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They actually listened and decided to keep the site in Bishan after all this noise and honestly I am just sitting here staring at the screen in complete disbelief. This really shows what happens when we refuse to back down even when the news looks bleak so take a second …

June 30, 2015

New Integrated Programme Junior College

New Integrated Programme Junior College

🏆 Won — 549 supporters Verified

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+539 more
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Started by Andrew Ng 11 years, 4 months ago

4 May 2015



Mr Lee Hsien Loong
Prime Minister
Orchard Road
Istana
Singapore 238823
Dear Prime Minister,



Appeal – New Integrated
Programme Junior College



Background


We are parents of children who are enrolled in an Integrated
Programme (IP) offered collaboratively by three schools, namely
Catholic High School, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School and Singapore
Chinese Girls' School. This programme was announced by MOE in a press
release on 1 Sep 2010. The schools have been recruiting and accepting
students into this programme for the last 3 years with the
understanding that the new JC will be in the Bishan vicinity.


On 13 April 2015, our families were shocked and utterly
disappointed to learn about the latest development: a) the completion
of the new JC facility would be delayed again by another one and a
half years till end 2019 because of a "new LTA requirement". b)
the holding site for the new JC would be changed from ITE Bishan to
the old RJC at Buona Vista .



Our Disappointment


We and our children feel betrayed. The IP programme for these 3
schools was announced on 1 Sep 2010. For some years now, we have
already been made aware of the location and design of the new JC; it
is to be a multi level facility integrated to Bishan Park at the
junction of Sin Ming Ave and Marymount Road. We are now told the
campus will only be completed in end 2019 and students can only use
the school in 2020. Our boys and girls in Year 2 and 3 will not even
get to use this new campus. This is because of a "new LTA
requirement".


Many parents and their children had made their choice of school on
the promise of a new campus as well as the convenience of the
location. We dutifully listened to the Education Ministry's advice
to enrol our children in a nearby school. Now we are told to
understand and to accept the delay of the new building for a second
time and given a holding site that entails a long commute to and from
our homes.



Our Request


PM Sir: we are compelled to write to you as it is now a
cross-government agency issue.
Our plea is to have the new JC building back on its original
timeline. It has already been 5 years. According to URA master plan
2013, the land had been set aside for an educational institution. Why
is LTA now coming in to impose new restrictions causing the delay?
Can we not do away or relook at the importance of this "new LTA
requirement"? We are baffled as to why the authorities have not
monitored the progress more closely to ensure the planned timeline
was adhered to? We strongly feel students should not be penalized for
mistakes made by adults. It is not unreasonable to ask the agencies
involved to do the right thing and deliver what was promised.


However, given the efficiency in Singapore, we are optimistic that we
can still deliver the completed JC building by end 2017. Many larger
and more complex projects have been completed in lesser time.


Thank you very much for your time and kind attention to this
matter. We place our trust in you, confident that our government is
ever faithful in her promises.




Yours sincerely,



Parents of Students from
Catholic High School
CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School
Singapore Chinese Girls' School

Updates

Reached 500 supporters

May 7, 2015

May 4, 2015

I never thought we would see this much traction so fast but here we are and it is honestly wild to wake up to all these notifications. This really shows how many people feel just as frustrated about the sudden move to Buona Vista as I do. It is time for someone to actually listen to what we are saying about the Bishan site because the momentum is clearly here.

Reached 100 supporters

May 4, 2015

216 Comments

E
Eric Chua
11 years ago Featured

This is completely poor planning for MOE. Today ST also indicated MOE will miss target for schools to covert to single sesson. I sincerely hope any errors made by MOE should not on the expense of our children. I seek Mr. Heng Swee Keat to take this matter, speak up and take action.

J
Johnathon Tan
11 years ago Featured

321 Braddell Rd, Singapore 579708, can be a temporary holding site for the school. Have MOE Consider it properly before selecting Mount Sinai?? MOE do consider all nearer options before shifting our child to place so far.

A
Agnes Ang
11 years ago Featured

The children have been looking forward to their new JC. By changing plans & altering what has been committed, are we teaching the kids that it is alright to change our commitments? What kind of people are we likely to get for the next generation?

B
Benjamin Lee
11 years ago Featured

It is not fair. Many of us joined the IP track for the new JC. Now we r cheated of that. At least allow people to rechoose their tracks again, since the new JC will cause a lot of inconvenience. Why did the LTA have to impose such a requirement only now and affect others?

K
Kenneth Tan
11 years ago Featured

My Son is affected by the shift, from a 15mins to school, he will have to spend 1 hr and two way will be 2 hr wasted on the journey. MOE always advocate parents to choose school near their home but they are doing this to us? Is it appropriate?

K
Kwee Swat An
11 years ago Featured

It is very sad that the pioneer batch doesn't get to enjoy the new campus at all, although the new JC was already formed 4 years prior to them entering the JC. Given the 4 years, it should have enough runway to build a new JC

V
Veronica Tan
11 years ago

We support this petition and hope this matter will be looked into.

M
Mak Mei Woon
11 years ago

Can MOE hear our voices and don't force upon us any decisions not made by us, the parents. We are a democratic society, we should be given choices.