PRINCIPAL’S REPORT FOR RAFFLES INSTITUTION’S 28TH COLLEGE DAY
The theme for this year’s celebration is One. One describes the spirit of focus, characteristic of Rafflesians and the
28 years ago,
More than being assured of its standing and credibility, the college is clearly the leading junior college in
The performance of the Class of 2008 has surpassed that of past cohorts. No other JC had students scoring 9 distinctions at the 2008 “A” level examinations, we had 6. Among them were four who were allowed to take 13 units. Soh Ming Quan topped the “A” levels in
No other JC had close to 100 students getting 8 distinctions or 250 students getting 7 distinctions, nor 1 in 2 getting 4 As and 3 in 4 getting 3 As.
Not in the past 27 years have we had 57% of our cohort scoring A for the General Paper, nor a third of the cohort scoring the perfect university admission score of 90. All these, we managed to achieve last year. In addition, 9 out of the 10 medals given out by the
In sports last year, we won 19 championship titles – that is, 19 Gold with 12 Silver and 5 Bronze medals. We also had the most number of athletes and teams among
The standards set by the Class of 2008 have inspired their juniors to stretch their limits: this year, even before the “A” division sporting season is over, we have garnered 20 Gold, 9 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. We had double Golds for Badminton, Cross Country, Swimming, Table Tennis, Track & Field and Waterpolo. The badminton, table tennis and rugby finals were, to me, the best of the season – they truly showed the tenacity, determination and mental stamina that are possessed by the best of our Rafflesian sportsmen and women who fought hard to bring home the championship title.
Seven Rafflesian athletes from the junior college represented
This being the year of the Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging, I am also pleased to announce that our performing arts groups comprising the Malay, Indian, Chinese & Modern Dance, String Ensemble, Guitar Ensemble, Chinese Orchestra, Choir, Symphonic Band, Chinese Drama and Harmonica Ensemble have achieved 9 Golds,4 of which are Gold with Honours, and 2 Silver Awards. This was a stronger performance compared to 2007 when we achieved 8 Golds, 3 of which are Gold with Honours, and 2 Silver Awards.
Rafflesians have also distinguished themselves at every major International Olympiad held last year as representatives of
This year, at the Taiwan International Science Fair, Daniel Chew won First Award in the Zoology category while our team of Physicists were Champions at the US Invitational Young Physicists Tournament held in
The all-Rafflesian National Debates Team that took part in the World Schools Debating Championships was placed third with three of the speakers ranked within the top ten list. This is an unprecedented achievement for
We are pleased that the Class of 2008 has received more university admission places to top US Colleges,
Facts and figures don’t make a college. Grades do not make a scholar. It is really the dynamic programmes, the quality of instruction and the nurturing relationship between teachers and students that enable all to constantly grow in capacity. It is the extra that Rafflesians pack into their lives and bring to the lives of others that sets them apart from other strong academic students.
It has been my pride and joy in the last one and half years, to witness the many events that Rafflesians initiate amongst the community that convince me that they have initiative, empathy and courage of conviction. CrimeZero @ Bishan, Youth Got Heart, the Boon Lay Countdown, Sports Chronograph@BIshan, the Raffles Community Leaders’ Forum, the Humanities Initiative – our students keep me very busy attending their many extended social ventures. And they continually surprise me with the GOHs they manage personally to invite to support their events, such as DPMs, Ministers and MPs.
Visitors to Raffles are constantly fascinated by what we do here – the numerous programmes we put in place to allow for our energetic and driven young people to grow in. Recent visitors such as the Vice Chancellor of Cambridge, Prof Alison Richards, the PRC State Councillor, Mdm Liu Yandong, several Ambassadors and renowned educators and scientists all want to know what makes Raffles tick. My answer to them is this - the Rafflesian quest for excellence that is so much part of the DNA of our students, institution and staff.
Last year we officially launched the Raffles Institute for Experential Learning – an arm of RI that looks into diversity education, ecological literacy, adventure training, service learning and social advocacy. This year, with the setting up of our Open Lab and Biodiversity Pond and several specialized labs, the Raffles Science Institute began its journey, to develop in-house research and mentor young researchers. We have currently two PHD researchers focusing on biodiversity and biological sciences and we will be bringing in more to focus on other scientific disciplines. In our new biodiversity pond are South East Asian plant and fish species such as the bala shark and catfish.
We gave out 13 Sports Scholarships this year to support top sports talent who play at the national level, and there will be programmes targeted at the needs of our sportsmen and women when the Gryphon Institute for Sports is fully established. New facilities have been added to the college: the Raffles Media Studios will be open for students of the English Language Elective Programme and others interested to use the broadcasting and video-recording facilities.
What next? With the reintegration of RI and the JC, we will be working towards international benchmarking, and reconnecting alumni to build an even stronger institution. We will also draw on external partnerships to further our strategic goals. One such plan is the Global Alliance – a network that we have formed with Winchester College in England that includes top schools such as the Colegio Claustro Moderno Bogota in Columbia (South America), the Johannes Kepler Grammar School in Prague (Czech Republic), the Karachi Grammar School in Pakistan, the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg (South Africa), Montgomery Bell Academy in Nashville, Tennessee (USA) and the Naga School in Japan. Each year, one school in the alliance will host a roundtable of its principals, as well as a few students and staff, to work on a global project. When bright young minds from top schools across the continents come together, each bearing a cultural perspective and different ways of looking at a problem, facilitated by some of the experts in that area in each country, we are sure there will be stunning outcomes. The first symposium will be held in Mar 2010 at
There is never a static or dull moment in the college. It leaves me to thank the staff at the JC, RI as well as RGS, who worked hard to lay the foundation that has contributed to the success of our students, who constantly see to define and redefine education at Raffles, our parent volunteers and the RPA for being always there for us (be it at fundraising or college events or the outreach programmes such as Open House and the A level supper), the Board of Governors for believing in us and for being so supportive of our ventures, all Rafflesians, past and present, for keeping us on our toes, always questioning, always pushing the boundaries and always achieving. One Raffles, One Vision. One Hope for a Better Age.
Auspicium Melioris Aevi.
Lai Cheng
