Alsagoff History
SINCE 1912
Founded in 1912 by Syed Mohamed Bin Ahmed Alsagoff
The Alsagoff Arab School was established in 1912 upon the legacy of the last will of its founder and benefactor Syed Mohamed B Ahmed Alsagoff. Students were taught Islamic knowledge and Arabic language, as well as reading and writing in English and Malay. The institution provided education to all Muslims living in the Colony of Singapore then. At such time in Singapore’s history, only a few schools had been established and this was a rare opportunity for the Muslim community to pursuit their education.
The Beginnings
For the first three decades of its existence, only boys were enrolled. In that period between the two World Wars, neither necessity nor demand was perceived for the enrolment of girls into schools.
It was only after the end of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore in the 1940s that girls came to be enrolled. They were in separate schooling sessions and in classes of their own. In the next two decades, more girls came to enroll whilst the number of male students receded.
Eventually, in the mid-sixties, it was decided that the school should only cater to girls, and boys could enroll in other madrasahs. In 1966, the school was converted into an institution for girls only and has remained so since.
The 12 Years Programme
Today, Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah has about 300 students enrolled across its 12-year educational program. Throughout the first 10 years at the Primary and Secondary level, students build a strong foundation in Islamic subjects, learning and memorizing the Qur’an and hadith, as well as other essential subjects that include tafsir, tauhid, fiqh, sirah (Islamic history) and akhlak.
The Diploma in Islamic Studies (DPI) Program that was introduced in 2013 offers our students a chance to further develop their understanding of Islam with subjects like Fiqh Mu’amalat, Usul Fiqh, Tarikh Tasyri’ and many more. With the Diploma in Islamic Studies, our students are well-prepared to continue their education in prestigious Islamic institutions in the Middle East and Malaysia such as the Al-Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt, Yarmouk University in Jordan, Univesiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Kolej Universiti Islam Selangor (KUIS) in Malaysia and others.
In keeping up with the rigorous educational landscape of Singapore, Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah follows the Singapore national curriculum closely. At the end of Primary Six, our students sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). Our school also offers subjects at the O-Levels and A-Levels at the end of the Secondary and Pre-University levels respectively.
Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah is largely self-funded through the Syed Mohamed Ahmed Alsagoff (SMA) Wakaf, with occasional grants from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and contributions from society. Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah is recognized by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) as a heritage school.