The Catholic Church in Singapore has been extensively involved in the provision of education in Singapore. From the 19th century, the Catholic education system has grown to be the second biggest sector after government schools in Singapore, with more than 65 000 students. The Catholic Church has established kindergarten, primary, secondary and junior colleges educational institutions in Singapore.
Roman Catholicism in Singapore has its roots from the Portuguese established Diocese of Malacca soon after Affonso de Albuquerque's conquest of Malacca in 1511. It is believed that there had been Portuguese missionaries operating out of Malacca in Singapore during the Portuguese period, 1511–1641, prior to the British conquest. Within a time span of several years, notable Catholic churches, such as the Cathedral of the Good Shepherd, were built. Missionary schools, notably Saint Joseph's Institution, were established and attended by Roman Catholics and non-Catholics (many of whom became converts).
Saint John's Institution (now known as Saint Joseph's Institution), was founded in 1852 as an all-boys Catholic school and is the first missionary establishment of the La Salle Brothers in Asia. The endeavour was initiated by Rev Fr Jean-Marie Beurel MEP, who offered six Brothers from Europe to start the school using a former chapel as premises. The school was known as St John's, but on 19 March 1855 (Feast of Saint Joseph), the cornerstone of a new school building was laid. From that date, the school has been known as Saint Joseph's Institution. The new central classroom block was completed in 1865, though further expansion of the facilities continued well into the 20th Century. The school had 426 students in 1900. This grew to almost 1200 in 1914, and 1600 in 1922. With the student population expanding, a temporary branch school was opened, which eventually led to the building of a second school – Saint Patrick's School, Singapore – in 1933. During the Japanese Occupation, the school was renamed to Bras Basah Road Boys' School. The Brothers were soon asked to 'resign'. The school and hostel were run along military lines. However, 3 weeks after the Japanese surrender, the Brothers returned and St Joseph's was re-opened and normal lessons resumed. [1]
Noting the absence of an all-rounded Catholic education for girls, three French and an Irish sister led by Mother St Mathilde Raclot established the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus in 1854 at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Victoria Street (presently CHIJMES). Classes started at the school for fee paying students and orphans. The Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus was the second Catholic school and first all-girls Catholic school to be established in Singapore. Soon the number of pupils increased and the school became well-known. In 1894, there were 167 pupils. Ten years later, the enrolment had increased to 300. Secondary education began in 1905. Under Mother Hombeline, the expansion programme continued. [2]
Under the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel, seven institutions serving the youth of Singapore were founded, St. Gabriel's Secondary School, St. Gabriel's Primary School, Montfort Secondary School, Monfort Junior School, Assumption English School, Assumption Pathway School, and Boys Town. Much of the progress of the seven institutions can be attributed to the late Bro. Emmanuel, born Pierre Gaudette, who was dedicated to developing the institutions to give a quality of education that is unparalleled.
In a span of less than 100 years, more than 57 educational institutes from kindergarten to junior colleges were established in Singapore by Catholic missionaries from the La Salle Brothers, Sisters of the Holy Infant Jesus, Marist Brothers, and the Canossians.
In Singapore, most Catholic schools are funded partially by the Ministry of Education, making them government aided. Teachers teaching in government aided Catholic schools in Singapore are trained and posted by the National Institute of Education and the Ministry of Education. Basic essentials such as tables, chairs, computers and whiteboard are provided by the Ministry of Education while the construction of the school building or building maintenance are paid for by the school through the Archdiocese of Singapore. Students enrolled in government aided Catholic schools are also subsidised by the government. All Singaporean students enrolled in Catholic schools in Singapore are required to sing the national anthem and recite the pledge, similar to government schools. While Catholic schools must adhere to the broad requirements of Singapore's secular education system, they are free to provide a "Catholic" education ethos, which includes the Catholic social teachings.
St Joseph's Institution, Catholic High School and CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School are regarded as a few of the most prestigious schools in Singapore. These schools have produced top GCE "O" Level Students more than once. The cut off point for entrance to these schools are consistently high, catering to elite students.
Catholic High has produced 20 president's Scholars and numerous recipients of other scholarships. Many of its alumni are leaders in the public and private sectors. Catholic High is recognized as one of the top schools in Singapore, having been ranked in the Band 1 tables of the Ministry of Education school academic rankings. In 2008 it was awarded the School Distinction Award under the MOE Master Plan of Awards, which recognizes high-achieving schools with exemplary processes and practices. [3]
St Joseph's Institution is also consistently ranked among the top secondary schools in Singapore. In September 2005, the school was one of the few in Singapore to be awarded the coveted School Distinction Award as part of the Ministry of Education's 2005 Masterplan Awards. It has been awarded the Best Practice Award for teaching and learning. SJI has received the Sustained Achievement Award for Sports and the Sustained Achievement Award for Uniformed Groups for the third and seventh consecutive year respectively. In 2008, the school was re-validated with the Singapore Quality Class Award, obtained, for the second time, the Best Practice Award (Teaching and Learning) and attained the Best Practice Award (Student All-Round Development) in the MOE External Validation exercise. The school received consecutive Sustained Achievement Awards in Academic Value-Added, Sports, Uniformed Groups and Fitness. In 2009, SJI was recognized by MOE with a pinnacle award - The School of Excellence Award. The School Excellence Award (SEA) recognises schools for their excellence in both education processes and outcomes. It is the highest and most prestigious award in the Masterplan of Awards framework in MOE, Singapore. [4]
CHIJ St Nicholas' Girls' School is also considered one of the premier educational institutes in Singapore, ranking third in the list of top secondary girls' schools, and among the top 10 secondary schools in Singapore. SNGS has produced the top student for the GCE O' levels for 4 years in a row ( 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011).
Maris Stella High School is also doing well, being ranked in Band 3 in the 2011 school achievement tables based on the 2011 O level results, and is considered to be one of the top 20 secondary schools in Singapore.
Other Catholic schools of considerable prestige and quality, include St. Gabriel's Secondary School, St. Patrick's School, and Montfort Secondary School, where new, innovative methods of learning are being introduced. Despite such groundbreaking development, an all rounded Catholic education remains at the forefront.
Since the establishment of Catholic schools in Singapore, many prominent public figures have attended Catholic schools in Singapore. These prominent figures include politicians, businessman, sportsman, entertainers, academics among other occupations. In recent years, alumni of Catholic schools include Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Cabinet Minister Lim Swee Say, Supreme Court Judge, Chao Hick Tin and Actor Tay Ping Hui who graduated from Catholic High School. President Tony Tan, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, Former Cabinet Ministers, George Yeo and Mah Bow Tan and Entertainer Dick Lee who graduated from St Joseph's Institution. Alumnus from the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus includes Actress Jacintha Abisheganaden and Ambassador Chan Heng Chee. Lee Yi Shyan, Minister of State for Manpower and National Development, graduated from Maris Stella High School. Several leaders of the Catholic Church in Singapore including Archbishop William Goh, are alumni of the seven institutions of the Montfort Brothers of St. Gabriel.
Kindergartens | Primary | Secondary | Junior College | International | Vocational / Specialised Institutes
Kindergartens | Primary | Secondary | Junior College | International | Vocational / Specialised Institutes
<updated 20 July 2019>
If distance is indicated, it means Singapore Citizens residing within the specific distance from the school have to ballot for the specific Phase. Unless "PR" or Permanent Residents are indicated all data refers to Singapore Citizens. For more information on primary one registration visit this official website.
Kindergartens | Primary | Secondary | Junior College | International | Vocational / Specialised Institutes
<updated 20 July 2019>
Kindergartens | Primary | Secondary | Junior College | International | Vocational / Specialised Institutes
Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education (MOE). It controls the development and administration of state schools receiving taxpayers' funding, but also has an advisory and supervisory role in respect of private schools. For both private and state schools, there are variations in the extent of autonomy in their curriculum, scope of taxpayers' aid and funding, tuition burden on the students, and admission policy.
The Integrated Programme (IP) is a scheme that allows high-performing students in secondary schools in Singapore to skip the GCE Ordinary Level (O-Level) examination and proceed to sit for the GCE Advanced Level (A-Level) examination, International Baccalaureate (IB), or an equivalent examination, after six years of secondary education. The A-level examination is typically taken by students at the end of their second or third year in junior college.
Catholic High School (CHS) is a government-aided autonomous Catholic boys' school in Bishan, Singapore, founded in 1935 by a French missionary, Reverend Father Edward Becheras. One of the Special Assistance Plan schools in Singapore, it has a primary section offering a six-year programme and a secondary section offering a four-year programme. Since 2013, it has partnered with Eunoia Junior College for a six-year Integrated Programme, which allows its secondary students to proceed to Eunoia for Years 5 and 6 and take the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examinations at the end of Year 6.
St. John's Institution is a public all-boys school and is one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is widely known by its initials, SJI and the students of St. John's Institution bear the name Johannians.
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St. Joseph's Institution (SJI) is an independent Catholic educational institution in Singapore. Founded in 1852 by the De La Salle Brothers, it is the first Catholic school and the third oldest school in the country.
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Montfort Secondary School (MSS) is a Catholic school in Hougang, Singapore. Founded in 1916, it is a government-aided secondary education all-boys school. It is one of the seven institutions governed by St Gabriel's Foundation.
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The Sisters of the Infant Jesus, also known as the Dames of Saint Maur, are a religious institute of the Catholic Church originating from Paris, France and dedicated to teaching.
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Secondary education in Singapore is largely public, and is compulsory until a child has reached 16 years of age. At the end of public primary education, Singapore students take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) and are placed into the different streams and secondary schools based on their results. There are three main public secondary education streams: Express (E)(Currently known as G3), Normal (Academic), and Normal (Technical), with special and private education courses also being available. The Express stream has a more stringent cut-off than the Normal (Academic) stream, which is in turn more selective than the Normal (Technical) stream. Secondary students can move between streams based on their academic performance.
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