A petition has called for the immediate removal of Raffles Institution (RI) principal Aaron Loh over rumoured decisions and changes that have “not been in (the) best interests” of students.
The Change.org petition, started by an “Anonymous Rafflesian” on 24 Oct, gave a few examples of these decisions, which were reportedly leaked from internal meetings.
Source: Raffles Institution
The petition claimed that Mr Loh has plans for all Rafflesians to wear full school uniform for four days a week from 2025.
This would be “extremely uncomfortable for Rafflesians”, especially in Singapore’s “increasingly warm” climate, it said.
Source: Raffles Institution on Facebook
The petitioner also questioned the reasons behind this move, alleging that Mr Loh had described it as building “character” and “identity”.
Next, the petition said that Mr Loh planned to remove judo as a co-curricular activity (CCA) at RI, an alleged move that is also the subject of a separate petition on Change.org.
That petition, started on 26 Oct, claimed that Raffles alumni were “deeply concerned” about the impending shutdown of judo, saying:
Taking away such an influential platform would mean denying future students the opportunity to learn important life skills and values through this esteemed martial art.
Source: Raffles Institution on Facebook
It also said that the decision “also potentially undermines Singapore’s pool of talent in the global judo arena”, referencing Joseph Schooling’s Olympic win in 2016 and adding:
We cannot know which sport will produce Singapore’s next Olympic champion.
The earlier petition said the decision, said to be made by the school board that is led by Mr Loh, had brought about “frustration”.
A megathread on Reddit, which was since removed and reposted, has listed out more “radical changes” said to be coming.
One of the key concerns involved the rumoured removal of air-conditioning from certain areas of the school, including classrooms.
“Concerns have been raised” about how this move will affect students, specifically with regard to their “ability to concentrate and perform academically”, the post said.
Source: Raffles Institution on Facebook
That’s because “in Singapore’s warm climate, air conditioning is considered essential for comfort and effective learning”, it added.
Another bone of contention was Mr Loh’s comments after the “racist incident”, referring to a photo of an RI student wearing a Foodpanda uniform with a dark-skinned face mask for Racial Harmony Day, which circulated on the Internet.
The petition described what he said as “sitting on the fence”.
Some felt this response was inadequate, according to the Reddit megathread, with a “perceived lack of decisive action and genuine remorse”.
Ultimately, the decisions and changes Mr Loh were said to have made “have not been in our best interests”, the petition wrote.
Instead, they “added unnecessary stress and complexities”, it said, adding:
This has resulted in a significant level of discontent and frustration within the school, affecting the overall morale and study environment. We have been left feeling unsupported and unheard, crippling the renowned community spirit by which RI prides itself.
Source: Google Maps
However, some have defended Mr Loh online.
One Reddit user who identified himself as an RI student pointed out in a comment that none of these supposed changes had been directly communicated to the student body.
Hence, some of them can be considered as rumours, he said.
He added that most students believe that the hate against the principal is “extremely unreasonable and disrespectful”.
Urging the person who posted the petition to take it down, he said:
Ranting online is simply a very immature way to deal with the situation.
Other students told The New Paper (TNP) that they had been talking about the petition since 29 Oct, but more students ridiculed the author than supported him.
One student empathised with the author, but didn’t think the petition would lead to any changes.
Responding to TNP’s queries, Mr Loh said that the school was aware of the online threads.
Allegations by anonymous personalities are “not uncommon” in the current media environment, he added.
RI regularly consults stakeholders and periodically reviews programmes and initiatives, he was quoted as saying. This is to ensure that the school “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 also stated:
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.
MS News has reached out to RI for comment on the matter.
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Featured image adapted from Raffles Institution and Google Maps.
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