Hwa Chong International School

Coordinates: 1°19′34″N 103°48′04″E / 1.3261°N 103.8012°E / 1.3261; 103.8012
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Hwa Chong International School
华中国际学校 (Chinese)
Sekolah Antarabangsa Hwa Chong (Malay)
ஹ்வா சாங்ச ர்வதேச பள்ளி (Tamil)
The main block of Hwa Chong International School, within the campus of Hwa Chong Institution.
Location
Map
663 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 269783

Singapore
Coordinates1°19′34″N 103°48′04″E / 1.3261°N 103.8012°E / 1.3261; 103.8012
Information
TypeInternational school
Co-educational
Independent
MottoContinual Pursuit of Excellence
Established2005
PrincipalLinda Lee
Enrollment950
Colour(s) Red   Yellow 
AffiliationHwa Chong Institution
Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School
Websitehcis.edu.sg

Hwa Chong International School (HCIS; traditional Chinese: 華中國際學校; simplified Chinese: 华中国际学校; pinyin: Huázhōng Guójì Xuéxiào) is a co-educational international school in Singapore that offers high-school education. It is an affiliated school of Hwa Chong Institution catering to both local and international students.

Overview[edit]

Hwa Chong International School campus, within the campus of Hwa Chong Institution.

Founded in 2005, Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) is part of the Hwa Chong family of schools. As a local international school, half of the students are Singaporeans or Permanent Residents, a requirement of the Ministry of Education (Singapore).[1] The rest of the student body comprises international students from over 20 countries.

Activities[edit]

In November 2007, Hwa Chong International School hosted an International Youth Forum on Global Warming, attended by students from several countries.[2]

HCIS was one of the three IB schools in Singapore chosen to host the International Baccalaureate Asia Pacific Regional Workshop in March 2009.[3]

Admission[edit]

International students who wish to enrol in the school have to take an entrance exam which involves three papers, English, Mathematics and Science, and this is preceded by an interview with a senior teacher. Students enrolling using their PSLE results will need only to take an interview with a teacher (case-by-case basis).

Ethos, uniform and discipline[edit]

All subjects are taught in English, except for Chinese. All interactions with teachers must be in English.[4] The school claims to provide a holistic education by means of "rigorous academic lessons, structured co-curricular activities and customised school programmes".[5]

The school uniform is a casual jacket with the HCIS logo, a polo T-shirt, with visible white ankle socks. Girls wear either khaki skirt or bermudas. Boys up to and including Secondary 3 (Years 7, 8 and 9) wear khaki shorts. Only in Secondary 4 (Year 10) and above may they wear long trousers.[6]

The school states that it employs "a full range of consequences, both positive and negative", to guide student behaviour.[7] Good work is rewarded with commendations, award of certificates of merit and achievement, early promotion to a higher grade, positive reports from teachers to parents, and selection for overseas visits.[8]

For behaviour there is a merit and demerit point system. Poor conduct may result in a student being placed on report, with daily feedback to parents and the Principal; denial of privileges such as free time during break periods; and "time out" periods. Demerit points require attendance at a weekly "formal reflection" session. Male students who persistently misbehave receive corporal punishment in the form of a caning. Students who accumulate 10 or more demerit points, and make no effort to improve, face strokes of the cane (boys) or suspension (girls). The same penalties are also applied in the case of serious offences such as vandalism, bullying or defiance.[5]

Bullying case[edit]

In 2020, a video went viral of a bullying case in HCIS. One student was shown pushing another boy towards a mirror in a toilet, holding the boy by the shoulders. He then told him to "laugh at yourself" and "laugh like hell". There was "no malice intended" in the case of a boy who was filmed taunting and beating up a fellow student in a toilet, Hwa Chong International School (HCIS) said, adding that the clip in question was over a year old.[9]

External links[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Kok, Melissa; Sim, Melissa (14 May 2010). "International arms of top schools to expand". The Straits Times. Singapore. Archived from the original on 18 May 2010. Retrieved 3 July 2017 – via AsiaOne.
  2. ^ Tannason, Steven (29 November 2009). "The road to Copenhagen is ours to walk". The Jakarta Post.
  3. ^ "IB Asia Pacific regional workshop agenda" (PDF). International Baccalaureate. March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 October 2012.
  4. ^ School Policies Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Hwa Chong International School. p. 8.
  5. ^ a b School Policies. p. 13.
  6. ^ School Policies. p. 6.
  7. ^ School Policies. p. 5.
  8. ^ School Policies. p. 9.
  9. ^ "Viral 'bullying' clip act of plain mischief: Hwa Chong International School". AsiaOne. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2023.