Catholic High School

Catholic High School was founded in 1935 by French missionary Reverend Father Edward Becheras (1879–1957), with the support of Paul Lee (1885–1959), a Catholic businessman from Shantou, Chaozhou.

Lee was inspired by the English mission school St. Joseph’s Institution, which had been established in 1852. Passionate about setting up a Chinese mission school in Singapore, he personally interviewed candidates for the position of principal. The first principal, whom he hired from China, was Yao Kwok Wah (1910–1975).

In 1935, the school began running classes for orphans and the poor in a small hut on the premises of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Queen Street. A plaque inscribed with the school’s Chinese name, written by Yao when the school was founded, is still displayed at the school’s former premises in 222 Queen Street.

Upholding the school motto of “Care, Honesty, Service”, Catholic High School emphasises love as a core value and embraces all students regardless of their religion and faith, which shapes its vision: the Catholic High student is a Leader, Gentleman, and Bilingual Scholar of high integrity and robust character, who is passionate about life, learning and service to others.

School motto

Care, Honesty, Service

Brief history

Catholic High School was the first full-fledged Chinese-medium school established by the Catholic Church in Singapore, and the second Chinese-medium secondary school founded locally. Its founder Becheras believed that students should be proficient in both Chinese and English to adapt to the local environment. As a result, the school’s name was initially “Sino-English Catholic School”.

Driven by a passion for education and his concern for the students’ development, Becheras envisioned the school as an institution where one might acquire bilingual skills. “The way of the Catholic High School is a way made of two rails — Chinese and English, free from any entanglement, straight to its end” he remarked. “Happy are those who follow. They shall obtain the scope of a sound education.” This belief continues to be a cornerstone of the school’s philosophy today.

In 1937, the school’s first three-storey building was completed, and started to run junior middle classes the following year. In 1939, the first cohort of students graduated, and the school started to offer senior middle classes in 1940.

In the post-war 1950s, there were new development opportunities for the school. In 1950, principal Yao Kwok Wah was promoted to Inspector for Chinese Schools by the Education Department, and the Diocese invited the Marist Brothers to take over the administration of the school. In 1951, a four-storey block was completed for the primary section. In 1960, students from the primary section sat Singapore’s first Primary School Leaving Examination.

In 1966, the school published the inaugural issue of its literary magazine Xuewen (Students’ Essays). In 1968, Catholic High School became the first Chinese-medium school to offer the Cambridge examinations under the school’s name.¹ Previously, students took the exams as private candidates. In 1970, the school’s alumni association was officially established, and in 1972, the school expanded with a new four-storey building. In 1979, Catholic High School was selected as a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school and continued to develop its bilingual education.² As the student population grew, the school continued to expand. By the 1980s, it was operating concurrently in Queen Street (secondary school), Gentle Road (kindergarten and lower primary), Norfolk Road (upper primary), Bishan Street 12, and Bright Hill Drive. In 1992, the separate campuses were reunited at the present Bishan site.

The secondary school, newer four-storey building and three primary school buildings in Queen Street have all been preserved. The address of the old secondary section has been changed to 51 Waterloo Street, while the four-storey building retains the original address of 222 Queen Street.

In 1995, the secondary section obtained autonomous status, and a Chinese Cultural Gallery to showcase the school’s artefacts and old records was also set up the same year.³ In 1998, the primary section commenced the Gifted Education Programme.⁴ In 2013, the secondary section embarked on a dual-track model: the Joint Integrated Programme and the O-Level Programme. Together with students from CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, Catholic High School students can enrol in Eunoia Junior College for their pre-tertiary education without having to sit the O-Level exams under the six-year integrated programme.⁵

After being accorded SAP status, Catholic High School continued to refine its bilingual education model, and helped students gain a deeper understanding of the essence of Eastern and Western cultures through programmes on literature and culture. It uses international educational resources and collaborates with overseas institutions to broaden students’ perspectives.

Apart from the regular curriculum, the school offers the Bicultural Studies Programme and Music Elective Programme, as well as talent development programmes across various disciplines to meet students’ diverse interests.⁶

Other facilities on campus include a “Chinese Cultural Corridor” which showcases the school’s journey in developing its bilingual and bicultural education, and an Aviation Milestones Gallery and Space Exploratory Gallery to inspire students’ interest in aviation and aerospace. These unique cultural spaces allow students to appreciate the beauty of modern technology and Chinese culture.

The clock tower on the campus is representative of the school’s spiritual origin and mission, as it reminds teachers and students daily of the purpose of setting up Catholic High School. Today, the school is one of Singapore’s highly regarded institutions under the auspices of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore, enrolling both Catholic and non-Catholic male students aged six to 16.

Catholic High School’s best-known and longest-serving principal was Reverend Brother Joseph Dufresse Chang (1918–2021). He arrived in Nanyang from Beijing in 1952, and began teaching at the primary section of Catholic High School. In 1960, he was appointed as principal and held the position until 1974. Well-read, effectively bilingual, and musically accomplished, Brother Joseph created a school environment that would help artistically talented students realise their potential. In 1994, he retired from an overseas job and returned to Singapore. In 1996, to support the school’s development, the Catholic High Alumni Singapore set up the Brother Joseph Education Fund. It raised S$350,000 in just two weeks, a phenomenon fondly remembered as the “Brother Joseph effect”.

Catholic High School has produced many leaders and professionals in various fields, including Singapore’s third Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Other outstanding alumni who hold or have held political office include Gan Kim Yong, Lim Swee Say, Lee Chiaw Meng (1937–2001), Chan Soo Sen, Dr Ow Chin Hock, Fong Sip Chee (1938–1992), Baey Yam Keng, Desmond Choo, and Chan Chee Seng (1932–2022). The school also counts among its alumni nominated parliamentarian Mark Lee Kean Phi, who represented the business community, and former top civil servant (Permanent Secretary) Tjong Yik Min (1952–2019). In the education sector, distinguished alumni include former Nanyang Technological University president Su Guaning and former Singapore University of Technology and Design president Chong Tow Chong. Also among its alumni are Cultural Medallion recipients such as singer-songwriter Liang Wern Fook, author Yeng Pway Ngon (1947–2021), and artist Chua Ek Kay (1947–2008).

 50th anniversary

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Principals and years in service