Most of us know Orchard Road for its shiny malls, atas boutiques, and the occasional “just looking only” shopping trip. But tucked away behind the retail buzz is a quieter piece of Singapore’s education history: the former Teachers’ Training College campus at 25 Paterson Road.
Once a place where generations of educators were trained before going on to shape young minds across the island, the site now sits as a lesser-known reminder of Singapore’s school days before air-conditioned classrooms and e-learning were a thing. While the Paterson area may be redeveloped in future, this forgotten campus still offers a glimpse into a very different side of Orchard.
An annual graduation ceremony at the Teachers’ Training College campus.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
If you’re wondering what exactly the Teachers’ Training College campus is, here’s the lore. Long before the National Institute of Education (NIE) became the place where Singapore’s teachers earned their stripes, there was the Teachers’ Training College.
Established on 1st March 1950, the college was Singapore’s 1st permanent, full-time teacher-training institution. Its main purpose was to train English-medium primary school teachers, at a time when school enrolment was rising quickly after World War II.
Image credit: National Archives of Singapore
The college was originally located at Cairnhill Road, but as Singapore’s student population grew, the campus soon became overcrowded. A new campus was then built at Paterson Road, opening in 1955 to accommodate the growing demand for trained teachers.
By the late 1950s, the college had expanded its programmes beyond English-medium education to include Chinese, Malay, and Tamil streams too. In that sense, the former campus at 25 Paterson Road was more than just an old school building. It was an important predecessor to today’s NIE, and a place that helped shape generations of educators across Singapore.
Image credit: Roots
Architecture-wise, the Paterson Road campus was designed with function in mind. It’s not so much of an Instagrammable heritage spot, but more of a practical post-war school compound.
Its long classroom blocks, double-pitched roofs, central staircases, and natural ventilation reflected the architecture of the period, back when ceiling fans were the norm before air-con entered the chat. The new campus also came with facilities such as a library, gymnasium, playing field, laboratories, arts and crafts building, student hostels, and demonstration primary schools.
Together, these additions showed just how quickly Singapore’s education system was expanding in the 1950s, as the country raced to train more teachers for a growing student population.
Image credit: Roots
The Teachers’ Training College held its final convocation in 1972, before the Institute of Education (IE) took over the following year. The IE would remain at the Paterson Road campus until 1981, continuing the site’s role in shaping Singapore’s teaching scene.
Even after that, the campus didn’t exactly retire to go shake leg. Over the years, it housed several other institutions, including Raffles Junior College, MRT Corporation training facilities, Overseas Family School, American College, and ISS International School.
These days, the former campus sits quietly among Orchard’s luxury condos and shiny malls. Parts of the old campus still stand today, though many Singaporeans probably pass by without realising its significance. After all, when you’re walking along Orchard Road, you’re usually looking out for Zara sales, not former teacher-training institutions.
Orchard Road, Singapore.
Still, 25 Paterson Road remains a lesser-known landmark from Singapore’s education history. And with the Paterson area identified for a major refresh, the site’s next chapter may not be too far away.
Under URA’s Draft Master Plan announced in June 2025, the wider Paterson area is set to become a more residential, mixed-use neighbourhood just outside Orchard Road. Plans include around 1,000 new private homes, retail, and office spaces above Orchard MRT Station, as well as roads linking Orchard Boulevard, Grange Road, and Paterson Road by the end of 2030.
The new layout will also bring more shops, eateries, public spaces, pedestrian crossings, and a new bus stop to the area. When done, this corner of Orchard will feel more like an actual neighbourhood – instead of just a place you pass through on the way to ION.
We’re wondering if the old campus will eventually be repurposed into a mixed-use project too, much like how New Bahru gave the former old Nan Chiau High School a new era.
While 25 Paterson Road may not be the flashiest landmark in Orchard, its story is worth remembering. Before the area became better known for malls and million-dollar condos, this was where generations of teachers – and later, students from other schools – passed through its halls. Whatever comes next for the site, it remains a quiet reminder of how far Singapore’s education journey has come.
More articles on Singapore’s heritage:
Cover image adapted from: National Archives of Singapore, Roots
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