Montfort Junior School to Admit Girls Starting in 2028 Montfort Junior School will turn into a co-educational institution from 2028, marking a significant shift for the all-boys Catholic school in Hougang. The change will allow female students to enroll beginning with the 2027 Primary 1 registration exercise. The announcement was made by the school’s management committee under the St Gabriel’s Foundation during a press release issued to celebrate the school’s 110th anniversary. According to the foundation, Montfort Secondary School will likewise begin accepting female students by the time the first cohort of girls from the junior school graduates, though no specific date for the secondary transition was provided in the initial announcement. Parents and alumni of both Montfort Junior and Secondary Schools were informed of the plans in March 2026 through a town hall meeting held at the school. The school leadership emphasized that the move toward co-education aims to foster diversity, emotional intelligence, communication skills, and mutual respect among students. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has been notified of the St Gabriel’s Foundation’s plans and is currently in discussions regarding implementation details. Both the ministry and the school confirmed they are engaging stakeholders on the transition but have not disclosed specific numbers for female intake or the exact timeline for Montfort Secondary School’s shift to co-education. Montfort Junior School clarified that it has no plans to admit girls into its Primary 2 to Primary 6 cohorts in 2028. Instead, the first female students will enter only at the Primary 1 level through the 2027 registration phase. Younger female siblings of current students and daughters of school alumni will receive priority consideration under Phase 1 and Phase 2A of the registration exercise, respectively. This development aligns with a broader trend in Singapore where several historically single-sex schools have transitioned to co-educational models. Institutions such as Canossa Convent Primary School have already made similar changes, reflecting evolving educational preferences among families and educators. As of the announcement date on April 25, 2026, the school confirmed it had formally informed the Ministry of Education of its intentions and is awaiting further guidance on operational aspects such as infrastructure upgrades, curriculum adjustments, and pastoral support systems needed to support the transition. Further details on enrollment numbers and the exact schedule for Montfort Secondary School’s co-educational shift are expected to be released when discussions with MOE conclude.
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