Prison inmate, 31, gets 4 distinctions for O-Levels in Prison School

While on remand for a drug trafficking offence in 2021, Nabil (not his real name) found out his sister had passed away.

It was devastating as she was dear to him — and it was worse when he realised he wouldn't be able to see her for the last time.

Fortunately, he was allowed to be released on bail to attend her funeral.

But it was a wake-up call.

He was determined never to find himself in prison again.

Making prison time meaningful

Nabil is no stranger to the prison system as he's currently serving his third stint in prison, previously having served time for drug abuse.

Determined to turn over his life, Nabil decided to spend the almost six years he would have in prison to better himself.

Studying and preparing for examinations was not the easiest, as the last time he picked up a pen was 15 years ago — and he didn't put much effort into his studies even back then.

The syllabus seemed much harder than he remembered, but his determination and the support of his teachers kept him going.

In 2023, Nabil sat for his N-Level examinations as a student at the Singapore Prison School.

He had scored well for the N-Levels. But on Jan. 10, 2025, while waiting for his O-Level results, just like any other student, Nabil still felt nervous.

Receiving his results with joy

Together with his small cohort, Nabil waited patiently in the prison's library as the clock ticked down to 2:30 p.m.

But he was all smiles after receiving his scores.

His fellow inmates also shared similar moments of joy, exchanging congratulations over their results.

He earned four distinctions — a result he was proud of.

His Principles of Accounting (POA) teacher, Maria Thiah, who is 60, said Nabil was a very hardworking student.

It was a happy surprise for them both that he scored A1 for POA.

“I’m very happy that he has put in the effort,” she said. "That's what matters most."

Hoped he made his parents proud

Nabil attributed his success to a product of studying day and night with a good dose of determination.

Classes began at 8:30am and ended around 12pm to 3pm, after which he would go back to his cell to study until 11pm at night.

When asked what kept him motivated, he said without hesitation:

"I have my end goal in mind, which is that I want a better future for myself. So I believe that education will give me a better future, therefore I put in a lot of effort into studying."

Not only that, he don't want to let his parents, now in their seventies, down again.

As his biggest supporters, they visit him monthly and exchange letters of encouragement.

"I don't want to go back to prison again," he said. "I want to be able to spend time with them."

“I hope my achievement today puts a smile on their faces."

Aspirations

Moving forward, Nabil is preparing for the A-Level examinations this year, which he plans to take as a private candidate after his expected release in June.

After A-Levels, Nabil is setting his sights on getting a degree in business at a local university.

Although he doesn't have a specific career in mind yet, he hopes to do something related to finance.

Singapore Prison School

The Prison School is located within the premises of Institution Tanah Merah 1 (formerly known as Tanah Merah Prison), which houses offenders who have opted to pursue their education during their incarceration.

The Prison School team comprises uniformed staff, full-time teachers as well as adjunct teachers and volunteers.

Each year, more than 300 inmates further their education in the Prison School, the Singapore Prison Service said.

The school runs academic classes of various levels, including General Education (GE) course, Normal Academic (NA), Ordinary (O) and Advanced (A) Levels.

The Prison School registered 31 prison candidates last year for the O'Levels examination.

Out of the 31 candidates, 21 took their exams in Institution TM1, Institution A4 and Institution B5, while 10 were released before the exam in October 2024.

38.9 per cent of those who sat for the examinations obtained five or more passes this year.

Top photos by Philip Ong/Mothership