Founded in 2007, St Joseph's Institution International (SJII) High School offers a values-driven international educational experience within the context of the Catholic faith and the local community. As a school under the purview of the La Salle Brothers who came to Singapore in 1852, SJII follows the Lasallian mission of promoting the well-being of the entire student, from spiritual to academic to social.

While the School may be charging international school fees, it strives to offer its brand of education to children with potential by running an extensive scholarship programme.

Apart from awarding scholarships for the two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme to students who are academically bright, SJII also offers merit-means scholarships, which are reserved for children who come from homes with an annual income of less than $50,000.

Mr Bradley Roberts, Principal of SJII, said, "The aim that we're working towards next year is for 20 per cent of our IB cohort to be on scholarship. So with 175 students, we're working towards having 35 scholars each year. This will comprise about ten international scholars, and 25 Singaporean scholars. Amongst the Singaporean scholars, five scholarships will be purely merit-based, while the other 20 scholarships will be a combination of merit and means for students coming from homes where the annual income is less than $50,000.

SJII currently has 325 students enrolled in Grades 11 and 12, with 42 scholars amongst them.

Merit-means Scholarships

Brother George Van Grieken, Brother President of SJII, explained the rationale behind the scholarships, "one reason for the scholarship is simply because it's our mission and the La Salle Brothers' rule that we provide a human and Christian education to the young, especially the poor. And I always point out that it doesn't only include the poor, it means that there's a preference for the poor. This is a real, unrecognised value-added component."

With international school fees, you attract people who can afford them, so I think we are aware that we don't want to become a school just for rich children. We want a school which is open and diverse and is open to all children, and our scholarship programme allows us to do that. It is one of the things that separates us from the other international schools in Singapore because of the size and focus of the scholarship programme. That's very important to us. We're trying to attract children with real potential and we hope what we're got in place works," Mr Roberts added.

Another reason for the scholarship is to ensure that the students in the School come from different economic backgrounds.

"With that kind of economic variety comes a sort of sub-cultural variety — the experiences different students bring with them as they go through education together. That's what I hear from the old boys of what is wonderful about SJI. When I had an occasion to speak with Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, I asked him why is it that his batch still gets together every year, and he said, 'Well, you have to remember, we grew up together from Primary 1 all the way through, so we know each other much better than most people do and we're been friends for this entire time.' It doesn't matter what their job is — executives, taxi drivers, or politicians — when they get together, they're the same people. That's something we want to instil in every kind of education we provide, no matter the fact that we're providing kids great opportunities that they otherwise cannot get," Brother George said.

One challenge SJII has encountered in awarding the merit-means scholarship is the search for applicants who meet the criteria some donors set: that the scholarship goes to a student who comes from a family with an annual income of less than $50,000.

SJII has thus put in place an outreach programme to tell more students about the availability of such scholarships. Mr Roberts has already been in contact with principals from about 40 schools to identify children who could benefit from the scholarship. He will also be giving talks himself in schools and advertising the scholarship programme in the press.

In awarding these scholarships, SJII is also mindful of two things. First, potential scholars have to have the capacity to take full advantage of and benefit from the IB curriculum. Second, scholars have to be able to further secure scholarships to go on to university. Otherwise, the investment of time and energy will not provide the full benefits desired.

A Child-centred Education

What these scholars, along with the other pupils in SJII, benefit from is a child-centred education in which students are developed holistically. Students are actively involved in lessons, and are engaged in group work, presentations, discussions, independent research, and peer- and self-assessment. Furthermore, students in Grade 7 and Grade 8 take far fewer tests as compared to their peers in local schools. This sets them up for the IB curriculum, in which class-based assessments account for 25 per cent of the awarded grade.

In dealing with a child-centred philosophy, Brother George shared, there should be a respect for individual needs, and some students, of course, will have special educational needs. As a testament to the Lasallian values, SJII provides for such situations. The School employs suitable teachers, addresses the needs of these students in an appropriate manner and develops an individual education plan that best suits the child.

Outside of the classroom, students take part in community service and activities.

"From the time that a child walks through our doors in Grade 7 aged 13 to the time he or she leaves they are involved in community service. They start with a project-based approach, and from Grades 9 to 12, when they are aged 15 to 18, they need to be involved in a service activity every week. We also run 62 different types of activities, which range from scuba diving to the brass band, and we encourage students to do as many of these as possible. Everything we do goes back to our core values, which are based on the Lasallian and Catholic views of nurturing a child," Mr Roberts explained.

This can also be seen in the way SJII adds value to each student.

"One of the things I've been impressed with is that in our last IB batch and the previous one as well, there were significant examples of individuals who came in with low Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scores, less than 200 but they got 39 or 40 in the IB. And it's not just one person. So we recognise that along the way, between Grade 7 and Grade 12, in the right kind of environment, the individual's motivation, capacity, interests and work ethic come into play to the extent that they end up doing very well," Brother George said.

While such examples may not be the norm, SJII can pride itself on its students getting an average of 36 out of a possible 45 points in the 2012 IB results.

Mr Roberts acknowledges that a key differentiator is the student's maturity.

"One of the realities is that a child at 12 and a child at 18 isn't the same, "said Mr Roberts. "So for some, a score of 178 for the PSLE isn't a true representation of their ability, it's a representation of where they were at 12 years old. For some of them, they undergo great changes in those six years between Grade 7 and Grade 12. Regardless of where they come from, the vast majority does very well and moves ahead."

Generally, the students who enter SJII, particularly those from local schools, have a good work ethic which leads to success. Students also thrive at SJII because of the curriculum, pedagogy, support structure and the options they have. For instance, they have the freedom to explore their areas of interest in the earlier years and are only required to choose the subjects they will take for the IB at the start of Grade 11.

"I know that the Singaporean system has gateways at various points and our system doesn't, which is a slight difference and for kids who are late bloomers, this is obviously good for them. But it is clear that our kids come in with an outstanding work ethic and they therefore work really hard," Mr Roberts said.

Beyond the Academic

But what the students do beyond getting good grades is equally important. Apart from community service, intangibles such as creativity, resilience, and having an interest in a wide variety of subjects are encouraged. As a result, SJII does not just take in academic stars but it also focuses on how a potential student can be developed to his or her fullest potential.

"Those are the sort of things we look for when we talk about our scholarship kids as well, and what we look for in children whose data shows they have got a low score academically. The child is going to add value because he or she will be very involved in extra-curricular activities. These are the types of students we will easily take into the School because they are going to come in and they are going to take full advantage of our programme, because academics is only a part of what we do, Mr Roberts added.

Locals in an International School

While 59 per cent of students in Grade 7 this year are Singaporeans, the School plans to enrol an equal number of local and international students in 2014.

"Our Elementary School has been growing over the last couple of years, and as it matures, the percentage of international students coming from there into the High School grows.

"Many Singaporean parents are choosing to send their children to international schools, whether it's SJII, Hwa Chong International School or Anglo-Chinese School (International), because their children are going to experience growing up in an environment of students coming from different backgrounds. We've done very well as a new school, " Mr Roberts concluded.
 

圣若瑟国际中学校长布雷德利·罗伯茨接受《新学》新加坡教育双语双月刊访问时说：“作为一所国际学校，我们的学生多来自富裕家庭，但我们绝对不希望学校成为‘有钱孩子的学校’。我们希望这是一所多元、开放和具包容性的学校。要落实这个理念，我们颁发很多奖学金，让来自社会不同阶层和不同家庭背景的学生进来学习。”

全球大约有1000所天主教喇撒修士会学校，广布在82个国家，但只有在新加坡的圣若瑟书院开办了国际学校。它是新加坡教育部属下三所私人集资的国际学校之一，于2007年创办。

罗伯茨解释学校积极颁发奖学金吸引不同背景学生的原因。

他说，通过奖学金计划，可以把东南亚国家和新加坡家庭经济无法进入国际学校的学生吸引进来，建立起一个多元化的教育环境，让学生的学习体验更全面，更有利于发展全面教育。

一同接受《新学》访问的圣若瑟国际学校主席乔治·范格里根修士说，圣若瑟书院是喇撒修士会属下的学校，落实喇撒修士会关怀贫弱的精神，一向是学校的办学宗旨。学生的家庭和经济背景不同，文化背景自然不同。圣若瑟国际中学让背景不同的学生聚集在一起学习，对学生的成长有正面影响。

灌输不分阶级、互敬互重价值观

范格里根修士问过圣若瑟书院校友张志贤副总理，他和同学的友谊何以能持续数十年之久，年年举办同学聚会？张志贤回答说和这些同学自小认识而且同窗多年，建立了深厚的友情。毕业后的发展虽然方向各异，但不影响彼此的友谊。范格里根真心希望圣若瑟国际中学也能通过设立奖学金制度，建立起这种人人平等如兄弟般的情谊。

他说，同学中有人做了高官、有人是德士司机，但彼此不分阶级、互敬互重的精神是校方重视的。他认为，在为学生提供学术知识教学的同时，也必须为他们灌输良好的价值观。

圣若瑟国际中学的第7至10级（新加坡中一至中四）沿用英国学制，第10级的学生参加英国剑桥大学的国际普通中学教育课程（IGCSE）考试。高中两年，即第11及12学级，采用国际文凭课程（International Baccalaureate，IB课程）制，学生毕业前考取IB国际文凭。

积极为高中部学生颁发奖学金

圣若瑟国际中学今年高中部两年325名学生，有42人获得奖学金，占13%。明年这个比例将提升至20%。高比例的奖学金人数，和一般人认为国际学校的学生都是家境好、不需要奖学金的印象显然很不同。

罗伯茨分析学校的奖学金特色说，虽然其他国际学校也颁发奖学金，但圣若瑟国际中学的名额更多，而且目标明确：高一及高二每年各175名学生中，每五人有一人（20%）获颁奖学金，即高中每年有35名学生得奖学金，这是学校明年的目标。

明年起高中部的每批35名奖学金学生，其中五人不论家庭背景，以学业成绩优异为遴选标准。其余30份保留给来自低收入家庭的学生（包括海外学生），其中20份又将只颁发给家庭年收入不超过5万元的本地学生，这是捐款人提出的要求。

罗伯茨说，校方虽然有心颁发奖学金，却未必能顺利颁发出去。过去几年的奖学金名额有无法填满的现象，所以学校不仅在学校网站列明奖学金资讯，还积极到各校宣传，推广圣若瑟国际中学的奖学金计划。近年，校方启动了一套“猎人头”机制，联络40所学校，请他们推荐一些优秀又符合条件的中四毕业生到圣若瑟国际中学攻读IB课程。

罗伯茨笑说：“我们到合作的学府去举办讲座，分发奖学金的资料让学生带回去给父母阅读。我们花不少钱来鼓励合适的学生来拿我们的钱，并希望这个做法能见效，因为来自贫寒家庭的奖学金学生，在协助学校塑造理想学习的环境扮演着关键角色。”

“我们要的是家庭贫寒却有潜质的学生，学业成绩不必最好。只要发现这样的学生，我们愿意‘投资’在他身上。反之，如果把奖学金颁发给不合适的学生，他们将无法从我们的教育中得益。”

颁发奖学金，除了考量成绩和家庭背景，校方也慎重评估学生是否适合读IB课程、能否从课程中获益。罗伯茨表示，“我们谨慎颁发每一份奖学金，尤其是外国学生，我们考虑到他们高中毕业后是否有机会申请到读大学的奖学金。否则来这里念了两年，因为无法拿到升读大学的奖学金，必须打道回府，学业从此中断，这是很遗憾的事。”范格里根也强调：“如果学生不适合读IB课程，给他奖学金反而对他不好。”

相对来说，本地学生在新加坡的教育制度框架下学习多年，有较高的升学机会，因此颁发奖学金给本地生，校方更重视他们是否能从该校的教育中获益。

来自富裕家庭的学生是否就不能领取奖学金呢？不是。以往的确有能够负担学费且学业成绩出色的学生获颁奖学金，有些父母过后把相等于奖学金金额的数目，捐赠给学校，以示感谢。

范格里根修士指出， 圣若瑟国际中学每年必须筹措最少200万元作为奖学金基金。这庞大的资金全靠社会和校友的慷慨解囊，罗伯茨对关爱圣若瑟国际中学的校友和社会人士深表感激，“学校的奖学金计划全赖支持学校的朋友踊跃捐款，才能顺利推行。希望我们可以早日设立捐款基金，这项计划才可以走得更长远。”

学生必须通过入学试和面谈

圣若瑟国际中学的学生部分从圣若瑟国际小学直升，多数则毕业自其他小学。报名学生必须测试英文、数学和一般能力，并同校长面谈。

除了入学试成绩和面谈表现，校方也考虑学生前三年的成绩。罗伯茨说： “学校必须考虑学生四年后是否可以应付IB课程的严格要求，所以我们非常谨慎。”

圣若瑟国际中学今年第7到第10级（中一至中四）的学生人数已爆满，2014年第11及12级（高中IB课程）学生也将达到每个年级175人的饱和点。罗伯茨透露，“去年我们第7级（中一）的学额只有120个，却有230人申请，其中140人是新加坡籍学生。由此可见我们深受本地学生欢迎。我们发现新加坡有越来越多家长愿意把孩子送到国际学校读书，要让孩子尽早在国际文化浓郁的环境成长，三所本地国际中学都有学额供不应求的现象。”

圣若瑟国际中学的新加坡籍学生占65%，远超过教育部规定的50%。罗伯茨说，随着圣若瑟国际小学毕业生直升上来的越来越多，他们都是外国人，因此，未来学校里面新加坡学生的比例会逐步减少至50%。目前该校的外国学生来自34个国家，他们的父母多在新加坡工作。

圣若瑟书院是天主教喇撒修士会属下的学校，范格里根表示这也是圣若瑟国际中学受到肯定和欢迎的因素之一。他说：“我们有37%的学生来自信仰天主教的家庭。”

至于受欢迎的其他原因，他认为“从学术成绩来看，去年我们的IB会考成绩平均分数是36.2，是新加坡数一数二的。作为一所新学校，这个好成绩有目共睹。同时，我们强调价值观，以学生为中心，也获得家长的认同。”

尊重每个学生，安排个别学习计划

以学生为中心是指学校尊重每名学生不同的学习步伐和能力，范格里根解释说∶“国际学校灵活的学制让我们可以照顾到有特别要求的学生。”罗伯茨补充说：“校方可以按学生的个别需求安排恰当的学习计划，调整上课的程序，前提是为了让学生有效学习。”

过去三年，学校录取新生的小六离校会考平均成绩为225分。学生的小六会考成绩只要有225分或更高，就符合入学的基本要求；倘若达不到225分，校方会进行全面评估。

罗伯茨说：“学校决定不能只挑选学业成绩好的学生。今年我们录取的学生当中，小六会考成绩分数最低为175分，我们发现这学生考我们学校的入学试表现比小六会考成绩更好。”

他欣悦地表示上届优秀毕业生中有一些小六会考成绩差强人意，大概只有180分左右，但经学校调教六年后，竟可以在IB会考考到41分的高分（45分满分）。范格里根指出“我们有不少这样的学生，这证明了只要有合适的学习环境，配合个人的学习动力、潜能和兴趣，绝对可以缔造佳绩。”

罗伯茨的看法是，“一个孩子的表现在12岁和在18岁是不一样的。因而即便在小六会考中只考取到170多分，也未必是他真正能力的表现。不少学生在中学的六年，会经历很大的改变。”

采取互动式教学并强调软技能的培训

罗伯茨说：“我们的学生必须参与团体专题作业、表达自己的想法以及学会独立研习。他们一律要参与社区服务。第7级的学生是以专题作业的方式参与社区服务，到了第9级就要每周进行社区服务直到毕业。同时，学校有62项课外活动，包括音乐、体育、戏剧、‘现代联合国’等。我们鼓励学生参加不同的活动，并且越多越好。有学生每周能参加五、六项活动。”

虽然学生IB会考的成绩出色，但范格里根强调成功的学校教育不只侧重学术，也应涵盖学生其它方面的能力，如创意、耐力、团队合作并热衷学习。他认为IB课程让学生开拓各方面的能力。

他以该校一名在IB会考考获43分的优秀生为例，这名学生热衷于课外活动和社区服务，共参与了800小时。“如果这名学生把活动时数减少到150小时，相信她的IB会考可以获得满分45分。然而，她多姿多彩的课外活动让她的学生生涯更丰富，个人成长不少。这正是我们的教育宗旨。我们不会要求学生必须达到怎样的成绩，我们更注重学生是否尽了全力，是否获得全方位发展及成长，这才是我们的办学目标。我们相信只要学习的环境好，老师好，成绩自然会好。”

致力增聘新加坡教师

由于一半的学生是本地人，校方正努力聘请本地教师，平衡外国教师和本地教师的比例，然而当中有一定的困难。

罗伯茨解释，该校的教师是按学科而不是按年级教学，每名教师都必须能教IB课程。能够符合这条件的本地教师不多，再加上国际学校的聘约为期两三年，约满后必须重订聘约，工作稳定性、薪金、花红和福利配套对本地教师的吸引力相对要低。

“教学优秀的教师大多任教于本地的顶尖学府，薪金待遇相当不错，一般都不愿转来国际学校任教。”

圣若瑟国际中学更重视教师的心态。范格里根说：“我们的老师不仅能在课室内讲课，也可以走出课室外，参与各种课外活动。我们希望老师是全方位的，他们必须真心喜爱孩子。这些是构筑一个有活力教育环境的重要因素。”

加强与其他学校合作

圣若瑟国际中学没有宿舍设备，单独来新读书的学生如外国的奖学金得主多被安排住在新加坡东海岸的校外学生宿舍，每天有巴士接送。罗伯茨表示新加坡不少名校都有宿舍设备，校方会优先探讨和这些学校合作，未来才考虑自己兴建宿舍。

圣若瑟国际中学也在寻求不同管道来同本地学校有更多交流，目前多为教师间的交流，例如，和圣若瑟书院一起的新教师培训课程，就在圣若瑟国际中学举办，本地喇撒修士会教育网络的各校教职员每两年也有聚餐会和其他活动。

至于和 “非喇撒家庭”的学校则来往比较少。罗伯茨透露，教育部不久前通知圣若瑟国际中学，该校教师也能参与教育部的部分教师培训及发展课程，因此他接下来将派教师去参与这些课程，让他们同本地教师多交流及学习。

他说：“这只是一个小小的起步，还有很大的空间待我们去开拓！”

新加坡是一个受外籍教师欢迎的国家

来自南非的罗伯茨和来自美国的范格里根都是在2012年才来新加坡。范格里根之前在喇撒修士会的教育组织服务，罗伯茨曾分别在南非、瑞士、日本和卡塔尔的国际学校服务。罗伯茨认为对外国教师而言，新加坡的教育环境和制度完善，政府部门和各环节程序、事务的运作顺畅，外国教师很容易适应这里的生活。和其他国家相比，新加坡相对而言是一个让人觉得轻松的城市。

他认为，这个城市热情友善，并且有讲英语的大环境，外籍教师一抵境就能理解身边发生的事务。”

决定移居到一个新城市之前，罗伯茨考虑的因素很多，如工作内容和城市的素质。能够领导圣若瑟国际中学这样一所好学校，以及住在新加坡这样的城市，都让他对到新加坡来工作有信心。

他在新加坡这个东南亚枢纽生活了半年后，证实了当初的决定是正确的。他发现这里除了生活素质高，治安也良好。

“更重要的是，我是一个父亲，重视孩子的教育。我的孩子能在这里求学，让我放心。”

Bradley Roberts / 布雷德利 • 罗伯茨
Mr Bradley Roberts is a South African燼nd has spent the last 20 years teaching at international schools in South Africa, Japan, Switzerland and Qatar. He joined SJI International as the High School Principal after spending five years in Qatar, where he was Head of Secondary School in a British international school.	布雷德利·罗伯茨出生于南非，在南非、日本、瑞士和卡塔尔等国的国际学校任教20余年。出任圣若瑟国际中学校长以前，他在卡塔尔的英国国际学校担任中学部校长。

Brother George Van Grieken, FSC / 乔治 • 范格里根修士

Brother George Van Grieken, FSC, is a La Salle Brother from the United States (US) and is presently serving as the Brother President of SJI International. Born and raised in Holland, his family moved to California when he was ten. He entered the Christian Brothers in 1970 and has a PhD in religious education from Boston College. He has spent his professional life in schools throughout the West Coast of the US. He taught primarily Maths and Religious Education, and was the US Director of the Vocation Ministry for six years.

乔治·范格里根是天主教喇撒修士会的修士，出生于荷兰，10岁时和家人移居美国加州。他在1970年成为修士，并在波士顿学院完成宗教学博士学位。他长期在美国西岸的天主教学校任职，教授数学和宗教教育课，有六年的时间主管美国喇撒修士会的召命事工。