A Distinguished Heritage

1919
The Chinese High School was founded
as the first secondary school in Singapore offering
a modern education in Mandarin.

1925
The Chinese High School moved into her
Bukit Timah campus, complete with
its distinctive clock tower building.

1942-1945
Due to its height and location, the Chinese High School’s clock
tower served as a vantage point for surveillance
for the Allied forces and the occupying Japanese army.

1974
Hwa Chong Junior College was founded
as the second junior college in Singapore. The school
would take over pre-university classes previously
conducted at The Chinese High School.

1979
The Chinese High School was accorded Special
Assistance Plan status to nurture bilingual
scholars, steeped in Chinese traditions and values.

1981
Hwa Chong Junior College pioneered the prestigious
Humanities Programme. This programme
became renowned for its success in sending students
to Oxbridge and other top universities in the world.

1987
The Chinese High School acquired Independent
School status, and was granted greater autonomy
for innovation and experimentation.
The school was one of the first to offer
Computer Studies as a subject in the 1980s.

1991
Hwa Chong Junior College celebrated a move back
into her Bukit Timah campus. In 1987, structural
instabilities on the campus had forced students
and staff to relocate twice in four years to temporary
campuses before the necessary works were completed.

2005
The Making of Hwa Chong Institution In 2005, The Chinese
High School merged with Hwa Chong Junior College
to facilitate the running of a holistic six-year
Integrated Programme with unrivalled state-of-the-art facilities.

2019
Hwa Chong Centennial Celebrations In 2019,
Hwa Chong Institution celebrated a hundred years
of excellence in teaching and learning.
The celebrations coincided with Singapore’s
bicentennial commemorations, clearly
demonstrating the intertwining of the two histories.