Pioneer Junior College

Pioneer Junior College (PJC) is a junior college in Singapore offering a two-year pre-university course leading up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examination.

History

The main entrance of Pioneer Junior College

PJC was established on 1 December 1999. The college initially functioned from the campus of the former French-German Institute of Singapore, situated next to the Singapore Science Centre, before it moved to the current permanent campus at 21 Teck Whye Walk in December 2002. The college officially opened at its current site at Sentosa by Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, then acting Minister of Education on 20 February 2004. On 16 December 2005, Mrs. Tan-Kek Lee Yong took over the helm and became the 2nd principal.

Sixty-two teachers and executive and administrative staff, and two students, were the first batch of Pioneers of Pioneer Junior College (the "Pioneer Pioneers"). Students were involved in the formation of the college rules and the design of the college crest and uniform. The college's vision and mission statements were formally endorsed on 31 August 2000 by the College Advisory Committee, students' parents, the staff and students. In the subsequent year, on 8 August 2001, the college anthem and flag were formally adopted by the college community.

On 25 February 2002, PJC became the first junior college to launch its own satellite ground receiving station. Its inaugural College Day was held on 26 April 2002 to award deserving pioneers who had contributed in one way or another to the college. The guest-of-honour was the Chairman of the College Advisory Committee, Professor Phua Kok Khoo.

Principals

Identity & Culture

House system

There are six Houses under PJC House System, all named after various pioneers in their respective fields. Students are allocated a house based on their civics grouping (classes). Competition among the six Houses takes place when the student executive committee takes up office-bearer positions. The competition includes events like the Inter-House Games (both sports and non-sports) and National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) test. The overall champion of all these events is awarded the Inter-House Challenge Trophy at the end of each office-bearer year. The six Houses are:

• Byron, named after Augusta Ada Byron, Countess of Lovelace (1815–1852), who wrote what was widely accepted as the first computer programme.
• Darwin, named after Charles Darwin (1809–1882), a naturalist known for his evolutionary theories.
• Keller, named after Helen Adams Keller (1880–1968) who, having lost her hearing and vision, wrote, spoke and laboured incessantly for the betterment of others.
• Nobel, named after Alfred Nobel (1833–1896), the inventor of dynamite who left behind a nine-million-dollar endowment fund.
• Owens, named after Jesse Cleveland Owens (1913–1980), who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
• Polo, named after Marco Polo (1254–1324), the most famous Westerner to travel on the Silk Road.

Other house activities include House Games Day and House Meetings.

College crest

The 62° angle of the white part of the college crest in between the black and red parts correspond to the 62 staff serving in the college when it was first established.

Uniform

The current uniform is a white shirt/blouse and black pants/skirt. Students wear a grey tie every Monday. During other official events, students don grey blazers and ties.

Campus

The college relocated to its present location, 21 Teck Whye Walk, on 19 December 2002, and was officially opened by Mr. Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Acting Minister of Education, on 20 February 2004.

PJC is equipped with four lecture theaters; systematically numbered with LT4 being the largest theater, with a seating capacity of 600 and LT1/2 being the smallest. These lecture theatres are mainly used when many classes congregate together for lecture sessions scheduled in their timetables.

Its library (Ngee Ann Konsi Library) contains a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books. There are private consultants rooms within the library, each furnished with tables, chairs and a whiteboard. The library is also furnished with study cubicles, where students can study in a quiet and conducive environment during breaks, after school or during Night Study.

Apart from the canteen, there is also a cafe (Good News Cafe). The cafe offers a wide selection of pies, pastries and healthy food choices. Other than eating, students also use the long tables and chairs at the cafe area to gather together for group discussions or studying. The food at the cafe and canteen are priced at affordable prices.

Besides that, the sports facilities of the college include the netball court, squash court, futsal court, basketball court, 8-lane track, field and the gym. The gym has been recently renovated in 2015 to provide the students with a more comfortable space to exercise and train.

The Art Gallery is also located next to the gym at the grandstand area. This gallery was designed and renovated in 2015 by a group of teachers in the college. Multi-purpose rooms can also be located along the grandstand area, and these rooms are used for examinations and tutorial sessions.

One of the latest renovated facilities in the College frequented by the students will be the Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is located on the 3rd floor, right above the Ngee Ann Kong Si Auditorium (school hall). It is a project started by one of the earlier batches of Student Councillors and has since gone through many changes. In 2015, the 16th Student Council had refurnished the Sanctuary with bean bags, comfy couches and modernistic designs. Students can visit the Sanctuary and choose from a wide selection of board games, have some movie time or take naps. It is fully air-conditioned and is currently managed by the Student Council Welfare Committee.

Academic Information

Pioneer Junior College offers both Art and Science streams leading up to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level examination.

Notable alumni

• Ronny Chieng, comedian
• Elson Soh, actor and singer

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pioneer Junior College.

• Education in Singapore

External links

• Official website of Pioneer Junior College
• Official website of the Pioneer Alumni Circle