Raffles Institution (RI) was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles as Singapore Institution in 1823, making it the first colonial school to be established in Singapore. Raffles’ goal in setting up the school was to educate the native elites of the island. The original school building, completed in 1838 under the guidance of prominent merchant Alexander Guthrie, was located on a seafront stretch along Victoria Street in what is known as Bras Basah Road today. In 1868, the private school was renamed RI in honour of its founder and in 1906, it became a government school under the management of the colonial authorities. The school shifted from its Brash Basah premises to Grange Road in 1972 and subsequently to its present site at Bishan in 1990. RI has developed over the years into an elite secondary school with prestigious alumni that include former prime ministers Lee Luan Yew and Goh Chok Tong, as well as former presidents Yusof Ishak, Benjamin Sheares, and Wee Kim Wee.
