Raffles Institution
Encyclopedia
Raffles Institution founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore
providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section (known as "Raffles Institution (Year 1-4)"), and a coeducational pre-university section (known as "Raffles Institution (Year 5-6)"). Its current campus is in Bishan
.
The school offers the six-year Integrated Programme, which allows students to bypass GCE O-Levels and go straight to the GCE A-Levels
. Known as the Raffles Programme
, it is offered in collaboration with its sister school, Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
.
RI was among the first schools to receive the Ministry of Education's School Excellence Award, which recognises "excellence in both education processes and outcomes". It is a member of various academic partnerships and alliances, such as the G20 Schools
and the Global Alliance of Leading-Edge Schools.
RI was awarded the Singapore Quality Award in 2011. It was the third secondary school to win the SQA after Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Hwa Chong Institution.
Raffles Institution was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles on 5 June 1823. He had secured a grant from the British East India Company
, drafted the curriculum and set up the structure for the board of trustees in order to provide education for the sons of the Company's servants and the children of local leaders in the new British colony of Singapore. The original campus of Raffles Institution was on Bras Basah Road
, where Raffles City Shopping Centre
now stands. The Bras Basah campus's library building is featured on the $2 paper and polymer bill in the Singapore legal tender.
The school moved in March 1972 to Grange Road
. In 1982, due to government pressure, RI had its pre-university section transferred to form Raffles Junior College (RJC). In 1984, it became one of two schools selected by the MOE to pilot the Gifted Education Programme
to cater to intellectually gifted students. In 1990, the school became independent and moved to its present campus at Bishan
.
In 2004, the Raffles Programme
was started and offered to Secondary 1 to 3 students. This programme allows students enter into RJC without having to sit for the GCE O-Levels, giving them more time to engage in enrichment activities. In 2009, RI and RJC were re-integrated together as a single school to facilitate the running of the Raffles Programme.
RI's alumni body, the Old Rafflesians Association (ORA), includes former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
, and three former presidents of Singapore: Yusof bin Ishak
, Benjamin Henry Sheares
, and Wee Kim Wee
.
Lee Kuan Yew wrote about his time at RI in the 1930s in The Singapore Story and this section of the book is available on line.
The history of Raffles Institution (1823–2003) is documented in the book The Eagle Breeds a Gryphon, written by a former headmaster, Eugene Wijeysingha. The original edition documents the school's history till 1985, while the latest includes events up to 2003. While the original edition was titled A History of Raffles Institution, its current title caught on from the second edition onwards.
Year 1 students are sorted into houses by class. The results from interhouse sports and academic competitions are summed up in a yearly points system. In the early years of RI's history, there were ten houses, including a sixth Philips house (purple), later disbanded. House allocations used to be student-based, instead of class-based.
The Raffles Institution Prefectorial Board (RIPB) is split into five departments: Welfare, Communications, Human Resource, Discipline and the Gryphon's Committee. Prefects are first nominated by students and seconded by teachers and prefects. The RIPB will then shortlist a number of candidates for interview. A selection camp may also be conducted. Subsequently, potential prefects will be voted in by the school population. In addition to helping maintain order in the school, the Board organizes activities ranging from interest groups to formal occasions. In 2005 the Board raised S$40,000 to buy a van for use by the handicapped at a voluntary welfare organisation, as well as co-organising a Guinness-record-breaking attempt with Dr. William Tan, in aid of a cancer foundation.
The CEC Council is made up of representatives from the CEC from each level. These representatives are nominated and voted by all the CEC members in their respective level. It works closely with RIPB to organize events. It also organises inter-class events, such as the inter-class classroom decoration competition and the inter-class soccer tournament.
. After the camp, these students are recognised as seniors of the secondary section.
and white socks. After the Outward Bound School
camp at the start of Year 3, students may continue in short pants or opt for white long trousers.
School ties are worn on Mondays and for functions and ceremonies. Teachers have a formal gown for special occasions.
The school still maintains strong discipline with a strict set of rules and regulations. Disciplinary measures are based on a demerit points system. All students are liable to receive corporal punishment in the form of caning if necessary — occasionally publicly (i.e. in presence of the other students) in serious cases.
With effect from 2011, a new discipline system would be implemented where the demerit point system would play a less important role. The existing Raffles Online Warning System which is already in place in the Year 5-6 section would be used instead.
, Geography
, Mathematics
, Biology
, Chemistry
, Physics
, Literature
. RA has also offered Music
starting in 2010.
At Secondary 2, students can apply for RA via a submission of portfolio of achievements, selection tests and interviews, before they are identified for RA. Minimum requirements for application include a minimum GPA of 3.60, and an 85th percentile
rank in the cohort for the subject in question. Each student is allowed to take a maximum of two RA subjects, to allow students to focus their time and effort on subjects they are truly passionate about.
The Raffles Academy has also been initiated in the Junior College section in 2009 so that there is a continuation of the curriculum. However, students who wish to continue taking RA for subjects in RI(JC) will have to sit for a separate placement test at the end of Secondary Four.
The RLP consists of two intakes of Year 3 students. Students in the first intake would undergo the RLP in either Term 2 or Term 3 in the same year, whereas students in the second intake would undergo RLP in Term 1 the following year. Boarding fees are subsidised by the school.
Under the RLP is another initiative called the Student Leader Camp, or SL Camp. This takes place at the end of each school year to prepare the student leaders of the following year. Participants board in the school's boarding complex and take part in several team-bonding and leadership-oriented activities both locally and overseas.
(CCA) programme, with about fifty CCAs, consisting of sports groups, uniformed groups, musical groups, clubs and societies.
CCAs are categorised as either core or merit CCAs. Core CCAs comprise all sports, uniformed groups and musical groups, as well as the Debates group while merit CCAs consist of all other clubs and societies. Every student of the school takes up at least one core CCA. Merit CCAs are optional, but students are encouraged to take up at least one merit CCA to supplement their core CCA. Certain merit CCAs, such as the Infocomm Club, however, may substitute for a core CCA instead.
The school's sports teams and uniformed groups have earned top places in many national inter-school competitions, doing well in Red Cross Youth
, Rugby
, NCC
, Floorball
, Boys' Brigade
, and cross-country
among others.
The performing arts groups have also done well in the Singapore Youth Festival
Central Judging, held once every two years, while the clubs and societies have also won awards.
RI has not offered football for many years, and there has recently been some criticism that the school has not re-introduced it now that more facilities are available. The official reason now given by the school is that boys will often be able to be exposed to soccer outside school, and would not be exposed to anything new in school. The school also said that if such a CCA were to be created, resources such as teacher allocations would have to be diverted away for it.
.
The 01 Raffles Scout Group was founded in 1934. It was formerly known as the 32nd Raffles/2101 Raffles Scout Troop. Since its founding, the group has produced senior civil servants, businessmen, and active Scouters who continue to serve the Singapore Scout Association. Its alumni include Lee Kuan Yew
, Zainul Abidin, Koo Tsai Kee, Rohan bin Kamis, Khoo Teng Chye and Dennis Foo. The group celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a campfire
at Sarimbun Scout Camp in 2009.
The 02 Raffles Scout Group was founded in 1922. Then called the Second Singapore Scout Troop, 02 became the oldest surviving Scout troop of The Singapore Scout Association
after the First Singapore Scout Troop disbanded. The current membership stands at 84. The Group's alumni include Goh Chok Tong
, Tommy Koh
, Professor Lim Pin
, and Dr Tan Cheng Bok.
, widely regarded as the pinnacle of international debating, and have ranked among the top 10 individual speakers. The club's former members include luminaries like Mr Goh Chok Tong
and Professor Tommy Koh
.
Apart from its competition achievements, the club is highly involved in serving the local debate community. In 2004, it launched the first-ever primary school debate tournament in Singapore - a competition it continues to convene till this day. It also organizes Debating 101, a workshop for beginner debaters, and a pro bono coaching service, in which its members are deployed to primary schools to coach younger children in debating.
In 2010, RI launched the Raffles Debate Academy, an initiative aimed at making Raffles the premier debate consultant in the region.
The club is governed by a 5-member executive committee and their teacher-in-charge. Every year, the club receives hundreds of applications for membership, and admission is based on a rigorous series of auditions.
The Raffles Institution campus consists of six main blocks on 12 hectares of land. Facilities include:
The main building is the Yusof Ishak Block, comprising the Y1-4 administrative office, three staff rooms, HOD rooms, lecture theatres and study areas, as well the Main Atrium. It houses the ORA (Old Rafflesians' Association) Office and Heritage Centre.
The Yusof Ishak Block is linked to the Marshall Block, Science Block, Sheares Block, CCA Block (comprising the Hall, Auditorium, Canteen and CCA Hub) and a bus stop. Major upgrading works were completed in early 2007.
The Science Hub was officially opened in October 2008.
The 4-storey Sheares Block was built in 1997 and was formerly known as the Junior Block. It houses
A retractable sun roof covers the block's atrium known as the Sheares Block atrium, which is used commonly for meetings and uniformed group trainings. The block originally houses the Secondary 1 classrooms but was changed to Secondary 2 classrooms due to student issues.
keyboard laboratory, a Macintosh Lab, a drawing studio and a ceramics studio. It also houses the Aesthetics Department staffroom. The gym
nasium, comprising training areas for gymnastics
, table-tennis and judo
, occupies the second floor, while lock-ups for the Uniformed Groups and the Guitar Ensemble are located on third level. The roof of the ArtSpace houses the school's mini-weather station.
There is a small side building now used by the Scouts, with the 01 Raffles Scout Troop taking the lower level and the 02 Raffles Scout Troop the upper level.
The school's Olympic-sized swimming pool is located behind the ArtSpace.
The Design Centre was renamed "ArtSpace" and officially opened on 11 April 2008, during annual International Friendship Day celebrations.
The 7-storey Rajaratnam Block was completed in 2006 beside the Sheares Block. Secondary 3 and 4 classes occupy the new block, named in memory of the late Mr S. Rajaratnam. It is connected to the Year 5-6 Campus and the Sheares Block at opposite ends, providing a seamless link between the Year 1-4 and Year 5-6 sections.
The first floor is used by uniformed groups for training. Students from Year 1-6 use tables at the foyer for self-study and meetings, sometimes till late.
The second to seventh floor houses 40 classrooms used by Year 3 and 4 classes, as well as a Tamil Room. CCA training is often held in these classrooms as well.
and Sir Song Ong Siang
, it was named after Raffles Institution's longest-serving principal, Richmond William Hullett, in 1923. The Library's official founding (even though a library and museum, from which the National Museum originated, had existed for deades prior to 1923) also marked the centenary of the founding of the Institution. The Library traces its roots to the founding of the Institution, making it the oldest library in Singapore. In fact, the origins of Singapore's National Library
lie in the HML.
The library possesses around 50,000 books in four different languages, English
, Chinese
, Malay
and Tamil
(excluding a few books on French
, German
, and other languages), and around 40 computers with wireless
internet access. It employs full-time staff for administrative purposes, and other tasks are performed by the members of the Hullett Memorial Library Club as well as parent volunteers. The HML was designed with the era of Sir Stamford Raffles in mind, so the furniture in the library is custom-made in the Regency
style of that time.
The former 400-metre track and field was replaced by a rugby union
field and a softball
diamond during the school's upgrading works in 2006. The last major event held on the track was a Guinness World Record attempt by Dr William Tan, a wheelchair-using old Rafflesian who embarked on a 24-hour ultramarathon on 30 and 31 July 2005, and beat the old record of 181.2 km with his 242.8 km.
Raffles Institution has a gymnasium on the 2nd level of the ArtSpace housing the judo
dojo, table tennis
training area, a gymnastics training area and a rock wall
. The gymnasium has undergone renovation in 2010, and was used as a training venue for gymnastics in 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, together with that in the Year 5-6 campus. Behind the ArtSpace is the Hong Leong Swimming Complex, an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The school also has two tennis
courts, two basketball
courts, and two squash
courts, and is one of the few schools in Singapore to have two cricket
nets.
There is an artificial turf known as the Astroturf
. It previously served as the Parade Square and was a bare concrete surface until the artificial turf was installed around 1995. It was used for school assembly in the morning, and later in the day for hockey
training and for individual sports and games, until upgrading works in 2006. Since upgrading works in 2006 were completed, morning assemblies are held at a new area called the Raffles Square, which previously was a carpark. The Astroturf is used by students to play soccer and during school-organized Soccer Leagues. The Astroturf underwent renovation in February 2008 and was reopened on 17 May 2008, during the school's annual Open House.
Following the re-integration with Raffles Junior College from 2009, more sports facilities are available. Floorball, table tennis, judo and gymnastics are RI sports now benefiting from being able to use the Year 5-6 Campus facilities.
Raffles Institution has a Boarding Complex consisting of five blocks. These are named after the five Houses; Bayley, Buckley, Hullett, Moor and Morrison. Each block, apart from the new Hullett block, can accommodate 90 pupils. All blocks have their own staff, and the Boarding Complex is overseen by several Boarding Masters.
The foundation stone of the Boarding Complex was laid by Senior Minister
Lee Kuan Yew
on 25 March 1994. The first batch of boarders moved into the Complex in 1995.
During the upgrading works in 2006, the former Moor block was demolished to make way for a 13-storey twin tower hostel, the Hullett block, completed in July 2007. The former Hullett block was renamed Moor and, together with Bayley, caters to girls.
Boarders consist of local Raffles Institution pupils and scholars from other countries (mostly China and ASEAN countries), as well as pupils from other secondary school
s and junior college
s. The Raffles Leadership Programme's first two cycles, in 2008 and 2009, which first phase was mandatory for CCA leaders, included a semester long (Term 3-4) residential component. The remaining two phases, open to applicants though their CCAs, each had a one term long boarding component. Since its third cycle in 2010, all three phases have been open to all ineterested Year 3 students, and had a one term long boarding component.
Boarding traditions include formal dinners that are held twice a year, as well as an orientation programme for newcomers. Other programmes include the annual RIB Night.
The boarding complex is currently undergoing renovation and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2012. There will also be a new facade that blends in with the contemporary looks of Hullett block with new windows and new exterior coat of paint. The tiles along the common areas like the staircase and corridors will also be changed to new ones. There will also be new lifts installed at every block. The current games rooms in the 4 blocks will be shifted into the current reception lobby and in its place, the Buckley block will have a new minimart cum alfresco cafe, Bayley a new gym cum dance studio (only for RIB boarders), Morrison and Moor will have new offices for ORA/RPA and the Internationalisation Office. All rooms would also be fully air-conditioned too.
, one Internet Lab for the study of LAN
connections, and one X-lab, short for Experimental Lab for research in computer studies. Connectivity is supplied to all buildings by the campus LAN
, with additional wireless access
covering most areas such as the Administrative Block, the Hullett Memorial Library (HML) and the S. Rajaratnam Block. Tablet PCs are supplied by the IT department to facilitate the use of eLearning in a classroom setting.
Previously, the first week of the second term of the academic year had been dedicated to eLearning. During this week, lessons and materials would be disseminated online for students to study at their own pace, and students were not required to attend school. The programme was initiated in 1999 but scrapped in 2006. Since then, e-learning has been integrated into the school calendar. It is often used by teachers during holidays during term time, for instance on Staff Training Days during term time when students are not required to attend lessons; instead, teachers attend courses held in the campus.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section (known as "Raffles Institution (Year 1-4)"), and a coeducational pre-university section (known as "Raffles Institution (Year 5-6)"). Its current campus is in Bishan
Bishan
Bishan is a neighbourhood of the city-state of Singapore situated in the Central Region, measuring approximately three by three kilometres. Primarily a housing estate, Flats here are generally more expensive compared to other estates due to its location in the central region, which commands a...
.
The school offers the six-year Integrated Programme, which allows students to bypass GCE O-Levels and go straight to the GCE A-Levels
Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level
The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Examination is an annual examination conducted in Singapore. It is conducted jointly by the Singapore Ministry of Education , University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board...
. Known as the Raffles Programme
Raffles programme
The Raffles Programme is a six-year Integrated Programme in Singapore that starts in Raffles Institution or Raffles Girls' School and culminates in Raffles Institution and the GCE "A" Level Examinations...
, it is offered in collaboration with its sister school, Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)
Raffles Girls' School is an independent girls' secondary school in Singapore. RGS was recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2006 by being awarded the School Excellence Award , among other awards...
.
RI was among the first schools to receive the Ministry of Education's School Excellence Award, which recognises "excellence in both education processes and outcomes". It is a member of various academic partnerships and alliances, such as the G20 Schools
G20 Schools
All the schools claim to have a commitment to excellence and innovation of some sort. The G20 Schools have an annual conference which aims to bring together a group of school Heads who want to look beyond the parochial concerns of their own schools and national associations, and to talk through...
and the Global Alliance of Leading-Edge Schools.
RI was awarded the Singapore Quality Award in 2011. It was the third secondary school to win the SQA after Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Hwa Chong Institution.
History
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, drafted the curriculum and set up the structure for the board of trustees in order to provide education for the sons of the Company's servants and the children of local leaders in the new British colony of Singapore. The original campus of Raffles Institution was on Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road
Bras Basah Road is a one-way road in Singapore in the planning areas of Museum and Downtown Core. The road starts at the junction of Orchard Road and Handy Road, at the ERP gantry towards the Central Business District, and ends at the junction of Nicoll Highway and Raffles Boulevard which then...
, where Raffles City Shopping Centre
Raffles City
Raffles City is a large complex located in the Civic District within the Downtown Core of the city-state of Singapore. Occupying an entire city block bounded by Stamford Road, Beach Road, Bras Basah Road and North Bridge Road, it houses two hotels and an office tower over a podium which contains a...
now stands. The Bras Basah campus's library building is featured on the $2 paper and polymer bill in the Singapore legal tender.
The school moved in March 1972 to Grange Road
Grange Road
Grange Road may be:* Grange Road, Cambridge, England* Grange Road railway station, a former railway station in Tunbridge Wells, England* Grange Road, Adelaide, Australia* Grange Road, Singapore, Singapore- See also :* La Grange Road, Chicago, USA...
. In 1982, due to government pressure, RI had its pre-university section transferred to form Raffles Junior College (RJC). In 1984, it became one of two schools selected by the MOE to pilot the Gifted Education Programme
Gifted Education Programme (Singapore)
The Gifted Education Programme is a Singaporean academic programme designed for the top 1% of pupils, identified in two rounds of tests at the end of Primary 3.-History:...
to cater to intellectually gifted students. In 1990, the school became independent and moved to its present campus at Bishan
Bishan
Bishan is a neighbourhood of the city-state of Singapore situated in the Central Region, measuring approximately three by three kilometres. Primarily a housing estate, Flats here are generally more expensive compared to other estates due to its location in the central region, which commands a...
.
In 2004, the Raffles Programme
Raffles programme
The Raffles Programme is a six-year Integrated Programme in Singapore that starts in Raffles Institution or Raffles Girls' School and culminates in Raffles Institution and the GCE "A" Level Examinations...
was started and offered to Secondary 1 to 3 students. This programme allows students enter into RJC without having to sit for the GCE O-Levels, giving them more time to engage in enrichment activities. In 2009, RI and RJC were re-integrated together as a single school to facilitate the running of the Raffles Programme.
RI's alumni body, the Old Rafflesians Association (ORA), includes former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
, and three former presidents of Singapore: Yusof bin Ishak
Yusof bin Ishak
Yusof bin Ishak was an eminent Singaporean politician and the first President of Singapore of Minangkabau descent. His portrait appears on the Singapore Portrait Series currency notes introduced in 1999.-Early life:...
, Benjamin Henry Sheares
Benjamin Henry Sheares
Benjamin Henry Sheares, GCB , was the second President of Singapore.-Early life:Sheares was born the second of six children in Singapore to a Eurasian family with an English lineage. His father Edwin H. Sheares, a technical supervisor of the Public Works Department, was born in England and raised...
, and Wee Kim Wee
Wee Kim Wee
Wee Kim Wee GCB was the fourth President of Singapore from 2 September 1985 to 1 September 1993.-Early life:Born into a humble family, Wee Kim Wee was the son of a clerk, Wee Choong Lay and his wife Chua Lay Hua. His father died when he was eight...
.
Lee Kuan Yew wrote about his time at RI in the 1930s in The Singapore Story and this section of the book is available on line.
The history of Raffles Institution (1823–2003) is documented in the book The Eagle Breeds a Gryphon, written by a former headmaster, Eugene Wijeysingha. The original edition documents the school's history till 1985, while the latest includes events up to 2003. While the original edition was titled A History of Raffles Institution, its current title caught on from the second edition onwards.
Houses
The five houses, three of them named after former headmasters, are Bayley, Buckley, Hullett, Moor and Morrison, represented by the colours yellow, green, black, red and blue respectively.- J.H. Moor was the first Headmaster of the school
- R.W. HullettRichmond William HullettRichmond William Hullett was an English 19th Century gentleman more often associated with Singapore than Hong Kong. He was a headmaster, explorer and plant collector. This shy and modest man left a legacy which stretched far beyond the shores of Singapore...
was the Raffles Institution's longest-serving principal. - J.B. Bayley was a Headmaster who "raised Raffles Institution to a large and flourishing establishment", as recorded by the Board of Trustees.
- Reverend Robert Morrison was the co-founder of Raffles Institution.
- C.B. Buckley was the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of Raffles Institution.
Year 1 students are sorted into houses by class. The results from interhouse sports and academic competitions are summed up in a yearly points system. In the early years of RI's history, there were ten houses, including a sixth Philips house (purple), later disbanded. House allocations used to be student-based, instead of class-based.
Prefectorial Board
Class Executive Committee
Every class in Raffles Institution has its own Class Executive Committee (CEC). This consists of three students: Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Treasurer. Often, students vote for classmates to take up these positions, but some Form Teachers may choose to select students themselves.The CEC Council is made up of representatives from the CEC from each level. These representatives are nominated and voted by all the CEC members in their respective level. It works closely with RIPB to organize events. It also organises inter-class events, such as the inter-class classroom decoration competition and the inter-class soccer tournament.
Year 1: Orientation Camp
The new intake of Year 1 students go through a 3-day orientation camp, involving understanding the school's culture and knowing the campus grounds, and various activities to facilitate class bonding, leadership development, etc. Year 4 Peer Support Leaders (PSLs) guide them through this camp and the rest of the orientation period. At the end of the camp, the Year 1s receive their school badges in the Junior Rafflesian Investiture Ceremony (JRIC).Year 2: Malaysian Montage
Year 2 students undergo a community experience trip to Malaysia, with the aim of bonding the batch and allowing students to experience farm life, community service and the wider world. This trip was originally held during the June break but would be rescheduled to the first week of school from 2012.Year 3: Outward Bound Singapore Camp
At the beginning of the year, all Year 3 students undergo a five-day Outward Bound course in Pulau UbinPulau Ubin
Pulau Ubin is a small island situated in the north east of Singapore, to the west of Pulau Tekong. Granite quarrying supported a few thousand settlers on Pulau Ubin in the 1960s, but only about a hundred villagers live there today...
. After the camp, these students are recognised as seniors of the secondary section.
Uniform
The Raffles uniform is all-white, including a white short-sleeved shirt with badge. Lower secondary students wear white short trousersShorts
Shorts are a bifurcated garment worn by both men and women over their pelvic area, circling the waist, and covering the upper part of the legs, sometimes extending down to or even below the knee, but not covering the entire length of the leg. They are called "shorts" because they are a shortened...
and white socks. After the Outward Bound School
Outward Bound Singapore
Outward Bound Singapore is part of the network of Outward Bound centres worldwide. While Outward Bound is well-established in many other countries, the Outward Bound centre in Singapore has the distinction of having an 'Excellent' rating for expertise, facilities and safety...
camp at the start of Year 3, students may continue in short pants or opt for white long trousers.
School ties are worn on Mondays and for functions and ceremonies. Teachers have a formal gown for special occasions.
Discipline
In former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew's book The Singapore Story, he mentions being caned for chronic lateness in the 1930s by the then headmaster, D.W. McLeod. In 1956, a former RI prefect wrote that, during his time there, "boys were caned on their bottoms for even winking at the girls. We did have very good discipline in our time and the boys became good citizens, lawyers, doctors, etc."The school still maintains strong discipline with a strict set of rules and regulations. Disciplinary measures are based on a demerit points system. All students are liable to receive corporal punishment in the form of caning if necessary — occasionally publicly (i.e. in presence of the other students) in serious cases.
With effect from 2011, a new discipline system would be implemented where the demerit point system would play a less important role. The existing Raffles Online Warning System which is already in place in the Year 5-6 section would be used instead.
Raffles Academy
The Raffles Academy (RA), implemented in 2007, is a programme for students with higher capabilities in specific subjects. RA offers a curriculum pitched at a deeper level. During the academic periods, RA students leave their normal classes to join a special pull-out class. Furthermore, compulsory extra classes are held. The subjects available are HistoryHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, Physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
, Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. RA has also offered Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
starting in 2010.
At Secondary 2, students can apply for RA via a submission of portfolio of achievements, selection tests and interviews, before they are identified for RA. Minimum requirements for application include a minimum GPA of 3.60, and an 85th percentile
Percentile
In statistics, a percentile is the value of a variable below which a certain percent of observations fall. For example, the 20th percentile is the value below which 20 percent of the observations may be found...
rank in the cohort for the subject in question. Each student is allowed to take a maximum of two RA subjects, to allow students to focus their time and effort on subjects they are truly passionate about.
The Raffles Academy has also been initiated in the Junior College section in 2009 so that there is a continuation of the curriculum. However, students who wish to continue taking RA for subjects in RI(JC) will have to sit for a separate placement test at the end of Secondary Four.
Raffles Leadership Programme
The Raffles Leadership Programme (RLP) is an initiative of the Leadership Development Department, aimed at preparing Rafflesians to take on positions of leadership in school and in life. The RLP is a one-term residential programme. Year 3 and 4 students undergo leadership training and external courses.The RLP consists of two intakes of Year 3 students. Students in the first intake would undergo the RLP in either Term 2 or Term 3 in the same year, whereas students in the second intake would undergo RLP in Term 1 the following year. Boarding fees are subsidised by the school.
Under the RLP is another initiative called the Student Leader Camp, or SL Camp. This takes place at the end of each school year to prepare the student leaders of the following year. Participants board in the school's boarding complex and take part in several team-bonding and leadership-oriented activities both locally and overseas.
Co-curricular activities
Raffles Institution has a Co-curricular activityCo-curricular activity
Co-curricular activities , previously known as Extracurricular Activities are non-academic activities that all Singaporean students must participate in...
(CCA) programme, with about fifty CCAs, consisting of sports groups, uniformed groups, musical groups, clubs and societies.
CCAs are categorised as either core or merit CCAs. Core CCAs comprise all sports, uniformed groups and musical groups, as well as the Debates group while merit CCAs consist of all other clubs and societies. Every student of the school takes up at least one core CCA. Merit CCAs are optional, but students are encouraged to take up at least one merit CCA to supplement their core CCA. Certain merit CCAs, such as the Infocomm Club, however, may substitute for a core CCA instead.
The school's sports teams and uniformed groups have earned top places in many national inter-school competitions, doing well in Red Cross Youth
Red Cross Youth
The Red Cross Youth is a youth organisation for adolescents and young members interested in the organization.-Singapore:In Singapore, Red Cross Youth is one of the Uniformed Groups for Primary School and Secondary School students. With a membership of 231 Teacher Officers, 1231 Links in 45 Primary...
, Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, NCC
National Cadet Corps (Singapore)
The National Cadet Corps is a youth organisation in Singapore. As of December 2010, it had a total strength of 19877 members. This consists of 823 Officers, 726 Cadet Officers and 17157 cadets, amongst others.The NCC is represented in 144 Secondary Schools and there are a total 176 School...
, Floorball
Floorball
Floorball, a type of floor hockey, is an indoor team sport which was developed in the 1970s in Sweden. Floorball is most popular in areas where the sport has developed the longest, such as the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. The game is played...
, Boys' Brigade
Boys' Brigade
For the 80s New Wave band from Canada, see Boys Brigade .The Boys' Brigade is an interdenominational Christian youth organisation, conceived by William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun activities with Christian values...
, and cross-country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
among others.
The performing arts groups have also done well in the Singapore Youth Festival
Singapore Youth Festival
The Singapore Youth Festival is an annual event in Singapore organised by the Ministry of Education to celebrate the achievements of youths in co-curricular activities...
Central Judging, held once every two years, while the clubs and societies have also won awards.
RI has not offered football for many years, and there has recently been some criticism that the school has not re-introduced it now that more facilities are available. The official reason now given by the school is that boys will often be able to be exposed to soccer outside school, and would not be exposed to anything new in school. The school also said that if such a CCA were to be created, resources such as teacher allocations would have to be diverted away for it.
Scout Groups
Raffles Institution was the first school in Singapore to establish a Scout troopScout troop
The Scout troop is a unit of Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts that usually meet weekly. Girl Guides often use Unit or Company instead. The troop is the fundamental unit, which a Scout joins and via which he or she participates in Scouting activities, such as camping, backpacking, and...
.
The 01 Raffles Scout Group was founded in 1934. It was formerly known as the 32nd Raffles/2101 Raffles Scout Troop. Since its founding, the group has produced senior civil servants, businessmen, and active Scouters who continue to serve the Singapore Scout Association. Its alumni include Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, Zainul Abidin, Koo Tsai Kee, Rohan bin Kamis, Khoo Teng Chye and Dennis Foo. The group celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a campfire
Campfire
A campfire is a fire lit at a campsite, to serve the following functions: light, warmth, a beacon, a bug and/or apex predator deterrent, to cook, and for a psychological sense of security. In established campgrounds they are usually in a fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of...
at Sarimbun Scout Camp in 2009.
The 02 Raffles Scout Group was founded in 1922. Then called the Second Singapore Scout Troop, 02 became the oldest surviving Scout troop of The Singapore Scout Association
The Singapore Scout Association
The Singapore Scout Association is one of the oldest youth movements in Singapore. Scouting encourages the holistic physical, mental, spiritual, emotional and social development of youth with a strong emphasis on duty to God, duty to country, help other people as stated in the Scout Promise and...
after the First Singapore Scout Troop disbanded. The current membership stands at 84. The Group's alumni include Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
, Tommy Koh
Tommy Koh
Tommy Koh was born in Singapore on 12 November 1937. He is an international lawyer, professor and Ambassador-At-Large for the Government of Singapore...
, Professor Lim Pin
Lim Pin
Professor Lim Pin is the longest serving appointee with 19 years of service as Vice Chancellor at the National University of Singapore . Professor Lim began his career at the University of Singapore in 1966 as lecturer and was later promoted to Professor, heading the Department of Medicine...
, and Dr Tan Cheng Bok.
Raffles Debaters
Founded in 1886, Raffles Debaters is the oldest debating society in Singapore, and the oldest CCA in RI. The club has performed consistently well in the Singapore Secondary Schools Debating Championships, winning the title in 7 out of the past 13 years. In addition, many alumni members have gone on to represent Singapore in the World Schools Debating ChampionshipsWorld Schools Debating Championships
The World Schools Debating Championships is an annual English-language debating tournament for high school-level teams representing different countries.In recent years, the championships have involved teams from over 40 nations each year.-History:...
, widely regarded as the pinnacle of international debating, and have ranked among the top 10 individual speakers. The club's former members include luminaries like Mr Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
and Professor Tommy Koh
Tommy Koh
Tommy Koh was born in Singapore on 12 November 1937. He is an international lawyer, professor and Ambassador-At-Large for the Government of Singapore...
.
Apart from its competition achievements, the club is highly involved in serving the local debate community. In 2004, it launched the first-ever primary school debate tournament in Singapore - a competition it continues to convene till this day. It also organizes Debating 101, a workshop for beginner debaters, and a pro bono coaching service, in which its members are deployed to primary schools to coach younger children in debating.
In 2010, RI launched the Raffles Debate Academy, an initiative aimed at making Raffles the premier debate consultant in the region.
The club is governed by a 5-member executive committee and their teacher-in-charge. Every year, the club receives hundreds of applications for membership, and admission is based on a rigorous series of auditions.
Student Interest Groups
In 2004, Student Interest Groups (SIGs) were introduced by the Prefectorial Board. These were defined as interest groups formed by students themselves. However, SIGs are not considered to be CCAs and do not receive school funding like CCAs do. Also, as with members of Merit CCAs, students are still required to take up at least one core CCA. Currently, many of the original SIGs no longer exist. Exceptions include the Raffles Institution Student Entrepreneurship (RI$E) SIG, which has been successful in nationwide competitions.Buildings and facilities
- Academic Facilities
- Wireless campus
- IT-enabled and air-conditioned classrooms
- Six computer laboratories
- ArtSpace (Art and Music Studios)
- Humanities Hub
- Library with facilities for research projects
- Special Resource rooms for research projects
- Sports/games facilities
- Rugby union field and softball diamond
- Astroturf (synthetic non-sand turf)
- Gymnasium
- Olympic-sized swimming pool and training pool with spectator stand
- Badminton, Basketball, Squash and Tennis courts
- Cricket nets
- Rock-climbing wall
- CCA Hub
Yusof Ishak Block
The Yusof Ishak Block is linked to the Marshall Block, Science Block, Sheares Block, CCA Block (comprising the Hall, Auditorium, Canteen and CCA Hub) and a bus stop. Major upgrading works were completed in early 2007.
Science Hub
The Science Hub, housed in Yusof Ishak Block 2 and the Science Block, comprises facilities for scientific research. The Science Block houses facilities for specialized research such as Xploratory-Labs; as well as other facilities for Science lessons and Science Club meetings such as the Chemistry, Physics and Biology labs (on the first, second and third floors respectively). Yusof Ishak Block 2 houses the Discovery Labs, a Laser Animation/Technology Studio, the Materials Science Lab and the Raffles Academy Home Room. The offices of the Head of Science 1 & 2 are also located in the Science Hub.The Science Hub was officially opened in October 2008.
Humanities Hub
The Humanities Hub, housed in Yusof Ishak Block 2, comprises history, geography and literature rooms as well as two circular theatres on the ground floor, and an open-air experimental area. It was officially in use by Term 3 in 2009.Lecture Theatres
The Yusof Ishak Block houses three lecture theatres, an AV theatrette and a band room. The lecture theatres and AV theatrette are used for lessons, mass lectures, co-curricular activities and staff meetings. The band room is shared by the school's two bands, Raffles Institution Military Band (from the Secondary section) and Raffles Symphonic Band (from the Junior College section).Infocomm facilities
The Yusof Ishak Block houses the school's major infocomm facilities, including four computer laboratories, a robotics lab, an internet lab and one of the two Macintosh labs, the other Macintosh lab being housed in the ArtSpace.Sheares Block
- 15 Secondary 2 classrooms (often also used by musical groups for trainings in the afternoon)
- Eight seminar rooms
- Two computer laboratories (often used for lessons and Research Education)
- English Studio used by the school's drama group, Raffles Players
- Two Chinese language rooms
- Classroom for the Regional Studies Programme.
A retractable sun roof covers the block's atrium known as the Sheares Block atrium, which is used commonly for meetings and uniformed group trainings. The block originally houses the Secondary 1 classrooms but was changed to Secondary 2 classrooms due to student issues.
ArtSpace
Formerly known as the Design Centre, the ArtSpace first floor houses the art galleries, classrooms, jamming studio, musicMusic
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
keyboard laboratory, a Macintosh Lab, a drawing studio and a ceramics studio. It also houses the Aesthetics Department staffroom. The gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, comprising training areas for gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, table-tennis and judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
, occupies the second floor, while lock-ups for the Uniformed Groups and the Guitar Ensemble are located on third level. The roof of the ArtSpace houses the school's mini-weather station.
There is a small side building now used by the Scouts, with the 01 Raffles Scout Troop taking the lower level and the 02 Raffles Scout Troop the upper level.
The school's Olympic-sized swimming pool is located behind the ArtSpace.
The Design Centre was renamed "ArtSpace" and officially opened on 11 April 2008, during annual International Friendship Day celebrations.
Rajaratnam Block
The first floor is used by uniformed groups for training. Students from Year 1-6 use tables at the foyer for self-study and meetings, sometimes till late.
The second to seventh floor houses 40 classrooms used by Year 3 and 4 classes, as well as a Tamil Room. CCA training is often held in these classrooms as well.
CCA Block
The CCA block houses the canteen, CCA rooms and the Albert Hong Hall (AHH), as well as an auditorium which also serves as a drama theatre and performing arts centre. Two squash courts are below the stage in AHH. There is also a gym on the fourth floor.Hullett Memorial Library
The Hullett Memorial Library (HML) stands between the Sheares Block and ArtSpace. Co-founded by Dr Lim Boon KengLim Boon Keng
Lim Boon Keng, OBE was a Chinese doctor who promoted social and educational reforms in Singapore and China. Lim was of Chinese Peranakan descent, with ancestry from Hai Teng district in Fujian, China.-Early life:...
and Sir Song Ong Siang
Song Ong Siang
Sir Ong-siang Song K.B.E., V.D., M.A., LL.M., was a lawyer and active citizen of the British Colony of Singapore. He was a third-generation Straits Chinese or Peranakan Baba , and the first ever Asian in Singapore to be knighted...
, it was named after Raffles Institution's longest-serving principal, Richmond William Hullett, in 1923. The Library's official founding (even though a library and museum, from which the National Museum originated, had existed for deades prior to 1923) also marked the centenary of the founding of the Institution. The Library traces its roots to the founding of the Institution, making it the oldest library in Singapore. In fact, the origins of Singapore's National Library
National Library Board
The National Library Board is a statutory board of the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Singapore...
lie in the HML.
The library possesses around 50,000 books in four different languages, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Malay
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
and Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
(excluding a few books on French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, and other languages), and around 40 computers with wireless
Wireless
Wireless telecommunications is the transfer of information between two or more points that are not physically connected. Distances can be short, such as a few meters for television remote control, or as far as thousands or even millions of kilometers for deep-space radio communications...
internet access. It employs full-time staff for administrative purposes, and other tasks are performed by the members of the Hullett Memorial Library Club as well as parent volunteers. The HML was designed with the era of Sir Stamford Raffles in mind, so the furniture in the library is custom-made in the Regency
Regency architecture
The Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
style of that time.
Sports facilities
Raffles Institution offers sports facilities, including an Olympic-size swimming pool.The former 400-metre track and field was replaced by a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
field and a softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
diamond during the school's upgrading works in 2006. The last major event held on the track was a Guinness World Record attempt by Dr William Tan, a wheelchair-using old Rafflesian who embarked on a 24-hour ultramarathon on 30 and 31 July 2005, and beat the old record of 181.2 km with his 242.8 km.
Raffles Institution has a gymnasium on the 2nd level of the ArtSpace housing the judo
Judo
is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Jigoro Kano. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one's opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an...
dojo, table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
training area, a gymnastics training area and a rock wall
Wall
A wall is a usually solid structure that defines and sometimes protects an area. Most commonly, a wall delineates a building and supports its superstructure, separates space in buildings into rooms, or protects or delineates a space in the open air...
. The gymnasium has undergone renovation in 2010, and was used as a training venue for gymnastics in 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, together with that in the Year 5-6 campus. Behind the ArtSpace is the Hong Leong Swimming Complex, an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The school also has two tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
courts, two basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
courts, and two squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
courts, and is one of the few schools in Singapore to have two cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
nets.
There is an artificial turf known as the Astroturf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
. It previously served as the Parade Square and was a bare concrete surface until the artificial turf was installed around 1995. It was used for school assembly in the morning, and later in the day for hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
training and for individual sports and games, until upgrading works in 2006. Since upgrading works in 2006 were completed, morning assemblies are held at a new area called the Raffles Square, which previously was a carpark. The Astroturf is used by students to play soccer and during school-organized Soccer Leagues. The Astroturf underwent renovation in February 2008 and was reopened on 17 May 2008, during the school's annual Open House.
Following the re-integration with Raffles Junior College from 2009, more sports facilities are available. Floorball, table tennis, judo and gymnastics are RI sports now benefiting from being able to use the Year 5-6 Campus facilities.
Boarding Complex
The foundation stone of the Boarding Complex was laid by Senior Minister
Senior Minister
Senior Minister is a political office in the political system of Singapore taken by a prime minister or senior cabinet minister when he or she retires from that office, but still has something to offer the government based on his or her long experience...
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
on 25 March 1994. The first batch of boarders moved into the Complex in 1995.
During the upgrading works in 2006, the former Moor block was demolished to make way for a 13-storey twin tower hostel, the Hullett block, completed in July 2007. The former Hullett block was renamed Moor and, together with Bayley, caters to girls.
Boarders consist of local Raffles Institution pupils and scholars from other countries (mostly China and ASEAN countries), as well as pupils from other secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
s and junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
s. The Raffles Leadership Programme's first two cycles, in 2008 and 2009, which first phase was mandatory for CCA leaders, included a semester long (Term 3-4) residential component. The remaining two phases, open to applicants though their CCAs, each had a one term long boarding component. Since its third cycle in 2010, all three phases have been open to all ineterested Year 3 students, and had a one term long boarding component.
Boarding traditions include formal dinners that are held twice a year, as well as an orientation programme for newcomers. Other programmes include the annual RIB Night.
The boarding complex is currently undergoing renovation and is estimated to be completed by the end of 2012. There will also be a new facade that blends in with the contemporary looks of Hullett block with new windows and new exterior coat of paint. The tiles along the common areas like the staircase and corridors will also be changed to new ones. There will also be new lifts installed at every block. The current games rooms in the 4 blocks will be shifted into the current reception lobby and in its place, the Buckley block will have a new minimart cum alfresco cafe, Bayley a new gym cum dance studio (only for RIB boarders), Morrison and Moor will have new offices for ORA/RPA and the Internationalisation Office. All rooms would also be fully air-conditioned too.
IT facilities
The school has six general-purpose computer labs, one music studio with ProdikeysProdikeys
Prodikeys is the world's first music and computer keyboard combination. It is created by Singapore's audio company Creative Technology. So far there have been 3 different versions of Prodikeys: Creative Prodikeys, Creative Prodikeys DM and Creative Prodikeys PC-MIDI. It has 37 mini-sized music keys...
, one Internet Lab for the study of LAN
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
connections, and one X-lab, short for Experimental Lab for research in computer studies. Connectivity is supplied to all buildings by the campus LAN
Local area network
A local area network is a computer network that interconnects computers in a limited area such as a home, school, computer laboratory, or office building...
, with additional wireless access
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
covering most areas such as the Administrative Block, the Hullett Memorial Library (HML) and the S. Rajaratnam Block. Tablet PCs are supplied by the IT department to facilitate the use of eLearning in a classroom setting.
Previously, the first week of the second term of the academic year had been dedicated to eLearning. During this week, lessons and materials would be disseminated online for students to study at their own pace, and students were not required to attend school. The programme was initiated in 1999 but scrapped in 2006. Since then, e-learning has been integrated into the school calendar. It is often used by teachers during holidays during term time, for instance on Staff Training Days during term time when students are not required to attend lessons; instead, teachers attend courses held in the campus.
Politics
Raffles Institution has produced seven out of twelve of Singapore's Presidents, Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers.- Yusof Ishak, 1st President of SingaporePresident of SingaporeThe President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
(1959–1970) - Benjamin Henry ShearesBenjamin Henry ShearesBenjamin Henry Sheares, GCB , was the second President of Singapore.-Early life:Sheares was born the second of six children in Singapore to a Eurasian family with an English lineage. His father Edwin H. Sheares, a technical supervisor of the Public Works Department, was born in England and raised...
, 2nd President of Singapore (1971–1981) - Wee Kim WeeWee Kim WeeWee Kim Wee GCB was the fourth President of Singapore from 2 September 1985 to 1 September 1993.-Early life:Born into a humble family, Wee Kim Wee was the son of a clerk, Wee Choong Lay and his wife Chua Lay Hua. His father died when he was eight...
, 4th President of Singapore (1985–1993) - Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, 1st Prime Minister of SingaporePrime Minister of SingaporeThe Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
(1959–1990), Senior Minister of Singapore (1990–2004), Minister Mentor of Singapore (2004–2011) - Goh Chok TongGoh Chok TongGoh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore (1990–2004), Senior Minister of Singapore (2005–2011) - S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore (2004–2009) and Minister for Law (1988–2008)
- S Rajaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister (Foreign Affairs) of Singapore (1980–1984), Minister for Foreign Affairs (1965–1980), Minister for Culture (1968–1971), Senior Minister of Singapore (1985–1988).
- K Shanmugam, Minister for Law of Singapore(2008–present), Minister for Home Affairs (2010–present)
- Abdullah TarmugiAbdullah TarmugiAbdullah Tarmugi was the Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore as well as the Member of Parliament of East Coast Group Representation Constituency from 1996 to 2011.Born to a Javanese Father and Chinese Mother...
, Speaker of the Parliament of SingaporeParliament of SingaporeThe Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
(2002–present) - Michael Chew Koon Chan, Baron ChanMichael Chan, Baron ChanMichael Chew Koon Chan, Baron Chan, MBE was a Singaporean-British physician and politician, of Chinese descent....
of Oxton, MerseysideOxton, MerseysideOxton is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Originally a village in its own right, it became part of the Municipal Borough of Birkenhead upon its creation in 1877...
, second person of Chinese descent to serve in the House of LordsHouse of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster.... - Aziz IshakAziz IshakAbdul Aziz bin Ishak is a Malaysian freedom fighter, politician and journalist.Aziz was, in fact, the only member of the pre-war Kesatuan Melayu Muda to have served in the 1955 and post-Merdeka Cabinets under Tunku Abdul Rahman. Between 1955 and 1963, he was the Minister for Agriculture and...
, MalayanFederation of MalayaThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
freedom fighter and former Malaysian cabinet minister - Tun Sardon Jubir, former Malaysian cabinet minister and Penang state governor.
- Tun Abdul Razak, 2nd Prime Minister of Malaysia.
- Lim Yew HockLim Yew HockLim Yew Hock , later renamed Haji Omar Lim Yew Hock, was Singapore’s second Chief Minister from 1956 to 1959. He is known for suppressing the communist movements and leading the all-party delegation that won internal self-government for Singapore....
, 2nd Chief Minister, Singapore. - Tan Cheng LockTan Cheng LockTun Dato Sri Sir Cheng-lock Tan, DPMJ, KBE was a Malaysian Chinese businessman and a key public figure who devoted his life to fighting for the rights and the social welfare of the Chinese community in Malaya...
, founder of the Malaysian Chinese Association, co-founder of independent Malaysia. - Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Member of Parliament for 26 years (1980–2006), presidential candidate for the Singaporean Presidential Election, 2011Singaporean presidential election, 2011The Singapore presidential election of 2011 was the fourth Singapore Presidential Election, held on 27 August 2011. Nomination day for eligible candidates was held on 17 August 2011. Mr. S.R. Nathan, the previous President of Singapore, stepped down on 31 August 2011 when his term drew to a close...
.
Business and economics
- Robert KuokRobert KuokRobert Kuok Hock Nien , is an influential Malaysian Chinese businessman. According to Forbes his net worth is estimated to be around $12.5 billion on May 2011, making him the richest person in Malaysia and Southeast Asia....
, billionaire and richest man in Southeast Asia - Lim Boon KengLim Boon KengLim Boon Keng, OBE was a Chinese doctor who promoted social and educational reforms in Singapore and China. Lim was of Chinese Peranakan descent, with ancestry from Hai Teng district in Fujian, China.-Early life:...
, philanthropist and co-founder, OCBC Bank and Singapore Chinese Girls School - Peter LimPeter LimPeter Lim Eng Hock is a Singapore billionaire. In July 2010, Forbes magazine rated eighth amongst Singapore's 40 richest people with an estimated net worth of $1.6 billion....
, Singapore billionaire and avid sports fan.
Others
- Lim Bo SengLim Bo SengLim Bo Seng was a World War II anti-Japanese resistance fighter based in Singapore and Malaya.-Family background and early life:...
, World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
hero - Chandran NairChandran NairChandran Nair is a Singaporean poet and retired Director and Mediator of UNESCO in Paris.-Background:Nair was born in Kerala, India in 1945. He left India for Singapore at the age of seven...
, writer, poet and artist. - T.T. Durai, former CEO of the National Kidney Foundation
- Alfian Sa'atAlfian Sa'atAlfian bin Sa'at is a Singaporean writer, poet and playwright. He is a Muslim of Minangkabau, Javanese and Hakka descent,. He is known for his provocative works and is often referred to as his country's enfant terrible.-Early life:...
, Writer, poet and playwright. - Choor SinghChoor SinghChoor Singh Sidhu , known professionally as Choor Singh, was a judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore and, particularly after his retirement from the bench, a philanthropist and writer of books about Sikhism. Born to a family of modest means in Punjab, India, he came to Singapore at four years of...
, judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore (1963–1980) - Tee Tua BaTee Tua BaTan Sri Tee Tua Ba is a diplomat and former Commissioner of Police of the Singapore Police Force. He is currently serving as Ambassador-Designate to the United Arab Emirates.-Background:...
, former Chief Commissioner of Police Force - Tommy KohTommy KohTommy Koh was born in Singapore on 12 November 1937. He is an international lawyer, professor and Ambassador-At-Large for the Government of Singapore...
, Ambassador-at-Large - Robert SolomonRobert SolomonRobert Solomon may refer to:* Robert Solomon , former member of the Australian House of Representatives* Robert M. Solomon, Methodist Bishop* Robert B. Solomon, US Major General...
, Bishop of the Methodist Church in Singapore - Ong Teck ChinOng Teck ChinOng Teck Chin is a Singaporean educator.He was formerly the Principal/CEO of Anglo-Chinese School , and resident warden of its boarding school.- Background :...
, former principal of the Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)The Anglo-Chinese School is a Methodist secondary school in Singapore. It is a descendant of a school established in 1886 by Rev William Fitzjames Oldham at 70 Amoy Street, Singapore, and one of a group of educational institutions collectively known as the Anglo-Chinese School...