Catholic Junior College to move to Punggol, operations tentatively targeted to start in 2034

SINGAPORE: Catholic Junior College (CJC) will move to a new campus near Punggol Digital District, with operations tentatively targeted to start in 2034, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Friday (Jan 16).

The new campus is about 20km away from its current site at Whitley Road.

MOE said in a press release that the move would serve the wider community and "provide quality pre-university education in the northeast region of Singapore".

It added that the relocation will also place CJC in close proximity to digital firms and institutions in the Punggol Digital District, including the Singapore Institute of Technology.

This would allow them to explore collaborations and partnerships in the area to advance students' exposure to the latest advancements and opportunities in the digital sector, said MOE.

The junior college will also be able to conduct a greater variety of outdoor and sports activities at the nearby Punggol Regional Sports Centre and other recreation spaces.

"CJC's new campus will offer interactive learning spaces that would support the educational needs of its students," said MOE.

It added that the new campus would have "enhanced features", such as configurable areas that cater to different settings.

Last year, then-Education Minister Chan Chun Sing announced that CJC, along with three others - Anglo-Chinese JC, National JC and Victoria JC - would be included in the second phase of the JC rejuvenation programme.

He said that MOE was working with them on their infrastructure plans, including possibly moving them to new locations.

Anderson Serangoon JC, Jurong Pioneer JC, Temasek JC and Yishun Innova JC are undergoing upgrades under the first phase, which is expected to conclude in January 2028.

CONSIDERATIONS BEHIND THE MOVE

CJC’s school management committee chairman Bernard Tan said the decision to move the junior college was studied carefully and was taken after consultation with selected stakeholders over two years.

The school said the relocation was guided by three considerations: the ageing Whitley Road campus, which was completed in the 1970s, the availability of a site in Punggol to serve the community in the north-east of Singapore, and the "strategic educational opportunities" presented by the nearby Punggol Digital District.

Mr Tan said several aspects, such as how the move will impact students' accessibility and changes in Punggol’s neighbourhood, were also studied. 

“Some of the members (in the school’s management committee) even took the MRT to experiment from Jurong to Punggol … and no journey took more than an hour,” he said, adding that the new campus is located close to Punggol Coast MRT.

“For JCs, location is not as sensitive as primary schools, where you have the one-kilometre district. The JC students are prepared to travel,” he said.

He added that the school also considered developments that are "moving the concentration of the population towards the northeast" region.

“We also looked at where our present students come from and whether they would be affected ... even with our present students, majority, not surprisingly, are from the northeast of the island.”

Beyond this, he said the move offers opportunities and educational synergies for students as CJC will be the only JC located next to a university.

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the move will contribute to the vibrancy of Punggol, with the school bringing “decades of youth energy, service and contribution”.

“Punggol has changed significantly," added Mr Gan, who is a Member of Parliament for Punggol GRC.

"In less than two decades, it has grown into a neighbourhood that many young families are proud to call home, and it continues to reflect how we are never done building Singapore, not just in physical terms, but in how we create opportunity, sense of belonging and shared purpose."

"MOVING A COLLEGE IS NOT EASY"

Speaking at the event, Mr Tan shared that as an alumnus of the school, he deeply appreciates the affection many feel for the current college at Whitley Road.

“Moving a college is not easy, especially one that's 50 years old,” he said.

Mr Tan said that a committee will be formed to "look at things that mean a lot" to students and the history of the school, to see if they can be brought over to the new campus.

“That’s important to us to have an emotional attachment to the new school that older alumni can associate with,” he said.

MOE said that key stakeholders, including the school management committee, staff and alumni, are supportive of the move and "look forward to the opportunities that the new location can provide".

The ministry said it would continue to work with CJC to ensure a smooth transition and preserve the school's heritage.

"This includes preserving the college's distinctive educational traditions, school culture, historical artefacts, and exploring the feasibility of relocating significant architectural elements from the current campus," it added.