By Faith Ho (22A01A) and Shermaine Lim (22S03N)
It is with deepest sorrow that Raffles Press is announcing that we have been recently involved in a lawsuit with a company that we are unable to name as of now.
We have outlined the chronology of events in this article, as we want to be fully transparent and accountable to our readers. We hope that you can support us through this difficult time.
In February, we received a letter of complaint informing us of this organisation’s displeasure with Press and their intention to seek a sizeable monetary compensation of 52 bubble teas (KOI, 120% sugar, with pearls). Further details are to be kept confidential due to the legally binding non-disclosure agreement.
Confident that anyone who orders bubble tea with 120% sugar level was illegitimate in their egregious claims, we decided to press on with the legal battle with the assurance of victory.
Unfortunately, we suffered an unexpected and stinging defeat, due to a loophole that we had neglected. It was used as leverage against us, forcing us to concede. Sadly, in addition to the cost of the 52 bubble teas, the final agreement stipulated that we had to cover the cost of both our and the other party’s legal fees.
With the assistance and guidance of our beloved teachers-in-charge, Press has dedicated the past month to brainstorming for a sustainable fundraising method to cover the legal costs. Our initial idea was to put up a paywall, taking inspiration from an article we published last year. However, we realised that the responses to that article about making Raffles Press a subscription service were shockingly dire, with majority of the students believing it to be an attempt at humour (“haha” and “very funny” were the primary comments elicited when interviewed) and only a mere 0.0001% of students were amenable to the plan.
In view of our dire and urgent circumstances, it became clear that a new feasible plan was needed. As such, we had to seek an alternative.
After many rounds of brainstorming, we are proud to announce that with effect from 31 April 2021, Raffles Press will be licensing our articles to Raffles Institution to be used as comprehension texts in the General Paper (GP) examinations and practice papers. For the remainder of 2021, we have signed a contract with the Knowledge Skills department, allowing us to sell our articles to cover the extensive legal fees.
We intend to publish the articles used for GP on our website after the examinations. This is so that the GP students can relive their enjoyment of the exams afterwards, and even share this joy with the KI students.
Hence, moving forward, all Raffles Press materials will consist of approved texts and articles that are aligned with the A-level syllabus. This means that we are deleting all sections unrelated to matters of serious national concern and importance, such as the Humour section. We are doing our best to ensure the maximum quality of materials for your education.
In the interim, Raffles Institution will continue using external sources for GP article inserts. In order to facilitate this crucial transition, Press will be releasing the first edition of Raffles Press GP Revision Guides in collaboration with ‘Lady Liars Proof’ publishing house. We hope that these guides will allow students to be familiarised with the types of GP articles that will be used for the exams moving forward. These revision guides are compilations of KS Bull essays, annotated Press articles, and their relevant analysis.
Every student is entitled to a discounted copy of the revision guide which can be purchased from the Student Affairs Centre effective immediately. As part of Press’ fundraising efforts, the cost of each guide is fixed at $10 (U.P. $100). In order to ensure that everyone is able to purchase it, each student is only entitled to one copy.
“It was a difficult decision to make, but we at Raffles Press believe that such a partnership will not only improve our financial outlook but also help us reach a new and different standard of writing. We are definitely also considering expanding this partnership to other schools, and hope that one day our articles can even be used on a national level,” said Press’ spokesperson. “We hold firm to the belief that where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
As we embark on this publishing journey through uncharted waters, Raffles Press hopes for the support from our beloved student body.
We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support thus far and we hope that you can continue to stick with us through this venture.
P.s. To learn more about the sale of Press articles for GP exams, please visit this guide.