Victoria Junior College

Victoria Junior College
维多利亚初级学院
Maktab Rendah Victoria

Nil Sine Labore
(Nothing Without Labour)
Location
Marine Parade
Coordinates 1°18′24″N 103°55′14″E / 1.30656°N 103.92061°E / 1.30656; 103.92061
Information
Type Government
Established 1984
Session Single-session
School code 0706
Principal Ms Ek Soo Ben
Enrolment Approx. 1700
Colour(s) Yellow, red
Website www.vjc.moe.edu.sg

Victoria Junior College (abbreviation: VJC) is a junior college in Singapore offering pre-university education. It stands on Marine Vista, less than one kilometre from affiliated Victoria School.

History

Victoria Junior College was established in 1984 to replace the Pre-University classes in Victoria School. The pioneer batch of 776 students was received with 51 teachers and 16 supporting staff. The outstanding results of the pioneer batch of students in the GCE 'A' Level examinations was to set the academic standard for succeeding generations of Victorians.[1]

Over the years, VJC has widely been recognized as one of the top three junior colleges in Singapore. In 1988, its fourth batch of students topped the GCE 'A' Level in Singapore with a pass rate of 96.2% for 2 'A' and 2 'AO' Level subjects including General Paper. VJC was also ranked the top junior college in the Ministry of Education's ST ranking of junior colleges in 1995 and 2001, based on academic results.[2]

VJC has been at the forefront in implementing some of the new initiatives in the Singapore education system. In 1989, it was the first and, until 2005, only junior college to offer the Theatre Studies and Drama programme. It also offered a university-level French curriculum as part of the Language Elective Programme until it was discontinued in 2006.

With the opening of the East Zone Science and Technology Centre in 2002, VJC became the centre of research in Science and Technology for East Zone schools. VJC was also the first Singapore school to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair in 2004.

Besides academic excellence, VJC other forte are in the performing arts and sports. The VJC choir was the first school choir from Singapore to win an international choir competition. It beat 30 top choirs from other parts of the world in the 800-year-old Cardigan Eisteddfod Competition in Wales in 1990, thus putting Singapore on the world's cultural map. Its later achievements including the Olympic Champion title in 2006 were to make it one of the top choirs in the world. In 1992, the VJC symphonic band became Singapore’s first school band to be invited to perform at the prestigious Japan Band Clinic.

Since 1985, VJC has always received the highest number of sports colours awards among the schools in East Zone; and had won more than 140 major national sports championship titles in the National Schools Games, including the most coveted and competitive boys football title six times since 2001.[3] In 1990, VJC was the first junior college in Singapore to offer sailing as a Co-Curricular Activitiy (CCA).

Since 2005, VJC has offered a four-year integrated programme, known as Victoria Integrated Programme (VIP), starting from secondary three level. The programme has since been replaced by the six-year Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) in 2012. Students will spend the first four years of their secondary education at Victoria School or Cedar Girls' Secondary School before continuing year 5 and 6 in VJC.

Principal

Name of Principal Years Served
Mrs Lee Phui Mun 1984 - 2001
Mrs Chan Khah Gek 2001 - 2006
Mr Chan Poh Meng 2006 - 2013
Ms Ek Soo Ben 2013–Present

Identity & Culture

School motto

Nil Sine Labore, a Latin expression meaning "Nothing Without Labour", i.e. nothing is achieved without work.

Co-curricular activities

VJC has a strong Debating Team, with a tradition in Oratory and Rhetoric. The Victoria Debating Team has won national and international competitions including the United Nations Debates, the Rotary Championships and the Phillip Jessup Debates.

Theatre Studies is also its forte. Each year, students perform politically and socially controversial plays in a mini-festival, and these are open to members of the public. Visiting guest lecturers have included Broadway legend Lea Salonga.

The Students' Council and the Civics Tutorial Council work in organising school-wide activities, also organising college events and proposing initiatives to benefit the student body.

The Civics Tutorial Council, also known as the CT Council, is a student leadership body composed of a CT Representative from each Civics Tutorial Group (Class). The CT Councillors serve as the bridge between the college and the class, promoting the welfare of each student. The CT Councillors also work with the Student Councillors and the House Committee members in organising, maintaining and planning college events and functions.

Sports

VJC previous successes in squash, cross-country and sailing used to make it synonymous with these sports. In the 2013 National Schools Games, VJC won the championship titles for floorball (boys), football (boys and girls), golf (girls), hockey (boys and girls) and wushu (boys and girls).

Performing arts

In 2004, VJC Choir represented Singapore in the Choir Olympics held in Bremen, Germany and won Gold Medals in all three contested categories, namely Musica Sacra, Contemporary Music and Open Mixed. It emerged as the Olympic Champion of the Open Mixed Category, and second placing in the Musica Sacra and Contemporary Music categories. The Olympic Champion title is the most prestigious award for choirs in the world.

In 2006, VJC choir won the esteemed Audience Prize and GRAND PRIX AWARD in the 9th Concorso Corale Internazionale (International Choir Competition) held in Riva Del Garda, Italy. The VJC Choir won Gold for both the categories they competed in - Musica Sacra and Mixed Youth, and emerged as Category Winner for the latter. It is the first time an Asian Choir has won the grand prize and one of a few choirs in the world to win both the Audience Prize and Grand Prix Award together.

In 2007, VJC achieved its best results at the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging, when it was awarded four "Gold with Honours" and three "Gold" awards.

Victoria Chorale

Formed in 1988, Victoria Chorale comprises the alumni of both the Victoria School Choir and the Victoria Junior College Choir. Largely self-funded, the choir has been actively involved in the local and international choral scene. Besides staging annual local concerts and carolling every Christmas season at various hotels and venues, Victoria Chorale has established a tradition of travelling extensively for performances and competitions.

Notable achievements include gold medals at the World Choir Games and an invitation to perform at the Seoul Arts Center for its first Asia-Pacific region concert tour in 2009.[4]

Affiliations

VJC is affiliated to Victoria School (VS). VJC was established in 1984 to replace the Pre-University classes in VS.

VJC provided VS students an option to continue a two-year junior college education within the Victorian family after the completion of their secondary education. VS students choosing to enter VJC get two bonus points off their GCE 'O'-Level L1R5 academic aggregate.

Since the 2012 school year, VS and Cedar Girls' Secondary School have offered the Victoria-Cedar Alliance Integrated Programme (VCA IP) option. After finishing Secondary 4, 160 students from each school continue on to VJC automatically.[5]

Alumni

Old Victorians' Association

The alumni body, Old Victorians’ Association (OVA), was established in 1941. It serves as a channel for former students of Victoria School and Victoria Junior College to continue to associate with their alma mater. [6]

The OVA supports the activities undertaken by the schools, assists needy students, and promotes sports, social and cultural activities among members. Every first Saturday of March has been designated Victorians' Day, when Victorians from VS and VJC of all years play games, eat school canteen food again and catch up with long-time schoolmates.[7]

The OVA football team plays an annual friendly football match with Victoria Institution Old Boys' Association (VIOBA), the alumni body of Victoria Institution, Malaysia. The OVA men's and women's hockey teams play in the Singapore Hockey Federation hockey leagues.

In 2009, OVA organized the inaugural combined VS and VJC gala concert, with a 260-strong cast comprising both students and celebrity alumni, at the Esplanade Concert Hall.[8][9][10][11]

In 2011, OVA organized the Victoria School 135th Anniversary Celebration Dinner at the former VS campus at Tyrwhitt Road.[12]

Notable alumni

Politics and Government

Arts

Others

Books

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Victoria Junior College.

References

  1. ↑ (18 April 1982). "NEW $20 m JC AT MARINE PARADE NAMED VICTORIA". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  2. ↑ The rank game, The Straits Times, 21 September 2001
  3. ↑ "EZSSC_ANNUAL_REPORT_2010"
  4. ↑ "Victoria Chorale Brought the Soul of Music to Seoul". Victoria Chorale. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Victoria School, Cedar Girls to offer IP from 2012". Channel NewsAsia. 18 November 2011.
  6. ↑ Nurul Asyikin Mohd Nasir (10 September 2009). "Victoria school alumni: Boys only, please". The New Paper (Singapore).
  7. ↑ Patricia Yap (28 February 2005). "Victorians' Day to kick off on March 5". Today (Singapore).
  8. ↑ "Singapore Celebrity Magicians to Add Magic to Old Victorian Association Concert at the Esplanade" (Press release). Webwire. 19 May 2009.
  9. ↑ Kenny Chee (2 June 2009). "Victorians labour to celebrate artistic talents". The New Paper (Singapore).
  10. ↑ Christopher Toh (4 June 2009). "Two upcoming local gigs to look forward to". Today (Singapore).
  11. ↑ Singapore Celebrity Magicians to Add Magic to Old Victorian Association Concert at the Esplanade
  12. ↑ Huang Lijie (19 September 2011). "Victoria School celebrates 135 years with 1,500 alumni, ex-teachers". The Straits Times (Singapore).
  13. ↑ "Seeing invisible worlds", The Straits Times, 30 July 2007
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