There are centralised institutes in Singapore. Of course, none of them except the Millennia Institute stands today. There are also none of the students being present in this institute.
Millennia Institute[]
Millennia Institute (MI) is a pre-university institution in Singapore.
MI was established on 3 January 2004, to conglomerate the sparsely organised three-year pre-university institutions into a single entity. MI had moved into their new Bukit Batok campus, covering an area of approximately 16 hectares and built at a cost of around S$24 million completed with Junior College equivalent facilities. MI also had its official opening in May 2009 whereby Singapore’s former Minister for Education Dr Ng Eng Hen was the guest of honour.
Under the leadership of Mr Tan Chor Pang (Principal) and Mr Mohd Azman Bin Mohd Sidek (Vice Principal), MI was the fifth pre-university institution to be established in Singapore as a centralised institute, as a result from the merger of Outram Institute and Jurong Institute in 2004, to further popularise the pre-university route. From 2004 to 2006, the institute operated at two campuses in Toh Tuck Terrace (Toh Tuck Campus, formerly Jurong Institute) and Bartley Road (Bartley Campus, formerly Outram Institute) until 12 December 2006. Today, MI operates at Bukit Batok West Avenue 8.
Prior to 12 December 2006, Millennia Institute operated at 2 separated campuses, at Toh Tuck Road (Toh Tuck Campus) and Bartley Road (Bartley Campus). Both campuses carried the name of "Millennia Institute", however, and were differentiated by their respective titles. This naming convention resulted in a deeply embedded feeling of isolation and alienation among students from either campus, as were prevalent during joint campus activities such as Track and Field meets, joint CCA events and non-curricular activities such as Post-Promotional Examinations field trips. On 12 December 2006, Millennia Institute's operation at Toh Tuck and Bartley Campuses were moved to the new campus at Bukit Batok West Avenue 8, and the Toh Tuck Road campus was to be converted into the temporary premises of Bukit Batok Secondary School in June 2007, while the Bartley Road campus is due for demolition. Millennia Institute embarked on programmes to integrate the students from the two different campuses in Toh Tuck and Bartley, to facilitate operations in the new unified campus at Bukit Batok, where students from both campuses began their 2007 academic year in the new campus.
Outram Institute[]
Outram Institute (OI) was the first centralised institute open in 1987, and the oldest before her annexation into MI. OI occupied the former premises of the Chung Hwa Girls' High School and led by her first school principal, Mrs Lim Han Soon. In 1991, Mrs Lam-Kan Kim Swee was appointed principal. Through the course of Outram's history, students have gained not only 'A' level & LCCI certificates, but the intangible benefits of an education in character formation and citizenship.
Jurong Institute[]
Jurong Institute (JI) was the third centralised institute when it was established in 1989 and was initially located at Jurong West Street 91. JI moved to 2 Toh Tuck Terrace on 18 November 1994, which was known as the Big Move. On that day, the student councillors, carrying the institute flag, set off on a symbolic Relay race|relay run, carrying a torch to signify that the JI spirit would continue to burn at the new premises. Lion dancers, awaiting staff and students, welcomed the school to its new site and ushered them into their new campus.
Seletar Institute[]
Seletar Institute (Abbreviation: SI; Chinese: 立德高级中学) was one of the four original centralised institutes (CI) in Singapore and one of the pre-university centres in Singapore that offers a three-year curriculum leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examination.
History[]
SI was established as Singapore's third centralised institute in 1988 and began operations with 17 members of staff and 186 students in January 1989, at the then-vacant Upper Thomson Secondary School ex-campus at 14.5 km Upper Thomson Road, opposite Springleaf estate. During the first 3 months of the pioneer batch in 1989, students spent their ECA (Extra Curricular Activities) to cut the tall wild grasses and paint the buildings. The first lecture theatre had an improvised white cloth as the projector screen - hung using strings from the four corners. There were no airconditioning and whenever the forthnightly fumigation from the Ministry of Environment came along, the students had to cover their mouth/nose with one hand and take lecture notes with the other. This was truly a "Kampung school" but one that very much retained the "Kampung spirit" which lacks in most other modern institutions of learning.
In 1990, the campus was expanded, with a new two storey block at the back of the original facility, consisting of 10 class rooms at Level 1 and 2 Lecture Theatres at Level 2. The pioneer batch students (10 classes or what was known as "Civics Tutorial Group") moved to the new block whilst the two junior batches remained at the old block. Its library, third LT and four additional classrooms was built in 1991, its fourth LT, gymnasium, weights room, fitness stations, art studio and students’ locker room in 1992 and its conference room, printing room, counselling room, resource rooms and staff lounges in 1993. Air-conditioners were installed extensively throughout campus. It underwent repainting, renovations and upgrades in 1994, with a new volleyball court and walkway to Block B from the canteen and Internet introduced in 1995. In1996, a student’s computer corner was created to facilitate students without internet access or computer. The institute received extensive funding from the Ministry of Education (MOE), which allowed the annual increment of facilities and refurbishing of most of the buildings, until when in 16 August 1995, when MOE announced that Seletar Institute will not be expecting any intake of prospective ‘A’ level students in the coming year of 1996.
Seletar Institute was a relatively advanced and sufficiently modernised pre-university centre compared to other JCs and CIs. However, all these went to waste as the institute was closed down and the campus abandoned, since 1998.
Townsville Institute[]
Townsville Institute (Abbreviation: TI; Chinese: 城景高级中学) was one of the four original centralised institutes (CI) in Singapore and one of the pre-university centres in Singapore that offers a three-year curriculum leading to the Singapore Cambridge (UCLES) General Certificate of Education Advanced Level examination.
The centralized institute was located at Margaret Drive in Queenstown. Due to declining number of students, the school was forced to close. Today, it housed the NIE Margaret Drive campus.