SINGAPORE – Like any other O-level student on Jan 10, Nabil (not his real name) was both anxious yet excited to receive his results.

When he received his results, he felt mostly satisfied with the six subjects that he took, but said that he could have done better at English. In total, he scored four distinctions, including two A1s, in Malay and principles of accounts.

For Nabil, excelling in his studies was something he never thought would be possible. After falling into bad company in his teen years, he spent most of his 20s in jail for drug-related offences.

He was charged in 2013 and 2014 for drug abuse, and, currently, is serving his longest sentence of five years and eight months, which he began serving in 2022, for trafficking in a controlled substance.

While he was waiting to be sentenced in 2021, he received a wake-up call when a family friend had to bail him out to attend his sister’s funeral.

He said: “My parents are in their 70s. If I was (in prison) again, I cannot spend time with my mum and dad.”

He applied to attend Prison School soon after he was jailed in 2022, and was accepted in 2023. He emerged as one of Prison School’s top N-level students, 15 years after leaving mainstream school.

“Education is the one way to upgrade myself and change my life,” he said.

Prison School’s O-level programme lasts only one year so students like Nabil must complete a syllabus that is usually taught over two years in half the time.

Ms Maria Thiah, the principles of accounts teacher at Prison School who taught Nabil, said: “One of the biggest challenges is keeping (the syllabus) concise and to the point.”

The 60-year...