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Black Holes and Revelations
such change, there is little doubt that more aesthetically pleasing school facilities and the introduction of ground-breaking programs like the Gap Semester has enriched our student life.
Rafflesian Times
38
The school is becoming too corporate. There’ s no room for passion or idealism or any of that nowadays, and what is“ right” doesn’ t matter so much as shiny figures and statistics and Ivy league / Oxbridge admissions.’
Aside from the perceived elitism within a school population, some students have taken to RJ Confessions to voice their concerns about the increasing corporatisation of RI, especially with regards to how the school markets itself to others. Over the past few years, there has indeed been a visceral difference not only in how the school presents itself to visitors, but also how it has refurbished its campus and tweaked the learning experience for Rafflesians. Out go the more traditional, green velvet-backed notice boards, the warm red bricked walls and student-produced videos— replaced by high-tech LCD television screens, sleek glass and steel facades, and professionally produced Open House videos with a touch of class. While the more nostalgic side of us may feel an instinctive aversion to
However, there have been legitimate concerns raised over the way RI has tried to make itself seem like an attractive destination for new students, with one confessor of the opinion that‘ RJ went overboard with its self-celebratory news release about Oxford and Cambridge admissions after the A-Level results were announced.’ In the fine balance which invariably has to be struck between publicising our Oxbridge admissions rate and avoiding a corporate overemphasis on results, it could be argued that RI should have erred more on the side of the latter.
Another anonymous poster agrees with this sentiment, commenting that‘ the school is becoming too corporate. There’ s no room for passion or idealism or any of that nowadays, and what is“ right” doesn’ t matter so much as shiny figures and statistics and Ivy league / Oxbridge admissions.’
Even though RI’ s desire to brand itself as the nation’ s best institution is perfectly understandable, many confessors are of the opinion that the school management should simply let our results do the talking, and invest all its efforts in fostering a nurturing school environment. After all, key performance indicators and numbers on a glossy magazine page just cannot replicate that authentic sense of belonging.