EU@YourSchool is a project of the European Union (EU) Delegation and EU Member States Embassies that is supported by the Singapore Ministry of Education. Now in its third edition, it is running from 21 March to 22 July 2022. Ambassadors of the EU member states represented in Singapore, together with senior diplomats from these missions, are visiting schools to share their insights about the EU and their country engagement with Singapore. This year’s theme is focused on green recovery, climate change, sustainability and digitalization.
France kicked off this year’s edition on 6 April 2022 with a visit to Catholic High School.
On 1 July 2022, HE Mr Marc Abensour, Ambassador of France to Singapore, visited St Joseph’s Institution (SJI).
After being welcomed by SJI Principal Mr Justin Arul Pierre and the school management team, the Ambassador met with nearly 300 students in the school hall. Matters of France’s relationship with Singapore, EU and the world, questions of climate change, digitalized government services, sustainability and innovation were discussed between the Ambassador and the students.
SJI is one of the Lasallian schools created by the Brothers of the Christian Schools (or De La Salle brothers) who were invited to Singapore to establish SJI in 1852. It was the French Reverend Father Jean-Marie Beurel who initiated the whole endeavour and offered a former chapel for the Brothers to run their school. SJI is celebrating in 2022 its 170th anniversary.
La Salle Brothers order was founded in 1680 by a French priest, St. John Baptist de La Salle. La Salle was one of the early Catholic proponents of universal education. Today there are 7,000 La Salle Brothers and 50,000 Lasallian teachers working in 83 countries around the world, teaching in Universities, Special Education Centres for the disabled and Schools.