NorthLight School (Chinese: 北烁学校) is a school located along Towner Road, in Kallang, Singapore. It was established by the Ministry of Education (MOE) for students with difficulties handling the mainstream curriculum in the country. The school started its operations formally in January 2007 to assist students at risk of dropping out of school. Admission to the school is based on at least two failed attempts at the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE). The school also accepts those who have yet to complete secondary education.[2]
| NorthLight School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
 | |
151 Towner Road, Singapore 327830 | |
| Coordinates | 1°19′12″N 103°51′12″E / 1.3199647°N 103.8534703°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Government |
| Motto | A Living And Learning Community |
| Founded | January 2007 |
| Principal | Mdm Sung Mee Har |
| Gender | Coeducational |
| Age range | 13-18 |
| Enrolment | 850 (2015[1]) |
| Website | www |
History
editNorthLight School was established in March 2006 and opened to students the following year. Previously, students who failed the PSLE would enter technical schools, later called Vocational Training Centres (VTCs), for secondary education. However, the attrition was alarmingly high. In 2005, the drop-out rate was 60% and only half of the remaining 40% entered Institute of Technical Education (ITE). Because the minimum entry age for VTCs was fourteen, there was a two-year lag between the primary and secondary stages. In response to the problem, the Ministry of Education proposed to open a school to meet the needs of these students who would otherwise be forced to leave school. The Geylang Serai Vocation Training Centre was absorbed into NorthLight.
Chua Yen Ching was the founding principal. She stepped down in 2011 and was succeeded by Martin Tan.[1]
Campus
editNorthlight had two former campuses situated in Singapore: Campus 1 at Dunman Road and Campus 2 at Jalan Ubi. The two campuses differ mainly in the curricula offered: Campus 1 provides the three-year enhanced vocational programme while Campus 2 provides the existing two-year program Institute of Technical Education Skills Certificate (ISC) Course.
The current campus is located at 151 Towner Road, in Kallang.[3] Previously, the Balestier branch of the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) was based at the Kallang campus.
Before NorthLight School moved to its current location in Kallang in 2015, it was situated on Dunman Road in Geylang.
Curriculum
editThe curriculum draws its inspirations from the Life Learning Academy in San Francisco. The curriculum, primarily vocational, emphasises on developing emotional strength and instilling life-skills in the students. The curriculum includes a wide range of vocational options. In addition, there is a 8-week-long industrial attachment to ensure the relevance of the skills picked up at school to real time employment needs. There is a Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) programme to cater to the needs of students beyond the academics. The school has full-time, in-house counsellors to assist students troubled by social and emotional challenges.
References
edit- ^ a b "Principal happy that NorthLight is students' 'second home'". The Straits Times. 10 August 2015. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023.
- ^ "Admission Requirements". NorthLight School.
- ^ "NorthLight School influenced Singapore's education system: PM Lee". 21 September 2016. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2019.
External links
edit- Official website
- Leong, Lena (August 2009). "The Story of Northlight — A School of Opportunities and Possibilitie I". Civil Service College Singapore. [dead link]