FROM next year, St Michael's School may be renamed St Joseph's
Institution (SJI) Junior (Essex Road Campus), if the Ministry of
Education approves.
The 51-year-old primary school and the 153-year-old SJI have long
been in the same extended family, under the Lasallian religious
order. But plans such as the name change are afoot to thicken the
blood ties.
SJI wants to tap a ready stream of talented younger pupils in the
Josephian Talent scheme, which will be available to pupils selected
to join SJI Junior. And it is not just about talent in academic
subjects, but also in sports, the arts and more.
With the changing education landscape and top schools pulling
ahead, the move is an important one for SJI.
.
"SJI Junior will give us an added dimension because we can track
the boys over the years. It won't just be exam-based admissions,"
Mr Noel Hon, chairman of the SJI Board of Governors, told
Today.
.
"The PSLE will still be the main criterion but we'll also be able
to understand the boys' different strengths."
.
SJI also aims to increase the number of boys from affiliated
schools or children of alumni. De La Salle, St Anthony's Primary
and St Stephen's are the other Lasallian primary schools.
And while the successful practices of the new scheme will be shared
with the trio, St Michael's is the chosen one due to its close
history with SJI it merged with the old SJI Junior.
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WTF? Why must they change name? I fail to see a link how changing
sch names can increase the quality of the student going into SJI. I
appeal to all Ex michaelians to protest the decision made by the
SJI BoG. 
