Raffles Institution (Secondary)
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Raffles Institution (RI) is an independent educational institution in
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
. Founded in 1823, it is the oldest school in the country. It provides secondary education for boys only from Year 1 to Year 4, and pre-university education for both boys and girls in Year 5 and Year 6. Since 2007, RI and its affiliated school Raffles Girls' School have been offering the six-year Raffles Programme, which allows students to skip the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level examinations and proceed to take the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level examinations at the end of Year 6. RI is notable for having produced 96 President's Scholars, three
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
s, five
prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
s and
chief minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union ter ...
s, four
deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...
s, four speakers of Parliament, many Cabinet ministers and Members of Parliament, as well as many chief executive officers of statutory boards, agencies and state-owned companies. Its alumni includes former Prime Ministers
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
,
Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...
and
Abdul Razak Hussein Abdul Razak bin Dato’ Hussein (; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first Deputy Prime Minis ...
, former Chief Ministers David Marshall and
Lim Yew Hock Lim Yew Hock ( zh, c=林有福, p=Lín Yǒufú; 15 October 1914 – 30 November 1984) was a Singaporean-born Malaysian politician and diplomat who served as Chief Minister of Singapore from 1956 to 1959. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for ...
as well as former Presidents
Yusof Ishak Yusof bin Ishak Al-Haj ( ; 12 August 191023 November 1970) was a Singaporean journalist and civil servant who served as the head of state of Singapore from 1959 to 1970. He initially served as the second Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore b ...
,
Benjamin Sheares Benjamin Henry Sheares (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981) was a Singaporean physician and academic who served as the second president of Singapore between 1971 until his death in 1981. Of Eurasian Singaporeans, Eurasian descent, Sheares was b ...
and
Wee Kim Wee Wee Kim Wee (4 November 1915 – 2 May 2005) was a Singaporean journalist and diplomat who served as the fourth president of Singapore between 1985 and 1993. Born in Singapore in the Straits Settlements, Singapore during colonial rule, Wee was ...
.
Robert Kuok Robert Kuok Hock Nien, better known as Robert Kuok, (born 6 October 1923) is a Malaysian business magnate, investor and philanthropist based in Hong Kong since 1973. According to ''Forbes'', his net worth is estimated at $11.8 billion as of Apr ...
, Southeast Asia's wealthiest man at the turn of the 21st century, is also an alumnus. RI has one of the highest admission rates to the elite universities of the world such as the
Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference of eight Private university, private Research university, research universities in the Northeastern United States. It participates in the National Collegia ...
and
Oxbridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford, Universities of Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collect ...
. It had the highest number of admissions to the
University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...
in the world, with 48 students receiving offers in the 2022 admissions cycle, while 52 were accepted for
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
and Cambridge combined in 2021, and 77 in 2022 (2nd highest of all schools globally).


History


Foundation

RI was founded by
Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British Colonial Office, colonial official who served as the List of governors of the Dutch East Indies, governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieut ...
, who proposed the establishment of "the Institution" or "Singapore Institution" at a meeting he convened on 1 April 1823. Raffles wanted to establish a college for the people of Singapore since the founding of the colony, and wrote on 12 January 1823 that a site for a planned college had been selected. His intention was to provide education for the children of Malay Ruler and leaders in the new British colony of Singapore as well as the company's employees and others who wished to learn the local languages. Another objective was to "collect the scattered literature and traditions of the country" so that the most important may be published and circulated. Raffles referred to the plan as his "last public act"; by setting up the Institution, he hoped it that it could, through its generations of alumni, serve as "the means of civilising and bettering the conditions of millions" beyond Singapore. Those involved in the plan for the Institution included Reverend Robert Morrison, Sophia Raffles,
William Farquhar Major-General William Farquhar (26 February 1774 – 11 May 1839) was a Madras Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the resident of Malacca from 1803 to 1818 and the resident of Singapore from 1819 to 1823. Early life Far ...
, and William Marsden. It was initially suggested that the Institution should merge with the Anglo-Chinese College founded by Morrison in Malacca, but this plan did not materialise. Raffles contributed S$2,000, secured a grant of S$4,000 from the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company that was founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to Indian Ocean trade, trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (South A ...
and, together with subscriptions from other individuals, raised funds totalling S$17,495 for the project. He drafted the curriculum, and set up the structure for the board of trustees that included
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...
. The original building of RI was sited on
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 junc ...
and it was designed by engineer Philip Jackson. Raffles laid the foundation stone of the building on 5 June 1823, a few days before he left Singapore for the last time on 9 June. No classes were held while the building was under construction, but the project stalled and the building was left unfinished for some time. Raffles' vision was also not shared by
John Crawfurd John Crawfurd (13 August 1783 – 11 May 1868) was a British physician, colonial administrator, diplomat and writer who served as the second and last resident of Singapore. Early life He was born on Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, the son of Sam ...
, the British Resident of Singapore, who felt the scale of the project excessive, and that the government should focus its efforts on elementary education instead. In 1835, a group of European merchants raised money for the Raffles Monument Fund to commemorate Raffles' contribution to Singapore, and proposed that it should be used to complete the Institution. George Drumgoole Coleman was then hired to finish and extend the original building by Jackson.


Early years

On 1 August 1834, Reverend F. J. Darrah opened the Singapore Free School with 46 boys, which quickly grew to nearly 80. When the building for the Institution was completed in 1837, the school applied to occupy the building, a proposal the trustees of the Institution accepted. The Singapore Free School moved into the building in December 1837, and became the Institution Free School. It was, however, established as an elementary school rather than the college that Raffles had initially intended. Originally the school offered classes in Malay, Chinese and English, but the Malay classes soon closed in 1842 due to low enrolment, and it would eventually become an English-medium school. In May 1839, the first wing extension was completed, and the second at the end of 1841. In 1856, the Singapore Institution Free School was renamed Singapore Institution. In the 1860s, the school gradually turned into a high school. In 1868, the school was renamed Raffles Institution in honour of its founder. The most significant headmasters of the period were J. B. Bayley and R. W. Hullett, who oversaw the transition and ran the school for a cumulative period of 50 years. The school is Singapore's first institution to enrol girls, with 11 pupils accepted in 1844. In 1879, the girls' wing of the school was established as a separate but affiliated school, Raffles Girls' School.


Relocation

In March 1972, the school moved to Grange Road. The old building was demolished and replaced by Raffles City Shopping Centre. The Bras Basah campus's library building is featured on the S$2 paper and polymer note in Singapore currency. In 1984, RI became one of two schools selected by the
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
to pilot the Gifted Education Programme to cater to intellectually gifted students. In 1990, the school moved again, this time from Grange Road to a new campus at Bishan, then a recently created new town.


Raffles Junior College

In 1982, Raffles Junior College (RJC) was established at Paterson Road to take over the school's burgeoning pre-university enrolment. It subsequently moved to Mount Sinai Road in 1984. In 2004, the six-year Raffles Programme was offered to Secondary 1 to 3 students. It allows RI students to skip the
Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (or Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level) is a GCE Ordinary Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Ex ...
examinations, which students would previously sit for at the end of Year 4. Instead, they move on directly to RJC for Years 5 and 6 and sit for the
Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (or Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level) is a GCE Advanced Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Exa ...
examinations at the end of Year 6. This frees up time which students would otherwise spend on preparing for the O Level examinations, allowing them to spend more time engaging in enrichment and co-curricular or passion-driven activities. The curriculum serves to "seek to nurture the best and brightest into men and women of scholarship who will be leaders of distinction, committed to excellence and service in the interest of the community and nation." This subsequently led to the merging of RI's GEP and Special/Express streams to form a single Raffles Programme stream, and the establishment of its in-house academic talent development programme, Raffles Academy, catering to exceptionally gifted students via subject-specific pullout classes from Year 3 onwards, in 2007. In 2005, RJC, along with
Hwa Chong Junior College The Hwa Chong Junior College () was a Junior college (Singapore), junior college in Singapore offering Education in Singapore#Pre-university, pre-university education. The school merged with The Chinese High School on 1 January 2005 to form the ...
, became one of the first junior colleges in Singapore to attain independent status. RJC moved to its new Bishan campus adjacent to RI at the start of the 2005 school year, after attaining independent status and becoming the first pre-university institution in Singapore to be awarded the School Excellence Award. In 2009, RI and RJC re-integrated to form a single institution under the name "Raffles Institution" to facilitate the running of the Raffles Programme and better align processes and curriculum.


School identity and culture

RI is a member of various academic partnerships and alliances, such as the
G30 Schools G30 Schools, formerly G20 Schools, is an association of secondary schools founded by David Wylde of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, South Africa and Anthony Seldon of Wellington College, Berkshire, United Kingdom in 2006. The G30 Schools ha ...
and Winchester Network. It also co-founded the
Global Alliance of Leading-Edge Schools The Global Alliance of Leading-Edge Schools (Abbreviation: GALES) is an informal organization of leading preparatory and secondary schools from around the world. It was initiated in the year 2010. All the schools are among the top institutions in t ...
.


Motto

The school motto - ''Auspicium Melioris Aevi'' - comes from the coat of arms of its founder,
Stamford Raffles Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British Colonial Office, colonial official who served as the List of governors of the Dutch East Indies, governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieut ...
. The official translation by the school is "Hope of a Better Age".


Houses

The five
houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
, 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. C. B. Buckley was the Secretary to the Board of Trustees of Raffles Institution. J. B. Bayley was a Headmaster who "raised Raffles Institution to a large and flourishing establishment", as recorded by the board of trustees. J. H. Moor was the first Headmaster of the school, whose 4th great-grandson is
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...
,
Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...
. Reverend Robert Morrison was the co-founder of Raffles Institution. R.W. Hullett was Raffles Institution's longest-serving Headmaster (31 years). Year 1 students are sorted into houses by class. 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. Each House is led by a House Captain, a Year 4 student, who carries out his role along with the respective House Committee. The Houses participate in inter-house tournaments and activities, notably including the annual Inter-House Sports Carnival, Dramafeste and the Inter-House Debate tournament, with points earned from each activity contributing to the House Championship which is awarded at the end of the school year. Students of the college section were divided into five Houses, the name of which is an amalgamation of its counterparts in RI and RGS: :
Buckle-Buckley :
Bayley-Waddle :
Hadley-Hullett :
Moor-Tarbet :
Morrison-Richardson


Uniform

The school uniform from Years 1 to 4 is all-white, including a white short-sleeved shirt with the school badge at the top-right corner of the shirt pocket. Lower secondary students (Years 1 and 2) wear white short trousers and white socks. From Year 3 onwards, students may continue in short pants or opt for white long trousers. Shoes are white-based for all students. Year 3 and 4 prefects wear a different badge and formal black shoes, except for Physical Education lessons, where they wear appropriate shoes. School ties are worn on formal occasions. Teachers wear a formal gown for special occasions. The uniform for male students in Years 5 and 6 is identical to that worn by students in Years 3 and 4. The uniform for female students in Years 5 and 6 consists of a white blouse and a dark green pleated skirt.


Discipline

In his memoir ''The Singapore Story'',
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
mentioned that he was caned by the headmaster D. W. McLeod for chronic tardiness when he attended RI in the 1930s. In 1956, a former RI prefect also 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."


Curriculum and student activities

Since 2007, the school has offered the six-year
Integrated Programme The Integrated Programme (IP) is a scheme that allows high-performing students in secondary schools in Singapore to skip the GCE Ordinary Level (O-Level) examination (typically taken by students at the end of their fourth or fifth year in secon ...
, which allows students to bypass the
Singapore-Cambridge GCE Ordinary Level The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (or Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-Level) is a GCE Ordinary Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Ex ...
examinations and take the
Singapore-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level The Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (or Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level) is a GCE Advanced Level examination held annually in Singapore and is jointly conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Singapore Exa ...
examinations at the end of Year 6. Known within the Raffles schools as the Raffles Programme, it is offered jointly with Raffles Girls' School.


Orientation programmes


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 and the Head and Deputy head prefects guide them through this camp and the rest of the orientation period. At the end of the camp, the first-year students receive their school badges in the Junior Rafflesian Investiture Ceremony (JRIC), which occurs on the Friday of the Orientation Week.


Raffles Leadership Programme

The Raffles Leadership Programme is an initiative of the Leadership Development Department, aimed at preparing students to take on positions of leadership in school and in life. All Year 3 pupils go through the programme which includes going through the Leadership Challenge Workshop and taking the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Instrument. It also features a one-term residential component at RI Boarding. The boarding programme started as a trial in 2008 and has now become a full-cohort programme. Under the Raffles Leadership Programme, Year 3 pupils also get to take part in a ten-week residential programme in RI Boarding to learn about independent living skills. The boarding programme was shortened to a seven-week programme in 2019.


Students' Council (Year 5-6)

The Students' Council of the Years 5-6 section is divided into a total of eight departments, namely the Welfare Department, the Communications Department, the CCA Department and five House Directorates, which form the EXCO for each of the five houses. Each councillor also takes up one or two of the six functions, which are college events organised by the council: National Day, Teachers' Day, Grad Night, Open House, Orientation and Council Camp. Members of the Students' Council are selected through a college-wide election process. Each batch undergoes a rigorous selection process, which culminates in the Council Investiture. The Students' Council is headed by a President, who is assisted by his/her executive committee consisting of two vice-presidents, two Secretaries, the three Heads of Departments and the five House Captains. As of October 2024, the school is served by the 44th batch of Student Councillors.


Co-curricular activities


Year 1-4 (Secondary School section)

RI offers about 40 co-curricular activities (CCAs), including sports, uniformed groups, performing arts, and clubs and societies. CCAs are categorised as either core or merit CCAs. Core CCAs comprise all sports, uniformed groups and performing arts, as well as Raffles Debaters 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, National Cadet Corps, sailing, floorball,
Boys' Brigade The Boys' Brigade (BB) is an international interdenominational Christianity, Christian youth organisation, conceived by the Scottish businessman William Alexander Smith (Boys' Brigade), Sir William Alexander Smith to combine drill and fun acti ...
, and cross-country running, among others. The performing arts groups have also done well in the Singapore Youth Festival, held once every two years, while the clubs and societies have also won awards.


Year 5-6 (Junior College Section)

The Year 5-6 section offers over 70 CCAs, including sports, performing arts, and clubs and societies. Unlike in the first four years of the Raffles Programme, no distinction is made between core and merit CCAs. Students may offer up to two CCAs, no more than one of which may be a sports or performing arts group. Teams from RI performed well nationally in 2011, with the performing arts groups clinching 15 Golds (including nine with honours) and five Silvers at the biennial Singapore Youth Festival Central Judging and the sports teams winning 32 championship titles as well as 24 Silvers and 11 Bronzes at the National Interschools Sports Championships. The school's clubs and societies have also performed excellently in their various national competitions, with Raffles Debaters clinching championship titles and the History and Strategic Affairs Society clinching best school delegation awards at international
Model United Nations Model United Nations, also known as Model UN (MUN), is an educational simulation of the United Nations, which teaches students about diplomacy, international relations, global issues, and how the United Nations is run. During a model UN confe ...
conferences.


Publications

The college community is served by the Raffles Press, the school's journalism society, which publishes its flagship online student newspaper
Word of Mouth
'. The newspaper includes features, op-ed columns, sports reports and concert reviews. In addition, all staff and most students also receive a copy of the ''Rafflesian Times'', the school's official magazine, from the Communications Department. The journalism society regularly publishes articles dealing with daily school life, recent assemblies and events as well as wider national issues including Singapore's golden jubilee (SG50) and the 2015 Southeast Asian haze. In 2015, students from the school also started an unofficial satirical publication,
The Waffle Press
', which pokes fun at school events and examinations.


Boarding

Raffles Institution Boarding is housed in 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 Mentors.


History

The foundation stone of the Boarding Complex was laid by
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
on 25 March 1994. The first batch of boarders moved into the Complex in 1996. 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, and the former Hullett block in turn renamed Moor. The three blocks of Buckley, Moor and Bayley houses boys enrolling in Raffles Leadership Programme, whereas Morrison block catered to girls previously.


Campus

The Raffles Institution Year 1 - 4 campus consists of six main blocks on 18.65 hectares of land.


Yusof Ishak Block (Former Admin Block)

The main building is the Yusof Ishak Block, comprising offices, staff rooms, lecture theatres, study areas and computer labs, as well the Main Atrium. It houses the Year 1-4 General Office and the Raffles Archives & Museum. Major upgrading works were completed in early 2007."Hot News"
Raffles Institution, 26 November 2005.


Science Hub

The Science Hub, opened in 2008, includes facilities for specialised research such as Xploratory-Labs; as well as Chemistry, Physics and Biology labs. It also houses the Discovery Labs, a Microbiology Lab, a Laser Animation/Technology Studio, the Materials Science Lab and the Raffles Academy Home Room. It is connected to the Yusof Ishak Block.


Hullett Memorial Library / Shaw Foundation Dining Hall

The Hullett Memorial Library (HML) stands below the Shaw Foundation Dining Hall, with a staircase leading down to the library. Co-founded by
Lim Boon Keng Lim Boon Keng (; 18 October 1869 – 1 January 1957) was a Peranakan physician who advocated social and educational reforms in Singapore in the early 20th-century. He also served as the president of Xiamen University in China between 1921 and ...
and Song Ong Siang, it was named after RI's longest-serving Headmaster, Richmond William Hullett, in 1923. The library's official founding (even though a library and museum, from which the
National Museum A national museum can be a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In the United States, most nati ...
originated, had existed for decades prior to 1923) also marked the centenary of the founding of the institution. The library traces its roots to the founding of RI, making it the oldest library in Singapore. The origins of Singapore's
National Library A national library is a library established by a government as a country's preeminent repository of information. Unlike public library, public libraries, these rarely allow citizens to borrow books. Often, they include numerous rare, valuable, ...
lie in the HML.


Sports facilities

The school's gymnasium underwent renovation in 2010, and was used as a training venue for gymnasts during the
2010 Summer Youth Olympics The 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, ) officially known as the I Summer Youth Olympic Games, and commonly known as Singapore 2010, were the inaugural edition of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), an Olympic Games-based event for young athletes. Held ...
, together with that in the Year 5-6 campus. The school also has two tennis courts, two basketball courts, two squash courts, and two cricket nets. 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 able to use the Year 5-6 Campus facilities.


Notable alumni


Academia

* Tan Eng Chye, President of the
National University of Singapore The National University of Singapore (NUS) is a national university, national Public university, public research university in Singapore. It was officially established in 1980 by the merging of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University ...


Arts

* Alfian Sa'at, writer, poet and playwright * Abdul Ghani Abdul Hamid, writer, poet and artist * Chandran Nair, writer, poet and artist * Ayden Sng, actor, host and musician * Theophilus Kwek, poet, editor and critic


Business

*
Robert Kuok Robert Kuok Hock Nien, better known as Robert Kuok, (born 6 October 1923) is a Malaysian business magnate, investor and philanthropist based in Hong Kong since 1973. According to ''Forbes'', his net worth is estimated at $11.8 billion as of Apr ...
, Malaysian billionaire, founder of
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts () is a multinational hospitality company, founded in 1971 by tycoon Robert Kuok and bearing the name of a Far Eastern mythical land of contentment depicted in the 1933 novel '' Lost Horizon''. It is a subsidiar ...
*
Lim Boon Keng Lim Boon Keng (; 18 October 1869 – 1 January 1957) was a Peranakan physician who advocated social and educational reforms in Singapore in the early 20th-century. He also served as the president of Xiamen University in China between 1921 and ...
, philanthropist and co-founder of
OCBC Bank Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited (), abbreviated as OCBC, is a Singapore, Singaporean multinational corporation, multinational Bank, banking and financial services corporation headquartered at the OCBC Centre. It operates through sub ...
and Singapore Chinese Girls' School * Peter Lim, billionaire and owner of
Valencia CF Valencia Club de Fútbol, S. A. D. (; ), commonly referred to as Valencia CF or simply Valencia, is a Spanish professional Association football, football club based in Valencia, Spain, that currently plays in La Liga, the top tier of the Spani ...
*
Andrew Ng Andrew Yan-Tak Ng (; born April 18, 1976) is a British-American computer scientist and Internet Entrepreneur, technology entrepreneur focusing on machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Ng was a cofounder and head of Google Brain and ...
, British-American computer scientist, former chief scientist at
Baidu Baidu, Inc. ( ; ) is a Chinese multinational technology company specializing in Internet services and artificial intelligence. It holds a dominant position in China's search engine market (via Baidu Search), and provides a wide variety of o ...
, and co-founder of
Coursera Coursera Inc. () is an American global massive open online course provider. It was founded in 2012 by Stanford University computer science professors Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller. Coursera works with universities and other organizations to offe ...
* Andy Ong, entrepreneur, writer and property investor * Min-Liang Tan, founder of tech company Razer Inc.


Politics

Presidents President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *''Præsidenten ...
*
Yusof Ishak Yusof bin Ishak Al-Haj ( ; 12 August 191023 November 1970) was a Singaporean journalist and civil servant who served as the head of state of Singapore from 1959 to 1970. He initially served as the second Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore b ...
, 1st President of Singapore *
Benjamin Sheares Benjamin Henry Sheares (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981) was a Singaporean physician and academic who served as the second president of Singapore between 1971 until his death in 1981. Of Eurasian Singaporeans, Eurasian descent, Sheares was b ...
, 2nd President of Singapore *
Wee Kim Wee Wee Kim Wee (4 November 1915 – 2 May 2005) was a Singaporean journalist and diplomat who served as the fourth president of Singapore between 1985 and 1993. Born in Singapore in the Straits Settlements, Singapore during colonial rule, Wee was ...
, 4th President of Singapore
Prime Ministers A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but rat ...
and Chief Ministers *
Lee Kuan Yew Lee Kuan Yew (born Harry Lee Kuan Yew; 16 September 1923 – 23 March 2015), often referred to by his initials LKY, was a Singaporean politician who ruled as the first Prime Minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. He is widely recognised ...
, 1st Prime Minister of Singapore *
Goh Chok Tong Goh Chok Tong (born 20 May 1941) is a Singaporean former politician who served as the second prime minister of Singapore from 1990 to 2004 and as a senior minister of Singapore from 2004 to 2011. He served as the secretary-general of the Peo ...
, 2nd Prime Minister of Singapore * David Marshall, 1st Chief Minister of Singapore *
Lim Yew Hock Lim Yew Hock ( zh, c=林有福, p=Lín Yǒufú; 15 October 1914 – 30 November 1984) was a Singaporean-born Malaysian politician and diplomat who served as Chief Minister of Singapore from 1956 to 1959. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for ...
, 2nd Chief Minister of Singapore Speakers of Parliament * E. W. Barker, 2nd Speaker of Parliament * Abdullah Tarmugi, 7th Speaker of Parliament *
Tan Chuan Jin Tan Chuan-Jin (; born 10 January 1969) is a Singaporean former politician and brigadier-general. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Tan served as Speaker of the Parliament between 2017 and 2023, and as the Member ...
, 10th Speaker of Parliament * Seah Kian Peng, 11th Speaker of Parliament Current Cabinet ministers *
Heng Swee Keat Heng Swee Keat (; born 15 April 1961) is a Singaporean former politician and former police officer who served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 2019 until 2025. He was the Parliament of Singapore, Member of Parliament (MP) who rep ...
,
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore The deputy prime minister of Singapore is the deputy head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The incumbent deputy prime minister is Gan Kim Yong, who took office on 15 May 2024. History The deputy prime minister is the second highe ...
* K. Shanmugam, Minister for Law and
Minister for Home Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
*
Chan Chun Sing Chan Chun Sing ( zh, s=陈振声, p=Chén Zhènshēng, j=Can4 Zan3 Sing1, first=j; born 9 October 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former major-general who is serving as Minister for Defence in 2025 and Minister-in-charge of Public Serv ...
,
Minister for Education An education minister (sometimes minister of education) is a position in the governments of some countries responsible for dealing with educational matters. Where known, the government department, ministry, or agency that develops policy and deli ...
and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service *
Ong Ye Kung Ong Ye Kung ( ; zh, s=王乙康, p=Wáng Yǐkāng, poj=Ông It-khong; born 15 November 1969) is a Singaporean politician and former civil servant who has been serving as Minister for Health since 2021. A member of the governing People's Acti ...
,
Minister for Health A health minister is the member of a country's government typically responsible for protecting and promoting public health and providing welfare spending and other social security services. Some governments have separate ministers for mental heal ...
* Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development
People's Action Party The People's Action Party (PAP) is a major Conservatism, conservative political party in Singapore and is the governing contemporary political party represented in the Parliament of Singapore, followed by the opposition Workers' Party of Singap ...
Members of Parliament (MPs) *
Saktiandi Supaat Saktiandi bin Supaat ( Jawi: سقتيند سوڤات; born 29 October 1973) is a Singaporean politician and economist. He is a member of People's Action Party(PAP). He was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Toa Payoh East d ...
, MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC *
Zaqy Mohamad Zaqy bin Mohamad ( Jawi: زاقي محمد; born 15 September 1974) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Deputy Leader of the House, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment since 2025 and Senior Minist ...
, MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC
Workers' Party Workers' Party is a name used by several political parties throughout the world. The name has been used by both organisations on the left and right of the political spectrum. It is currently used by followers of Marxism, Marxism–Leninism, Maoism ...
Members of Parliament (MPs) *
He Ting Ru He Ting Ru ( zh, c=何廷儒, p=Hé Tíngrú; born 16 June 1983) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the Workers' Party (WP), she has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Buangkok division of Sengkang GRC since ...
, MP for
Sengkang GRC The Sengkang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern region of Singapore. It was created from Punggol East Single Member Constituency (SMC), Sengkang West SMC and the then- ...
*
Jamus Lim Jamus Jerome Lim Chee Wui (; born 1976) is a Singaporean politician, economist and associate professor. A member of the Workers' Party (Singapore), Workers' Party (WP), Lim has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Anchorvale di ...
, MP for
Sengkang GRC The Sengkang Group Representation Constituency is a four-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the north-eastern region of Singapore. It was created from Punggol East Single Member Constituency (SMC), Sengkang West SMC and the then- ...
*
Dennis Tan Dennis Tan Lip Fong ( zh, s=陈立峰, p=Chén Lìfēng; born 31 August 1970) is a Singaporean politician and lawyer. A member of the opposition Workers' Party (Singapore), Workers' Party (WP), Tan has been the 14th Parliament of Singapore, Memb ...
, MP for
Hougang SMC The Hougang Single Member Constituency is a single member constituency (SMC) located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The current Member of Parliament is Dennis Tan from the Workers' Party (WP). History The constituency was first for ...
Progress Singapore Party The Progress Singapore Party (abbreviation: PSP) is a political party in Singapore. It was one of the three political parties represented in 14th Parliament, alongside the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and the other opposition Workers' ...
politicians *
Tan Cheng Bock Adrian Tan Cheng Bock ( zh, s=陈清木, poj=Tân Chheng-bo̍k; born 26 April 1940) is a Singaporean former politician and physician. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ayer ...
, founder and leader of the Progress Singapore Party * Leong Mun Wai, non-constituency MP Former politicians *
Ahmad Mattar Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar (born 13 August 1940) is a former Singaporean politician and member of the Cabinet. Education An alumnus of Raffles Institution, Ahmad graduated from the University of Singapore with a degree in physics in 1963. He ...
, former Cabinet minister *
Howe Yoon Chong Howe Yoon Chong ( zh, s=侯永昌, p=Hóu Yǒngchāng; 12 August 1923 – 21 August 2007) was a Singaporean politician and civil servant who served as Minister for Defence between 1979 and 1982, and Minister for Health between 1982 and 1985. ...
, former Cabinet minister * S. Jayakumar, former Cabinet minister * Lee Yock Suan, former Cabinet minister *
Lim Hng Kiang Lim Hng Kiang ( zh, s=林勋强, p=Lín Xūnqiáng, poj=Lîm Hng-kiâng, first=poj; born 9 April 1954) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Minister for Trade and Industry between 2004 and 2018, Minister in the Prime Minister's Off ...
, former Cabinet minister *
Raymond Lim Raymond Lim Siang Keat ( zh, s=林双吉, p=Lín Shuāngjí, born 24 June 1959) is a Singaporean former politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Lim was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the East Coast Group Repr ...
, former Cabinet minister *
Othman Wok Othman bin Wok (8 October 1924 – 17 April 2017), often known as Othman Wok, was a Singaporean statesman who served as Minister of Social Affairs between 1963 and 1977. After retiring from politics, he was Singapore's Ambassador to Indonesia ...
, former Cabinet minister *
S. Rajaratnam Sinnathamby Rajaratnam (; 25 February 1915 – 22 February 2006), better known as S. Rajaratnam, was a Singaporean statesman, journalist and diplomat who served as the first Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1965 and 1980, and 2nd De ...
, former Cabinet minister *
Balaji Sadasivan Balaji Sadasivan ( or ; 11 July 1955 – 27 September 2010) was a Singaporean politician and neurosurgeon. He attended Raffles Institution, Siglap Secondary School and National Junior College, and studied medicine at the University of Singap ...
, former People's Action Party MP for
Ang Mo Kio GRC The Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency is a five-member Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the North-East Region, Singapore, North-East Region of Singapore. It has 5 wards: Teck Ghee, Buangkok–Fernvale South, Seletar–Ser ...
* Png Eng Huat, former Workers' Party MP for
Hougang SMC The Hougang Single Member Constituency is a single member constituency (SMC) located in the north-eastern area of Singapore. The current Member of Parliament is Dennis Tan from the Workers' Party (WP). History The constituency was first for ...
*
Viswa Sadasivan Viswaroopan ("Viswa") Sadasivan (born 1959 in Singapore) was a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) in the Parliament of Singapore from 2009 to 2011. Biography Viswa had his secondary school education at Raffles Institution, before going on t ...
, former Nominated MP Non-Singaporean politicians *
Abdul Razak Hussein Abdul Razak bin Dato’ Hussein (; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first Deputy Prime Minis ...
, 2nd
Prime Minister of Malaysia The prime minister of Malaysia (; ) is the head of government of Malaysia. The prime minister directs the executive branch of the Government of Malaysia, federal government. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong appoints the prime minister who is a membe ...
*
Aziz Ishak Abdul Aziz bin Ishak (1915–1999) was a Malaysian freedom fighter, politician and journalist. Aziz was, in fact, the only member of the pre-war Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) to have served in the 1955 and post-Merdeka Cabinets under Tunku Abdul ...
, Malaysian politician * Michael Chan, British politician * Sardon Haji Jubir, Malaysian politician *
Tan Cheng Lock Tun Sir Cheng Lock Tan KBE, SMN, DPMJ, JP () (5 April 1883 – 13 December 1960) was a Malaysian Peranakan businessman and a key public figure who devoted his life to fighting for the rights and the social welfare of the Chinese com ...
, Malaysian politician *
Tony Pua Tony Pua Kiam Wee (; born 1 August 1972) is a Malaysian politician and investor who served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Damansara from May 2018 to November 2022, for Petaling Jaya Utara from March 2008 to May 2018 and Political S ...
, Malaysian politician * Ong Kian Ming, Malaysian politician * Emil Elestianto Dardak, Indonesian politician


Public service

Defence *
Ng Jui Ping Ng Jui Ping (17 October 1948 – 1 January 2020) was a Singaporean lieutenant-general who served as Chief of Defence Force (Singapore), Chief of Defence Force between 1992 and 1995. Education Ng held a Master of Arts in history from Duke Uni ...
, 2nd
Chief of Defence A chief of defence (or head of defence) is the highest ranked Officer (armed forces), commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The acronym CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national ...
* Bey Soo Khiang, 3rd Chief of Defence *
Lim Chuan Poh Lim Chuan Poh is a Singaporean civil servant, diplomat and former lieutenant-general who is currently the Israel–Singapore relations, Singaporean Ambassador to Israel. He previously served as the Chief of Defence Force (Singapore), Chief of D ...
, 4th Chief of Defence *
Perry Lim Perry Lim Cheng Yeow is a Singaporean former lieutenant-general who served as Chief of Defence Force between 2015 and 2018. Education Lim studied at Raffles Institution and won the President's Scholarship and the Singapore Armed Forces Ove ...
, 9th Chief of Defence * Kirpa Ram Vij, former Director, General Staff of the
Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A component of the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), Ministry of D ...
Education * Ong Teck Chin, former principal of
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (ACS(I)) is an independent Methodism, Methodist secondary school in Dover, Singapore. Founded in 1886 by Reverend William Fitzjames Oldham, it was recognised as an International Baccalaureate World School in 20 ...
* Wong Siew Hoong, former Director-General of the
Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
and headmaster of RI Legal * T. S. Sinnathuray,
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
judge *
Choor Singh Choor Singh Sidhu (19 January 1911 – 31 March 2009), known professionally as Choor Singh, was a Singaporean lawyer who served as a judicial officers of the Republic of Singapore#List of judges of the Supreme Court, judge of the Supreme Court o ...
,
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
judge * Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim, 1st
Attorney-General of Singapore The attorney-general of Singapore is the public prosecutor of the Republic of Singapore and legal adviser to the Government of Singapore. The attorney-general is the head of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), whose staff carries out the f ...
*
Walter Woon Walter Woon Cheong Ming (born 12 September 1956) is a Singaporean lawyer who served as the fifth Attorney-General of Singapore, attorney-general of Singapore between 2008 and 2010. He is currently an Emeritus Professor at the National Univer ...
, 5th
Attorney-General of Singapore The attorney-general of Singapore is the public prosecutor of the Republic of Singapore and legal adviser to the Government of Singapore. The attorney-general is the head of the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), whose staff carries out the f ...
* Charles Gregory Pestana, usher of the Second Magistrate's Court. Foreign affairs * Albert Chua, former Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations * Tommy Koh, former Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations Others * Ambat Ravi S Menon, managing director of the
Monetary Authority of Singapore The Monetary Authority of Singapore or (MAS), is the central bank and financial regulatory authority of Singapore. It administers the various statutes pertaining to money, banking, insurance, securities and the financial sector in general, as ...
* Tee Tua Ba, former
Commissioner of Police A police commissioner is the head of a police department, responsible for overseeing its operations and ensuring the effective enforcement of laws and maintenance of public order. They develop and implement policies, manage budgets, and coordinate ...
* Andreas Emil Lange, former Private Secretary to Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak and the son of Mads Johansen Lange and Nyai Kenyer princess of Bali and uncle of Ibrahim of Johor, the
Sultan of Johor The Sultan of Johor (Malay language, Malay: ''Sultan Johor''; Jawi script, Jawi: ) is a hereditary seat and the sovereign ruler of the Malaysian state of Johor. In the past, the sultan held absolute power over the state and was advised by a '' ...


Sports

* Au-Yeong Pak Kuan, former national footballer * Daphne Chia, former national rhythmic gymnastics athlete, competed at the 2014 Commonwealth Games *
Choo Seng Quee Joseph Choo Seng Quee (; 1 December 1914 – 30 June 1983), popularly known as Uncle Choo, was a Singaporean footballer and football coach. He was coach of the Indonesia, Malaya/Malaysia and Singapore national teams. He is widely recognised ...
, famed national football coach in the 1970s *
Quah Kim Song Quah Kim Song (, born February 1952) is a former Singapore national football team, Singapore international association football, footballer who played as a Striker (association football), striker. Quah's swift agility earned him the nicknames ...
, former national footballer * Soh Rui Yong, two-time SEA Games Marathon Champion and Singapore national record holder at 5,000m, 10,000m, Half Marathon and Marathon * Cherie Tan, Bowling World Champion, six-time SEA Games Gold Medalist, two-time Asian Games Gold medalist


Religion

* Kong Hee, founder and pastor of City Harvest Church * Shi Ming Yi, Buddhist monk and former chief executive officer of Ren Ci Hospital and Medicare Centre


Others

* Subhas Anandan, Singaporean criminal lawyer * Prince Azim of Brunei * Lim Bo Seng, Singapore-based Chinese resistance fighter during World War II * T. A. Sinnathuray, Malaysian professor of obstetrics and gynaecology * Robert M. Solomon, Bishop of the
Methodist Church in Singapore The Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) is the church that Methodists in Singapore belong to. The Church has 46 church (building), churches island-wide with around 45,000 members and is the largest mainline Protestant denomination in Singapore. I ...
* Leaena Tambyah, Singaporean social worker and founder of the first school for children with multiple disabilities in Singapore


See also

*
Education in Singapore Education in Singapore is managed by the Ministry of Education (Singapore), Ministry of Education (MOE). It controls the development and administration of state schools receiving Welfare (financial aid), taxpayers' funding, but also has an adv ...


Notes


References


Bibliography

* Wijeysingha, Eugene et al., (1992), ''One Man's Vision - Raffles Institution in Focus''. * Wijeysingha, Eugene (1985), ''The Eagle Breeds a Gryphon''. * Raffles Programme
"Raffles Programme - Nurturing the Thinker, Leader and Pioneer"
, ''Raffles Family of Schools'', 2006, retrieved 7 December 2006. * Seet, K. K. (1983). ''A place for the people'' (pp. 6–16). Singapore: Times Books International. * Wijeysingha, E. (1963). ''A history of Raffles Institution, 1823-1963''. Singapore: University Education Press. * Makepeace, Walter; Brooke, Gilbert E.; Braddell, Roland St. J. (Eds.). (1991) 921 ''One hundred years of Singapore''. Singapore: Oxford University Press. * Ng Sow Chan (1991). ''She is from the East'' (她来自东 /Ta lai zi dong). Singapore: Raffles Institution.


External links


Raffles Institution's website

Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)'s website

Raffles Programme's website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raffles Institution Schools in Bishan, Singapore Boarding schools in Singapore Secondary schools in Singapore Boys' schools in Singapore Independent schools in Singapore Schools offering Integrated Programme in Singapore Raffles Institution alumni Educational institutions established in 1823 1823 establishments in Singapore Schools in Central Region, Singapore Junior colleges in Singapore