Our Principal's Message

Nanyang Junior College has come a long way and is amongst the earliest junior colleges set up in Singapore. With a rich school heritage and a strong nexus with the community, it is one of the two government-aided junior colleges in the 1970s to be established with the support and funding by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. As it was built on a hilltop, with the campus often being clad in a mist of white in the 1980s and 90s, it was dubbed as “白云岗“ or “White Cloud Hill”.  This poetic articulation of the school reflects a deeper school ethos anchored on a culture of collegiality and the spirit of humanity.

The emphasis on the arts and culture, with strong humanistic endeavours, continue to be a distinctive feature of the school today. NYJC is one of the only two junior colleges in Singapore to be concurrently conferred as a Centre for the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP) and the Art Elective Programme (AEP). It also features strongly in a number of performing arts, and is one of the few junior colleges that runs an annual Chinese Drama production 《我们的白云岗》till this day.  It is not surprising that a number of our alumni are notable personalities and active contributors in Singapore’s art, literary and cultural scene.

Reflecting a deep sense of community spirit and service orientation, generations of NYJCians also actively pay it forward and contribute selflessly to the community through community projects and service learning. For example, in commemoration of the college’s 30th and 35th anniversaries, students and staff were actively involved in painting huge wall murals for the void decks of the HDB blocks in Braddell Heights Constituency, marking a key highlight of the celebrations. More recently, the resumption of the International Service Learning Expedition (ISLE) with many groups embarking on overseas community work during the December break in 2023, including our Student Council, Team Jus Jeruk and our Floorball team, is a testament of the strong student agency and service orientation towards the betterment of others.

NYJC’s culture of excellence is evident not just in our strong academic showing but in all our endeavours, reflecting the qualities of discipline, focus and tenacity to overcome challenges, never resting on our laurels. With the offering of more than 150 subject combinations, and a myriad of Co-Curricular Activities (CCAs) and Student-Initiated Groups (SIGs), it is also premised on the education philosophy of nurturing every child to their best ability according to their forte (有教无类）and to build the confidence in them to reach out to their dreams and aspirations (力求上进).

Personally, it is an honour and privilege to be back to serve NYJC, a place which has nurtured me tremendously as an educator when I first began my teaching career. I look forward to working closely with fellow colleagues, students, parents, alumni, our School Management Committee and the wider community to realise our collective hopes and aspirations.

Together we build, for a better NYJC, a better Singapore and a better humanity.

Pang Choon How
Principal