National Junior College

Image Gallery

The first assembly of 570 students in newly-minted uniforms at the old campus at Linden Drive (1969).

The Official Opening of NJC on 14 May 1970 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. As the pioneering College of the nation, its system has been the model for junior colleges established in successive years (1970).

Students Councilors swearing in after being elected. The Student Council was first of its kind in Singapore schools. Candidates had to be nominated and campaign for votes with posters and rally speeches, mirroring national elections (1971).

NJC marked its 50th Anniversary with year-long celebrations. Students, alumni, parents and staff formed “NJC50” at the Road Run in 2019.

School History

National Junior College (NJC) admitted its first batch of students on 20 January 1969 and was officially opened by then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew on 14 May 1970. It was set up as the ‘College of the Nation’ and took in students from all language streams. The colour of the college uniform is a reminder to all NJCians to serve the common man and to be with the common Singaporean.

The first principal, Mr Lim Kim Woon, set the ground work for the junior college system in Singapore. He pioneered many junior college practices such as the lecture and tutorial system, the celebration of the various festivals and the election of student representatives for the Student Council. Mr Lim also lived and defined the NJC spirit and inspired generations of NJCians to live out the college motto, ‘Service with Honour’. Teachers in NJC served as mentors and facilitators of students’ learning, while students were given responsibilities to organise and plan college events and co-curricular activities.

Various programmes were established over the years to develop the diverse student talents in the college. In 1985, the Art Elective Programme was introduced in NJC. The Humanities scheme was offered in 1987, and in 1992, the Ministry of Education Language Elective Programme (German) was implemented. From 2020, NJC will also offer Malay Language Elective Programme and Tamil Language Elective Programme.

NJC shifted to the current campus on Hillcrest Road in 1995. The move involved student representatives from 1969 to 1995, who walked to the new campus, carrying with them the college flag, the plaque of the official opening of the Linden campus, and a patch of grass symbolising continued growth.

NJC was the only school that won the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew National Education Award in 2002. In 2004, the college began offering the four-year Integrated Programme, which was expanded to six years in 2009, enrolling students from Secondary One. The college currently offers programmes such as the Enhanced Boarding Programme, in which NJCians stay at the boarding school for a period of time; and Research@NJC Programme, which brings NJCians on a journey of discovery and innovation. NJC also organises the biennial fun fair, Funtasia, to raise funds for various charities in Singapore, in addition to the numerous community service projects carried out by NJCians throughout the year.

In 2018, the NJC kickstarted its year-long 50th anniversary celebration with Funtasia; its first musical, The National Dream; and the NJC50 Road Run, culminating in its finale celebration at a gala dinner in May 2019.

Principals:
- Mr Lim Kim Woon (1969–1975)
- Mr Chow Kye Lock (1975)
- Mrs Yeo Lai Cheng (1976–1979)
- Mr Wee Heng Tin (1980–1981)
- Mr Lim Bok Hai (1982–1984)
- Mr Chan Tung Fong (1985–1988)
- Mrs Goh Chi Lan (1989–1995)
- Mrs Maureen Ng Boey Lin (1996–2001)
- Mrs Virginia Cheng (2002–2013)
- Mr Ang Pow Chew (2014–2022)
- Mrs Lucy Toh (2023 - present)

Key Milestones

School Motto

Service with Honour

School Crest

The red and white colours are the state colours of the Republic of Singapore. The red is symbolic of universal brotherhood and equality of man, while the white signifies pervading and everlasting purity and virtue. The five red horizontal bars stand for the five stars of the Singapore flag, which represent the ideals of democracy, peace, progress, justice and equality. The four white horizontal bars represent the four languages used in the Republic, and the golden lion symbolises Singapore.

School Song

Inilah maktab banggaan kita
Tempat pelajar segala bangsa
Diasuh dididik mencapai cita
Satu negara neka budaya

Di sini kita menuntut sama
Tanpa mengira kekasta bangsa
Bergerak maju berbuat jasa
Tetap berbakti jujur dan setia

Marilah semua belia negara
Dengan semangat bakti semata
Satukan tenaga bertindak mara
Kita jayakan rakyat Singapura

This is the College, our pride
A place for students of all races
Nurtured and educated to achieve the aim
Of one multi-cultural nation

Here we learn together
Regardless of caste and race
(We) move forward in service
Constantly serving with sincerity and loyalty

Come all youths of the nation
With a spirit of total dedication
By uniting our energy for progress
We lead the people of Singapore to success