SINGAPORE - Raffles Girls' School (Secondary), Cedar Girls' Secondary and Tao Nan School are among 40 schools getting new principals next year as part of the Ministry of Education's annual reshuffle exercise.

This "allows schools to benefit from new perspectives, and enables experienced principals to bring and share best practices across schools", the ministry said on Friday (Oct 18).

The reshuffle will see first-time principals appointed to 21 of the schools involved in the exercise. The ministry said their appointments represent an important career milestone and will see them assume bigger responsibilities as leaders in education.

It added: "For the 19 current principals and headquarter officers who will be assuming new principalship appointments, it is an affirmation of MOE's confidence in their abilities to continue guiding our teachers, staff and students in schools."

First-time principals include Mr Kevin Pang Chin Keat, who will head Yuhua Secondary School; Madam Tey Kah Hwee, who will helm Cedar Girls' Secondary; and Ms Poh Qinyu, who will lead Tao Nan School. All three are currently vice-principals at their respective schools.

Separately, Madam Haslinda Zamani, who is currently a cluster superintendent with MOE, will head RGS (Secondary) while Madam Soh Lai Leng, present principal of Catholic High School, will move over to helm the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science.

Madam Haslinda was previously appointed principal of Tanjong Katong Secondary School in 2013.

The 40 new principals will receive their letters of appointment from MOE's director-general of education Wong Siew Hoong, at a ceremony in December which Education Minister Ong Ye Kung will attend.

During the ceremony, MOE will also acknowledge the contributions of retiring principals and senior education officers from its headquarters who have formerly served as principals.