Raffles Girls School (RGS) has clarified that a controversial comment on “ordinary Singaporeans” that The New Paper attributed to a school spokesman was made “off-the-record” and that the staff member who made the comment did not identify himself as the school spokesman.
In a recent article about RGS’ move from the Anderson Road campus to a new S$90 million campus at 2 Braddell Rise, The New Paper reported that a school spokesman had said: “Moving away from the luxurious condominiums in Orchard Road will allow our girls to reach out more to the ordinary Singaporean.”
The comment drew swift backlash on social media. Calling the remark “elitist” and “unnecessary,” Singaporeans felt that the remark seemed to imply that RGS students are elite and have finally gotten a chance to mingle with the lower class due to the new school location.
Others said that the spokesman is indirectly implying that RGS students are not “ordinary” and felt that the spokesman had an “ivory tower mentality”.
RGS’ director of communications and partnership, Lee Su Yin, has however said that the staff member that was quoted by The New Paper was not the school’s spokesperson and that his comment was made “off-the-record”
Clarifying that the staff member had never “identified himself as such to the reporter”, Ms Lee told TODAY:
“We would like to clarify that The New Paper’s report had referenced an informal conversation with a staff member who was not the school’s spokesperson. In his off-the-record comments to the reporter, he had intended to convey that the move would allow students to engage more deeply with the local community, given the school’s proximity to the Braddell area.”
Academic among those criticising Raffles Girls School spokesman for “elitist” remarks on new campus