VICTORIA Junior College (VJC) may start accepting students from Secondary 1, to take them through a seamless six-year programme to the A-level examinations.

It now enrols students from Secondary 3 for a four-year programme.

Such a change could help the co-ed junior college attract top pupils from primary schools as it could then give them continuity through to the A levels, said VJC principal Chan Poh Meng.

The idea comes two years after failed talks with Victoria School (VS), the all-boys' secondary school affiliated with the junior college, to admit girls.

A proposal was floated then that VS become co-ed so that it could feed students into the junior college's four-year programme.

It caused an uproar among the school's old boys, who felt that it would dilute the Victorian all-male tradition and esprit de corps.

The plan was called off.

Two months ago, the principals of the two schools met up with alumni to discuss some adjustments to the original idea.

One was that the school and the junior college could merge into one institution offering a six-year programme, but VS would not need to admit girls, said Mr Chan.

Another idea was that the junior college would start its own co-ed programme from Secondary 1. Both institutions would function separately, though the affiliation would continue.

Mr Chan said both ideas are still under discussion but that whatever decision is made, the two schools 'will still be under the Victorian family and that will not change'.

The two share the same board of management.

'In any decision we make, we also consider how it will affect VS,' said Mr Chan.

'Even if we take in Sec 1s, VS will still be our brother school. We will just have to see how to distinguish our Sec 1 curriculum from theirs.'

An alumnus of both institutions, Mr Chan Joo Peng, 29, spoke for many old boys when he said that admitting girls would mean losing the school's precious tradition. He was against the idea.

He suggested: 'VJC should merge with VS so that there will be more sharing of resources but with VS still remaining an all-boys' school.

'VJC can have a co-ed Sec1 intake, but on its own campus so VS will continue operating in an all-boys' environment while enjoying the benefit of the integrated programme.'