1948 - 1955

Brother Denis Hyland takes St Michael’s to New Heights

Bro Denis Hyland     (Director,1948 – 1955)

·      Brother Patrick’s successor was his lifelong friend, Brother Denis Hyland. Both had served as life-long teachers at St  Xavier’s Penang. ·      To him goes the credit for the final extensions to the main building,one at each end,completing the majestic proportions which make it such a striking landmark today. ·      Money was scarce and many argued against such a costly style of architecture but Brother Denis was adamant: the style had to be retained  and the money had to be found. ·      Posterity salutes his stubborn fidelity and determination.

One of Malaya’s first Sixth Form schools

          ....the first girls arrive

·         Brother Denis was the pioneer of Sixth Form education at SMI – one of the first schools in Malaya to introduce sixth form education, then called the Post School Certificate classes. ·         A new gateway to higher education was thus opened to the youth of Ipoh and  the Kinta valley towns. ·         Michaelians began to make their mark at the universities in Malaya, Singapore, and other Commonwealth countries.

  Brother Denis Invests  in the                   Future

· New Science Laboratories planned and designed by

Mr Lee Guan Meng

Pic Mr Lee Guan Meng

Pic The Opening of the Science Laboratory Block by His Royal Highness Sultan Sir Yussuff Izzudin Shah ,Sultan of Perak  on 18 September 1954. To mark the occasion a science exhibition was held , the first of many to be held over the  decades that followed.

·         With the advent of Sixth Form education and the growing emphasis on science and technology, Brother Denis saw the need to upgrade laboratory facilties. ·         He commissioned Mr Lee Guan Meng , Senior Science Master, to plan and equip  the laboratories and to spare no expense to ensure that Michaelians  have the best facilities. ·         Mr Lee  travelled throughout Malaya and Singapore to collect the best ideas and on his return he designed three specialist laboratories that became, and even today still remain the pride of the school.  ·         Brother Denis aroused great enthusiasm for studies and throughout his term of office results in public examinations continued to be excellent. He also encouraged games and athletics.Two new basketball courts were built as well as a tennis court. ·         During his six years as Director, Brother Denis endeared himself to all Michaelians as a man whose main aim in life  was to make St.Michael’s second to none as a centre of learning. He was popular with  students, staff and Old Michaelians and the general public. He could  always count on generous support for many schemes for the improvement of the school