PUBLISHED ONJanuary 16, 2026 7:00 AMBYChing Shi JieCatholic Junior College (CJC) will be relocated to a new campus near Punggol Digital District (PDD) in 2034, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Friday (Jan 16).
The relocation under the second phase of the JC Rejuvenation Programme — previously announced during MOE’s Budget debate in February last year — will be the third-oldest junior college’s first since its founding in 1975.
CJC’s move from its Whitley Road campus in Novena will bring it closer to firms and institutions in the 50ha tech park, which is touted as Singapore’s first smart district.
This means that the school can explore collaborations and partnerships, as well as "enrich" the educational experience of students with opportunities in the digital sector, MOE said.
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said that CJC’s relocation — a "deliberate" choice — aims to allow students to better connect their pre-university education to a “world beyond college”.
He cited the Singapore Institute of Technology’s (SIT) move to a new campus within the PDD last year as an example of how schools can apply learning to real-world practice and deepen collaboration with industry partners.
Friday’s event in PDD also saw CJC sign memoranda of understanding with a host of partners, including SIT, JTC Corporation and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore.
"Being in close proximity with the PDD will enable learning at CJC to be grounded and purposeful," said DPM Gan, who is also the anchor minister for Punggol GRC.
"It also aligns closely with the direction CJC is setting for itself — being digitally fluent, environmentally grounded and connected to the wider community, while remaining academically rigorous and anchored in its Catholic approach."
Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said that Catholic Junior College's relocation from its present grounds along Whitley Road to the Punggol Digital District will allow students to better connect what they learn to the world beyond their college. #sgnews #Singapore #Education #School #Relocation
MOE said that it will continue to work with CJC to ensure a smooth transition to Punggol, while preserving the school's heritage.
This includes preserving its "distinctive" educational traditions, school culture, historical artefacts, and exploring the feasibility of relocating “significant” architectural elements from the current campus, it added.
Bernard Tan, chairman of CJC’s school management committee, acknowledged the affection many feel about the school’s current Whitley Road premises — which is also well regarded due to its location in Central Singapore.
The CJC alumni, who is the former president of the Football Association of Singapore, said: "But Singapore has changed. Our transport links have improved to such an extent that the entire island is now accessible.
"And for those of us who have not been in Punggol for a while, it will surprise you."
Besides being the only junior college that will be located near a university, Tan said that being close to the PDD will also allow CJC to work with tenants there on learning programmes, giving students exposure to developments such as artificial intelligence and cyber security.
Tan later told reporters that concerns about the school’s accessibility were looked at during the two years of consultations over the move.
"Some of our members (from the management committee) even took the MRT to experiment being from Jurong to Punggol, and all parts of the island. No journey took more than an hour, so we were very satisfied it was accessible."
Describing how students from junior colleges are "willing to travel", Tan said that a majority of their present cohort live in the northeast of Singapore.
"With that and future development, we were quite confident that the move, at least from my point of view, wouldn’t be prohibited," he added.
CJC’s principal Woo Soo Min said that collaborating with SIT and other industry partners will allow students to explore the A-Level curriculum "beyond the traditional way of learning".
These include optional programmes and projects that students can sign up for based on their interests, she said, adding that the details are still being worked out.
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chingshijie@asiaone.com
