The introduction of the Integrated Programme (IP) to a select few schools will usher in a paradigm shift that will forever transform the face of secondary school education in Singapore.

Just as the independent schools in the 1980s and 1990s spurred significant changes to the school system, the IP, too, in turn will generate spin-offs that will carry the education system to even higher levels of performance. Both The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, being major players, have a pivotal role to play in the formative years of the scheme to impact other schools.

With the decision to integrate The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College into a mega-school offering six-years of seamless education culminating in the GCE Advanced Level Examinations, the stage is set for an exciting new phase in the history of the two schools. The Chinese High School is already an independent school. The fact that Hwa Chong Junior College will also be seeking a similar status in 2004 holds out the promise that the integrated institution will be able to surge rapidly ahead in the future. The planning and implementation of the integration into all areas of school administration and management, staff orientation, and curriculum design must hence, lead to the smooth transition to a truly world-class school that will establish new benchmarks for education not only in Singapore but even beyond.