By Leow Si Wan

THEY are two schools with very different backgrounds.

One is among the oldest in Singapore, with a history stretching back over 150 years, and is always mentioned in the company of the country's elite - even if it has struggled to live up to that tag in recent years.

The other is a neighbourhood school which few people outside of Jurong West have heard of.

Now, both St Joseph's Institution (SJI) and Rulang Primary have something in common - they were yesterday named as the only recipients this year of the School Excellence Award (SEA), the most prestigious prize given out to schools by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The awards, given to schools which develop all-round students, score highly in academic and other areas such as sports and character development, were introduced in 2004. Since then, 17 primary and secondary schools and junior colleges - including such big names as Temasek Junior College, Raffles Institution and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) - have attained it.

Prize-winning schools can claim excellence for five years, and can renew this status after that.

For SJI, the win is a big step in its efforts to return to the elite after several years in the academic wilderness.

The school had long been considered among the best in Singapore, but slipped down the ranks in the 1980s, after rapid changes to the education landscape led to a succession of poor results.

But since the early 1990s, SJI has taken steps to regain its standing, and winning the top award this year is recognition of its progress, principal Koh Thiam Seng told The Straits Times.

For instance, since 2005, all of its lower secondary students have had to undergo individualised enrichment programmes aimed at creating all-rounders.

Those in a sports co-curricular activity learn about aesthetics or language and communication, while those in clubs and societies take up sports.

They also spend a period every week developing core skills such as critical thinking and interpersonal skills.

As a result of such programmes, standards have been rising - SJI has been among the top-scoring schools in the GCE O levels since 2007.

The next step in SJI's renaissance, Dr Koh said, is to introduce the integrated programme, a seamless programme that allows students to bypass the O levels.

The school has submitted an application to do this, and MOE is now reviewing it. Dr Koh said getting the go-ahead would mean SJI would be able to retain its best students, putting it in the top league here.

In contrast to SJI's national ambitions, Rulang's are much more modest, though no less important. The school opened 79 years ago in a humble shophouse with the aim of providing less-privileged children with a quality education so that they can move on to better things.

That has not changed one bit, said principal Cheryl Lim, although the methods it uses now are much more innovative.

For instance, Rulang has numerous arrangements with schools in Japan and China, and they share pointers on curriculum and other innovative practices.

This year, the school also introduced a modular programme into its physical education curriculum, where students master the integration of music, wushu, rope skipping and gymnastics.

Doing this stimulates creativity, the use of logic and teamwork, said Mrs Lim.

Rulang's success mirrors that of other neighbourhood schools this year.

Among them are Yishun Town Secondary and Riverside Secondary, which won the School Distinction Award, the second-highest honour given by the MOE.

Principals of such schools said funding is the key. Yishun Town principal Tan Yee Kan said money provided by the Government to upgrade infrastructure and support student development programmes over the past few years has helped neighbourhood schools come up with better programmes.

As a result, students say going to school is an enjoyable, enriching experience.

Top accolades

SCHOOL EXCELLENCE AWARD

The top prize which recognises academic achievements and those in the arts, sports and school management. Schools must win Sustained Achievement Awards in three areas - two for primary schools - and two Best Practice Awards, one of which has to be for students' all-round development. Winners: Rulang Primary School and St Joseph's Institution.

SCHOOL DISTINCTION AWARD

Schools need to win Sustained Achievement Awards in two categories, and a Best Practice Award. Winners: Rosyth School, Tao Nan School, Riverside Secondary School, St Hilda's Secondary School, Victoria School, Yishun Town Secondary School and Nanyang Junior College.

O-level exams scorecard

TOP PERFORMERS IN 2008 O-LEVEL EXAMS (SPECIAL/EXPRESS STREAM)

• Anderson Secondary
• Bukit Panjang Government High
• Catholic High
• Cedar Girls' Secondary
• CHIJ St Nicholas Girls'
• Crescent Girls'
• Methodist Girls' (Secondary)
• Nan Hua High
• Singapore Chinese Girls'
• St Joseph's Institution
• Tanjong Katong Girls'
• Victoria School

* Based on average score of Special/Express students for either English or Higher Mother Tongue (L1) and best five subjects (B5)

* The average L1B5 score of students in the above schools was lower than 11 points.

TOP PERFORMERS IN 2008 O-LEVEL EXAMS (NORMAL STREAM)

• Commonwealth Secondary
• Dunman Secondary
• St Margaret's Secondary
• St Patrick's
• Temasek Secondary
• Yishun Town Secondary
• Zhonghua Secondary

* Based on average score of Normal stream students for English (L1) and best four subjects (B4)

* The average L1B4 score of students in the above schools was lower than 19 points.

** Some schools, such as those offering the Integrated Programme (IP) where students skip the O levels, and schools with too few O-level students, were not assessed on their performance in last year's O-level exams.

For the full list of awards, winners and school achievement tables, go to www.moe.gov.sg

This article was first published in The Straits Times.