Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School

Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School
With Integrity and Compassion
Location
Yishun Singapore
Coordinates	1°26′10″S 103°49′47″E / 1.43611°S 103.82972°E / -1.43611; 103.82972Coordinates: 1°26′10″S 103°49′47″E / 1.43611°S 103.82972°E / -1.43611; 103.82972
Information
Type	Government, co-educational and secondary
Denomination	Secular
Established	1963
Principal	Ms Chew Ing Lim
Vice principal	Mr L Devakishen Michael and Dr Chua Puay Huat
Enrolment	~1,200
Colour(s)	Green, red and silver
Website	www.ahmadibrahimsec.moe.edu.sg

Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School (or AI) is a co-educational, secular, public school. Originally named Ahmad Ibrahim Integrated Secondary School, it was in the Sembawang Hills Estate in Upper Thomson. It was then the second integrated school to be built in Singapore. The school begun functioning in 1963, with both Chinese and English streams. Today, the school is in the satellite town of Yishun.

The school is named posthumously after a patriotic Malay statesman, Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim, who was the first Minister for Health in independent Singapore. He also served as a Minister for Labour and was the Member of Parliament for the Sembawang ward.

History

• The school was declared open by Mr Lee Khoon Choy, Parliamentary Secretary, Minister of Education. AI adopted the motto of Tolerance and Cooperation as its aim was to break away from the language barriers that existed in most schools then. Mr Chia Meng An was appointed as the first Principal.
• In 1967 the school was chosen as the first pilot school for Open Education Programme for the blind, whereby the visually challenged pupils were integrated into the main stream.
• In 1985 the school moved to a new building in Yishun. It was the first school to function in that area.
• The last batch of Chinese stream students graduated in 1986.
• In 1987 AI received the Guinness Stout Effort award for its Open Education Program, which was given out by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education.
• In 2000 a new principal, Mr Tan Keng Joo, emphasised the achievements of ex-students, especially the polytechnic and university students.

School crest

The torch with its red glowing flame symbolizes the light of integrity and the warmth of compassion. The twirling background design together with the torch is a stylized depiction of the letters "ai", the abbreviated form of the school's name.^[1] The green colour represents the school's value of harmony in a multi-racial, multi-religious school, and the silver colour its perseverance in the pursuit of excellence.

Uniform and discipline

Junior (secondary 1 and 2) boys wear light grey short trousers. Senior boys wear grey long trousers. Girls wear a green skirt. All students wear a white shirt with the school badge, and white socks.^[2]

Conduct marks are given for compliance with the school's expectations, including responsibility and appropriate work habits. Detention and (for male students) corporal punishment are penalties for misbehaviour. For "Category 1" (serious) offences such as truancy, defiance, smoking, vandalism and fighting, at the first offence, boys receive caning plus detention, while girls receive extended detention. The same penalties apply to a repeated "Category 2" offence such as latecoming, chewing gum or use of electronic devices. The less serious offences are punished with detention or Cleaning Work Order.^[2]

Notable alumni

• Judee Tan: Comedienne and actress, Mediacorp
• Lin Meijiao: Actress, Mediacorp

References