Our History
Learn more about our heritage.
A Tribute to Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim
Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim was a well-respected statesman. He was admired for his invaluable contributions to Singapore’s early nation-building years as the Health Minister and later the Labour Minister. When he died at a young age in 1962, a state funeral was held for him. The school was named after Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim to honour his contributions to Singapore posthumously.
Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim was appointed as Minister for Labour in 1961, the year which saw the rise of the communists in Singapore. It was a difficult time for him then. As former Minister, Mr Othman Wok, described, it was a heavy responsibility Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim took on. The Labour ministry he was in charge of faced the greatest amount of pressure, but he never swayed from his duties.
Being named after Encik Ahmad Bin Ibrahim serves as a reminder and an inspiration for our teachers and students to emulate his qualities of determination, courage, integrity and service. The school strives to live out these qualities through our core school values and school programmes.
Our History
Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School started in 1963. The school was initially located in Upper Thomson and shifted to the current Yishun campus in 1985. It started out as an integrated school which offered two mediums of instruction, namely English and Chinese language. Malay language was introduced. In 1987. In line with national education policy, the school adopted English as the medium of instruction. The last batch of Chinese-educated students graduated in 1986.
A significant fact about the school’s history is that it was set up as an integrated school, with a primary aim to bring students of different language streams together to study under one roof. The school was positioned with the key role of helping to promote racial cohesion in the early nation-building years and this remains relevant up till today.
Another unique feature of the school is that we are one of three designated school for the visually impaired in Singapore. In 1967, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School was the first pilot school for the Open Education Programme for the blind, where students with varying degrees of visual impairment were integrated into the mainstream education. Today, we proudly continue to have students with visual impairment enjoying all aspects of school life alongside their sighted peers and teachers.
Milestones
List of milestones
1963 | School Opening Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School was founded. As one of the pioneer government schools in Singapore, AI was named after former Minister for Labour and Assemblyman for Sembawang, Encik Ahmad Ibrahim, for his contributions in the early nation-building years. The school was first located at Sembawang Hills estate. |
1967 | First pilot school for the Open Education Programme for the blind AI was chosen as the first pilot school for the Open Education Programme for the blind, whereby the visually-impaired students were integrated into mainstream classes. |
1980 | Well established as pride of the North AI was known as a well-established school of good reputation –‘Pride of the North’. |
1985 | The school moved to a new building in Yishun. It was also the first school to function in that area. |
1987 | AI was given the Guinness Stout Effort Award in recognition of the school’s concerted efforts in integrating visually impaired students into mainstream education through the Open Education Programme. |
1998 | AI celebrated its 35th Anniversary with a carnival and a musical production, ‘The King and I’. Through the 1990s, right up to 2002, AI had staged numerous plays and musicals. |
2006 | AI was recognised as a Niche Programme School for Shooting, given its Shooting competition achievements and strong track record in producing outstanding Shooters for the national youth team. |
2008 | Ms Deborah Ng, the school’s resource teacher for the visually impaired, was honoured with the NIE-Exxon Mobil Caring Teacher Award. |
2011 | Mr Burton T S Row was honoured to be one out of twelve finalists for the President’s Award for Teachers. |
2012 | AISS celebrated its 50th Year in grand fashion with Community Outreach in Yishun neighbourhood in March, a Concert at the Republic Polytechnic in April (Guest-of-Honour, Mr Khaw Boon Wan) and a Gala “Reunion” Dinner in November in the school premises (Guest-of-Honour, President Tony Tan). The school also opened its AI Heritage Boulevard and WeBreathe Room (The Student Centre) on that day. From the last three and a half decades, the school evolved from a small rural school to a modern, well-equipped and well-managed institution. In its own way, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School now ranks among the best educational institutions in Singapore! |
2015 AI’s signature programme, Outdoor Learning Experience (OLE), received MOE’s endorsement. The school’s Learning for Life Programme is now Character Development through OLE. | |
2016 | AI is one of the four schools in Singapore offering the Enhanced Music Programme (EMP) which aims at increasing accessibility to students with music talent and interest to pursue GCE ‘O’ level Music or Higher Music. Complementary is the introduction of the MusicPreparatory Course (MPC) for lower secondary students who are musically talented. Critical Social Inquiry and Media Literacy as AI's second niche. |
2018 | For her leadership in starting the school’s EMP and creating a vibrant music culture, Ms Ng Sheh Feng is conferred the President’s Award for Teachers. |
Principals
List of Past to Present Principals
1962 - 1964 | Mr Leong Chin Toon |
10.02.65 - 08.02.82 | Mr Chia Meng Ann |
09.02.82 - 31.12.82 | Mr Bhajan Singh |
02.01.83 - 31.12.83 | Mdm Daulath Tajuddin |
02.01.84 - 30.11.89 | Mr Ng Chiong Seng |
01.12.89 - 31.12.99 | Mrs Molly Tan |
01.01.00 - 15.12.05 | Mr Tan Keng Joo |
18.12.05 - 15.12.12 | Mr Stephen Chin |
15.12.12 - 17.12.18 | Ms Chew Ing Lim |
17.12.18 - 15.12.23 | Ms Tan Ke-Xin |
15.12.23 - Present | Mr Goh Soon Hoe |