Two Principals, Two Disciplinarians


Jesudason and Philip Liau

It goes without saying that in those days the RI boys were terrified of their principals. The cohort of 1963-69 had two principals, Mr E W Jesudason (1962-1966) and Mr Philip Liau (1966-1977). Both were very distinctive, flamboyant characters and no ex-Rafflesians will ever forget them. To young boys these two men stood tall as very fierce disciplinarians. Both were very willing to use corporal punishments especially the cane on errant boys. The news was that Jesudason slapped one of us in the face in the school field and several boys witnessed that punishment. Philip Liau never spared the cane on the buttocks of boys sometimes openly at the school assembly.

However the school population respected both because they were very fiercely loyal to school; always fighting to uphold the School’s reputation. They engendered and promoted the Rafflesian Spirit and educational excellence, making sure that Raffles Institution maintained its position as Singapore's premier school. Both were very creative and promoted music and the arts in RI although RI boys were more known the excel in the Sciences and Engineering

Jesudason introduced music and singing as lessons and in the school assemblies. He brought in Mr Benjamin Khoo and Mr David Lim, both Inspectors of School for Music from the Ministry of Education, to teach us. He introduced the School Anthem, Auspicium Melioris Aevi, writing the stirring lyrics himself to which Benjamin Khoo added equally stirring music. He resurrected old songs by penning new lyrics, one of which being O Danny Boy to which he wrote the lyrics The Race in Run. This song became the sports anthem.

Jesudason fought fiercely for Raffles Institution. One year, Anglo Chinese School (ACS) apparently beat RI at the O level in terms of number of passes. Jesudason mentioned this at the Founder’s Day but hinted that ACS cheated and fixed the results. He said that ACS, in an attempt to pass RI in the O levels transferred their weak students to the afternoon school, then a different school under the name of Oldham Methodist School.

Mr Philip Liau was equally fierce in maintaining RI's premier position. He was very proud of the Raffles Players, our school’s drama society in which we partner our sister school, Raffles Girls School. For some reason he felt that RGS was riding on the work of RI and after a quarrel with Miss Norris, RGS principal, Raffles Players was split when we were in Pre-University One.

Poh Seng said that in an attempt to attract RI boys to use the school library, Philip Liau introduced comics to the library collection. During his time, the Kiwi Cup, the Rugby Competition between the two top rugby schools, Raffles Institution and Saint Andrews School. Philip Liau was also known as a great and inspiring orator and he made many inspiring speeches touting the various achievements of the school.

We, Rafflesian are really proud of our school, we respected our principals and stood in awe of them.

Contributed by Lionel and Poh Seng

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