SINGAPORE - Classes will begin at Singapore's first high-rise junior college on Monday (Jan 6).
The Eunoia Junior College (EJC) campus in Bishan, which cost $100 million to build, comprises two academic blocks of 10 and 12 storeys each and a five-storey student activities block complete with an eight-lane track, field and a spectator gallery.
Other facilities include a two-storey library - on the 9th and 10th floors - which also provides students with the space to showcase exhibitions and recitals.
The student activities block has a rooftop track and beneath that, on the lower levels, is a 900-seat lecture theatre, performance studios as well as a canteen.
In 2010, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced plans for EJC, which started taking in students in 2017 for its interim campus at Mount Sinai.
The cohort size is about 1,250. About two-thirds of students come from the Integrated Programme (IP) from Catholic High School, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School and Singapore Chinese Girls' School, while about a third are admitted through the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE).
MOE said that the the total development cost for EJC's new campus, including consultancy costs, improvement works and other related fees, is still being finalised and is expected to be lower than what was budgeted. Construction cost came to about $100 million.
The new campus is also the first junior college designed with a community club - Bishan North Community Club - housed within it.
The community club occupies about a fifth of the student activities block.
The school is exploring possibilities of engaging in "community outreach projects" involving children and the elderly in the community.
Principal of EJC, Mrs Wong-Cheang Mei Heng, told The Straits Times that the move from Mount Sinai to 2 Sin Ming Place has been "generally smooth" thus far and the school is looking forward to next Monday.
She said: " We have had a number of students, such as Orientation Leaders, coming to the new campus to prepare for their activities. Key stakeholders have also visited us. In fact, we are already conducting staff meetings and workshops over these two days.
"Feedback and sentiments on the new campus have been unanimously positive. We are all very excited to be here, and look forward to beginning full operations with the entire college community," she added.
