Raffles Girls' School
| Raffles Girls' School | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | |
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20 Anderson Road, Singapore 259978 Singapore |
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| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Motto | Filiae Melioris Aevi (Daughters of a Better Age) |
| Established | 1879 |
| Sister school | Raffles Institution |
| Session | Single |
| School code | 3008 |
| Chairman | Hon Justice Judith E J Prakash |
| Principal | Mrs Poh Mun See |
| Gender | Female |
| Enrolment | Approx. 1800 |
| Colour(s) | Green, Black, White |
| Website | http://www.rgs.edu.sg |
Raffles Girls' School (RGS) is an independent girls' school providing pre-tertiary education in Singapore, established in 1879, making it one of the oldest secondary schools here. Today, its educational and co-curricular excellence have made it one of the top secondary schools in Singapore. It provides students with a 6-year Raffles Program which cumulates in the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate in Education (GCE) 'Advanced' Level Examination.
The school 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.
It is not officially affiliated with Raffles Girls' Primary School, despite having a common history.
Before RGS 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. 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. In 1928, the school moved to Queen Street but was forced to vacate the premises during the Japanese Occupation in World War II. The building was occupied by the Kempeitai as its headquarters during the war years. After the war ended in 1945, the school was re-opened and temporarily housed in St. Anthony's Convent. In 1946, it returned to its Queen Street building. In 1959, the primary and secondary sections of the school were separated and the secondary section moved to Anderson Road, while the primary section was renamed Raffles Girls' Primary School (RGPS) and remained in Queen Street till 1979 when it too moved to larger premises on Holland Grove Road. The secondary 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.
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