Holistic Education
SCA’s Holistic Education framework is a combination of the traditional Chinese Holistic Education, Gardner’s Five Minds for the Future, and the student-centric pedagogies practiced at Hwa Chong Institution (HCI).
The traditional Chinese Holistic Education concept comprises the following domains:
- Moral development 德
- Intellectual development 智
- Physical development 体
- Social development 群
- Aesthetics development 美
The uniquely SCA Holistic Education Model can be illustrated in the following diagram:
The model has three main domains of thinking that encapsulate the five minds, linked with the two core values of the Hwa Chong Family of Schools, namely 自强不息 (Excellence, Innovation and Resilience) and 己立立人 (Win-Win).
Developing our students’ minds is paramount in preparing them for personal and professional success in an unpredictable modern world. The best way to get ready for what comes next is to create the mental infrastructure to thrive in any environment.
Developing the Five Minds
Critical Thinking is developed by nurturing students’ Disciplined Mind and Synthesizing Mind through a combination of fundamental subjects and various course options, including IGCSE, A-Level, and IBDP programs. To further enhance the Disciplined Mind, the school offers Talent Development Programmes (TDP) for Grade 9 students:
- Science Research
- Computing and AI
- Global Problem-Solving
- Chinese Literature and Culture
Our students learn to use generative AI for literature reviews while critically questioning the authenticity of AI-generated content. They articulate thoughts on the limitations of AI information and observe academic honesty by acknowledging all sources.
Students develop their Respectful Mind and Ethical Mind through programs like Student Council, sports clubs, performing arts, and visual arts. They participate in cross-cultural collaborative projects with students from other countries. To broaden these opportunities, the Boarding Council and in-house sports events further contribute to developing the Respectful and Ethical Minds. Through teamwork, fair play, and collaborative processes, students cultivate moral values, empathy, and social responsibility. In competitive sports, we teach our students to "Win with Honour and Lose with Grace".
These systems and processes enhance the Caring Thinking of SCA students.
The Creating Mind is nurtured through aesthetic programs like music, performing arts, and visual arts. These activities encourage innovation, imagination, and problem-solving, enabling students to think outside the box and develop novel solutions. Students are encouraged to participate actively in co-curricular activities (CCA) of their choice and use the I-Time to further develop their passions.
The school is also in the process of designing an Entrepreneurship Programme for students to exercise their creative thinking.
Besides acquiring necessary knowledge and skills, SCA emphasizes the importance of "how students learn". We strongly advocate student-centric pedagogies such as collaborative learning and inquiry-based learning. These pedagogies enable students to be active and effective learners who can embark on deep learning of subjects that interest them, an important step towards becoming Self-directed and Passionate Learners. To encourage teachers to adopt student-centric pedagogy, staff meetings are conducted in the form of Socratic Seminars.
SCA recognizes students for excellence in academic performance, non-academic performance, personal conduct, and contributions to the school through various awards:
- Academic Achievement Award: For academic excellence.
- Holistic Achievement Award: For balanced academic and non-academic achievements.
- Outstanding Student Award (OSA): For exceptional performance across all domains.
- Pioneer of Tomorrow Award: For students demonstrating entrepreneurial thinking and meeting OSA criteria.
Past OSA winners include Jeremy Zeng, Emma Chen, Shirley Yung, and Linsey Lin.
This framework helps SCA nurture Self-directed, Ethical, and Passionate Learners, preparing them for success and meaningful contributions to their communities.
