Our History
Trace Jurong Secondary School's journey from its humble beginnings in 1963 to the present day, and see how it has grown into an award-winning school rooted in community.
1963 - 1973 The Foundation Years
1963 – a momentous year that witnessed the birth of Jurong Secondary School.
“By the Community, For the Community” – Indeed, it was community leaders who had requested for a secondary school to be built while the then Prime Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew was on his first visit to Jurong Constituency. On 28 August 1963, Jurong Integrated Secondary School was officially opened at 12th-mile Jurong Road, with 5 teachers and about 100 students.
The early years saw students of Jurong Secondary School, renamed in 1971, making their mark in the national sporting arena. Jurong boys and girls emerged as National Champions in the Basketball and Cross Country competitions between 1967 and 1972.
1974 - 1983: Our New Home
Ready for a bigger role in the community, Jurong Secondary School was moved to a new site at Yuan Ching Road in 1974. On 2nd November, teachers and pupils made the historic march from the old school building to its new premises. The new building was officiated on 2 July 1976.
With new CCA and Library blocks, the school continued to build on its tradition of academic and sporting excellence. As demand for post-secondary education increased over the years, the school was made a Pre-University Centre in 1981, which it served for about a decade, offering a 3-year Pre-U course to Secondary 4 graduands.
Bird’s-eye view of JSS on its new premises at Yuan Ching Road.
1984 - 1993: Dawn of a New Horizon
While Jurong Secondary School continued to blaze trails in both academics and sports, our students started developing and showcasing talents in the Arts.
Its first major foray into the Arts scene was in 1985 when it staged the Cultural Night in aid of the Community Chest. The school went on to stage dramas and musical performances at the Victoria and Kallang Theatres from 1989 to 1991. In 1988, the first school newsletter, Jurong Vision, was published.
1994 – 2003: Building our Dreams, Growing our Home
Over the years, the school underwent several upgrades and expansions. In 1994, two new blocks of classrooms and special rooms were added, and existing facilities were fully renovated. In 1998, the Jurong Secondary School Alumni Association was registered and officially inaugurated.
In 2001, the school embarked on PRIME, which was completed by the end of 2004. Existing classrooms, the school canteen, library and the staff room were enlarged. Science laboratories, an administrative block and a new school hall were built, and more facilities such as computer laboratories were added as well.
2004 – 2013: Breaking New Grounds, Reaching New Heights
The school’s programmes and repertoire of achievements continued to grow during this decade, particularly in 2006. Notable events and achievements include:
Launch of Special Talents and Achievements Recognition (STAR) programme – a four-year structured talent development scheme designed to stretch higher-ability students
Awarded niche status for Basketball under MOE’s Direct School Admission Exercise
1 of 6 secondary schools selected to lead in curriculum innovation under MOE’s “Teach Less, Learn More” initiative
1 of 10 secondary schools awarded the Flexible Infrastructure Pilot Project (FlexSi).
Recognised as a LeadIT@school, which enabled it to acquire IT infrastructures to support student learning.
Partnership with sister schools in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai in 2006, where students and teachers participate in reciprocal exchange programmes.
Awarded the Thinking Culture Award (Zonal), and subsequently the Thinking Culture Award (National) in 2007.
PM Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to JSS in 2007. He was impressed with our school’s creative approaches to TLLM.
In May 2007, Jurong Secondary School was selected as one of the 5 pioneer FutureSchools in the FutureSchools@Singapore project. The school has the support to lead in the seamless and pervasive integration of ICT into the curriculum as well as to pursue novel school designs to enhance the quality of teaching and learning.
The school was most honoured to host Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on 20th July 2007. Shortly after his visit, the Prime Minister complimented that Jurong Secondary School has “shown how it is possible to transform the learning environment in neighbourhood schools, to help our young achieve their fullest potential”. So impressed was the Prime Minister that he made a special mention of the school in his National Day Rally Speech that year.
The school introduced the Sports, Aesthetics, Innovation and Leadership (SAIL) Award in 2008 to mark the school’s 45th Anniversary to support student development in non-academic areas. The Jurong Secondary School Sports Scholarship was also launched to nurture sporting talent especially in Basketball and Volleyball, the school’s niche sports.
In 2013, to commemorate 50 years of rich heritage, the Jurong Secondary School family took part in a 50km Mass Homecoming Run, and a Homecoming Lo Hei event which earned the school a spot in the Singapore Book of Records for the largest number of participants in a single Lo Hei session. In the same year, Project COMpassion was launched to recognise the school’s strong commitment to the community, providing resources for students to initiate community projects.
2014 and Beyond: Continuing the Legacy
2015 – The Inspiring Student Passion in Recreational Endeavour (inSPire) Programme and Award was introduced to encourage student pursuit in the areas of Aesthetics & Culture, Science & Technology, and Media & Info-technology.
2018 – Jurong Secondary School celebrated its 55th Anniversary, bringing the community together through the launch of the JSS-TJ Elderly Befriender Programme. The school raised $61,680 for the Taman Jurong Community Development and Welfare Fund during the 55th Anniversary fundraiser Carnival.
The school and the community coming together as one in celebration!
2020 – Jurong Secondary School is proud to be an MOE Pilot School for Full Subject-Based Banding (FSBB), charting a new direction for Singapore’s education landscape, implementing mixed form classes, nurturing inclusive classrooms and developing multiple pathways to cater to the different strengths and interests of students.
2021 – The school emerged as a Phase 1 school for the National Digital Literacy Programme (NDLP) as part of the nationwide effort to strengthen the digital literacy of students and e-pedagogical skills of teachers. The Heritage Wall was also built and launched by Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
“Making Every Child A Success Story” – Moving forward, Jurong Secondary School remains committed to developing students who succeed in all areas of life. We look to the future with everlasting vigour and zest.
Updated 22 Feb 2023