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RI students unhappy with proposed changes petition to oust principal
Nathaniel FetalveroCorrespondentJul 26, 2024
RI students unhappy with proposed changes petition to oust principal
The petition, launched on change.org on Oct 24, alleges a disregard for student welfare and a focus on superficial matters over genuine student needs.PHOTO: SCHOOLBAG
Rumoured changes at Raffles Institution (RI) have sparked a student revolt, with a petition now circulating online calling for principal Aaron Loh's immediate dismissal.
The alleged changes, reportedly leaked from internal meetings, span curriculum adjustments, CCA restructuring, policy shifts and even facility modifications.
A major point of contention is the rumoured CCA overhaul, including the removal of Judo and other CCAs, and the conversion of some Merit CCAs (like Chess and Math Club) to Core CCAs.
This restructuring has sparked debate, with some arguing it improves resource allocation and broadens participation, while others worry about losing specialised activities and impact on students' CCA records and Leap applications.
Further anxiety stems from potential curriculum cuts, including Philosophy, Research Education (RE), and Raffles Academy, which some fear will limit academic opportunities and hinder intellectual growth.
Adding to the list of rumoured changes is a mandatory full-school-uniform policy reportedly slated for 2025, which has been met with student resistance due to comfort concerns in Singapore's tropical climate.
Perhaps the most controversial rumour is the potential removal of air-conditioning from certain school areas, a move that has sparked widespread concern about student comfort and learning effectiveness in Singapore's heat.
"I don't understand the air-con removal. It's true that students from most schools don't have it, but do you think they don't complain about the heat?" read one comment on Reddit.
"I think most will agree it's more conducive to study in a comfortable environment where you're not sweating.
"RI students are very lucky to have air-con. So why the need to remove it? Does it promote national unity for all students to suffer in the heat together?"
Other reported changes, including a restructuring of the Gap Semester Programme, a shift to the SLS learning platform and unconfirmed reports of teacher resignations, have further ruffled student feathers.
Not my principal
These rumoured changes have culminated in a petition calling for the removal of principal Aaron Loh.
Launched on Change.org on Oct 24, the petition alleges a disregard for student welfare and a focus on superficial matters over genuine student needs.
“The role of a principal is crucial in determining the academic and emotional success of the students. RI deserves a principal who will listen to us, work for us, and prioritise our needs; a principal who understands the pressures we face and helps us navigate them,” wrote the petition author.
Beyond specific policy changes, the petition criticises Mr Loh's leadership style, alleging a lack of empathy and responsiveness to student concerns.
It claims Mr Loh's response to a recent racist incident involving a student was inadequate, demonstrating a lack of remorse and a failure to address the underlying issues.
The petition author states that Mr Loh's claim to "understand what it is like to be a Rafflesian" rings hollow in light of his decisions.
At time of writing, the petition had gathered more than 350 signatures.
Petition is 'unreasonable and disrespectful'
However, not all of the school’s students agree with the petition.
Reddit user u/Expert-Pound6093, claiming to be an RI student, argued on an Oct 29 Reddit thread discussing the petition that much of the outrage stems from rumours and that the administration has not formally communicated these changes to the student body.
He stated that the Judo CCA was being removed due to having “the least number of applicants for the past few years”, indicating its unpopularity.
“It is not unreasonable for the school administration to remove these CCAs as by removing them more resources can be used on other CCAs and hence provide more opportunities (e.g. overseas trips) and improvements (e.g. better equipment) and allow more students to join these CCAs,” the redditor added.
The user criticised the petition organisers for their approach, calling it "very immature" and suggesting that dialogue with the school administration would be more effective.
“You are only creating confusion and unnecessary drama to our school,” he wrote. “You are not helping, so please stop trying to ‘help’ in your own ‘unique’ way.”
In a separate Reddit megathread compiling all the rumoured changes at RI, u/Expert-Pound6093 emphasised that those who agreed with the petition author were in the minority.
"I am a student from RI, and I and most students in the cohort do believe that this hate against the principal is extremely unreasonable and disrespectful to Mr Loh,” his comment read. “Many of these ‘changes’ are rumours, the principal has not given any official statement on the matter.”
He added: “It is better for students to treat this matter rationally by respectfully emailing the school staff to voice out their queries and discontent. Ranting them out or petitioning does not resolve any issue and only adds scandal and damages the school’s image.”
RI students whom TNP spoke to had mixed feelings about the petition.
One Year 6 student expressed empathy for the petition author's cause, but admitted to having little stake in the matter since he is graduating soon.
“I can see where they’re coming from,” he said. “But I don’t think this will lead to any changes.”
Others laughed when asked if they had heard of the petition and confirmed seeing posts about it on social media.
One student added that the petition had been the talk of the school since the night of Oct 29, but that the discourse was more often ridiculing the author than supporting him.
The principal says...
Responding to queries from TNP, Mr Loh said that the school "is aware of online threads commenting on the school policies and leadership", adding that "allegations by anonymous personalities are not uncommon in today’s media environment".
"RI regularly consults our stakeholders and periodically reviews our programmes and initiatives to ensure that it continues to meet our students’ learning needs, supports our students’ holistic well-being and remains in line with the school’s and MOE’s desired educational outcomes," he continued.
"The school is currently conducting such a review in consultation with our stakeholders, including staff and student groups. RI will engage the school community on any changes when the review is completed. We welcome the school community to continue using established channels to share their feedback directly with us."
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