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Hwa Chong Institution (simplified Chinese: 华侨中学; traditional Chinese: 華僑中學; pinyin: Húaqíao Zhōngxúe) is an independent school in Singapore offering education from Secondary (Junior High) to Pre-University (Senior High) level. Previously two separate but affiliated schools, The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, the Institution was the result of a merger which took place on 1 January 2005. However, the secondary section remains boys-only, while the pre-university (junior college) section is co-educational. The main campus covers 72 acres (291,373.662 m²) shared between Hwa Chong International School, Hwa Chong Institution College and the High School section.
[edit] History The Chinese High School was founded by philanthropist Tan Kah Kee in March 1919 at Niven Road. With an enrolment of 78 pupils, it was the first high school at that time in South-east Asia to cater to Chinese dialect groups. Six years later, the school moved to its Bukit Timah campus, with an area of 79 acres. After the founding of the school, 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, whose father-in-law was Tan Kah Kee, became the chairman of the school's board, a post he held until 1957. During his tenure the school was threatened with closure several times as a result of financial difficulties, but did not do so because of the backing of both Lee Kong Chian and Tan Kah Kee. During the Battle of Singapore, the school clock tower with its height and vantage point first served as headquarters for the Allied defenders and then as headquarters for the Imperial Japanese Army. It also served as a temporary concentration camp to hold people for examination during the Sook Ching massacre. After the war, with education resumed, the school continued its Chinese-dominated education, and in the 1950s and 1960s during periods of civil unrest many students, teachers and alumni took part or led anti-colonial riots. The college section, previously known as Hwa Chong Junior College, was established in 1974 at the Bukit Timah Road campus of The Chinese High School as a separate pre-university school, but under the same management board. It is the second oldest junior college to be founded, after National Junior College. In 1987, The Chinese High School became an independent school. Hwa Chong Junior College was granted independent school status in 2004. On 19 March 1999 the school's clock tower was gazetted as a national monument, to mark the significance of the institution as the first Chinese-medium secondary school to be built in Southeast Asia catering to the Overseas Chinese. As part of the school's 80th anniversary celebrations, the school's heritage centre was formally opened by alumnus and former President of Singapore, Ong Teng Cheong. With the implementation of the Integrated Programme, The Chinese High School was merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005 after 31 years of separation to become Hwa Chong Institution. To date, Hwa Chong has produced the highest number of President's scholars among all junior colleges in Singapore. The President's scholarship is the country's most prestigious undergraduate award offered by the Public Service Commission. [edit] CurriculumThe school is the first to introduce the 6-year Integrated Programme from Secondary 1 to JC 2. The program allows students to skip the GCE 'O' Levels typically taken by secondary four students in Singapore. They directly take the GCE 'A' Levels examination at the end of their six years of education in the school, thus allowing them much more time to embark on various educational endeavours that will greatly benefit them. Nanyang Girls' High School is also part of the Hwa Chong Integrated Programme but remains a separate and independent entity. In 2008, the Hwa Chong Diploma was introduced. It is awarded to the top 30% of the graduating cohort. The Hwa Chong Diploma Advisory Board comprising a Nobel Laureate, eminent scientists, university professors and industry partners. It is currently a recognised qualification for direct admission by top universities such as the Tsinghua University, Beijing University, Fudan University, as well as the Nanyang Technological University. [edit] School culture[edit] Uniform and attireThe uniform for boys in Sec 1 to Sec 3 is khaki short trousers and a white short-sleeved shirt with four brass buttons (two on the shoulders and one on each breast pocket). For boys in Sec 4 to JC 2, the attire is beige short-sleeved shirt and long trousers. Girls in JC 1 to JC 2 wear a beige short sleeved blouse and skirt. In addition, students wear the school collar pin, bearing the school logo, on their left collar. The sports attire, worn by both students from high school and college sections during PE lessons or other school activities, consists of a white T-shirt (yellow and red sides) with the school's name printed on the front (in English) and back (in Traditional Chinese), and black shorts with the school's logo. [edit] Weekly assembliesWeekly assemblies are held at the high school field on Monday mornings, where students from both sections sing the national anthem and the school song in Mandarin. The high school section has its assemblies at the same venue for other days while the college section has its assemblies at the college grounds, in the central plaza. [edit] DisciplineIn the high school section, male students who break school rules are liable for penalties such as detention, suspension or corporal punishment. In the latter case, strokes of the cane are delivered to the seat of the offending student's shorts or trousers as he bends over a desk or chair. In serious cases, caning may be administered in a ceremony held in front of other students. This is typical of most secondary schools in Singapore. In the college section, corporal punishment is not used. Students who commit offences are awarded demerit points. Permanent demerit points, given for serious offences, may affect the student's academic testimonial. The student may lose his/her scholarship, as well as the chance to represent the school in external competitions. Temporary demerit points are awarded for minor offences. For every 4 demerit points the student receives, he/she is required to attend a corrective session (CS) similar to detention. [edit] CampusThree new facilities have been built: the Kong Chian Administration Centre, the Science and Technology Research Centre (SRC) and the Student Activities and Leadership Training (SALT) Centre. The SALT Centre houses a moot parliament (mock actual parliamentary setting to facilitate student debates and oral articulation). Some CCAs and uniformed groups conduct their activities there. The new Science and Technology Research Centre houses new research facilities and specialist laboratories. They include a virtual reality cove (a theatre that facilitates the learning and teaching of virtual-reality-related technology), and laboratories for chemical processing, fibre optics and biotechnology (with microbiological rooms). It also houses media art and 3-D animation studios, and an Art Elective centre that focuses on media art, digital videography, animation, digital audio, and traditional arts disciplines such as sculpture and drawing.  [edit] Student development[edit] ConsortiumsThe High School section consists of four consortiums - Aphelion[1], Ortus[2], ProEd[3] and iSpark[4]. The consortiums work closely with one another and each has its own council of students. [edit] FacultiesThe college section consist of four faculties: Apollo[5], Ares[6], Athena[7] and Artemis[8]. The faculties are named after Greek deities. In 2006, the Social and Relations committee of the college's 32nd Students' Council launched the inaugural Faculty Shield. The Faculty Shield is a competition in which the faculty with the highest number of points at the end of the year wins the challenge Shield. Points are gained from events such as the Chinese New Year Faculty Dance competition, the Combined Schools Sports Meet and the Cheering competition on the final day of CSM. Inter-faculty competitions, such as Dramafeste and Hwa Chong Idol and other inter-CT CCA competitions also allow each faculty to earn points towards winning the faculty shield. The champion faculties for 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 are Apollo, Artemis, Apollo and Apollo respectively. On top of the Faculty Shield, faculty life in Hwa Chong is supplemented by faculty events, the most prominent one being the Faculty Outings organised by the Faculty Committees. [edit] Councils[edit] Students' CouncilEvolving from the former Chinese High Students Union, the Students' Council is divided into two councils, the College Council and the High School Council. [edit] High School CouncilThe High School Council (HSC) organises several events for the school. It is made up of 20 Secondary 4 students, together with the Executive Committee (ExCo) of the four consortium councils. The council is divided into five different committees, namely Public Relations, Quartermasters (Logistics) (Gao ChuanYu and Jeff Tan), Welfare, Projects and Administration. The HSC also manages a consortium council for each consortium. [edit] Consortium CouncilsThe four Consortium Councils; Aphelion, ProEd, Ortus and iCouncil, are representatives of the student body and also co-operate with the High School Council in organising welfare initiatives for the students. [edit] College CouncilThe College Council organises seven major events for the school, namely Orientation (O1), Chinese New Year (CNY), Council Elections, Teachers' Day (TD), Mid-Autumn Festival (MAF), Open House (OH) and the Seniors' Promenade. Besides these, other activities are organised including SCREAM (Halloween celebrations), Friendship Day celebrations, and H3 (Happy Half hour). The College Council consists of four committees, namely the Co-Curricular Activities Committee (ECACO), the Publications Committee (PUBCO), the Social and Relations committee (SnR) and the Welfare Committee (WELCO). [edit] Special programmesIn 2005, Hwa Chong embarked on a special programme scheme, whereby integrated programme students would be allowed to select a preferred special programme at the end of Sec 2, which he would then take for the next two years. Their eligibility for these programmes is also determined by their year-end results. [edit] Humanities ProgrammeStudents are able to take all three humanities subjects, History, Geography and Literature. Students who are not in the programme may take only one of the three alongside social studies (also known as the Integrated Humanities Core). Students who are part of the programme may also take the most number of subjects for a S3/S4 student. As of 2008, all Humanities Programme students are required to undertake a Humanities Research Paper (HRP) project, which counts as one academic unit. The HRP is a long-term commitment, similar to a masters' thesis, where students are required to research a topic from either of the three humanities disciplines and then present an academic paper of no less than 5,000 words on their chosen topic. They will be mentored throughout the length of the research period (Jan-Sept) by a teacher-mentor, who will then give them a grade based on the quality of the written paper. [edit] See also
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