Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Kangarooc (talk | contribs) at 02:57, 13 December 2006. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Secondary (Toa Payoh) is an autonomous school located in Singapore, was founded in 1845. As its name suggests, it is a Catholic secondary school for females and is part of the IJ family of 11 schools. CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) is the oldest and original IJ school among the 11th CHIJ Schools. The school has just been renovated and moved back in January 2006 to their Toa Payoh Lorong 1 site after having spent two years (2004 and 2005) at a holding site in Thomson Road. Our 'brother' school is the St Joseph Institution. Miss Theodora Tan, was CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh)'s until 2006 July before Mrs Regina Lee took over.

The school motto is Simple Dans Ma Vertu, Forte Dans mon Devoir, which means Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty.

The school first started in Victoria Street and was known as the Town Convent. After it was forced to move out from its premises at Victoria Street, the school was given two plots of lands, one in Toa Payoh and the other in Ang Mo Kio. CHIJ Primary and Secondary (Toa Payoh) now occupy the Toa Payoh plot while CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School occupies the Ang Mo Kio plot.

With regards to uniform, all CHIJ schoolgirls wear a knee-length blue pinafore with a belt, and a white blouse with a Peter-Pan collar beneath the pinafore, as well as white socks and white-based track shoes. Counsellers, which are known as prefects previously, wear a pin above the school badge. There different types of prefectorial badges, trainee prefect (green), prefect (white) and 'noblesse oblige' for counsellers - just below the vice-head prefect in rank. There are slight variations between the CHIJ schools in the form and design of the badges worn on the pinafore, but all carry the same IJ crest. Apart from the crest on the pinafore, you can differentiate the students from what material their badge is and how high their belt is worn.

The school celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2004.

School Anthem

Forward CHIJ

Forward C.H.I.J., forge a future bright
Advancing our aims with zeal and might.
Guide us in our studies, oh Lord, we pray;
Wisdom, courage and charity,
Strengthen in us each day!

Solidly united in our motto sound
Simple in Virtue,
Strong in duty bound!

Loyal to our isle we will ever be,
Defending and serving our country.
Noble in ambition, thought, word and deed;

Rally round C.H.I.J.,
We still strive to succeed!

Controversy

In September 2006, The Straits Times, published an article that leads to the board members of the school to send a lawyer letter to SPH (the company that own The Straits Times) demanding an apology.

History

In Europe

In the year 1662, a Minim priest, Father Nicolas Barré saw the need for the education of the poor in France. He, therefore, recruited educated women to help set up his first school near Rouen. As the enrolment increased, more schools were established, and four years later, the ladies in charge of these schools began to live in a community under a Superior. This was the beginning of a religious congregation whose main work was the education of the poor. The year 1666, therefore saw the founding of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Infant Jesus.

The outbreak of the French Revolution brought about several social and political changes in France but the work of the congregation spread rapidly. Less than twenty-five years after the opening of the Mother-House in Paris, eighty schools for free education and forty boarding schools had been established in France. With the granting of official approval from Rome, the Sisters extended their work to America, England, Spain, Malaysia, Japan and Thailand.

In The East

In the year 1849, the Rev Jean Marie Beurel of St Brieuc (Brittany) suggested to Govenor Butterworth that it might be worthwhile to found a charitable organisation for girls next to the Church in Victoria Street. In August 1852, Father Beurel bought the house at the corner of Victoria Street and Bras Basah Road. He paid $4000 of his own money for it. Father Beurel also appealed to the Superior General in France for sisters to run the Convent. Four Sisters were sent to the East. After a long and perilous voyage, three of them landed at Penang. One had died at sea. The three sisters established a convent in Penang.

In Singapore

In February 1854, three Sisters led by Rev Mother St Mathilde Raclot arrived in Singapore and set up the Convent in Singapore at Victoria Street. The sisters got to work and within ten days took in orphans, did needlework to support themselves and taught fourteen children. Soon the number of pupils increased and the school became well-known. In 1894, there were 167 pupils. Ten years later, the enrolment had increased to 300. Secondary education began in 1905. Under Mother Hombeline, the expansion programme continued.

In 1984, a new era began as we moved to Toa Payoh as the site at Victoria Street had been earmarked for the Raffles City Project. The staff and pupils of CHIJ Primary Victoria Street, along with a third of the staff and 300 pupils from CHIJ Kellock, moved to the new premises.

CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) was offered to be an Independent school, but Sister Anne Wong, CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh)'s previous principal, reminded the teachers and their students 'The main mission for this school was to give more opportunities for less fortunate girls. If we accept the offer for being an independent school, our less fortunate girls may not be able to afford the high school fees.' Thus, she rejected the offer and CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) has become an autonomous school.

• Autonomous schools in Singapore
• Secondary schools in Singapore
• Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus schools
• Toa Payoh