducted at various locations. The rebuilding of the campus finished in 1992 and lessons restarted at the campus in 1993. Following The Chinese High School's accord of independent school status in 1987, the junior college followed suit in 2004, becoming the first JC in Singapore to be granted the status of an independent school.
Merger (2005–present)
Following the introduction of the Integrated ProgrammeIntegrated Programme
The Integrated Programme , also known as through-train programme , is a scheme which allows the brightest pupils at secondary schools in Singapore to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of...
into Singapore's education system
Education in Singapore
Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education , which controls the development and administration of state schools receiving government funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools...
in the early 2000s, The Chinese High School merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution. The school's official title is now 'Hwa Chong Institution', but the names 'The Chinese High School' and 'Hwa Chong Junior College' are still used colloquially to refer to the two sections.
In 2008, HCI was selected by the Ministry of Education to implement the FutureSchools@Singapore programme, one of five initial schools to do so and amongst the eventual fifteen planned. Also in the same year, the Hwa Chong Diploma was introduced. The diploma is awarded to the best performing 30% of its graduating cohort, stacking upon the GCE 'A' Levels
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
certificate.
The school enrols an estimated 4,000 students, spread across the six levels, with a student-teacher ratio of 13:1. To date, Hwa Chong Institution has the highest number of President's Scholars among its graduates as compared to those of other junior colleges in Singapore, currently standing at 50. The college section's Humanities Programme has a significant percentage of its students going on to study abroad at such universities as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, MIT, UC Berkeley, Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
and Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University , colloquially known in Chinese as Qinghua, is a university in Beijing, China. The school is one of the nine universities of the C9 League. It was established in 1911 under the name "Tsinghua Xuetang" or "Tsinghua College" and was renamed the "Tsinghua School" one year later...
.
Campus
The main campus of HCI in Bukit TimahBukit Timah
Bukit Timah is an area in Singapore and a hill in that area. Bukit Timah is located near the centre of the Singapore main island. The hill stands at an altitude of 163.63 metres and is the highest point in the city-state of Singapore...
covers 72 acres, making it one of the largest in Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
. The campus land is shared between the Hwa Chong Family of Schools - namely, Hwa Chong Institution itself, Hwa Chong International School and Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School is a boarding school in Singapore.The boarding school began its operations in 2002, and was officially opened in 2003 by then deputy prime minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong...
. Also onsite is the Bukit Timah campus of SIM University
SIM University
SIM University is a private university in Singapore. Established in 2005, UniSIM is approved by Singapore's Ministry of Education to award recognised Singapore degrees. The university is part of the Singapore Institute of Management Group...
and its administrative headquarters. Despite the multi-sharing, each entity possesses its own set of facilities, marked by certain perimeters.
The dedicated Science Research Centre, built in 2008, has ten purpose-built laboratories in which students experience different research disciplines outside of the usual curriculum, including labs for Robotics and Engineering, Biotechnology and Microbiology, and the Pharmaceutical Sciences. The centre provides resources to support the research and innovation programmes, serving as a central facility for student research activities.
The Ong Teng Cheong Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre (also called the Ong Teng Cheong SALT Centre, or the SALT Centre), named in honour of alumnus and former President of Singapore
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
Ong Teng Cheong
Ong Teng Cheong
Ong Teng Cheong was the first directly elected President of the Republic of Singapore. He was the nation's fifth President, and served a six-year term from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 1999.-Early life:...
, aims to develop students holistically, particularly in arts and leadership development. Housed in it are dance studios, music rooms, and a cardiovascular and weight-training room. A moot parliament is also housed in the centre, modelled on the Singapore Parliamentary Chamber
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
, and it is a central venue for events such as student council meetings and Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
conferences.
Apart from the two purpose-built facilities, other facilities in HCI include a three-storey library, a gymnasium, a 400-metre track, a hall, a multi-storey carpark, lecture theatres, general laboratories and classrooms. The 31-metres-tall Clock Tower
The Chinese High School Clock Tower Building
The Chinese High School Clock Tower Building in Singapore is situated in what is now the campus of the integrated Hwa Chong Institution after the merger of The Chinese High School with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005...
of the school is a national monument, the only one in a Singapore school.
Beijing Satellite Campus
In line with the school's plan to set up a Global Academy, HCI established its Beijing Satellite Campus in 2007, the first of its kind for a Singapore school. An agreement was inked with a top school in China, Beijing's The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal UniversityThe Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University
The Second High School Attached to Beijing Normal University is the official English name of a secondary school in the north Beijing neighbourhood of Xicheng...
, in which classrooms will be leased. A total of 4 batches of students make their way to the campus every year, staying for up to two months. Priority is given to scholars of HCI's Bi-cultural Studies Programme. Students in the campus take lessons together with students from China in partner schools, carry out community involvement activities
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
, and take field trips to cities such as Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
and Shanghai. Students maintain a blog, posting their experiences and insights from the programme.
HCI has been quoted as saying that it is looking to opening satellite campuses in India and the United States, with the aim of establishing the two in the near future. In July 2010, it was announced that HCI would be developing a school in the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China, akin to that of its first satellite campus, following the inking of a memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
(MOU). This would see HCI partnering a top local school for exchange and mutual learning programmes. The school is also reported to be establishing a virtual campus offering e-learning courses by Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's Education Program for Gifted Youth
Education Program for Gifted Youth
The Education Program for Gifted Youth, at Stanford University, is a gifted education program which offers distance and residential summer courses for students of all ages. It is a distance learning program, meaning that courses are taught remotely via the Internet, rather than in the traditional...
(EPGY).
Academics
Incorporated within HCI are the high school (junior high) section and college (senior high) section, each caring for a different cohort of students separated by age group. Secondary One (age 13) students first enter the high school section and study there for four years, before proceeding to the college section where they prepare to take the GCE 'A' LevelsGCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
final examinations. The school-wide Integrated Programme
Integrated Programme
The Integrated Programme , also known as through-train programme , is a scheme which allows the brightest pupils at secondary schools in Singapore to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of...
offered enables students to skip the GCE 'O' Levels, typically taken by secondary four students in Singapore. The Hwa Chong Diploma was introduced in 2008 and is awarded to the best performing 30% of its graduating cohort. It is awarded on top of the 'A' Levels certificate, and is an added qualification to university applications.
HCI also organises academic competitions and conferences, both for its students and external participants. The school organises the Asia Pacific Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (APMOPS) and the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad for Primary Schools (SMOPS). At the same time, the International Science Youth Forum (ISYF) is hosted at HCI and co-organised by Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University
Nanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
, bringing students from across Asia-Pacific together to network and dialogue, with Nobel laureates coming down to share their experiences in the scientific field; a record five Nobel laureates were involved in 2010.
Consortiums and faculties
Students in the high school section are divided into what is called consortiums (consortia) - a different naming convention from the typical house systemHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
. The four consortiums in the school are Aphelion, iSpark, Ortus and ProEd. The iSpark consortium houses HCI's Gifted Education Programme
Gifted Education Programme (Singapore)
The Gifted Education Programme is a Singaporean academic programme designed for the top 1% of pupils, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3.-History:...
(GEP). The consortiums work closely with one another and each has its own council of students. In the college section, they are instead called faculties, highlighting the differences in function between consortiums and faculties. There are four faculties, namely - Apollo, Ares, Athena and Artemis - all named after Greek deities.
Each consortium is led by the Director (DC) and Assistant Director (ADC) of Consortium. Consortium and faculty life extends beyond curricular education as programmed by the school, with programmes differing amongst consortiums and faculties. These include exchange programmes and student bonding activities. Inter-consortium/inter-faculty contests or gatherings are held throughout the year, an example being the Faculty Shield. It was launched in 2006 and is a year-long competition wherein faculties compete to amass points to win the challenge shield. Points are gained from events such as the Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
Faculty Dance competition and the annual Sports Meet (including the cheering competition).
Special programmes
Various special programmes are offered in HCI, such as the Bi-cultural Studies Programme, the Art Elective Programme and the Science and Math Talent Programme. These programmes offer a degree of specialisation that is generally not possible in the standard curriculum, enabling students in the school to explore respective fields to a greater degree. Despite having similar names, the special programmes offered in the high school and the college section are different; however, most are closely associated with each other. An example would be the Humanities Programme (HP), in which the high school HP focuses on the three core humanities subjects - history, geography and English literature, while HP in the college section offers a greater variety of subjects such as China Studies and economics, while gearing students for university humanities programmes locally and abroad.Special programmes offered in the school are as follows:
- Bicultural Studies Programme
- Language Elective Programme
- Science and Math Talent Programme
- Humanities Programme
- Malay Special Programme
- Research Studies
- School Based Gifted Plus Programme
- Art Elective Programme
In 2008, the Centre for Scholastic Education (CSE) was set up to house all special programmes in the high school section except for the Art Elective Programme and the Malay Special Programme. They are the Bicultural Studies Programme, Humanities Programme and the Science and Math Talent Programme. It also used to house the now-defunct Entrepreneurship Programme. CSE is also used as an umbrella term
Umbrella term
An umbrella term is a word that provides a superset or grouping of concepts that all fall under a single common category. Umbrella term is also called a hypernym. For example, cryptology is an umbrella term that encompasses cryptography and cryptanalysis, among other fields...
to describe the specialised academic programmes offered at the upper secondary level.
Sabbatical Programme
Under HCI's Integrated Programme, the Sabbatical Programme is offered whereby students from Secondary 1 to 4 go on sabbatical courses for one week every term except the last (Term 4). The programme is unique in allowing the majority of the school populace to put aside formal curricular lessons for a week in pursuit of their passions or interests. Sabbaticals offered are of a wide variety, in categories as defined by the school: arts and aesthetics, Chinese studies, humanities, English and literature, leadership, technology, science and math, camps and student exchange (exchange programmes). Also, the school requires students to use the specifically designed Online Bidding System to organise their sabbatical plans. Students who accumulate demerit points as a result of various offences are penalised in their sabbatical bidding or are recommended for corrective work order.Exchange programmes
HCI offers a host of exchange programmes with schools spread across Asia-PacificAsia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific or Asia Pacific is the part of the world in or near the Western Pacific Ocean...
, and also the United States. There are also specifically organised study trips to places beyond, including the United Kingdom. Different exchange programmes are offered at the high school and college sections; in fact, certain exchange programmes are limited to consortiums within the high school section itself. Apart from sending its students abroad, the school also hosts international events that draw students from several countries across continents, such as the Hwa Chong-Asia Pacific Youth Leaders Summit and the International Science Youth Forum.
The exchange schools working in collaboration with HCI, sorted by country, include: Christian Outreach College Brisbane
Christian Outreach College Brisbane
Christian Outreach College Brisbane is now known as Citipointe Christian College the Christian Outreach College Brisbane, a Christian independent day school located in Carindale, Queensland. The school has a population of around 1700 students from preparatory to Year 12, including students in the...
in Australia, Rajagiri Public School in India, Ritsumeikan Senior High School in Japan, Chung Hwa High School
Chung Hwa Confucian High School
Chung Hwa Confucian High School is a national-type secondary school located in Green Lane, Penang, Malaysia. The school is one of the 10 Chinese secondary schools in Penang and also has a good record of co-curriculum and public examination results.It is the only overseas Chinese School to be...
in Malaysia, Philippine Science High School in Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, Loudoun Academy of Science
Loudoun Academy of Science
The Loudoun Academy of Science is a part time alternative school program for high school students enrolled in Loudoun County Public Schools. Currently, the program is located at the campus of Dominion High School at 21326 Augusta Drive in Sterling, an area in unincorporated Loudoun County,...
in the United States, and St Nicholas Girls' School and Cedar Girls School in Singapore. In 2008, a collaboration between the Loudoun Academy of Science
Loudoun Academy of Science
The Loudoun Academy of Science is a part time alternative school program for high school students enrolled in Loudoun County Public Schools. Currently, the program is located at the campus of Dominion High School at 21326 Augusta Drive in Sterling, an area in unincorporated Loudoun County,...
and HCI saw the team winning the Extreme Collaboration Award in the Stanford Global Innovation Tournament, in a unique achievement for both schools.
Extra-curricular activities
HCI offers a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, labelled Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) by the Ministry of EducationMinistry of Education (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Education is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation and implementation of policies related to education in Singapore.-Statutory boards:...
, and this is in part due to the school's large student population and size.
Leadership
There is one international leadership conferences hosted by HCI, the Hwa Chong Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit. The Hwa Chong Asia-Pacific Young Leaders Summit, into its fourth year since its inception in 2006, is a forum where Asian and international student leaders gather to discuss pertinent issues in the region and also to share their cultural and personal experiences. It has seen students from schools in Australia, China, India, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States and more, providing an international representation to the summit.Sports
There are a number of sports CCAs offered in HCI, ranging from soccer to ten-pin bowling, and from wushu to touch rugbyTouch rugby
Touch rugby, Refers to games derived from rugby football in which players do not tackle in the traditional, highly physical way, but instead touch their opponents using their hands on any part of the body, clothing, or the ball....
. The gymnastics, judo, shooting, table tennis and track & field teams garner nationwide achievements almost every year. HCI has won track & field championships in most divisions. The HCI track & field team used to hold and currently holds a few national records, particularly in pole vault
Pole vault
Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
.
Other sports which have achieved significant results over the years include the basketball, canoeing, volleyball, water polo and wushu teams. The school's basketball team won the championships in both the A Boys and A Girls divisions in 2010. The same was achieved for the volleyball team, gaining the championships in both A divisions (Boys and Girls). Nine HCI students were selected to represent Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in the Youth Olympics Games 2010
2010 Summer Youth Olympics
The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, officially known as the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games , were an international multi-sport event for youths that took place in the city-state of Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010, in the XXIX Olympiad. They were the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics, a major...
, two of them from the championship-winning basketball team.
Uniformed groups
There are currently four uniformed groups in HCI: National Cadet Corps (Land)National Cadet Corps (Singapore)
The National Cadet Corps is a youth organisation in Singapore. As of December 2010, it had a total strength of 19877 members. This consists of 823 Officers, 726 Cadet Officers and 17157 cadets, amongst others.The NCC is represented in 144 Secondary Schools and there are a total 176 School...
, National Police Cadet Corps
National Police Cadet Corps
The National Police Cadet Corps is the largest uniformed group for youths in Singapore in terms of membership. As of 31 March 2004, the organisation has 596 teacher officers and 20,146 student members in 155 secondary schools, 2 polytechnics open units and 2 University Open Units.With the support...
, St. John Ambulance Brigade
St. John Ambulance in Singapore
St John Ambulance Singapore is a voluntary organisation in Singapore which provides training in First Aid and Home Nursing. Its members also perform voluntary first aid coverage duties during national events....
, and Scouts (and Ventures & Rovers)
The Singapore Scout Association
The Singapore Scout Association is one of the oldest youth movements in Singapore. Scouting encourages the holistic physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and social development of youth with a strong emphasis on duty to God, duty to country, help other people as stated in the Scout Promise and...
. These CCAs provide a highly structured organisation and a well-defined hierarchy. The HCI National Cadet Corps unit (HCINCC) has been awarded Gold for 15 consecutive years, winning the Best Unit Competition (BUC) in 2000. Also, HCINCC is the only Centre of Excellence in Precision Drill department amongst all NCC units in Singapore. The National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) is currently the largest uniformed group in Singapore, and in HCI, in terms of membership. The St. John Ambulance Brigade is one of three School Corps awarded Gold for 11 consecutive years. The Ambulance Cadet team from Hwa Chong won the National Champions for the Inter-Zone First Aid and Home Nursing Competition 2010 and 2011. The Ambulance Cadet team then went on to win the Singapore-Malaysia First Aid and Nursing Competition 2011. The Ambulance Adult team also won 3rd place for the Inter-Zone First Aid and Home Nursing Competition 2011. The Scouts uniformed group hosts the Lion Dance
Lion dance
Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people...
troupe, which performs at special and commemorative events. All four uniformed groups achieved Gold in the annual national assessment. Apart from regular planned training, other activities include inter-unit competitions in bowling and captain's ball.
Performing arts
The ten performing arts groups in HCI are: the Chinese Orchestra, the String Ensemble, the Chinese Drama Club, the Harmonica Ensemble, the English Drama Club, the Choir, the Music And Dance Society, the Guitar Ensemble, the Band and lastly Chinese Dance. The 2010 Singapore Youth FestivalSingapore Youth Festival
The Singapore Youth Festival is an annual event in Singapore organised by the Ministry of Education to celebrate the achievements of youths in co-curricular activities...
, saw the English Drama Club judged, where it attained a Silver Award. The previous year, 2009, saw the other performing arts groups being assessed; a number of awards were garnered, including two Golds with Honours for the Chinese Orchestra and the High School Band.
Apart from occasional performances held locally in Victoria Theatre
Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall
The Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall is a complex of two buildings and a clock tower joined together by a common corridor and is located in the civic district of Singapore...
and the school's Drama Centre, many of the performing arts groups travel overseas both for exchange and performances. Amongst them, the High School Band
Hwa Chong Institution High School Band
The Hwa Chong Institution High School Band in its present state is a concert band, while also run in a military style. Thus, while there is focus on the "Indoor" aspect, the band still maintains its "Outdoor" skills. As a military band, the band not only plays concert music, but also does drills...
and the Choir are notable for their international achievements. The year 2010 saw the College Choir attaining significant achievements in two international competitions, the Festival of Songs in Olomouc
Olomouc
Olomouc is a city in Moravia, in the east of the Czech Republic. The city is located on the Morava river and is the ecclesiastical metropolis and historical capital city of Moravia. Nowadays, it is an administrative centre of the Olomouc Region and sixth largest city in the Czech Republic...
, Czech Republic, and the Florilege Vocal de Tours in France while in 2011, the choir attained a Gold with Honours in the 2011 Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging of Choirs. The High School Band, which once performed in the Istana, travelled to Hawaii to attend the Pacific Basin Music Festival for the second time in 2010, attaining a gold award. The Band has also performed at the National Day Parade
National Day Parade
The Singapore National Day Parade is a national ceremony in Singapore that, as its name implies, includes a parade on Singapore's National Day on August 9, in commemoration of Singapore's independence that is usually held at the Padang , the National Stadium, various decentalized venues all over...
.
Clubs and societies
Clubs and societies are the most numbered in the school, stemming from a diverse range, such as the Astronomy Club, the IT Club, the Socrates Club, the Chinese Calligraphy Society, Robotics Club and the MediaTech club. Many of these clubs/societies have performed well in competitions. The Hwa Chong Astronomy Club, for example, has seen members participating in the Asian-Pacific Astronomy Olympiad, where it attained the Best Performing New Country Award and the Top Scoring Individual Award in 2008. Many also serve important functions in the school itself, such as the Library Club, which helps maintain the library infrastructure.| World Championship Titles Won (2006–10) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Championship | Title | Year(s) |
| 1 | Purple Comet International Mathematics Competition | 1st Prize (World Champions) | 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 |
| 5 | Odyssey of The Mind World Finals Odyssey of the Mind Odyssey of the Mind, often called OM , is a creative problem-solving competition involving students from kindergarten through college. Team members work together at length to solve a predefined problem ; and present their solution to the problem at a competition... |
World Champion Award for Odyssey of The Mind World Finals | 2007 |
| 6 | Global Talentrepreneur Innovation & Collaboration Business Competition | World Championship | 2007 |
| 7 | Intelligent Ironman Creativity Contest | World Championship | 2007 |
| 8 | Future Problem Solving Program International Finals | [2007] 1st Prize, [2008] Overall Champion | 2007, 2008 |
| 10 | 5th World Choir Games World Choir Games The World Choir Games is the largest choir competition in the world. Organized for amateur choirs from all over the world, regardless of their country of origin, race, genre of music or artistic ambitions, its motto is "Singing together brings nations together"... |
World Champions (1st in Mixed Choir category) (2 Gold Medals in Folklore and Mixed Choir categories) | 2008 |
| 11 | Stanford Global Innovation Tournament | Extreme Collaboration Award (1 Global Award) | 2008 |
| 12 | Oracle ThinkQuest Competition Oracle Thinkquest Oracle ThinkQuest is an online learning platform that helps students develop important 21st-century skills, including communication, critical thinking, and technology skills.... |
Champions (Category 19) | 2009 |
| 13 | International Biology Olympiad International Biology Olympiad The International Biology Olympiad is a science olympiad for students in sixth form . The first academic international Olympiads after the International Mathematical Olympiad were launched under the auspices of the United Nations in the 1960s... |
1st in the World | 2009 |
| 14 | International Regions Mathematics League | World Champions | 2009 |
| 15 | 24th Barcelona Dance Award | 2 Championship Titles (Choreography and Ethnic Dance Categories) | 2010 |
| 16 | Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Mathematics Tournament Online Competition | 6 Champions | 2010 |
School culture
Students' Council
The Students' Council is the student councilStudent council
Student council is a curricular or extra-curricular activity for students within elementary and secondary schools around the world. Present in most public and private K-12 school systems across the United States, Canada and Australia these bodies are alternatively entitled student council, student...
of the school, and comprises the High School Council and College Council which represents the high school section and the college section respectively. Currently into its 38th year, the council is generally regarded to be amongst the oldest student councils in Singapore. It is tasked with caring for the welfare of students in the school, and acts as a middleman between the school administration and the student body. The council also organises multiple events every year, mostly with teacher involvement limited to mentorship only, including skills workshops, forums, the two yearly orientations and the Hwa Chong-Nanyang Annual Track & Field Meet.
Information technology usage
Having been designated a FutureSchool in 2008, HCI has rapidly adopted new Information TechnologyInformation technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
(IT) resources. The nature of the youths in Singapore, in that almost all are highly connected to latest technologies (Singapore has an internet penetration rate of 77.8%), is a fillip to IT usage in the school. Announcements and notices are posted regularly online in the school's Electronic Message Board (EMB), as a replacement for traditional school-wide announcements. The school requires that students check the online board regularly.
Also, learning often takes place with the aid of online IT resources, such as wikis. HCI recently came up with a wiki platform of its own online, called the Hwa Chong Institution Wikispaces, which further supports collaborative learning and interacting for all staff and students of HCI. The school also organises home learning periods every term, typically lasting two to three days, where students study and learn from home through the Internet and their computers without the need to return to school.
Uniform and discipline
In the secondary school section, students in Secondary 1 to Secondary 3 inclusive must wear a white short-sleeved shirt with khaki short trousersShorts
Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...
and white socks, which must cover the ankle, and white shoes. Only Secondary 4 students are permitted to wear long trousers, with a beige shirt.
Students earn demerit points for poor behaviour. Accumulated demerit points can affect final grades and eligibility for certain awards. The student handbook states that, for serious offences, male students at Hwa Chong Institution may be punished with detention, suspension, caning or expulsion. Only the Principal or Discipline Master may administer corporal punishment, which consists of a maximum of five strokes of the cane. Students found smoking are immediately caned or suspended or both. Caning may also be given for integrity-related offences (e.g. cheating), uncivilized behaviour (e.g. defiance), and criminal offences (e.g. fighting).
Secondary One Orientation
At the start of a new academic year, freshmen (secondary one students) usually undergo a three- to four-day orientation designed to inculcate the Hwa Chong spirit. The freshmen are split into 22 groups, with 2 buddies (from consortium councils) in each group.This event helps freshmen familiarise themselves with the school and integrate into the Hwa Chong family. The freshmen would undergo numerous team building games and cheers.
This event is jointly organised by councillors handpicked from the four consortium councils, and the Secondary One Orientation is the most important event organized by the council every year. The main highlight is the cheers competition held on the final day of orientation. Other aspects of the orientation include the Amazing Race, as well as the Mass Games.
Each orientation has a theme, and the 2011 theme is "Surge Forth, Thunder On". Past themes include "Ignite, Drive", "Step Forward, Make it Happen" and "Blaze the Trail".
Affiliations
HCI offers the Integrated ProgrammeIntegrated Programme
The Integrated Programme , also known as through-train programme , is a scheme which allows the brightest pupils at secondary schools in Singapore to bypass the "O" levels and take the "A" levels, International Baccalaureate or an equivalent examination directly at the age of 18 after six years of...
that extends to Nanyang Girls High School (NYGH), an all-girls high (junior-high) school, under the name Hwa Chong Affiliate Programme. Under the programme, a majority of NYGH students graduate to the college (pre-university) section of HCI to undergo their pre-university education. All students of HCI's high school section also move on automatically to the college section and undertake the 'A' Levels
GCE Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
, unless they fail to meet requirements or specifically apply to leave.
Under the umbrella Hwa Chong Family of Schools, HCI is affiliated to Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) and Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School is a boarding school in Singapore.The boarding school began its operations in 2002, and was officially opened in 2003 by then deputy prime minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong...
(HCIBS). All three schools share the same prefix in their names, and are located in the same main campus. However, in spite of the multi-sharing, each school possesses its own set of facilities.
Hwa Chong International School is a co-educational international school
International school
An International school is loosely defined as a school that promotes international education, in an international environment, either by adopting an international curriculum such as that of the International Baccalaureate or Cambridge International Examinations, or by following a national...
, offering a six-year programme from Grade 7 (11–13 years old) to Grade 12, finishing with the International Baccalaureate. In the interim years, the students will sit for the iGCSE. The fully private independent school saw its final batch of graduating international 'A' Levels students and the first batch of graduating IB students in 2010. Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School is the institution's boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
, accommodating HCI's international scholars. It also houses international scholars studying in other local schools such as Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School is one of the oldest schools in Singapore having been founded in 1899. It is a full school with both primary and secondary divisions, taking in students between the ages of 6 and 16...
and Bukit Panjang Government High School
Bukit Panjang Government High School
Bukit Panjang Government High School is a secondary school in Choa Chu Kang, a residential town in the western part of Singapore...
. Local Singaporean boarders staying in the boarding school are participants of HCI's Integrated Boarding Programme. The boarding complex was designed by renowned architect Kenzo Tange
Kenzo Tange
was a Japanese architect, and winner of the 1987 Pritzker Prize for architecture. He was one of the most significant architects of the 20th century, combining traditional Japanese styles with modernism, and designed major buildings on five continents. Tange was also an influential protagonist of...
, consisting of seven six-storey halls providing accommodation for up to 1,000 boarders or guests.
Notable people
The list features notable staff and alumni of Hwa Chong Institution, or the previously named The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior CollegeHwa Chong Junior College
Hwa Chong Junior College was a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. The college was founded in 1974 and merged with The Chinese High School on 1 January 2005 to form Hwa Chong Institution.-Founding:...
:
- Lao SheLao SheShu Qingchun , better known by his pen name Lao She was a notable Chinese writer. A novelist and dramatist, he was one of the most significant figures of 20th century Chinese literature, and is perhaps best known for his novel Rickshaw Boy and the play Teahouse . He was of Manchu ethnicity...
(老舍), noted ManchuManchuThe Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
writer, taught at the school in 1929 - Liu KangLiu KangLiu Kang is a video game character in the Mortal Kombat fighting game series. First appearing in the series' first title, Liu Kang is portrayed as a Shaolin monk who enters the Mortal Kombat tournament to save his world, Earthrealm, from being destroyed due to having lost nine consecutive...
(刘抗), renowned oil painter, taught art at the school - Ong Teng CheongOng Teng CheongOng Teng Cheong was the first directly elected President of the Republic of Singapore. He was the nation's fifth President, and served a six-year term from 1 September 1993 to 31 August 1999.-Early life:...
, former President of SingaporePresident of SingaporeThe President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was... - Jek Yeun Thong, former Cabinet minister, High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and to Denmark
- Olivia LumOlivia LumOlivia Lum is the founder, group chief executive officer, and president of the Singapore-based Hyflux Group. She also heads the Research and Development function.-Early life:...
, founder of HyfluxHyfluxHyflux Ltd is a global environmental solutions company listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange , with a market capitalisation close to S$735.4 million , and employs over 1,200 staff in China, India, the Middle East and North Africa region as well as Singapore and Southeast Asia.The company was... - Yam Ah MeeYam Ah MeeYam Ah Mee is a Singaporean civil servant and Chief Executive Director of the People's Association. He shot to fame after Singaporeans took to his monotone voice and expressionless demeanour, as the Returning Officer for the General Elections in 2011....
, Singaporean civil servant; chief executive director of the People's AssociationPeople's AssociationThe People’s Association was established in Singapore as a statutory board on 1 July 1960 to promote racial harmony and social cohesion. PA commemorated its 50th Anniversary in 2010....
; ex-chief of the Land Transport AuthorityLand Transport AuthorityThe Land Transport Authority is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Singapore Government.-History:...
and Singapore General Election Returning Officer - Yong Yuen Cheng, ultra-marathon runner. Finished the 218km Run Round Singapore ultra-marathon 1st with a time of 31 hours, 28 minutes and 51 seconds. Currently teaches Physics in the High School section of the Hwa Chong Institution.