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Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) 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 (recognising schools with 'exemplary school processes and practices'), among other awards. [1] It has been consistently ranked as one of the top among secondary schools in Singapore in the official annual school rankings published by the Ministry of Education.
It is not officially affiliated with Raffles Girls' Primary School, despite having a common history.
[edit] HistoryBefore 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. RGS became a government school in 1903, 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 basic skills like reading, writing, needlework and cookery, as the focus of the school in the past was to equip girls with the tools to become an educated wife. The curriculum 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 have 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. [edit] Features[edit] UniformThe uniform of RGS is 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 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. On Fridays, during Hall Assembly, all girls wear a black and silver striped tie on a green base as part of the uniform. White socks and white shoes are worn. 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. Prefects or Student Leaders wear socks that 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. 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 has a nametag pinned on. [edit] HousesThere are five houses, named after five past principals of the school:
Each house committee has 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 committee plays a pivotal role in the house system. The five houses take part in 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, interhouse games (IHG) are organised by CCAs like netball and photography, as well as miscellaneous staples like the annual Spelling Bee. These IHGs contribute to the Overall Champion House and Best Organised House. For the year 2009, Waddle was the Overall Champion and Tarbet was the Best Organised House. [edit] Disciplinary systemDiscipline is enforced via 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 afffect scholarship and future interview prospects. The disciplinary system is enforced by staff members and prefects. General checks and spotchecks are sometimes conducted before morning assemblies. [edit] Student Leadership[edit] Prefectorial BoardThe Raffles Girls' School (Secondary) Prefectorial Board, also known as RGSPB, was established in 1950. The Bboard consists of prefects from Year 3 and 4, as well as Prefects-in-Training from Year 2. Upper secondary members of the Board wear 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 functions and assists the RGS staff in running events, frequently working with the Peer Support Board to organise such events, such as orientation for the Year 1 pupils. [edit] Peer Support BoardThe 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 introducing the new Secondary 1 pupils into the new environment. The Board organizes 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. Apart from organising school events, the key event for all PSLs in their leadership journey in PSB is the weekly PSL sessions. In these sessions, PSLs meet with the Secondary 1 classes they are in charge of, to share their experiences and thoughts on issues pertinent to Secondary 1s, and to provide a listening ear to the Secondary 1s. After much organizational restructuring in 2005, Junior PSLs (JPSLs) were 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 project would usually be the Sec1 Orientation for the next batch of students. 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”. [edit] Student CongressThe Student Congress is a student-run board that engages the student populace in the processes of the school. Unique among schools in Singapore, RGS' Student Congress is the only one with an intra-school forum that allows discussion of school issues. As of 2009 it is no longer anonymous, a move which has led to student discontent and a decline in support of the forum, and Congress itself. [edit] RGS-International Convention for Youth LeadersThe 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 platform for female youth leaders with diverse backgrounds to exchange 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. Guest speakers from the Corporate sector (e.g. multi-national corporations, from politics (e.g. government agencies) and 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 an exchange of ideas across cultures. [edit] Raffles AcademiesThe 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 academic periods in an RA pull-out class. 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. The RA programme is 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. [edit] Notable alumni
[edit] References
[edit] Links[edit] External links
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