Anglo Chinese Junior College

Anglo-Chinese Junior College

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School History

Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC) is one of the seven educational institutions of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) family of schools. ACS was founded by the Methodist missionary, Reverend William Fitzjames Oldham, who arrived in Singapore on 7 February 1885 with other Methodist missionaries. Through a Chinese gentleman who had joined the Methodist Church, Reverend Oldham was invited to the Celestial Reasoning Association. The association was founded by businessman Tan Keong Saik and was dedicated to developing the people’s proficiency in English. After Reverend Oldham gave a lecture on astronomy, he so impressed the businessmen present that he eventually received invitations to be their language tutor. Following advice from his wife Marie, Reverend Oldham offered to educate their sons instead.

With funding secured from the association members, Reverend Oldham started ACS on 1 March 1886 at 70 Amoy Street. The first batch of students consisted of 13 Chinese boys, all sons of the businessmen who had attended Reverend Oldham’s lecture.

Within eight months, the school relocated to larger premises on Coleman Street in November 1886. The upper standards of the school moved from Coleman Street to Cairnhill Road in 1928 and remained there till 1950. In 1950, ACS Secondary School shifted to Barker Road, and ACS admitted girls for the first time in the new post-school certificate classes.

ACJC became operational on 3 January 1977 with 968 students at the Dover Close East campus. The initial idea for a post-secondary unit was mooted in 1913 when Bishop Oldham sent Reverend J.S. Nagle to raise funds and set up the college. However, the project was eventually dropped because the colonial government decided against it. In the 1970s, the Singapore government encouraged aided schools to set up junior colleges. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then Prime Minister of Singapore, invited the school to build a junior college in 1970 based on a dollar-for-dollar grant from the government. ACS rose to the challenge, raising funds through the support of old boys, parents and benefactors.

ACJC has continued to expand its facilities over the years to support its commitment to an all-round education. The sports complex was completed in 1995 with the generosity of alumni and well-wishers. The upgrading of the main academic facilities was completed in 2002, and a new Centre for Performing Arts was opened in 2008. The history of the college is commemorated at the ACJC Grace Heritage Gallery.

Principals:

Mr Chee Keng Lim (1977–1985)
Mr Wan Fook Weng (1986–1997)
Mrs Lim Han Soon (1997–2002)
Mrs Kelvyna Chan (2002–2013)
Ms Beatrice Chong (2013–2017)
Dr Shirleen Chee (2017–present)

Key Milestones


1976	Establishment of Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
1977	Enrolment of inaugural batch of 1,000 students at the Pre-university One level.
1995	Completion of the Sports Complex.
2002	Completion of refurbishment and upgrading works to the school buildings and facilities.
2008	Opening of the ACJC Faith Centre for Performing Arts.
2011	Recipient of the Ministry of Education School Excellence Award.
2014	Opening of the ACJC Grace Heritage Gallery.
2017	Celebration of 40th anniversary.

School Motto

The Best is Yet to Be

School Crest

The upper section of the crest comprises a mythical creature with a lion’s head, an eagle’s wings and a dragon’s body with claws. They represent the founding of ACS in a British colony (lion) by the American Methodist Mission (eagle) during the time of the Manchu dynasty in China (dragon). The lower section comprises the letters ‘ACS’ in red – signifying life as it bridges heaven and earth, which are represented by the two halves of blue and gold. The shield shape represents the knightly virtues of chivalry, honour, loyalty, valour and manliness.

The crest was designed by Mr Yap Pheng Geck when he was a teacher in ACS, inspired by the words of the school anthem.

The motto, ‘The Best is Yet to Be’, has been associated with ACS for generations since former principal T.W. Hinch first used it in the foreword of the 1935 issue of the school magazine. Since then, this opening line of Robert Browning’s, ‘Rabbi ben Ezra’, has been the rallying cry of ACSians, and was incorporated into the ACS crest in 1959.

School Song

♫ Listen

In days of yore from Western Shores
Oldham dauntless hero came
And planted a beacon of Truth and Light
In this Island of the Main
Here may it stand from year to year
Emblem of grand endeavour
The regions round echo the sound
Of ACS forever!

Chorus:
Sing ACS forever more,
Our ACS forever.
God save our land and heaven bless
Our ACS forever.

Our students hail from China’s Plains
And the Land of Rising Sun
We have many sons from India’s Strand
And the Islands of the Main
Our hearts our hopes our aims are one
No discord e’er will sever.
We’ll stand together for the cause
Of ACS forever!
(Repeat chorus)