‘Beautiful thinking’ behind name of new JC

SINGAPORE — The Republic’s newest junior college will be named Eunoia Junior College, announced Acting Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng yesterday (Dec 29).

The first government junior college since 2005, the school will serve as the partner school to three schools for the six-year Integrated Programme: Catholic High School, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School. It will take in its pioneer cohort at its interim site at Mount Sinai in 2017, before moving to its permament site in Sin Ming in end-2019. The 19th junior college here, it will also accept O-level students starting 2017.

The permanent site was to have been ready by mid-2018, but was delayed because of complications in building the Cross-Island Line, which will run beneath the school. Parents of students had earlier expressed unhappiness over the delay of its move to its permanent site, as well as a change in location of its interim site.

“Eunoia” is pronounced “yoo-noh-iea”. Speaking at the MOE’s appointment and appreciation ceremony for principals yesterday, Mr Ng said: “I am told its name ‘Eunoia’ has Greek origins; it means ‘beautiful thinking’ and ‘goodwill towards others’. I’m confident that the college will work hard at nurturing students to possess innovative thinking and a passionate heart for Singapore.”

Principal Cheang Mei Heng said the name was chosen from over 200 suggestions from students, parents, and employees of the three partner schools. The college’s employees, a joint IP Advisory Panel and the secondary school board chairmen were also consulted. “We desire our students to be creative, critical thinkers, but to balance thinking with heart, and to have a broader view of life beyond themselves,” she said.

The school will have three flagship programmes — one to expose students to issues such as ethics and governance, one on leadership and one that will encourage students to explore their interests through electives and attachments with organisations. Mdm Cheang also reiterated some of the steps the school will take to address concerns of parents who found the interim site too far from what they expected, such as starting school at 8am.

The school will have 650 to 700 students in its first batch. It has recruited 15 key personnel, and in the second half of next year it will bring in teachers to help with the planning of the teaching and learning programme. An advisory committee has also been appointed for a two-year term, chaired by Nanyang Technological University president emeritus Su Guaning.