Montfort Junior School to take in girls from 2028, secondary school to also become co-ed
March 5, 2026 at 02:00 PM
By The Straits TimesThe Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools here that have opened their doors to both genders.
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The Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools here that have opened their doors to both genders The Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools here that have opened their doors to both genders. Monitor developments in Montfort for further updates.
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The Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools here that have opened their doors to both g
The Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools here that have opened their doors to both genders.
Montfort Junior School to take in girls from 2028, secondary school to also become co-ed Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxThe Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools in Singapore that have opened their doors to both genders.PHOTO: MONTFORT SECONDARY SCHOOL/FACEBOOKGabrielle ChanSummarySummaryMontfort Junior School will admit girls from 2028; Montfort Secondary School will also become co-educational.School leadership stated co-education fosters diversity, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and mutual respect for students.Parents and alumni raised transition concerns; school assured pastoral support, pedagogy adjustments, and infrastructure upgrades would be made.AI generatedPublished Mar 05, 2026, 10:00 PMUpdated Mar 05, 2026, 10:00 PMSINGAPORE - From 2028, the all-boys Montfort Junior School (MJS) will open its doors to accept girls.The first cohort of girls will be eligible to apply during the 2027 Primary 1 registration exercise.The change was announced by school leadership during a townhall meeting with parents and alumni held at the school in Hougang on March 4. The plan is for the secondary school section - Montfort Secondary School (MSS) - to also become co-educational by 2034, or earlier. In response to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on March 5 it has been informed of St Gabrielâs Foundationâs plans for MJS, and is discussing the details of implementation. The foundation oversees six schools including the Montfort institutions. MJS, in response to queries, said it has informed MOE on its plans to turn co-ed. âWe are in discussion with MOE on the implementation details and have been engaging stakeholders on this,â it said. MOE and the school said more details will be given when ready. Both did not respond to queries on intake numbers or the reasons behind this transition. The Montfort schools join the list of single-sex schools in Singapore that have opened their doors to both genders.Canossa Convent Primary became co-ed in 2019, while the primary section of Maris Stella High School is set to admit girls from 2027. Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) also in 2023 announced it will turn co-ed when it relocates to Tengah in 2030.Both MJS and MSS are government-aided Catholic all-boys schools in Hougang. The junior school has about 150 to 280 Primary 1 places annually. MJS was established as Holy Innocentsâ English School in 1916, and renamed Montfort School in 1959. In 1961, the school opened its doors to female students in its pre-university classes, and the last batch of them graduated in 1975. In 1974, Montfort School split to become MJS and MSS, before moving to their current premises in Hougang Avenue 8. Discussions about going co-ed had started in 2019, according to Mr Dennis Ho, a member of MSS school management committee who spoke at the townhall. The St Gabrielâs Foundation had convened a committee to explore how its schools could better integrate and align with evolving educational needs, he said.Audience members asked how the school plans to help the boys with the transition, whether teaching methods will change and if teachers are prepared. Other questions they raised were about how discipline standards will be affected, how infrastructure like uniforms and toilets will change, and how the school will manage alumni concerns.In response, the school leadership said there will be stronger pastoral support and checkpoints, pedagogy adjustments and infrastructure upgrades, among other reassurances to parents and alumni. More on this topicACS Primary going co-ed: Are single-sex schools becoming a relic of the past? New NIE study to examine well-being and behaviour of girls in top secondary schools Mr Mark Tay, chairman of the Montfort Secondary school management committee, said going co-ed will better reflect diversity at the workplaces and universities.In a co-ed environment, students would develop the emotional intelligence, communication skills, and mutual respect necessary for a diverse society, he said. The change would allow students to âlearn to see beyond their own experiencesâ, he added. Mr Tay said the school is committed to discipline and high standards, even in this shift, and will ensure classrooms remained focused, respectful, and safe for all students. Parents who attended the townhall said they were not surprised by the announcement. One parent of an upper secondary boy, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he was expecting the change, given the trend of other schools becoming co-ed, and the dwindling total fertility rate.The parent said that the all-boys environment, however, was a key reason for choosing Montfort for his son. âMy expectation of an all boys school and its boy-centric education with exposure to ruggedness was something I hoped for my son to experience, as I did in my schooling years,â he said, adding that he hopes in this transition the schools keeps its history and some of its ke
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