The teacher who thought the work by the youth, who would later become Singapore's Prime Minister and now Senior Minister, deserved only that much was Mr Eugene Wijeysingha, who went on to become RI's headmaster between 1986 and 1994, when he retired.

Now 75, he has published a memoir, For A Better Age, a collection of his personal reflections on his 35 years in education, 16 of them in RI.

The book contains many sentimental anecdotes from the past, including that episode with a young Mr Goh, who was among his first batch of students.

The memoir takes one through RI's history, with photos of school life, and a collection of open letters he hand-wrote to his students as headmaster.

The title of the book comes from the school motto, Auspicium Melioris Aevi, Latin for 'hope for a better age', and bears a personal significance for the author.

'As a principal, whatever I did was in the hope of giving the boys my best, so in that sense, it was for a better age for them,' he said in an interview with The Straits Times.

Mr Wijeysingha started teaching at RI in 1959 and left to assume other educational posts in 1966. He returned to RI as headmaster 20 years later.

The idea of the book was hatched about four years ago, when a visit from an old boy rekindled memories of his career, and made him realise he should tell his story. 'Having been in education for so long, I felt a need to share what I had picked up along the way, and perhaps discover how it has changed me after all these years.'

It took him till 2007 to complete the manuscript, which was then handed over to some old boys from the Class of 1988.

That batch, which is due to have its 20th-year reunion, feels that getting Mr Wijeysingha's work published is a special way to do so.

'We thought it was an opportune time to pay homage to our ex-headmaster,' said former headboy Donald Poon, 36 who is now a doctor.

For A Better Age is available at all MPH, Harris and selected Popular bookstores.