Hwa Chong Institution

Hwa Chong Institution
Location
661 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269734 Bukit Timah Singapore
Coordinates	1°19′36″N 103°48′13″E / 1.326540°N 103.803491°E / 1.326540; 103.803491
Information
Type	Independent Boys (secondary) Co-educational (junior college)
Motto	自强不息 (Live with Passion, Lead with Compassion)
Established	1 January 2005; 19 years ago (2005-01-01)
Status	Formed by the merger of The Chinese High School (1919–2004) and Hwa Chong Junior College (1974–2005)
Principal	Lee Peck Ping
Enrollment	~4000
Campus size	29 hectares (72 acres)
Color(s)	Red   Yellow
Affiliation	Nanyang Girls' High School Hwa Chong International School Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Mission	培育为国为民之科研、商企与政界领袖 (Nurturing leaders in Research, Industry and Government to serve the nation)
Vision	实践全方位教育、陶铸热爱生活、关爱别人、为社群谋福利的未来领袖 (Defining Holistic Education, and Empowering our Future Leaders to Live with Passion and Lead with Compassion)
Guiding Principle	饮水思源 (Have Gratitude)
Philosophy	己立立人、 己达达人 (Establish people if you want to stand, and achieve people if you want to achieve)
Website	hci.edu.sg

Hwa Chong Institution (HCI) is an independent secondary educational institution in Bukit Timah, Singapore.

Hwa Chong Institution was formed by the merger of The Chinese High School (1919–2004) and Hwa Chong Junior College (1974–2005) in 2005.

Hwa Chong Institution provides secondary education for boys only from Years 1 to 4, and pre-university education for both boys and girls in Years 5 and 6.

Hwa Chong Institution operates under the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) for bilingualism. The school also offers the Integrated Programme and the Gifted Education Programme.

Hwa Chong Institution is also a member of Strategic Alliance of Global Educators, Strategic Educational Alliance of Southeast Asia and the Global Learning Alliance which involves some of the world's best schools.^[1]

Hwa Chong Institution is also partnered with educational institutions across the world. It includes cross-border research collaboration with the Loudoun Academy of Science and Westport Schools District.^[2]

History

The school is previously two separate schools. However, they are both affiliated with one another. It is called The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College. On 1 January 2005, both schools merged to form Hwa Chong Institution.

The schools were merged as it wanted to offer the six-year Integrated Programme. The programme skips the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level examinations, which is tested in Year 4. Instead, student's take the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examinations, which is tested in Year 6. After the merge, the High School section still remained boys-only. The college section remained co-education.

In spite of the merger, the High School section remains boys-only. The College section remains co-educational. Students in the college section consists of boys from Hwa Chong's High School section and girls Nanyang Girls' High School.^[3][4]

The Chinese High School (1919–2004)

The Chinese High School Clock Tower in the 1950s

See the main article: The Chinese High School (Singapore)

The Chinese High School was founded by Tan Kah Kee in March 1919. The school was originally located at Niven Road. It was named the Singapore Nanyang Overseas Chinese Middle School. Originally, there was 78 pupils. The school offered comprehensive secondary level Chinese education.^[5] The school's clock tower is a national monument.^[6]

In 1925, the school moved to its Bukit Timah campus.^[7] The school struggled to survive due to financial difficulties. However, Lee Kong Chain and Tan Kah Kee continued to strongly support the school. Today, the school commemorates what they did for the school.^[5][8][9]

The school was accorded the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) status in 1979.^[10] Later, in 1988, the school achieved the status of an independent school.^[11]

Hwa Chong Junior College (1974–2004)

The Main Facade of the college section, previously a part of Hwa Chong Junior College

See the main article: Hwa Chong Junior College

In the late 1960s, Singapore's education system introduced a two-year programme for pre-university education. After knowing about it, The Chinese High School's board of directors decided to construct a junior college immediately. They made it beside to The Chinese High School. This junior college was the second to be built in Singapore. It was government-aided.

Hwa Chong Junior College began lessons in 1974 under the same administration as The Chinese High School.^[12]

In 2004, Hwa Chong Junior College became independent. It is the first independent junior college in Singapore.^[12]

Merger as Hwa Chong Institution (2005–present)

Following the introduction of the Integrated Programme into Singapore's education system in the early 2000s, The Chinese High School merged with Hwa Chong Junior College on 1 January 2005. The merger formed an integrated institution. It have a High School section and a college section.^[12]

In the same year, Hwa Chong International School was established. it offers independent education that leads to the International Baccalaureate Diploma.^[13]

When HCI was formed in 2005, the former Hwa Chong Junior College's principal Ang Wee Hiong became the new principal and chief executive officer of HCI. Hon Chiew Weng, who was previously the principal of The Chinese High School, became principal of the High School Section and Deputy Chief Executive Officer of HCI.^[14]

In 2008, HCI was selected for the FutureSchools@Singapore programme.^[15][16]

In 2009, Hon Chiew Weng succeeded Ang Wee Hiong as Principal of HCI. Hon retired on 22 December 2017, and was succeeded by Pang Choon How. He studied at the school and was previously the principal of Chung Cheng High School (Main).^[14]

100th Anniversary

HCI commemorated its centenary on its founder's day, 21 March 2019.^[17]

On 21 March 2019, in commemoration of the school's centennial, a dinner was held. It was named the "dinner of 10,000 people". It was celebrated in the field before the school's iconic clock tower and the statue of Tan Kah Kee, the school's founder. The dinner had 12,581 attendees, including Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.^[18]

School identity and culture

Uniform and attire

In the High School Section, students in Secondary 1 to Secondary 3 (inclusive) wear a white short-sleeved shirt with khaki short trousers and white socks, which must cover the ankles. The school collar pin should be worn on the left collar. Either white, blue or black shoes with either white or black laces.

Secondary 4 students wear beige long trousers with a beige shirt, similar to the boys in the College Section. In the College Section, girls wear a beige blouse and a beige skirt.^[19]

Crest

The current school crest of Hwa Chong Institution is a edited form of the traditional Chinese character Huá (華), which is part of the school name and reflects its Chinese heritage. The crest has a red background and looks like a burning torch.^[20]

Notable alumni

Hwa Chong Institution and its former schools, The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, have a lot of student which graduated from these schools. Its most famous alumnus is most likely Ong Teng Cheong, the fifth President of Singapore. Some other notable alumnus include Grace Fu, Sim Ann, Goh Si Hou, Shou Zi Chew, Olivia Lum, Tan Chin Hwee and Wee Cho Yaw.

Gallery

• 
  Gate 3 of Hwa Chong Institution
• 
  Statue of Lee Kong Chian, a major donor, after whom the Kong Chian Administration Centre in the background is named
• 
  The Clock Tower Building, a national monument, which formerly served as an observation point during the Battle of Singapore
• 
  Another view of the Clock Tower, with a statue of Tan Kah Kee in front of it
• 
  Classroom Block A of the High School Section
• 
  Main Facade of HCI's college section
• 
  HCi's SALT Centre
• 
  HCI Admin Block
• 
  HCI SRC
• 
  One of HCI college section blocks
• 
  HCI Science Research Centre
• 
  HCI School Field

Other websites

• School website

References

1. "A Global Academy | The HCI Advantage | Hwa Chong Institution". www.hci.edu.sg. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
2. "About us | Hwa Chong Institution". www.hci.edu.sg. Archived from the original on 27 April 2020. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
3. "Speech by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong, at the Chinese High School's 85th Anniversary and Hwa Chong Junior College's 30th Anniversary Dinner, 21 March 2004, 8.15 pm". www.nas.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 21 October 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
4. "Milestones". Nanyang Girls' High School. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
5. "The Legacy of Tan Kah Kee and Lee Kong Chian". National Library Board. Archived from the original (exhibition) on 9 August 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
6. "Chinese High School Clock Tower Building". Preservation of Monuments Board. 2010. Archived from the original (Listing) on 4 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
7. Tan, Bonny (22 January 1999). "Tan Kah Kee". National Library Board. Archived from the original (article) on 1 July 2010. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
8. Nor-Afidah Abd Rahman (13 July 2005). "Lee Kong Chian". National Library Board. Archived from the original (article) on 8 March 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
9. Teng, Amelia (15 February 2019). "Hwa Chong Institution turns 100 years old, and pays tribute to past and present teachers". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
10. Ho Ai Li (28 February 2008). "Keeping SAP schools special". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 24 July 2010.
11. "Heritage Trails :: Local School Clusters :: Hwa Chong Institution". National Heritage Board. 2009. Archived from the original (article) on 8 October 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2010.
12. "About us Archived 2021-01-13 at the Wayback Machine", Hwa Chong Institution, Retrieved 30 August 2012.
13. "About HCIS". Hwa Chong International School. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
14. "About us". Hwa Chong Institution. Archived from the original on 22 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
15. Anna Yap, "Internationalising Singapore Archived 2016-10-11 at the Wayback Machine", Challenge (Singapore), November 2007. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
16. "The Future of Learning Enabled by Infocomm". Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
17. Tan, Sue-Ann (21 March 2019). "Hwa Chong Institution celebrates its 100th year". The Straits Times. Singapore. Retrieved 6 April 2019.
18. Guan Zhen Tan (22 March 2019). "12,581 people attended Hwa Chong's 100th anniversary dinner, 13 current MPs are alumni". Mothership.
19. Rules & Regulations Archived 9 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Hwa Chong Institution. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
20. Zhuang, Justin (2013). School Crest Examination. Singapore: National Heritage Board. pp. 18–23. ISBN 978-981-07-6524-8.