Centre for Scholastic Excellence

The Centre for Scholastic Excellence (CSE) was pioneered in 2008 as an extension of the Hwa Chong Integrated Programme. It is driven by its mission to nurture students to become confident individuals, concerned citizens, active contributors and self-directed learners. Belonging to one of the three special programmes, the Science and Mathematics Talent Programme (SMTP), the Humanities Programme (HP), and the Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP), CSE students engage in an expanded and experiential curriculum that is both challenging and rewarding.

Every CSE student embarks on a year-long research project within the realm of his chosen programme. He progresses through the various stages of research and discovery under the guidance of internal and expert mentors. CSE students are also paired up with personal affective mentors who challenge and broaden their perspectives, provide pastoral care and help clarify directions. The students themselves take proactive roles in making decisions and working towards their aspirations.

Many CSE students are actively involved in the Integrated Boarding Programme (IBP). Through communal living and interaction with peers, students learn to live, grow and work as part of a team. They also learn to find balance in their activities and demonstrate self-discipline and independence.

Bi-cultural competence is a hallmark of the Hwa Chong student, and CSE builds on this tradition. Its Bi-Cultural Studies Programme (BSP) allows students to attend school in the Hwa Chong-Beijing Satellite Campus (BSC) for a sustained period of time as well as visit Shanghai, Hainan, Yunnan and beyond. Students enrolled in the other programmes also read China Studies in Chinese (CSC), and, as part of the course, spend up to two months immersed in the Chinese culture at the BSC.

To attain borderless learning that transcends the confines of the classrooms, various parts of the campus have been tranformed into learning spaces for students to study and engage in collaborative activities. More wireless hotspots have been installed to ensure optimal internet connectivity throughout the campus. CSE teachers are also leveraging web technologies such as Wetpaint, Wikispaces and Google Docs to enhance pedagogy and facilitate collaborative learning.

Proactive, passion-driven and independent learning is the most fundamental desired outcome of education today. It seems that CSE has given Hwa Chong the key to attaining this outcome. In the years to come, CSE is poised to become a truly world-class learning hub that sets the benchmark for schools in Singapore.