| Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) | |
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Filiae Melioris Ævi
("Daughters of a better age") |
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| Location | |
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| Anderson Road, | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Session | Single |
| Established | 1879 |
| Principal | Mrs Julie Hoo |
| Enrolment | approx. 1800 |
| Colour(s) | Green, Black, White |
| Website | Link |
Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) is an independent girls' secondary school in Singapore. RGS was further recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2006 by being awarded the School Excellence Award (recognising schools with 'exemplary school processes and practices'), among other awards. [1] The school has a history of excelling in academics, sports and the arts.
RGS offers the first four years of the Integrated Programme in the Raffles Programme, together with Raffles Institution, which allows students to proceed directly to Raffles Institution (Junior College) without taking the GCE 'O' Levels. It was also one of the first few schools to offer the Gifted Education Programme.
Contrary to popular belief, it is not officially affiliated with Raffles Girls' Primary School, despite having a common history.
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History
Before Raffles Girls' School became a school in its own right it existed as a part of Raffles Institution (RI).
The department for girls was opened in the RI campus of Bras Basah Road on 4 March 1844 with 11 students, 5 day-scholars and six boarders, who were clothed, fed and instructed by the institution itself. The demand for education grew and in 1847, the school moved to RI's eastern wing, extending towards Bras Basah Road. A wall known as the 'Berlin Wall' separated the boys' and girls' buildings. In 1871, the school moved into a house, the George Family's Old Mansion at the corner of Bras Basah Road. In 1879, the school separated from RI and Miss Nelson was appointed the school's first headmistress. Together with three assistants, she ran the school which had an enrolment of 77. Since then, 1879 has been officially regarded as the year of the founding of RGS.
From 1882 onwards, English speaking boys were admitted to the lower, middle and primary classes. This was discontinued in 1927 due to the increasing demand for accommodation for girls. The Raffles Old Girls' association was formed on 7 July 1950. The school motto was introduced in 1953, with the school's first annual Speech Day held on the same year as well. RGS became a government school of considerable prestige in 1903. It was then located at Queen Street. In 1959, the primary and secondary sections of the school were separated and the secondary section moved to Anderson Road, while the primary section remains in Queen Street. The school stopped offering 'A' level courses in 1983, and the Gifted Education Programme started in 1984. The school later moved to a holding school located at Jalan Kuala in 1988 and moved back to a new building at Anderson Road on 1 November 1992, becoming independent on 1 January 1993. In 1994, the RGS chapter was formed, to replace the Women's Rafflesian Chapter.
The curriculum when the school first started was confined to limited basic skills like reading, writing, needlework and cookery, as the focus of the school in the past was simply to equip girls with the tools of becoming an educated wife. The actual provision of useful education was considered secondary. Fortunately, as the times have changed, so has the curriculum. It now comprises the sciences, humanities and aesthetics. All students are also required to have lessons in Philosophy, one of the notable features of the Raffles Programme. Lower Secondary students also enjoy lessons in Speech and Drama.
Today, Raffles Girls' School has a student population of about 1,800 students (Secondary One to Secondary Four, including foreign scholars) and 151 teachers.
Features
Uniform
The uniform of RGS consists of a navy blue pleated pinafore over a white collared blouse and or shorts underneath; the belt is sewn onto the pinafore but it can be taken off (unsewn)[1]. Students traditionally fold their sleeves. The school badge, with the school crest and its motto, is worn on the top left of the uniform together with a colour-coded nametag that spells the student's name. On Fridays, during Hall Assembly, all girls wear a black and silver striped tie on a green base as part of the uniform.
They wear white socks and white shoes. In comparison with other schools like RI and NYGH, RGS is the one of the few that has not allowed ankle socks. Sports shoes can be worn, but these must be at least 80% white, although this is somewhat arbitrary. Prefects or Student Leaders are required to wear socks which bear the School logo.
Prefects from Secondary 3 and 4 wear a white blouse with a skirt similar in colour to the school pinafore and culottes. They also wear the school tie at all times when in uniform. Their prefect badge is pinned at the bottom of their tie.
Student Leaders from Secondary 1 classes, and Prefects-in-Training from Secondary 2 classes, wear the school tie underneath the pinafore, as well as a Student Leader badge or a Prefect-in-Training badge.
Class chairpersons, members of the Student Congress and house captains also wear a badge above their name tag, denoting their position. This badge is bronze for the chairpersons, and of corresponding colour to their houses for the captains. Peer Support Leaders also wear a collar-pin, while some CCAs (e.g. AVPA) also create their own unique collar pins.
On Tuesdays, Saturdays and during certain school events, girls are allowed to don culottes. A white RGS polo T-shirt for Physical Education (PE) usually accompanies the culottes. The culottes can also be worn with a House T-shirt, a Co-Curricular Activity (CCA) T-shirt, or a class T-shirt. The latter can be designed by students with approval from teachers and the school administration. Any shirt worn with the culottes must have a nametag pinned on.
Houses
There are five houses: Buckle (Green), Tarbet (Red), Richardson (Blue), Waddle (Yellow), and Hadley (Purple). They are named after five past principals of RGS. Miss Hadley introduced the House System.
Each house committee consists of 40 members, led by an EXCO of one Secondary Four House Captain, two Secondary Three Vice-Captains, and one Secondary Four Vice-Captain. The house captains for the year 2009 are Rachel Lu (Buckle), Veronica Teo (Tarbet), Lui Wen Yan (Richardson), Claire Lye (Waddle) and Jiya Ng (Hadley). The house committee plays a pivotal role in the house system.
The five houses take part in friendly competitions throughout the school year, with two major events pivotal in deciding the overall champion house. These are the Swimathon and the Sports Festival, held annually in the early part of the year. Netball Carnival is also held for all levels
Throughout the rest of the year, various interhouse games are organised by various CCAs like netball and photography, as well as miscellaneous staples like the annual Spelling Bee. Students can fulfil their quota of IHGs per year with activities they hopefully enjoy. All of these IHGs contribute to the results of Overall Champion House and Best Organised House. For the year 2009, Waddle was the Overall Champion and Tarbet was the Best Organised House.
Disciplinary System
The principle behind discipline in RGS is centred on maintaining a 'professional image'. This is enforced via a system of bookings, three of which in the same category can warrant Detention Class. Teachers can also issue bookings with direct detentions in a class of their own. Four bookings lands a student a SOM record (a revised version of the older BETA system), and these records can impinge upon scholarships and future interview prospects. The disciplinary system is enforced by staff members and prefects. General checks and spotchecks are sometimes conducted before morning assemblies. Recalcitrants' parents are sometimes called to work with the school Discipline Committee.
Student Leadership
Prefectorial Board
The Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Prefectorial Board, also known as RGSPB, was established in 1950 and has functioned continuously since then.
The vision of the RGSPB is for prefects to be leaders for life, igniting spirit and passion for the school, and educating students to be responsible, rational members of society. The Board consists of prefects from Year 3 and 4, as well as Prefects-in-Training from Year 2. Upper secondary members of the Board don the school tie, the school socks, a white blouse and a navy blue skirt.
Apart from the role of maintaining discipline in school, prefects also teach and lead in Rafflesian Cheers during school events and inter-school competitions. The Board also sells Rafflesian products like jackets and school badges, and loans items such as blouses, pinafores and school blazers. Prefects-in-training also hold fund-raisings on special school occasions, and various CCAs' concerts and performances. RGSPB organizes and executes many large-scale functions in the school and assists the RGS staff in running school events, frequently working with the Peer Support Board to organise such events, such as orientation for the Year 1 pupils.
The Head Prefect for the year 2010 will be Isabelle Lim, while the vice-head prefects will be Chia Pei Qi, Ruth Ng and See Jia Le.
Peer Support Board
The Peer Support Board (PSB) was set up in 1995 and has 81 members as of April 2008, consisting of Secondary 2, 3, and 4 Peer Support Leaders (PSLs). The board was set up with the main aim of acculturating the new Secondary 1 pupils into the new environment, to offer emotional help and support to their peers, and to serve the school as student leaders wholeheartedly.
The board is actively engaged within the school community, co-organizing various school functions with the Prefectorial Board. Some examples of collaborative leadership between the two boards are the annual Student Leaders Investiture, Reporting Day and the Secondary 1 Orientation amongst many other school events.
The Peer Support programme is based on the principle that people absorb information and values from one another. It encourages the building of support networks among peers and seeks to develop successful human relationships through PSL sessions.
Apart from organising school events, the key event for all PSLs in their leadership journey in PSB is the weekly PSL sessions as mentioned above. In these weekly sessions, PSLs meet with their respective Secondary 1 classes they are in charge of to share their experiences and thoughts on certain issues pertinent to Secondary 1s, and to also interact and provide support and a listening ear to the Secondary 1s. Through these sessions, PSLs form strong, long-lasting bonds with the Secondary 1s.
After much organizational restructuring in 2005, Junior PSLs (JPSLs) were officially introduced in 2007. Secondary 2 students are selected through interviews and recruited into the board, giving them the chance to apply their leadership skills. Their first upcoming project would usually be the imminent Sec1 Orientation for the next batch of students; a chance for them to prove their skills. A second intake is conducted at the end of Secondary 2.
The logo of the PSB is the dolphin. Dolphins are friendly creatures and travel in groups. Similarly, members of the PSB aim to be friendly and approachable, never walking alone. The motto of the PSB is “riding the waves with you”, parallel to the concept of never being alone. The Peer Support Board 2009 is led by chairperson Priscilla Chew and vice-chairpersons Quek Xin Ping and Anthea Tai.
Student Leaders' Network
The Student Leaders' Network (SLN) is a now-defunct network that formerly comprised student leaders from various leadership boards and organisations.
Student Congress
The Student Congress is a student-run board intended to engage the student populace in the processes of the school as a form of imitative active citizenry. The "5C's" steering it are-
Create - provide a platform and create an open atmosphere for students to participate in a public forum on issues important to them and the school
Change - act as agents of change for the betterment of the school and its stakeholders
Civil Governance - represent their schoolmates in presenting the views of the student populace which are significant and with their interests at heart
Construct - consciously nurture a responsible and caring culture in the exchange of views and ideas with the focus on school improvement
Cultivate - cultivate an appreciation of, and involvement in, the process of participatory and open leadership
Unique among schools in Singapore, RGS' Student Congress is the only one with an intra-school forum that allows secured discussion of school issues. As of 2009 it is no longer anonymous, a move which led to much student discontent and also a general decline in support of the forum, and Congress itself. The Speaker of Congress for 2010 will be Dionne Ng and the Deputy Speakers will be Deborah Tang & Huang Xinyuan.
RGS-International Convention for Youth Leaders
The RGS-International Convention for Youth Leaders (RGS-ICYL) was the first of its kind organized and hosted by the student leaders of RGS. A gathering of female student leaders from local and international institutions, the 1st RGS-ICYL was held from 20 - 24 November 2006, and serves as a global platform for female youth leaders with diverse cultural and leadership backgrounds to exchange their ideas and experiences, and thus gain a better understanding of how they can contribute to society as a female leader.
Through participating in the convention, participants had the opportunity to interact with and learn from experienced and world-renowned leaders. Prominent guest speakers from the Corporate sector (e.g. Multi-National Corporations, commonly known as MNCs), Political sector (e.g. government agencies) as well as from the Humanitarian sector (e.g. non-governmental organisations) were invited to share their perspectives.
In addition, RGS-ICYL offered opportunities for fellow youth leaders to be ambassadors of their respective countries in the context of a formal exchange of ideas across cultures. This experience was also coupled with problem-solving from a global perspective.
Raffles Academies
The Raffles Academy (RA), implemented in 2007, is a feature of the Raffles Programme for both RI and RGS. Students talented in specific subjects study more advanced curriculum during respective academic periods in an RA pull-out class. Currently, RA is offered for: literature, history, geography, mathematics, biology, chemistry and physics. For administrative purposes the Special Arts Programme (SAP) and Music Elective Programme (MEP) are both considered RA subjects.
Applications begin in the latter semester of Secondary 2, and go through tests and interviews before being selected. Qualifying criteria include a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.60, and a Grade Point of 4.0 (80%) in the subject applied for. Exceptions are at the wherewithal of the student's subject teacher. At present, the RA programme is only available for upper secondary students, with each student being allowed to take a maximum of two RA subjects. As of 2009, the RA programme is extended in Raffles Junior College, subject to an entry placement test at the end of Secondary Four.
Notable Alumnæ
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This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009) |
- Lee Tzu Pheng, prominent poet[citation needed]
- Dr Amy Khor Lean Suan, Mayor of South West Community Development Council[citation needed]
- Lim Hwee Hua, Minister of Prime Minister's Office, first female Cabinet Minister in Singapore[citation needed]
- Denise Phua Lay Peng, People's Action Party member of Parliament[citation needed]
- Fiona Sze Lorrain, international award-winning transcultural and interdisciplinary artist (writer and musician) in France
- Siow Lee Chin, world-acclaimed violinist[citation needed]
- Tan Pin Pin, Oscar-winning film director[2]
- Zhang Jingna, photographer[citation needed]
- Kit Chan, singer[citation needed]
- Stefanie Sun, singer[citation needed]
- Corrinne May (Real name: Corrinne Foo), singer-songwriter[citation needed]
- Annabel Chong, Pornographic actress[citation needed]
References
- ^ "A-Z guide to the top school". (20 August 1994). Straits Times.
- ^ the monday interview Seeing invisible worlds, The Straits Times, 30 July, 2007
Links
External links
- Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Website
- Recording of RGS School Song
- Raffles Institution Website
- Raffles Institution (Secondary)
- Raffles Institution (Junior College)
- Raffles Programme Website
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