National Junior College
Encyclopedia
National Junior College (Simplified Chinese: 国家初级学院) is the first junior college established by the Ministry Of Education, located in Bukit Timah
, Singapore
. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels. In 2004, the college started the four-year Integrated Programme
.
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 80 Singapore secondary schools will have representatives amongst the College's student population. In addition, Singapore students learn alongside students from India, China, Hong Kong, Korea as well as ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. NJC also plays host to German, PRC, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Japanese students in exchange programmes.
Since its inception, NJC has produced scholars for public and private scholarships. To date, it has produced 45 President's Scholar
s, mostly in the early years of the college. In 2009, it produced its first President's Scholar in 13 years.
In 2008, NJC Western Dance was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.
On Wednesdays, which are known as 'Dress-Down Days', NJCians can wear the college's white polo t-shirt instead of their greys. For PE classes, NJCians wear white PE attire with red trims on its sleeves and red shorts. For most formal events, NJCians wear their red College blazer together with white shirts, red College ties, grey pants or skirts and black leather or court shoes. On some formal occasions though, instead of donning blazers, NJCians simply wear their red tie along with their full-grey uniform.
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 (since 1998), a tradition of NJC.
Students who are admitted to the NJC Integrated Programme (at Secondary 1 and secondary 3 level) will skip the GCE ‘O’ Level and take the GCE ‘A’ Level examinations at the end of their sixth or fourth year in NJC.
Students who are admitted to NJC JC Programme (at JC1 level) must have taken their GCE ‘O’ Levels examinations or equivalent. They will take the GCE ‘A’ Level examinations at the end of their second year in NJC.
The five standing committees are:
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...
, 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...
. It is considered as one of the top five junior colleges in Singapore. NJC offers a two-year course for pre-university students leading up to the GCE 'A' Levels. In 2004, the college started the four-year 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...
.
History
Established in 1969, the College was created with the aim of centralising the two-year pre-university course with maximum utilization of specialist personnel and resources.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 80 Singapore secondary schools will have representatives amongst the College's student population. In addition, Singapore students learn alongside students from India, China, Hong Kong, Korea as well as ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand. NJC also plays host to German, PRC, Taiwanese, Vietnamese and Japanese students in exchange programmes.
Milestones
| 1968: Application to the college was open. |
| 1969: 574 students made up the pioneer batch in 1969. |
| 1970: The campus at Linden Drive was declared open by then-Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. |
| 1971: The college pioneered the integration of the four educational streams at post-secondary school level. |
| 1971: For the only time in history, seven Presidents' Scholars were selected from the college. |
| 1975: The inaugural pre-university seminar, themed Singapore and the World Economic Crisis was organised by NJC. |
| 1979: The NJC Alumni was established. |
| 1980: The NJC Alumni Bursary Fund was set up for needy NJCians. |
| 1982: Taiwan Immersion Programme was launched, with the college as one of the five participating schools. |
| 1984: 30 students and six teachers embarked on a 20 day trekking trip to the Himalayas. |
| 1985: The Art Elective Programme was introduced.. |
| 1987: The Humanities Programme was introduced. |
| 1987: Former NJCian Victor Chua scored a historic first three S-paper distinctions in the GCE 'A' Levels. |
| 1992: The Language Elective Programme (German) was introduced. |
| 1997: NJC moved from its former campus at Linden Drive to the present campus at Hillcrest Road. |
| 1998: The House System, comprising 'Aerius', 'Aqua', 'Ignis', 'Lignum', 'Solaris', and 'Terra' was introduced. |
| 1998: First Community Service Day held. |
| 2002: The college is accorded the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award. |
| 2003: The Knowledge Management System was set up. |
| 2003: 'Funtasia', the first fun-fair held by NJC raised about $190,000 for the college building fund. |
| 2004: The four-year Integrated Programme was established. |
| 2005: NJC was accorded the School Distinction Award. |
| 2008: NJC was accorded the School Excellence Award. |
| 2009: The Boarding School was officially opened. The Integrated Programme was extended to a six-year programme with enhanced boarding. |
Principals
- Mr Lim Kim Woon - 1969 to 1975
- Mr Chow Kye Lock - 1975 to 1976
- Mrs Yeo Lai Cheng - 1976 to 1980
- Mr Wee Heng Tin - 1980 to 1981
- Mr Lim Bok Hai - 1982 to 1985
- Mr Chan Tung Fong - 1986 to 1988
- Mrs Goh Chi Lan - 1989 to 1995
- Mrs Maureen Ng Boey Lin - 1995 to 2001
- Mrs Virgina Cheng - 2002 to present
Achievements
NJC's academic performance has ensured that it is consistently ranked a few notches behind Raffles and Hwa Chong by the Singapore Ministry of Education (based on percentage of three and four 'A's according to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'A' Levels results). NJC has 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. It is best known for being awarded the Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award twice for its outstanding commitment and achievement in National Education. In addition, it was awarded the Singapore Quality Class and Best Practice Award in Student All-Round Development, Teaching and Learning and Staff Well-Being. For these achievements, NJC was awarded the MOE School Excellence Award in 2008.Since its inception, NJC has produced scholars for public and private scholarships. To date, it has produced 45 President's Scholar
President's Scholar
A President's Scholar is a recipient of the most prestigious class of university undergraduate scholarships awarded to Singapore citizens by the Government of Singapore. In most years, only 2-4 President's Scholarships are awarded...
s, mostly in the early years of the college. In 2009, it produced its first President's Scholar in 13 years.
Major school achievements
| Awards | Award level | Year(s) | Awarded by |
|---|---|---|---|
| School Excellence Award | - | From 2009 | Ministry Of Education |
| School Distinction Award | - | From 2005 | Ministry Of Education |
| Best Practice Award (Staff Well-being) | - | From 2005 | Ministry Of Education |
| Best Practice Award (Student All-Round Development) | - | From 2005 | Ministry Of Education |
| Best Practice Award (Teaching and Learning) | - | From 2005 | Ministry Of Education |
| Outstanding Development Award (Character Development) | - | From 2008 | Ministry Of Education |
| Outstanding Development Award (National Development) | - | From 2008 | Ministry Of Education |
| Sustained Achievement Award (Aesthetics) | - | - | Ministry Of Education |
| Sustained Achievement Award (Physical Fitness) | - | - | Ministry Of Education |
| Sustained Achievement Award (Sports) | - | - | Ministry Of Education |
| CHERISH Award | Silver | - | - |
| TAF Award | Gold | 2006 | Ministry Of Education |
Singapore Youth Festival achievements
- 2005: 4 Gold with Honours, 6 Golds, 2 Silvers
- 2007: 6 Gold with Honours, 5 Silvers, 1 Bronze
- 2009: 3 Gold with Honours, 4 Golds, 2 Silvers, 2 Bronzes
| CCAs | 2007 | 2009 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angklung | Gold with Honours | Bronze | |
| Chinese Dance | Gold | Gold with Honours | Gold |
| Chinese Orchestra | Gold | Gold | Gold |
| CLDDS Drama | Gold | Silver | Silver |
| Guzheng Ensemble | Gold with Honours | Gold | Gold |
| Choir (Senior High) | Gold with Honours | Gold with Honours | Gold |
| Choir (Junior High) | - | - | Gold with Honours |
| Guitar Ensemble | Gold with Honours | Silver | Silver |
| Harmonica Band | Gold with Honours | Silver | Silver |
| Indian Dance | Gold with Honours (HM) | Gold with Honours | Gold with Honours |
| Malay Dance | Bronze | Gold with Honours | Gold with Honours |
| Symphonic Band | Gold | Gold | Silver |
| String Orchestra | Gold | Bronze | Gold |
| Western Dance | Gold | Gold | Gold |
In 2008, NJC Western Dance was invited to perform at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games.
Uniform
The main colour of the school uniform is grey - a colour chosen for its similarity to the color white, which is one of the official colors of the school. This was in light of criticisms upon the announcement of its inception that the College would perpetuate elitism. Consequently, the colour grey was chosen for the uniform to remind students of the college of their duty to serve the Nation with honour, and the need to be humble and respectful of others irrespective of their educated background. Female students have a pleated A-line skirt with option of shorts underneath.On Wednesdays, which are known as 'Dress-Down Days', NJCians can wear the college's white polo t-shirt instead of their greys. For PE classes, NJCians wear white PE attire with red trims on its sleeves and red shorts. For most formal events, NJCians wear their red College blazer together with white shirts, red College ties, grey pants or skirts and black leather or court shoes. On some formal occasions though, instead of donning blazers, NJCians simply wear their red tie along with their full-grey uniform.
College anthem and song
There are two college songs - the College Anthem and the College Song which is entitled "The National Dream". The College Anthem was composed by Mr. Leong Yoon Pin, a renowned Singaporean composer.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 (since 1998), a tradition of NJC.
Admission
NJC offers three education routes that lead to the GCE ‘A’ Level examinations:- 6 year Integrated Programme (Grades 7 to 12)
- 4 year Integrated Programme (Grades 9 to 12)
- 2 year JC Programme (Grades 11 to 12)
Students who are admitted to the NJC Integrated Programme (at Secondary 1 and secondary 3 level) will skip the GCE ‘O’ Level and take the GCE ‘A’ Level examinations at the end of their sixth or fourth year in NJC.
Students who are admitted to NJC JC Programme (at JC1 level) must have taken their GCE ‘O’ Levels examinations or equivalent. They will take the GCE ‘A’ Level examinations at the end of their second year in NJC.
House System
The six houses are:- Aerius (purple)
- Aqua (blue)
- Ignis (red)
- Lignum (orange)
- Solaris (yellow)
- Terra (green)
Senior Council
Under the Student Council is the Senior Council, consisting of 43 Student Representatives who are elected by the student body from a group of council elects which must first be approved by teachers in April and will hold office for a year. The Senior Council is run by the Executive Committee elected by the council members except the President and Vice-President, who are elected by the Junior High 1 to Senior High 2 population. This committee comprises the President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer, four Heads of Committees and six House Captains.The five standing committees are:
- Creative and Publicity Unit (CPU)
- Committee of Internal Affairs (CIA)
- Feedback Unit (FBU)
- Ideas Committee (Ideas)
- House Activities Team (HAT)
Junior Council
Established in 2010, the Junior Council is made up of 24 Student Representatives selected by teachers that represent the Junior High 1 to 3 students. The Junior Council and Senior Council are autonomous bodies working hand-in-hand under the ambit of the Student Council. Other than the Executive Committee (whose President is elected by the Secondary 1 to 3 cohort), there are 4 Standing Committees. (SWAT(I) and SWAT(F) were previously considered under the major committee SWAT, but have, since 2011, become 2 different committees)- Student Welfare Action Team (Initiative) (SWAT(I))
- Student Welfare Action Team (Feedback) (SWAT(F))
- Publicity And INspiration Team (PAINT)
- Council Affairs, Resources and Engagement (CARE) team
Special Programmes
- NJC Integrated Programme
- Enhanced Boarding Programme
- Art Elective Programme
- Humanities Programme
- Music Programme
- Science Training and Research (STaR) Programme
- Sapphire Scholars Programme
- Taiwan Immersion Programme
- CAAL Programme
- Community Involvement Programme
- National Education Programme
- Innovation and Enterprise Programme
Politics
- Lee Hsien LoongLee Hsien LoongLee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
(1969–1970), Singapore's current and 3rd Prime Minister, Minister of Finance - Dr Vivian BalakrishnanVivian BalakrishnanVivian Balakrishnan is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources....
(1979–1980), Singapore's Minister for the Environment and Water Resources. - Dr Ng Eng HenNg Eng HenDr Ng Eng Hen is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Defence and Leader of the House.-Early life:Ng was born in Singapore in 1958...
, Minister of Manpower and Second Minister of Defence. - Dr Balaji Sadasivan, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Information, Communication and the Arts.
- Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng KeeHo Peng KeeAssociate Professor Ho Peng Kee is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he was the Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and a Member of Parliament representing the Nee Soon East Single Member Constituency...
, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs. - Gan Kim YongGan Kim YongGan Kim Yong is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently the country's Minister for Health.-Education and early career:...
, Minister of State for Education and Manpower. - S. IswaranS. IswaranS. Iswaran is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he currently serves in the Cabinet as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs and Second Minister for Trade and Industry...
, Minister of State of Trade and Industry. - Lim Swee SayLim Swee SayLim Swee Say is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party , he is currently a Cabinet Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress....
(1971–1972), Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, People's Action Party (PAP) Whip, and Secretary-General of the National Trades Union CongressNational Trades Union CongressThe National Trades Union Congress , also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress , is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore...
. - Matthias Yao, Mayor of the South East District, Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Member of Parliament for MacPherson.
- Dr Lam Pin MinLam Pin MinDr. Lam Pin Min is a Singaporean Member of Parliament who represents Ang Mo Kio GRC. He is currently the Adviser for Sengkang West Division, which encompasses Anchorvale and Fernvale of Sengkang New Town, of the GRC....
, Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC. - Hri Kumar Sangaran, Member of Parliament for Bishan-ToaPayoh GRC.
- Chia Shi Lu, Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC.
- Sylvia Lim, Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency. Chairman of Workers' PartyWorkers' PartyWorkers' Party is a name used by a number of political parties throughout the world. While the name has been used by both left-wing and right-wing organizations, it is currently used by left-wing followers of Communism, Maoism, Marxism, Marxism-Leninism, Social Democracy, Socialism and...
- Chen Show MaoChen Show MaoChen Show Mao, J.D. is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. He is a member of the opposition Workers' Party, and has been a Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency since 7 May 2011. He represents the Paya Lebar ward, replacing PAP's Cynthia Phua.-Personal...
, Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency.
Civil and legal
- Davinder SinghDavinder SinghDavinder Singh Sachdev s/o Amar Singh SC is one of Singapore's foremost trial and appellate lawyer, having attained the title of Senior Counsel in 1997, and having been described by Asia Pacific Legal 500 2009/2010 as being "without peer at the bar"...
, CEO of Singapore law firm Drew & NapierDrew & NapierDrew & Napier LLC is one of Singapore's leading law firms, with over 250 lawyers and fee-earners.The practice is active in dispute resolution, and also in Corporate Insolvency & Restructuring, Intellectual Property , Competition & Antitrust, Telecommunications, Media & Technology and Tax, with...
, ex-Member of Parliament (wef. 2006). - Chen Show MaoChen Show MaoChen Show Mao, J.D. is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. He is a member of the opposition Workers' Party, and has been a Member of Parliament for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency since 7 May 2011. He represents the Paya Lebar ward, replacing PAP's Cynthia Phua.-Personal...
, Partner in the Corporate Department of international law firm Davis Polk & WardwellDavis Polk & WardwellDavis Polk & Wardwell LLP is an international law firm. The firm employs more than 800 attorneys worldwide and is headquartered in New York City. The firm represents many of the world's largest companies and leading financial institutions, and is best known for its corporate and litigation...
and Managing Partner of their Beijing Office. Notably, Chen advised the Agricultural Bank of China on its US$22 billion initial public offering (IPO), which was the second largest IPO in history.
Academic, business and corporate
- Lee Hsien YangLee Hsien YangLee Hsien Yang is the second son of Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. He is currently the Non-Executive Director and Chairman of Fraser and Neave Limited and chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore ....
, former President & CEO of SingTel, currently Non-Executive Director and Chairman-Designate of Fraser and Neave Limited. - Ho ChingHo ChingHo Ching is the Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings and the wife of the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong...
, CEO & Executive Director of Temasek HoldingsTemasek HoldingsTemasek Holdings is an investment company owned by the government of Singapore. With an international staff of 380 people, it manages a portfolio of about S$193 billion at end of March 2011, focused primarily in Asia...
, one of Forbe's Most Powerful Women in Business (3rd in 2007). - Sylvia Lim, Lecturer and Manager of Continuing Education and Training, Temasek PolytechnicTemasek PolytechnicTemasek Polytechnic is the third polytechnic to be set up in Singapore. The polytechnic was established on April 6, 1990. With a 30 hectare campus overlooking the scenic Bedok Reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, TP's campus places particular emphasis on the preservation of the natural...
. - Lyn Lee, Founder and CEO of Awfully Chocolate and Everything with Fries.
- Dr. Georgia Lee, Aesthetics Doctor, TLC Medical Practice.
Cultural and creative
- Jane Ittogi, Chairman of the Singapore Art MuseumSingapore Art MuseumThe Singapore Art Museum contains the national art collection of Singapore. It has a collection of 7,750 pieces of Singaporean and Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art, and has an expanding collection of new Asian and international contemporary art.- History :Officially opened in 1996, it...
- Eelyn KokEelyn Kok-Career:Eelyn started out playing supporting roles in her starting years. She had two Best Supporting Actress nominations, in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Eelyn starred in My Buddy as the first female lead. She starred as Huang Jinhao, 2nd female lead in Channel 8 Blockbuster drama, Together opposite...
, MediacorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
actress - Elvin NgElvin NgElvin Ng , born December 23, 1980) is one of the newer actors to join the Mediacorp stable in Singapore. He received two nominations in the Star Awards 2006. Although he eventually lost the Most Popular Newcomer award to Kelvin Tan Weilian, he still managed to win an award for being one of the Top...
, MediacorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
actor and artiste, Model - Jeanette AwJeanette Aw-1979–2000: Early life and education:Born Jeanette Aw Ee-Ping to Chinese parents. Her father has Peranakan ancestry while mother is a Hokkien. Jeanette is the youngest of three children, she has an older sister and older brother...
, MediacorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
actress - Tung Soo HuaTung Soo HuaTung Soo Hua is an award-winning television news anchor and current affairs presenter with MediaCorp TV Channel U. Tung joined MediaCorp in 1997 as a Chinese-language news editor before becoming a news reporter and anchor in 2000...
, MediacorpMediaCorpMedia Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
newscaster