Raffles Institution

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School History

Raffles Institution (RI), formerly known as Singapore Institution, was founded by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in June 1823.

Progressive since the beginning, the school welcomed female students in 1844 and began offering pre-university classes in 1886. In 1879, the girls’ wing was established as its sister school, Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary). Raffles Junior College (RJC) was established in 1982 to take over RI’s pre-university enrolment. RJC operated for two years (1982–83) on Paterson Road and relocated to Mount Sinai Road in 1984. That same year, RI became one of the first schools to offer the school-based Gifted Education Programme.

Raffles Institution was originally on Bras Basah Road. In 1972, the school moved to Grange Road and then relocated to the Bishan campus in 1990, the year when the school attained independent status. The Bishan campus was officially declared open during the 169th Founder’s Day on 18 July 1992 by then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. On 15 March 1994, then Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew laid the RI Boarding Complex foundation stone and officially opened the Raffles Institution Archives and Museum.

In 2004, the Raffles Programme, also known as the ‘through train’ programme, was introduced as a six-year Integrated Programme leading to the General Certificate of Education A-Level examinations. At the end of 2004, RJC moved from Mount Sinai Road to the Bishan campus and took up residence next to RI. On 1 January 2005, RJC acquired independent status. In 2007, RI established the Raffles Academy, which is part of the Raffles Programme, with the merger of the Gifted Education and the Special/ Express streams into a single stream. In 2009, RI and RJC reintegrated under the name Raffles Institution to offer a six-year programme together with RGS.

The school is currently located at 1 Raffles Institution Lane.

Principals (Raffles Institution):
- Mr J.H. Moor (1837–1842)
- Rev J.C. Dickenson (1843–1843)
- Mr J.C. Smith (1843–1852)
- Rev W.B. Wright (1852–1857)
- Mr J.B. Bayley (1857–1870)
- Mr R.W. Hullett (1870–1906)
- Mr C.M. Phillips (1906–1921)
- Mr D.A. Bishop (1921–1931)
- Mr G.C. Davies (1931–1932)
- Mr D.W. McLeod (1932–1940)
- Mr M.R. Holgate (1940–1945)
- Mr F.L. Shaw (1945–1948)
- Mr E.H. Wilson (1948–1951)
- Mr P.F. Howitt (1951–1954)
- Mr J. Young (1954–1957)
- Mr V. Ambiavagar (1958–1959)
- Mr Seah Yun Khong (acting; 1959)
- Mr Richard Tambyah (acting; 1960)
- Mr Philip Liau (acting; 1960)
- Mr Soo Ban Hoe (acting;1960)
- Mr Wee Seong Kang (acting; 1961)
- Mr Cheong Pak Lo (acting; 1962)
- Mr E.W. Jesudason (1963–1966)
- Mr Philip Liau (1966–1977)
- Mr A.K. Sigamoney (1978–1985)
- Mr Eugene Wijeysingha (1986–1994)
- Mr Tan Tiek Kwee (1995–1998)
- Mr Wong Siew Hoong (1999–2004)
- Mr Koh Chin Nguang (2005–2008)
- Mrs Lim Lai Cheng (2009–2013)
- Mr Chan Poh Meng (2014–2017)
- Mr Frederick Yeo (2018–2023)
- Mr Aaron Loh (2024 - present)

Related School: Raffles Junior College

Key Milestones


1823	Founding of Raffles Institution, formerly known as Singapore Institution.
1886	Establishment of the first Pre-University Centre with Queen’s Scholarship classes.
1972	Relocation from Bras Basah Road to Grange Road.
1982	Establishment of Raffles Junior College at Paterson Road.
1984	Relocation of Raffles Junior College from Paterson Road to Mount Sinai Road. Implementation of school-based Gifted Education Programme.
1990	Relocation to Bishan campus and gaining of independent status.
2004	Implementation of Raffles Programme.
2005	Relocation of Raffles Junior College from Mount Sinai Road to Bishan.
2009	Reintegration of Raffles Junior College with Raffles Institution.

School Motto

Auspicium Melioris Aevi – Hope of a Better Age

School Crest

The school crest has many elements based on Sir Stamford Raffles’s coat-of-arms, such as the gryphon, a twin-headed eagle and a double medallion. The school motto, ‘Auspicium Melioris Aevi (Hope of a Better Age)’, is also adopted from Raffles’s coat-of-arms, which came into use in October 1817 by a grant of the Royal College of Arms.

A mythical hybrid of two regal creatures, the gryphon combines the speed, flight and penetrating vision of the eagle with the strength, courage and majesty of the lion. It sits atop the crest, ringed by a crown, symbolic of the Institution’s enduring strength and its trust in nobility and intellectual endeavor.

The mighty and majestic ruler of the skies is portrayed as a twin-headed eagle. One head draws strength and insight from the lessons of the past, while the other looks ahead to the rich potential inherent in the future. It is also indicative of the school’s universality as it looks to both the East and West for inspiration.

A double medallion sits at the heart of the crest. It is a representation of the Order of the Golden Sword, a personal decoration that was conferred upon Raffles by the Sultan of Aceh in 1811. Inscribed upon the upper medallion in Jawi script is a salutation from Sultan Alaudin Jauhar Al-Alam. The lower medallion bears the image of a kris, a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger indigenous to Southeast Asia. Both a weapon and a spiritual object, the kris symbolises heroism. The double medallion embodies the school’s founding tenet of multiculturalism, and the presence of both Jawi and Latin on the school crest inspires students towards an outlook that combines the East and the West.

The colours green, black and white are the standard colours of the House of Raffles. They occupy the central place in the crest and have been adopted as the colours of the Institution.

For more about the RI crest, please go to:
https://rafflesiantimes.wordpress.com/2016/05/27/ri-school-crests-over-time/

School Song

♫ Listen

The school song or the Institution Anthem, was written by Principal E.W. Jesudason (1963 to 1966) in 1963.

When Stamford Raffles held the torch
That cast Promethean Flame
We faced the challenge of the day
To give our school a name
The eagle eye and gryphon strength
They led us to the fore
To reign supreme in ev’ry sphere
The Sons of Singapore
Come heed the call Rafflesians all
And let our hearts be stirring
We’ll do our best whate’er the test
And keep our colours flying
Let comradeship and fervent hope
With one voice make us pray
Auspicium Melioris Aevi
With God to guide the way