52 schools, including 4 junior colleges, to get new principals in 2024
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Mr Aaron Loh will be Raffles Institution's new principal in 2024. He was a student at RI and Raffles Junior College.
PHOTOS: AARON LOH, ST FILE
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SINGAPORE - When the new school year starts in 2024, 52 schools here will get new principals as part of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) annual reshuffle exercise.
These include four junior colleges – Catholic Junior College, Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Junior College and Raffles Institution (RI) – as well as Millennia Institute.
Of the appointments, 15 principals will be taking on the role for the first time, MOE said on Wednesday.
In a statement, the ministry said the process of appointing and rotating principals allows schools to benefit from new perspectives and enables experienced principals to share best practices across schools.
“Our principals will have the opportunity to broaden their experiences and strengthen the work of the schools that they are newly appointed to lead,” it added.
Becoming RI’s new principal will be a homecoming of sorts for Mr Aaron Loh, 48, as he will be working with some of his former teachers and colleagues.
He was a student at RI and Raffles Junior College (RJC), and taught literature and general paper at the college for about three years. In 2009, RI and RJC came together under the name Raffles Institution to offer a six-year programme with Raffles Girls’ School.
He hopes to continue to build on the school’s achievements and strong tradition – RI celebrated its bicentenary earlier in 2023
“I see this as my chance to give back to the school and the Rafflesian community,” said Mr Loh, who has been in the education sector for over 20 years and is currently divisional director of educational technology at MOE.
“The school has contributed a lot to who I am as a person, as well as my career choice, as I had wonderful teachers,” he said.
He will take over from Mr Frederick Yeo, 52, who was appointed RI’s principal in 2017. Mr Yeo will be moving to MOE, where he will be director of educational leadership and school excellence.
Ms Poh Shi Hui, 38, who will head Ngee Ann Secondary School in Tampines, is excited about stepping into the role of a principal for the first time.
She is currently vice-principal at Northbrooks Secondary School in Yishun and has about 10 years of experience in the education sector, including stints at MOE headquarters.
Her main priority when she begins her new role is to understand the strengths, aspirations and needs of the staff and students.
MOE also announced that 10 principals will be leaving the service by the end of 2023, either due to retirement or the completion of their re-employment contracts.
One of them is Mr Peter Tan, 62, principal of Queensway Secondary School, who will be retiring after over three decades in education. He has held various leadership appointments in his career, including principal at Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) and Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road).
Mr Tan said the “joy of being a principal was... to see students mature and grow, and that they built relationships with you”.
He added: “As a principal, I want to see students do better in life or make things better for themselves. It’s really about giving them hope that they can achieve what they want to.”
His advice for newly appointed principals: “Find ways to enhance the spirit and drive of the teachers – they generally want to do their best for their students. So, the principal should (listen to) the heartbeat of the teachers and move them in a direction that will benefit the students.”
MOE will appoint the principals at the annual Appointment and Appreciation Ceremony for Principals on Dec 28.
The ministry will also acknowledge the contributions of retiring principals and senior education officers from MOE headquarters who have formerly served as principals.
