What Our Subject is About
The Knowledge Skills department aims to develop students’ thinking, process and communication skills. Our activities and lessons will provide the necessary student experience to enable all in at Raffles Institution to effectively analyse and use
information, with the hope of being able to express individual thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively. The subjects under the Knowledge Skills department comprises General Paper, Project Work, Knowledge & Inquiry and English Language and Linguistics.
A sample of a forum discussion where Y6 KI students each week was tasked to reply to a discussion post, and respond to at least one classmate to advance the discussion. In KI, topics such as art and beauty are explored, so that students are able to understand the nature and construction of knowledge in our society.
What We Do To Develop Students' Interest/Abilities
In spite of the diverse range of subjects offered under the Knowledge Skills department, we have a single aim of developing critical thinking and exposing students to a whole array of knowledge that the world has to offer. Each subject does it differently: the focus in General Paper is on important current affairs, while Project Work delves deeper into local social issues. Knowledge and Inquiry delves into the nature and construction of knowledge. English Language and Linguistics, on the other hand, develops the ability to analyse and study the English Language and also the skills needed as an interpreter and a producer of meaning.
For more on the syllabus, please refer to the following link:
1. https://www.seab.gov.sg/docs/default-source/national-examinations/syllabus/alevel/2021syllabus/9759_y21_sy_SchoolCandidates.pdf (Knowledge and Inquiry)
Who We Are
The KS Teachers are known to be fun-loving and we take great pride in the subjects that we teach, and that is because these are not just mere subjects to us. We believe that what we teach are important life skills and these subjects reflect important concerns that our society is grappling with. Knowledge of these issues is crucial as students move out into the working world.
Teachers you can speak to:
Mr Jarrod Lee ([email protected]) – Knowledge and Inquiry
What Our Students Say
"KI has been one of the most fulfilling and rewarding subjects I have taken in RI. Our class discussions reminded me of what it felt like to be a 3-year-old all over again, back when everything was fresh and exciting and my favourite word was ‘why?’. You shouldn’t expect KI to be your best subject. But if you stick with it, you will learn the valuable skills of cutting through dogma and unravelling fallacious arguments, skills which will serve you well in this increasingly verbose and post-truth world. Take KI if you have a passion for Math, Science, Social Science, History, Ethics or Epistemology — or all of the above. Take KI if you think that current affairs are merely the symptoms of more fundamental problems, problems that are better answered by examining the musings of great thinkers, past and present. Above all, take KI only if you’re willing to accept criticism, work independently and challenge the beliefs you currently hold."
- Ng Ziqin 20S03H"KI asks questions about knowledge that we take for granted and encourages us to view topics from a different perspective. This made KI lessons incredibly interesting and unique. As a student, I enjoyed the discussion-driven nature of KI classes as it allowed me to engage with the subject more deeply. Although KI might strike some as rather “niche”, I believe that KI teaches key critical thinking and writing skills that are easily transferable across disciplines."