‘Bittersweet’: CJC alumni share Whitley Road memories, worries over move to Punggol
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CJC, Singapore’s third-oldest junior college, has been at 129 Whitley Road since it was founded in 1975 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
SINGAPORE – The Jan 16 announcement that Catholic Junior College (CJC) will move from its Whitley Road campus to the vicinity of Punggol Digital District
Ex-students told The Straits Times that the current campus holds many memories for them, and they will be sad to see it go.
Mr Marcus Lim, a 31-year-old operations manager, used to go back to CJC every week to play football even after he graduated.
Mr Lim, who is Catholic, recounted how he would drop by the chapel in school for 10 minutes of prayer before major exams.
“It gave me peace of mind and composure,” he said.
Mr Lim visits the campus for alumni events such as CJC’s 50th anniversary carnival in 2025 with his partner – who he first met at CJC – and they reminisced about their JC days.
“CJ was a place I made many friends for life,” he said. “It’s sad and feels a bit wasted.”
He said he would also compare the school grounds with photos shown to him by his mother, who also attended CJC.
Ms Victoria Oh, a 50-year-old accountant, enjoyed the central location of CJC. She has fond memories of taking a bus from the school to Orchard or Toa Payoh, to Stamford Road to do research for projects at the old National Library, and to MacRitchie reservoir for her weekly canoeing co-curricular activity.
“I feel sad too as many memories were forged there during the short one-plus JC years,” she said of the move.
The new campus will be built near the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
The move is part of the second phase of the Junior College Rejuvenation Programme, which aims to improve the infrastructure of JCs by upgrading or rebuilding their facilities.
CJC, Singapore’s third-oldest junior college, has been at 129 Whitley Road since it was founded in 1975 by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore.
Mr Adrian Ho, an alumnus who taught PE and coached football in the school for 25 years, said the news is “bittersweet” but he is hopeful about the shift.
The 56-year-old said having brand-new facilities would benefit the students. Citing the current field as an example, he said it was at times not suitable for hosting competitions, and lacked floodlights for students to train at night.
Mr Ho added that while CJC is better known for excellence in the humanities, situating it next to SIT could help students to develop interest in technology.
The school has a close-knit alumni network that organises events like career sharing occasions to foster connections among former students.
Mr Ho said the strong school spirit could be attributed to CJC’s lower academic pressure and focus on grades compared with some of the top schools, with greater emphasis on values such as kinship and service to the community.
“A new place won’t change the college values,” he added.
Some alumni told ST that they were concerned about CJC’s student demographic changing, after it moves away from affiliated Catholic secondary schools nearby such as St. Joseph’s Institution (SJI).
“Moving (to Punggol) might dissuade some people for whom CJC would have been a default (choice),” said Mr Ho, who recently retired from teaching in CJC.
A 54-year-old alumnus working in financial services, who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, described the move to Punggol Digital District as odd, noting that CJC is not a school with a digital or artificial intelligence curriculum.
JTC Corporation’s Punggol Digital District is a hub for technology sectors
Noting the proximity of the current campus to Catholic schools, Mr Tan said: “Together with SJI, SJI international, SJI junior – it is a cluster....Moving to Punggol will definitely influence its Catholic mission and formation objective.”
Josiah Loke, a second-year arts student at CJC, said he was taken aback by the new location, which is far from his home in Jurong West.
“If I were a student getting my O-level results in 2034...CJC would not be favourable for me,” he said.
The 17-year-old is, however, keen to see the possible career opportunities offered under new tie-ups between CJC and various organisations starting this year.
On Jan 16, CJC signed memorandums of understanding with several partners to work on joint initiatives. The partners include Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, JTC Corporation, National Parks Board, National Youth Council, Pathlight School and SIT.
