Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School

Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School (AISS) is a co-educational government secondary school in
Singapore. Founded in 1962, it was the second integrated school to be established in Singapore.

The school is named after Ahmad Ibrahim, Singapore's first Health Minister who was remembered for "garnering the support of all races at a time when communal relations were sensitive and volatile".

History

Ahmad Ibrahim Integrated Secondary School (1962–1986)

AISS was established in 1962 as Ahmad Ibrahim Integrated Secondary School (AISS). It was named after Ahmad Ibrahim, a Malay community leader and politician who died in August 1962. It was the second integrated school established after the introduction of the integrated education scheme in 1960. The school was declared open by Parliamentary Secretary for Education Lee Khoon Choy. The school adopted the motto of "Tolerance and Cooperation" as its aim was to break away from the language barriers that existed in most schools then. Chia Meng An was appointed as the first principal. The school begun functioning in 1963, with both Chinese and English streams.

In 1967 the school was selected as the first pilot school for the Open Education Programme for the blind, which aimed to place visually-impaired students in mainstream secondary school through providing adequate support and facilities. In 1985 the school moved to a new building in Yishun as the first school to function in the newly established satellite town. The last batch of Chinese stream students graduated from Ahmad Ibrahim Integrated Secondary School in 1986, the same year that the institution was renamed Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School to reflect the transition into an English stream school.

Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School (1986–present)

In 1987, the school received the Guinness Stout Effort award for its Open Education Program, which was given out by Tan Cheng Bock, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Education. In 2006, AISS was recognised as a Niche Programme School for shooting due to its strong track record in that sport.

In 2012, AISS celebrated its 50th anniversary, with President Tony Tan launching a heritage gallery and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law K. Shanmugam launching a student centre as part of the celebrations.

School culture and identity

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 stylised depiction of the letters "ai", the abbreviated form of the school's name. 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.

Conduct marks are given for compliance with the school's expectations, including responsibility and appropriate work habits. Penalties for offences include detention, caning (for boys only) and suspension. 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.

Co-curricular activities

The school has produced several outstanding shooters who went on to represent Singapore in major competitions, and has consistently been ranked highly for the National Inter-school Shooting Championships for its 10 metre air rifle event (as part of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) shooting event) despite its background as a neighbourhood school in Yishun. After being awarded as the Niche Programme School for shooting, the school has since received a boost in funding, and is allowed to admit students based on their potential in shooting via Direct School Admission.

Notable alumni

*Jasmine Ser: Olympian (shooting), 2012 Summer Olympics
* Judee Tan: Comedian and actress, Mediacorp
*Lin Meijiao: Actress, Mediacorp
* VK Harneysh : Actor, Vasantham, Mediacorp

External links

School website

See also

* Ahmad Ibrahim - Singapore politician

References

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Educational institutions established in 1962
Secondary schools in Singapore
Schools in Yishun
Yishun
1962 establishments in Singapore