Madrasah students start school year with hijrah walk to new $17.5m campus
Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah students make bittersweet move to new $17.5 million campus
The first day of school for the students of Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah (MAI) was marked by a hijrah walk from the old campus to the new one.
Most students that The New Paper spoke to yesterday said that the move was bittersweet.
"I spent the last two years in the old campus and made many fond memories there so I was quite sad to leave," said a 15-year-old student Imam Ghozali Othman.
"But I am looking forward to the new science labs and bigger classrooms," added the Secondary 3 student.
A new school flag was also unveiled to commemorate the occasion, symbolising a new beginning for the madrasah. The hijrah, which means migration in Arabic, was taken on by a total of 350 students, 40 staff members and 30 guests yesterday.
Speaking to the media, Mr Herman Cher Ma'in, principal of MAI, said the walk not only signified the physical movement of the relocation, but also the spirit of migration. In history, he added, the hijrah from Mecca to Medina allowed the Islam religion to flourish.
"Similarly, we want our students to flourish in spirituality and resilience, and to use what they have learnt to have a positive impact in society," said Mr Herman.
The new five-storey school block is located at 3 Lorong 6 Toa Payoh, next to its previous premises, which it has been occupying for the last decade.
At the new campus, students will have access to two science laboratories, a resource lab, a teaching and learning lab, and an audio visual activity room.
In the previous four-storey campus, there was just a science lab, a resource lab and a computer room. There are also 29 teaching staff now, an increase of four workers.
The project took on a 20-month construction period, costing about $17.5 million.
It was raised by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and donors.
With new subjects like higher mother tongue (Malay and Tamil) and art, the madrasah currently offers dual curriculum.
FUTURE-READY
Since 2016, the madrasah has placed a strong focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics, alongside Islamic subjects, said Mr Herman.
With this, MAI aims to nurture a pool of future-ready leaders for the community.
"There is no other way to go about this than to immerse one's self with technology. Coding, for example, will be one of the important subjects for the students," Mr Herman said.
"Moving forward, I'd like to see everyone learn and grow together regardless if one is a teacher or a student. The building is just a shell. What makes it whole is the teachers and students," he added.
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