Catholic High School, Petaling Jaya

Catholic High School, Petaling Jaya (Malay: Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Katholik; Chinese: 公教中学), commonly known as CHSPJ or SMJK Katholik, is a co-educational national-type (Chinese) secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It was founded in 1956 by Reverend Brother Philippe Wu of the Marist Brothers as a private Catholic boys' school and later became a government-aided conforming school under the national education system. The school is located on a 10-acre campus in Seksyen 10 and has grown to over 3,000 students from Form 1 through Form 6. It was designated a Cluster School of Excellence in 2011.

History

The school was established in 1956 by Philippe Wu of the Marist Brothers, who had been the second principal of Catholic High School, Singapore.^[1] Initially operating in Kuala Lumpur, it moved to its present location in Petaling Jaya in 1958. Over the decades, it expanded from a small cohort of 88 students to thousands, with new blocks and facilities added. In 1962, it became a national-type conforming school (SMJK), and in 1985 it began admitting female students. Administration transitioned from Marist Brothers to lay leadership in 1989.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Marist Brothers set up other schools across Malaya and the North Borneo States (now Malaysia), including in Bentong (1957),^[2] Melaka (1958), Sibu (1960),^[3] and Tanjung Malim (1960). The schools in Singapore, Petaling Jaya, Melaka, and Sibu continue to share the same school anthem, with only the opening phrase adapted to reflect their respective locations, namely ‘公教中学 屹立星洲’ (Singapore), ‘公教中学 屹立雪州’ (Petaling Jaya),^[4] ‘公教中学 屹立甲州’ (Melaka), and ‘公教中学 屹立砂州’ (Sibu).

Campus and Facilities

The school is on a 10-acre site in Section 10, Petaling Jaya. It has academic blocks, science and computer labs, a library, a multi-purpose hall named after its founder, and a sports centre opened in 2005. The campus includes a sports field, smart 5G and Artificial intelligence classrooms and squash courts. It is within walking distance of the Taman Jaya LRT station and the historical Taman Jaya urban park.

Academics

Catholic High School follows the Malaysian national curriculum while emphasising trilingual education in Malay, English, and Chinese. It offers secondary education from Form 1 to Form 5 and Form 6 (STPM) in both Science and Arts streams. The school has consistently performed well in national exams. In the 2022 SPM examination, it achieved a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.03, the best result in the Petaling district, according to Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying.^[5] Catholic High School was awarded Cluster School of Excellence status in 2011.

Transportation

• Taman Jaya LRT station
• Jalan Gasing Bus Stop

Academics

The school achieved 2.03 of average grade in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia 2022, which performed the best in the district educational office as said by Lim Hui Ying.^[6]

Extracurricular activities

Sports

The school team Calyx All-Girls finished second in the All-Girls category in Cheer 2015,^[7] and they won top prize in Cheer 2018.^[8]

Music

The school band won the 2005 National Level High School Brass Band Competition held in Penang.^[9]

Notable former pupils

• William Cheng, businessman
• Fong Kui Lun, politician
• Victor Gu, newscaster and presenter
• Michelle Ng, politician
• Xandria Ooi, journalist and presenter
• Koe Yeet, actress
• Edmund Yeo, film director
• Yeoh Li Tian, chess player