A Short History of St Michael’s Institution,Ipoh
(1912-1948)
OUR ALMA MATER
Some Glimpses of the Past
by “Libanus”
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Part I. St. Michael’s
- The Old School
The
fast-expanding Parish of St. Michael’s Ipoh Peninsula . So the late Rev. Bro. James, Visitor of the
Brothers’ Schools, was approached and persuaded to start one in Ipoh Penang .
Permission
for the opening of the School was granted to Father Coppin by the Perak
Government on the understanding that the Brothers would take over the
management as soon as possible. On the 4th of December, 1912 , St. Michael’s
School, named after the Parish, opened its doors with Mr. P. J. Mor Singh as
the Headmaster. He had 39 boys and two assistant masters. The school housed in
an old Malay bungalow situated in the midst of a coconut grove, right in front
of the present main building. A pencil drawing, done by a 1948 Std. VIII boy,
reproduced herewith, will recall memories of the old school to those who have
had anything to do with it. By 3rd March, the following year, the
enrolment had reached 100. A living relic of the by-gone memorable day may be
seen in the school today in the person of Mr. Lip Seng Onn, now a member of the
teaching staff. His admission number was 99. Mr. Tan Boon Kwee, also of the
present staff, was admitted in August the same year. Records were lost that
would give the exact date when the enrolment reached 200. The 300 mark was
crossed on March 4, 1919 .
It will
be seen that steady progress was maintained from the start. All this is
attributable to the energetic and hard-working Headmaster, the resourceful and
courageous Founder and Manager, and the moral, material and other assistance
given by the late Rev. Bro. James, Visitor of the Christian Brothers’ Schools.
ST. MICHAEL’S FIRST
HEADMASTER.
Mr. P. J. Mor Singh was a young man
who had just passed out as a Grade 1 teacher. He was recommended for the
important post of headmaster by the Rev. Bro. James, who had known him well not
only as a teacher but as a student and zealous convert to Christianity. His
task was not an easy one. He had to face competition with two fully organized
English schools already in existence, conducted by European Headmasters; but
guided and inspired by the late Father Coppin, the Manager , and sustained by
his many personal qualities, he, in a few years, brought the school from the
very humble beginning to a position worthy of older institutions. In the words
of the Rev. Bro. James himself at the time when the School was handed over to
the Christian Brothers, “he maintained the School in a high state of efficiency
all these years.” The late Rev. Father Coppin, in his report of 1919, recorded:
“By his painstaking and self-denying efforts he has maintained St. Michael’s in
a most satisfactory state of efficiency and won himself the highest esteem and
confidence of the management, the pupils, the parents and the public
generally.” The late Mr. H. L. Sumner, then Inspector of Schools, Perak,
writing on 7.5.1919, said: “The staff is a weak one. The fact that the general
work progress are on the whole satisfactory appears to me to be a tribute to
the zeal an energy of the Headmaster himself.” But the highest tribute to his
work is paid by his old pupils themselves who have remembered and esteemed him
to this day.
HIS DIFFICULTIES AND PROBLEMS
Mr. Mor Singh’s problems were mainly
in regard to accommodation and staffing. The former was solved by the erection
of makeshift buildings. In 1915, a large ‘attp-shed’, seen in the centre of the
picture of the Old School, was converted into classrooms. The floor was
unpaved, the drains unlaid, and the roof not proof against sun and rain. The
condition in bad weather can best be imagined. The plank partitions were not
noise-proof, and one class was often disturbed by the noise from another. On
more than one occasion tragedy was narrowly avoided when a coconut, falling
down from an over-towering palm, missed a boy by inches. In 1918, another
temporary building was put up, mainly with old materials, just behind the
Mosque (partly visible in the picture already referred to) to accommodate five
classes. With plank walls and slate roofing, the place was unbearably warm in
the afternoon.
The
Headmaster’s chief difficulty lay with the staff. Salary scales were low and
therefore did not attract the right type of men. Most of his teachers tool up
the profession either as an experiment or as an expedient. Many left after a
few months and not a few after only a few days of employment. “The School is in
good order but the staff is a weak one” seems to be the regular tenor of the
reports of visiting officials at that time. He had among his assistants, men
who had not passed even the local Std. VII and immigrants from India – Indian
Matric Students, failed “Yem-Yehs and failed Be-Yehs”. It was not unusual for a
class to have half a dozen changes of teachers in a year. As time went on,
however, teachers of a better type were recruited. But the better prospects,
offered by Government Schools, sooner or later attracted these men away. The
1918 Report, submitted by the Manager to the Director of Education, had this to
say: “It is much to be regretted that our meager resources are utterly
insufficient to warrant adequate remuneration for their devoted services and
retain them in our school.” Among the five candidates sitting for the Senior
Normal Examination in 1918 that received special commendation from the Director
of Education, three belonged to St. Michael’s School, but before the end of
1919, all had resigned. It may be noted in passing that there are at the
present time 4 or 5 Asian Headmasters or Principals of Schools in the country
who had once been employed on the staff of St. Michael’s.
AN ENVIABLE RECORD
OF SUCCESS
As to the boys, the Headmaster did not get, at the
beginning, the most promising as regards age, character and ability. For the
Primary, even pupils who had reached manhood were accepted – the general
average age was well over 10 years. Boys not accepted by or expelled from other
schools were given a chance in St. Michael’s. But the strict discipline and
keen vigilance of the Head and the industrious spirit of the class-room soon
had a beneficial effect and the change in almost all cased was remarkable. Up
to 1918, there were Government public examinations held for boys in Std. IV,
Std. VI and Std. VII. In those days a Std. VII Government Certificate conferred
as much distinction as a Cambridge School Certificate today on a boy seeking
for a job in the world. The competition among the different schools was very
keen. But it must be stated to the credit of St. Michael’s and to its
Headmaster in particular that St. Michael’s boys invariably came out with
flying colors in those public examinations. The 1916 Std. IV class did so well
–a according to private official sources it was among the very best in the Peninsula –a that
12 boys of the class of about 30 were given double promotion to Std. VI.
Of these several are prominent citizens
today. For the Std. VII, 100% success was scored for three consecutive years –
1917, 1918 and 1919 – an enviable record. Visiting the School on April 2, 1919 , Mr. R. G.
Watson, British Resident of Perak, noted in his report, “Everything very
satisfactory. The Examination successes are very gratifying.”
A ZEALOUS MANAGER AND A FAIRY-GODMOTHER PATRON
If the Headmaster had done much to make the School a
success, the Reverend Manager had done no less. Father Coppin, pastor in charge
of St. Michael’s Parish, was distressed to find many young men, sons of farmer
families in his parish, turning out to be citizens of no importance. Not a few
fell away from their faith. It was his ardent desire that the Christian Brothers
should open a school in the fast developing town, and as, both to his regret
and that of the Reverend Brother, this could be done, he gallantly stepped into
the breach. He knew his slender resources, his lack of experience in managing a
school, and his poor chances of bringing his school up to the level of two
other existing and fully organized schools in the town. But the need was
urgent. He took the decisive step and was well rewarded. Once the school was
started, he threw into it all his energy and resources. In spite of his many
duties, he was there almost every day and taught the boys Christian Doctrine.
He strained almost to bursting the meager resources of his Parish in order to
enable the fast expanding school to grow from strength to strength. At the end
of 1919, eight months before the School was taken over by the Christian
Brothers, the financial accounts disclosed a deficit of $13,000.
Father
Coppin was, however extremely fortunate in having the sympathy and hearty
co-operation of the Head of the Christian Brothers in the country, the Rev.
Bro. James, who poured into the venture the resourcefulness of the Brothers and
the benefit of his long and singular educational experience. Ever since the
school was started, Bro. James had regarded it as his own. Besides giving it a
very capable Headmaster and devoted teachers as many as he could spare and as
were willing to take up the hard pioneering life at St. Michael’s, Bro. James,
by his active interest and frequent an regular visits, infused into the new
school that spirit of hard work and devotion to duty that characterizes all
Brothers’ Schools. To ensure the security of the young school’s tenure of its
premises until such time as the Brothers could take over the management, he had
them acquired in the name of Christian Brothers. Thus the young St. Michael’s
School was nurtured – by a hardworking Headmaster, a zealous Manager and a
fairy-godmother Patron.
SCHOOL LIFE IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS.
An account like this would
be incomplete without some glimpse into the life of boys at St. Michael’s in
those good old days. School started at 9 in the morning every day and closed at
3.30 in the evening, with a break of an hour for lunch between noon and one o’clock and an interval of 15 minutes for refreshment
in the morning sessions. All Chinese Catholic boys had to stay back every day
from 4 to 5pm. for religious instruction. While
the holidays were the same as for other schools, St. Michael’s boys in Std. IV,
VI and VII, that is, those who had to appear for the Government public
examinations, had to come to school for half a day every Saturday. Saturday
school had also to be held to make up the 200 school days in the year required
under the old regulations. As there were no English schools yet in the smaller
towns, there was a great ingress of boys from the outstations to the Ipoh
Discipline
was strict – every Monday was “black” because the boys had to face a stern
Headmaster who went round to inspect the weekly reports. The teachers were
mostly inexperienced and this added to the frequency of corporal punishment.
Games and sports were not so well organized as today for lack of playing fields
and costly sports materials, but a period of 30 minutes was allotted daily in
all classes for physical training. Football was about the only team-game
regularly played, but Croquet, an old-fashioned French game, and badminton,
played with a woolen ball instead of feather shuttles, were occasionally
indulged in, by the bigger boys. Hockey was started early in 1919 - the first
game was played on 25.2.1919. The football team in 1919 was a good one; besides
holding its own against the Tamil Union, the Oriental cinema Team and others,
it beat the St. George’s
With
the daily session continuing to 3.30pm ,
a half-holiday in those days was a real delight. Half-holiday were given on
certain feasts and in honour of visits by distinguished persons and success of
teachers in the Normal Examinations and those of boys in the public
examinations: they were also earned by individual classes with outstanding
results in the Terminal Examinations, 100% attendance in any one month and
settlement of all school fees before the 10th of each month: and
lastly, if it rained at noon, the boys were let off for the day at 1pm.
Founder’s Day – June 24 – was always looked forward to with eagerness, for on
this day a concert would be held in
honour of the Reverend Manager. Father Coppin was a stern-looking man, but his
sweets made Founder’s Day worth waiting for.
As
regards dress, the teachers in those days came to school fully clad in coat,
trousers, hat and shoes or boots. Straw hats and boots were as common as they
are non-existent today. More stylish teachers donned open coat and tie – this
an exception rather that the rule. The boys were dressed alike – all buttons
must be in place, otherwise the teachers would consider it a breach of good
manners. Some Malay and Indian boys wore sarongs. Most of the boys walked to
school and were bare-footed. The only motor-car seen in school was that of the
Manager – a very noisy affair: The Headmaster had a motorcycle with side-ear.
In 1919 he started using a two-seater motor-car. Bicycles were fairly common,
but until 1920 there were never more than 40 or 50 machines in the whole
school.
To
end up, this period of the School’s existence was memorable for two historic
events – the First World War and the World Influenza Epidemic of 1918. The
World War broke out in August
4, 1914 when the boys were having their Mid-summer Holidays, School
work was little affected. Other than subscribing to the War Fund, seeing War
Pictures and hearing occasionally sensational war news, the boys did not feel
that a war was shaking the Empire of its very foundation. The Armistice was
signed on November 11, 1918 ,
and on the following day the boys of St. Michael’s with those of the other two
English schools paraded round the town. There were great rejoicing on Peace Day
in June, 1919: inter-school sports, night processions, cash gifts and
commemoration medals made the day memorable to all. France 14th July, 1919 .
In
October, 1918, the great Influenza epidemic that had been ravaging many parts
of the world struck Malaya with ravaging telling
effect. School was first closed at noon
on 4th October owing to the poor attendance and remained closed
until November 11. Fortunately, there were no fatal cased and among the pupils
or the staff, but work was seriously affected.
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Part
II. The New Ship -
St. Michael’s
With the Christian Brothers at the Helm
The undertaking given by the Rev. Bro. James at the
inception of St. Michael’s School towards the end of 1912 that the Brothers
would take over the entire management of the School could not be fulfilled
until August, 1920 – much later than expected. Even at that date, the Brothers
in the country were shorthanded, as owing to the war, very few Brothers could
be sent out from Europe to reinforce the
community in Malaya . It became necessary,
however, for the Headmaster, Mr. I. J. Mor Singh, who was not in the best of
health, to relinquish his strenuous office, and, as it was well-nigh impossible
for the Rev. J. B. Coppin to carry on the School without him, he made a pathetic
appeal to the Rev. Brothers to come to the rescue. The appeal was discussed by
the District Council meeting in Penang on
June, 1920. The Rev. Bro. James rose to the occasion. Supported by the advice
of his Council, and trusting in Providence
THE FIRST BROTHERS
IN IPOH
On July 12, 1920 , the Rev. Bro. James paid a
visit to Ipoh Branch School Penang , took charge from August 16. The
change-over is commemorated by a group-photo of the new and old management with
the staff, reproduced herewith. The enrolment at the time was 377, and the
highest standard the Cambridge Junior Local, equivalent to Std. VIII today.
That
the Brothers found St. Michael’s in a flourishing condition was testified by
the Rev. Bro. James when at the Laying of the Foundation Stone of the new
Building, he paid an eloquent tribute to the work done by the Rev. Fr. Coppin,
Founder and Manager of the School, and referred in the following terms to the
work of Mr. P. J. Mor Singh, the first ‘Headmaster’: “It is mainly due to his
unflagging zeal, untiring effort and undaunted courage, and above all, to his
unblemished character that the School all along maintained a reputation for success,
efficiency and high tone, and it was a great pleasure for the Brothers to find
such a good spirit prevailing in the School at the time they took it over.”
THE NEW BUILDING
The
Rev. Bro. Paul remained only one school term at St. Michael’s, as his time for
furlough was due. He succeeded in January 1921, by the Rev. Bro. Vernier
Augustus, then Director of St. Francis’ Institution, Malacca. Under Bro.
Augustus, St. Michael’s was to witness rapid expansion. The unsatisfactory
condition and inadequacy of the existing building made it necessary for
immediate steps to be taken to erect a permanent building. On August 12, 1921 , plans of
the new building were submitted to the Kinta Sanitary Board (now called the
Ipoh Town Board) for approval. There was considerable delay in the early stages
of the construction, mainly due to the death of the architect and contractor.
Fresh plans had to be prepared by another architect and the work was re-started
on May 8, 1922 .
THE LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION
The
foundation stone of the new building was laid by the Honorable Major C. W. C.
Parr, British Resident, Perak, and blessed by His Grace Mgr. Mere,, Archbishop
of Craina, late Vicar Apostolic of Canton, China, in the presence of a large
gathering including the Rev. Bro. James, Father Coppin, Mr. Mor Singh, the
clergy of several parishes, the Inspector of Schools, Perak, and the Heads of
all the Ipoh Schools besides a number of distinguished citizens.
The
Honorable Major Parr, in declaring the Foundation well and truly laid, paid a
high tribute to “the great and good work the Christian Brothers have done and
are doing in the cause of education” and added that the State was indebted to
them. Speaking of the Rev. Fr. Coppin, he said that it must be the greatest
satisfaction to him to see the small seed he had sown blossom forth into the
magnificent building that was going up. In wishing all success to the school,
he expressed his confidence that in its new home, St. Michael’s would have a
much better chance of enhancing its excellent reputation and the reputation of
its teachers.
The
new building was not wholly completed until July 7, 1923 . But before that, on February 5,
six classes moved in, followed by another six on April 16.
Commenting
on the new building, Mr. R. O. Winstedt, then Director of Education, wrote on 9.7.25, “This is a most
excellent building for a school, handsome in design and with well-lit and well
proportioned class-rooms.”
THE REV. BRO. AUGUSTUS
Besides
his duties as Director and the lessons he had to give in the Cambridge New Building
There
was a large mango-tree in the school compound, standing by the side of the
drive. It bore an enormous crop and the fruit in time began to drop one by one
in quick succession. The temptation to pick up a ripe, succulent fruit is
understandable enough, but to let the boys scramble for a fruit as soon as it
fell could not be considered conducive to good discipline. A sign was put up:
“Hands off ! Bro. Augustus.” Mangoes
were strewn on the ground all round the tree, and by the score on the road, and
not one was taken away. Not wishing to see the fruit smashed by passing cars,
some small boys picked them up and rolled them aside. They touched the forbidden
fruit, but sinned not !
A MOST POPULAR DIRECTOR
On January 10, 1925 , the Rev.
Bro. Augustus left Ipoh Mandalay
The
Rev. Bro. Henry was responsible for introducing many innovations in St.
Michael’s. The following may be cited as due to his initiative and enterprise:
(1) The Inauguration of the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin; (2) the formation
of the first troop of the Boy Scouts and the Cadet Corps; (3) the initiation of
the Annual Athletic Sports in 1926; (4) the acquisition of more grounds adjoining
the School, and (5) the erection of the Play-shed behind the Mosque which
stands to this day.
The
most memorable events during Bro. Henry’s Directorate include, besides the
holding of the First Annual Sports on October 2, 1926, mentioned above, the celebration
of the late Father Coppin’s Silver Jubilee on April 5, 1926, the Beatification
of Blessed Solomon on October 17, 1927, and the visit of Sir Hugh Clifford,
Governor and High Commissioner, on August 13, 1927 on the occasion of the
Second Annual Sports. Bro. Henry had the pleasure of seeing three of his pupils
enter the Seminary in Singapore
Bro.
Henry was Director from Jan 1925 to Aug 31, 1929 , except for a short break, between Feb. and
July 1926, when the late Bro. Joseph acted for him. Bro. Joseph was an
exceedingly kind man and an excellent teacher,. His term of office, unfortunately,
was too short to make his influence felt in St. Michael’s.
During
this period, on January 27,
1926 , the Rev. Bro. James retired from the Visitorship owing to
failing health and was succeeded by the Rev. Bro. Paul, then Director of St.
Xavier’s. Happily three years later, Bro. James regained sufficient strength to
resume the Visitorship with Bro. Paul as his Auxiliary. On July 26, the Rev.
Fr. Coppin passed away peacefully in Batu
Gajah Hospital
THE “OLD BOYS” DIRECTOR
The
Rev. Bro. Henry was succeeded by his assistant the Rev. Bro. Dositheus in
September 1929. Bro. Dositheus and joined St. Michael’s on January 23, 1928 , and his choice as
Bro. Henry’s successor was no surprise. Bro. Dos, as he was affectionately
known, was a great believer in the dignity and self-respect of boys and was
exceedingly kind to them. A teacher who could not treat his charges kindly was
to his estimation not a good teacher. He gave great encouragement to games and
sports and music. In his time St. Michael’s fielded strong teams in Hockey,
Badminton and Cricket. He was mainly responsible for the formation of an
orchestra of present and past pupils which for several years held musical
evenings in the O. M. A. Hall every Saturday. His directorate is memorable for
three events: (1) Mr. Lam Tsui Long, a boy of the Cambridge Certificate Class,
was awarded a certificate of Honourable Mention by the Royal Empire Society for
an essay in an Empire-wide competition on “How climate affects the mode of
living in your country”; (2) The late Towkay Chin Sem Lin founded with an
endowment of $3,000. three annual scholarships to be awarded to the best boy
and the most deserving boy in Std. VII and the first boy in the Junior Class;
and (3) the Old Michaelians’ Association was inaugurated on March 3, 1934 . (For more details of
the O. M. A. please see ‘Old Boys’ Section.”)
The
Rev. Bro. Dositheus was most popular with the Old Boys and the prosperous
condition of the O. M. A. with him as the President was chiefly due to his keen
interest and encouragement. In 1934 was initiated the Old Michaelians – Old
Georgians Annual Meet when the Old Boys of Taiping were invited to Ipoh
When
“Bro. Dos” left Ipoh on transfer to Taiping as the Director of St. George’s on
January 21, 1936, he was keenly missed by his present and former pupils – the
latter entertained him to a farewell dinner in the O. M. A. premises, at which
the late Col. Cecil Rae on behalf of Ipoh citizens paid a high tribute to his
work at St. Michael’s.
BRO. FINAN’S UNPLEASANT TASK
The Rev. Bro. Finan-Owen, Director
of St. Xavier’s Branch
School Penang ,
was appointed as Director of St. Michael’s in place of Bro. Dositheus. To him
was given the unpleasant task of disbanding two supernumerary classes formed by
the previous Director to absorb boys who could not be accommodated in the
official classes. Among thise so disbanded were boys from well-known families
which held the tradition that all their sons had been educated in Brothers’
Schools. Serious misunderstanding was caused and it took considerable time to
convince parents concerned that the action of the Director was taken compliance
with the official order which was not rescinded in spite of strong
representations. The Rev. Bro. Finan’s term of office was marked by steady
progress, excellent discipline in all classes and greater attention being given
to hand-working and debating. On January 21, 1936 , the late King George V died and his
demise was widely mourned. Rev. Father Peter Chin and Rev. Father P. S.
Clement, two Old Michaelians, received sacerdotal ordination at Penang on December
3, 1936 , and on their first visit two days later to their home town
were given a reception by the pupils and old boys in the O. M. A. Hall. The
Coronation of the new king and Queen, their Majesties king George VI and Queen
Elizabeth, on 12.5.37 was fittingly celebrated at St. Michael’s – the school
building, beautifully illuminated, was admired by all. On April 5, 1939 , Sir Julien Cahn’s
famous Cricket Team in the course of a world tour played against a Perak Team.
It was Monday, but our Cambridge
A FAMOUS DIRECTOR
The Rev. Bro. Finan left Ipoh January 21, 1938 , on long
leave to Ireland Penang
in the early years of the present century. The Rev. Bro. Marcian spent five
short months in Dt. Michael’s, but the influence he wielded over the boys and
the staff was incalculable and it may be said that his directorate opened up a
new chapter in the history of the development of St. Michael’s. His first task
was to instill in the boys a new religious fervour and greater application to their scholastic duties. Stern
of mien but most affable in manner, he wielded strict discipline in the school,
but at the same time held the respect and affection of pupils and staff to an
unusual degree.At his invitation the boys would flock to the school even at an
early hour, no matter what occasion might be,. When he was ill, he was visited
by countless callers, young and old; and when he left Ipoh June 30, 1938 , under medical advice to seek
change and rest, his departure was regretted by all who knew him. His death a
few months later, on September 2, cast a gloom over his old boys and friends
who felt as if they had sustained a personal loss.
The subject of the expansion of the
school took up much of his time. He had received an urgent appeal from Mr. Ho
Kok Yew, representing the Old Michaelians’ Association and another from parents
and others, headed by the late Honorable Mr. Leong Sin Nam, requesting the
Brothers to provide accommodation for more pupils. His representations to the
Senior Inspector of Schools, Perak,
however, achieved no result. But it must be noted that they paved the way for
the sanction that was eventually granted to turn St. Michael’s into a two-class
school by the addition of one more class each year.
A MAMMOTH GATHERING OF OLD BOYS
Bro.
Marcian’s directorate was made memorable by the mammoth gathering on March 11, 1938 of Old Boys
of Brothers’ Schools resident in Perak, when the double Jubliee of the late
Rev. Bro. James, O.B.E., Visitor of the Christian Brothers’ Schools in the Far East was celebrated in Ipoh Ipoh
When
the Rev. Bro. Marcian became ill, Rev. Bro. Patrick of St. Xavier’s was sent to
relieve him. When he left Ipoh
Part III.
St. Michael’s in the Patrician Period
Large Extension to School Building
The pre-war Government policy,
already mentioned, of limiting the enrolment and staff of Mission Schools to
existing proportions and permitting them no freedom to expand, above all other
factors, hindered the natural development of St. Michael’s. Caught in the wave
of countrywide retrenchment, St. Michael’s was reduced to a one –class school
in 1934. In 1938, in response to the Education Department with a view to
bringing St. Michael’s in line with the other two English Schools in Ipoh. The
matter had to be taken up again by the new Director, Bro. Patrick. So persistently
did he pursue it that the Advisor on Education himself was obliged to make a
decision. In a visit to the school on March 31, 1939 , Dr. W. Linchan found St. Michael’s to be
essentially a two-class school being favorably situated, as far as taping sources
of recruitment is concerned.” Thus was brought to a successful conclusion the
matter that meant so much for the future of the School, and Michaelians have
ever been grateful to the two Directors who had pressed their case so strongly.
The
Rev. Bro. Patrick lost no time in effecting an extension to the existing school
building. An appeal was made to parents, Old Boys and other friends for
contributions to defray part of the cost of the proposed extensions. The
enthusiastic response received speaks highly not only of the characteristic
generosity of the citizens of Ipoh and district but also of their high regard
for the education imparted by the Christian Brothers in general and the esteem
in which the Rev. Bro. Patrick personally was held outside the walls of his
school in particular. In a short time nearly $50,000 was subscribed. The
extension, begun in 1930 was completed, was completed early in 1941, of the
same structure and design as the old building and at a cost of over $85,000. It
provided accommodation for a spacious assembly hall, a large science room, a
library, scouts and sports room, a chapel and additional class-rooms. Visitors,
including His Excellency the late Bishop Devals and Mr. T. A. O’Sullivan,
Senior Inspector of Schools Perak, expressed great satisfaction with the
extension and its appointments.
The
extension was completed just in time to avoid the crippling conditions imposed
by the war and to provide accommodation not only for a greatly enhanced
enrolment after the war but also for the boys of Anderson School when its
buildings were requisitioned for military occupation in 1941, In thanking the
benefactors after the war., Rev. Bro. Patrick said: “Without your timely aid, I
should have found myself in a very embarrassing position in September, 1945, to
find accommodation for the numerous children who came knocking for
accommodation. But for you, gentlemen, it would have been impossible.”
FIRST S. M. I. ART & CRAFT EXHIBITION
In spite of the building operations,
which required his constant attention, and the generally unsettled conditions
occasioned by the war, the Rev. Bro. Patrick was able to do much for the
School. To him was due to credit of introducing Science Teaching in the school
and equipping a first-rate laboratory for the purpose. Mr. Bomford of the Penang Free
School
Art
and Craft to which special importance is attached be present-day
educationalists, received every encouragement. The posters submitted by our
boys at the Ipoh February 1, 1941 , were highly commended. In November of
the same year, the School held its own Art and Craft Exhibition for the first
time. Among the various classes of craft represented were pottery, metal work,
basketry, carpentry and bookbinding. Beautiful woodcuts were also exhibited.
The Straits Echo, reporting the Exhibition fully I its columns, commented: “It
was a very creditable effort, comparing favorably with similar displays in
other schools and the exhibits, ranging from ordinary class work in art and
craft to more elaborate homemade specimens, testified to a high standard
attained by the boys of this popular institution.”
ST. MICHAEL’S BRANCH SCHOOL
To the Rev. Bro. Patrick was also
the credit of establishing regular classes for the teaching of the Chinese
Language early in 1939. The Literary and Debating Society too received his
constant attention. Scarcely was there a debate, which was not attended by him.
Dramatization was encouraged and concerts were held twice or thrice a year. A
Thrift Society was formed and almost every boy in the school became a
subscribing member. At the end of two years’ working the members had saved up
about $2,500. To relieve the congestion at St. Michael’s a branch school was
opened with Mrs. Woodford as Supervisor. The enrolment of the branch school at
the end of 1941 was about 200. In Oct. 1941, School Broadcasts were introduced
by the B.M.B. C.
The
boys were given every facility for sports, including swimming. St. Michael’s
teams fully held their own against powerful opponents. The Scouts won the
much-coveted Rotary Shield for Ambulance Work on October 29, 1938 .
VISITOR OF APOSTOLIC DELEGATE
For this period of the school’s
existence the following events may be recorded: On October 18, 1940 , the Very Rev. Junien Victor,
Superior General, passed away in Rome May 4, 1940 . His Excellency, the Right Rev.
Leo. ‘P’. Kiokels, C.P., Archbishop of Salaminta. Delegate Apostolic of the
East Indies accompanied by His Excellency Mgr. A. Devals, paid a visit to St.
Michael’s on September 13, 1938, and was received by the Rev. Bro. Patrick and
a guard of honor formed by the school Scouts. Mr. Leong Sin Nam, a generous
benefactor of the school, passed away on January 17, 1939 and his funeral, which took
place on January 31, was attended by severalthousand people.
On
June 4, 1949 , Mr.
Chee Weng Sim, an Old Michaelian, who after a course of studies in Nanking University Ipoh America China
The
School joined in observing the Day of Universal Player for Peace ob September 8, 1940 , at the
invitation of H. M., the King and President Roosevelt of the U. S. A.
In
accordance with the time-honored practice St. Michael’s kept up the two-session
school day, but from November
11, 1941 , it came into line with other schools and closed at 12.30 pm. for the day. The Rev.
Brothers, whose official habit is black, started putting on white robes.
ST.
MICHAEL’S AND
THE WAR
The Second World War
which broke out in Europe on September 3, 1939 , left St. Michael’s
more or less unaffected for nearly a year, but on August 9, 1949 , the Director received a
Proclamation by the British Resident of Perak, that St. Michael’s building was
requisitioned for occupation of troops from September 1. This was rather ominous,
but providentially, it escaped military occupation until war had broken out in Malaya , and up to December 18, 1941 . the school had been able to
carry on without serious interference. Even during the war, the damage to the
buildings sustained was comparatively slight. Except for the roof which was
badly damaged by Japanese machine-gunning but was afterwards put right by the
Japs – themselves, the school buildings had suffered no structural damage. The
furniture and equipment, however, almost completely destroyed.
Going
back to the early days. The requisition of St. Michael’s, dated August 9, 1910,
was rescinded three weeks later, on September 5, orders were received from
Military II, Q.. Singapore January 20, 1941 , when
another notice was received from the British Resident that St. Michael’s would
be occupied from February 1. Officers visiting the school on January 21,
decided that only the new extension and the out-houses were to be occupied, the
school proper to be left untouched. Nothing further was heard of until April 12
when a party of Military men called to say that they were definitely taking
over the premises requisitioned on April 20. But after that St. Michael’s was
left in peace. These details are given as they reveal the state of suspense the
School was in during those anxious days. From February 8, 1941 , however the playing field
had been commandeered for the use of volunteers for their training.
In
another respect, the School entered wholeheartedly into the various branches of
the war effort. All the lay staff had joined the Passive Defense, as A.R.P.,
L.D.C. or M.A.S. personnel, except one who was embodied in the local Volunteer
Force. On January 21, 1940 ,
a batch of 50 boys took up Ambulance Training, followed by another batch of 80
strong on February 20, 1941 .
Boy Scouts who had not joined Ambulance Units served as A.R.P. messenger or Firewatchers.
When
war broke out on December 8,
1941 , Michaelians were not found wanting in service to the Empire
cause. Mr. E. E. Fitzpatrick, who was a volunteer, gave up his life for the
defence of Singapore Ipoh Ipoh Singapore
Michaelians,
on the whole, acted honorably during the enemy occupation and were not wanting
in self-respect and loyalty to the Empire. How many rallied round their
teachers and their fellow-Michaelians in need was truly heartening during an
otherwise dismal period. Michaelians were tested and found true to and worthy
of their Alma Mater.
EVENTS OF THE WAR
The reader must look elsewhere for a
full account of the events of the war in Malaya .
Only what concerned St. Michael’s is recorded here. St. Michael’s was occupied
by the British troops on December 18 in the course of their catastrophic
retreat in the face of the enemy advance, but they evacuated it on the 23rd
in good time to avoid the terrific bombing of the Japanese who severely
machine-gunned our school. The Brothers who had so far never left the school
premises afterwards evacuated to the Rev. Father Francois’ house. On December 28, 1941 , the
‘Japs’ entered Ipoh
The
‘Jap’ soldiers were evacuated from St. Michael’s in March, 1942, and the magnificent
building until surrender, the seat of the Japanese civil administration of
Perak. The statues installed in the niches in the two main gables of the school
were brought down, the two granite crosses, surmounting the gables, were
removed, but the one atop the back roof the chapel remained, affording, as an
Old Michaelian remarked at a post-war dinner, unfailing hope and encouragement
to Michaelians whenever they looked at their school under enemy occupation. The
chapel was converted into the Perak State Council Chamber.
THE MEMORABLR RE-OPENING
After the war, St. Michael’s had to
start from scratch. Thanks to the hard-working and energetic Bro. Edmond of Mary,
the School was able to re-open on September 24, 1945 . As the Rev. Bro. Patrick was unable to
come back to take charge until the beginning of October 1945. Bro. Edmond had
to work hard improvising furniture and equipment. He was greatly indebted to
the Rev. Father Francois and the Rev. Mother Superior of the Convent for
providing accommodation for his boys. At first only Primary boys were accepted
and were housed in the Convent. A few days later, boys for all the standards
were taken in and accommodated in the ‘Sam Tet’ School. With the exception of
three absentees – the late Mr. E. E. Fitzpatrick, who was killed in the war,
the Rev. Bro. Edmund of Salisbury St. John’s Kuala Lumpur February 1, 1934 .
During the eleven years he had been in St. Michael’s, he was in charge of the
School Certificate class and he was responsible for the literary and debating
activities of the School and the preparation of the Catholic children for the
reception of the Sacraments. He was well liked by his old boys. On October22,
the staff was strengthened by the appointment of Brother T. Michael and Bro.
John-Matthew, both from Penang
POST-WAR BOYS
Among the boys that came back to
school were many who during the enemy occupation had tasted an independent
life, being employed in various capacities or in petty trading. It was feared
that such boys, exposed to evil influences, might have grown up sophisticated
and corrupt, but this fear proved to be generally groundless. True, certain
boys had fallen into evil ways but they were exceptions rather than the rule.
Our old boys, on the whole, blessed with good home influence and having been
grounded in strict morals at school, came back to us with character enriched by
the hard experience of the war and with intelligence matured by age. The
Seniors of 1946 are a case in point. Their teachers had nothing but praise for
their general behaviour, conduct and application. As Old Boys, they maintain
today the most cordial relations with their school and teachers.
VIISIT OF BRIGADIER TAPP
The most notable event in the School
in those early days was the official visit of Brigadier Tapp, Military
Commander in charge of the Ipoh-Bidor Area under the British Military
Administration, on October 29. The occasion provided an outlet for the
unbounded joy that lay pent-up in the hearts of all at the return of the
British Administration. The Brigadier himself was visibly moved at the warm
reception accorded to him, at which some old favourite songs, heard after so
many years, touched the very chords of the heart, and an illuminated address,
presented to the Brigadier in a decorated casket, extolled the great deeds of
British arms and recorded the humble part played by Michaelians in the war.
POST-WAR BOYS WORK WITH A WILL
The
friendliness and cordiality, animating all citizens in the early days, were
clearly visible among the post-war school children. True many a stomach was
still empty, many a heart still arched at the recollection of loss or
affliction, and many had not the wherewithal to pay for books and school fees
though only half rates were charged; yet all were cheerful and worked with a
will. The pleasure that teachers felt, now that they were back at the tasks of
which they had devoted themselves, was doubled by the excellent spirit and
behaviour of their charge. Even now it rejoices the heart to recall those
singularity blessed days.
School
closed on December 14, for Christmas in 1945. For the first time a holiday was
given on Dr. Dun Yat Sen’s birthday. A most enjoyable concert, featuring among
other items amusing play-lets reminiscent of the war and songs advocating
international goodwill, brought the first post-war term to a very happy ending.
ST. MICHAEL’S REACHES THE 1000 MARK
The School
re-opened on January 14,
1946 , with an enrolment of 1030. Were it not for the limit placed
by the Education Officer after consultation with the heads of schools, and the
lack of suitable accommodation, the enrolment could have been greatly exceeded.
Works at school was fast regaining normalcy and the standard attained in the
higher classes was so satisfactory that when the Rev. Bro. Patrick was
consulted by the Education Department, he expressed the opinion that there was
no need to lower the standard required for a pass in the coming Cambridge
School Certificate Examination. That S.M.I. was one of the first schools in the
country to be more or less fully rehabilitated was the opinion of the Director
of Education when he visited the school in 1946.
EVENTS
OF THE YEAR
In
connection with Savings Week, March 6-12, an Essay Competition was held. The
first two places were taken by our boys. Our team came out second in the
athletic sports on the same occasion, securing 16 points against the winner’s
18. In games St. Michael’s did well, particularly in Football and Hockey. The
S.M.I. Hockey XI was about the strongest in the town. The pre-war inter-school
fixtures between St. Michael’s and St.
George’s
The Very
Rev. Bro. Lawrence o’Toole, Assistant Superior-General, honoured the school
with his first visit on September 9 and expressed satisfaction with its work
and progress. In December, the school was the venue of the Annual Retreat of
the Brothers in Malaya, among whom were the three Old Michaelians, recently
received into the Brothers, namely Rev. Bro. Basilian, Bro. Wilfred and Bro.
Michael.
On
September 26, Mr. Ho Peng Yoke, an old boy and Mr. Ng Aik Lye, a member of the
staff, were entertained to tea by the senior boys in Singapore
FIRST “PASSING OUT” DINNER
The fine
spirit of the Senior Class of 1946 has been mentioned. To mark the close of
their career at school, and as an expression of gratitude to their teachers,
the School Prefects and students in the Cambridge
A NOTABLE
YEAR
The
following year, 1947, saw St. Michael’s fully rehabilitated with an all-time
high enrolment of 110. Good work was done in all classes. The problem of
over-age boys was systematically dealt with quicker promotions being given in
many cases. There were very few instances in which ever-age boys were advised
to leave school and take vernacular education instead. After a lapse of over 20
years, lady teachers were again employed in the school to take charge of the
smaller boys. Mrs. Woodford was appointed supervisor of the Primary classes.
On July 4,
the Rev. Bro. Edmund of Salisbury England
The year
was made memorable by a number of notable events. On January 20, Mr. Ho Weng
Toh, an Old Boy and Squadron Leader in the American trained Chinese Air Force,
who was on a visit to his parents in Ipoh China
On April
10, the Commission of Higher Education, headed by Sir Alexander Carr-Saunders,
visited the School and consulted the Director regarding his views on Higher
education.
The
Refresher Courses for South Perak Teachers was held in the School Hall from May
4 to May 9.
SOME DISTINGUISHED VISITORS
At the
Annual Sports held on July 5, among the large gathering of visitors were His
Excellency the late Sir Edward Gent, Governor of the then Malayan Union and
Lady Gent. Sir Edward spoke in reply to the Director’s address of welcome and
Lady Gent gave away the prizes and trophies to the successful competitors. This
is the second occasion when a Governor visited St. Michael’s.
On the
occasion of his first Episcopal visit to Ipoh
MR. LIM KEAN HOOI HONOURED
October 3,
was another memorable day, for on this day Mr. Lim Kean Hooi, a member of the
staff; received at the hands of Mr. A.C.Jomaron, Resident Commissioner, Perak,
a card of commendation from the Governor in recognition of the part he played
in the early days of the war in connection with ambulance work. His service has
been referred to in another part of this review.
On October
31, before the School Literary and Debating Society closed its activities for
the year, a tea party was held by the members, presided over by Master George
Dourado, the Chairman of the Society, to which the Rev. Bro. Director and staff
were invited. A review of the year’s work was read out by the Secretary, Master
Chan Weng Seong.
A holiday
was declared on November 20 in celebration of the wedding of Princess Elizabeth
to the Duke of Edinburgh. The last social function of the year took place on
November 22 when the School Prefect and the boys of the School Certificate
Class held their Final Term Dinner in the Jubilee Restaurant. The Rev. Bro.
Director and his staff were present. An account of the dinner appears elsewhere
in this magazine.
Two other
events may be mentioned. A ‘hartal’ was called throughout the country by
certain political parties on September 25 and again on October 20. There was
school as usual on both occasions – all the staff turned up for duty and the
attendance was very good. When a strike by Hospital workers was imminent in
September, school boys were asked to volunteer for service. Fifty of our boys
offered their services and were thanked by the Medical Officer. Our boys too
helped bin the checking of the Census returned in September.
The
winners of the Chan Sem Lin Scholarships for the year were Master Khaw Choon
Wan, Master Wong Yew Fah and Master Yan Poh Loke. The winner of the Cheah
Cheang Lim Scholarship, open for inter-school competition, was won by our
pupil, Master Yan Poh Loke.
Rev. Bro.
Rupert, teacher in charge of the Science Classes, who had been in St. Michael’s
since 1935, left in October for Europe on long
leave. His place was taken by Mr. Lee Guan Meng, a recent graduate of Raffles College
The year
1947 was a most successful year. The Senior boys set up a record of success in
the Cambridge Examination held in December. Of 35 that sat for the Examination,
32 passed , of these 13 passed in Grade 1 – equivalent to over 40% of the
passed, In his comments on the results of the school, received recently, the
Adviser on Education wrote: “The results of the School in Geography,
Mathematics, Science and Chinese (among the highest in the Federation) are very
good.”
THE CLOSE OF A GLORIOUS
PERIOD
It was the writer’s intention to
stop here, but having headed this part of the review with the title “The
Patrician Period,” it is necessary to follow it up to a close which came on
March 10. The year 1948 began auspiciously – it is the 35th year of
the School’s existence. The only cloud was the impending departure of the
popular Director, who, burdened with the onerous responsibilities of the
post-war period, and having been in harness without Home leave for over 17
years, needed change and rest. A likely successor was the Rev. Bro. Edmund of Salisbury June 19, 1938
but had left the following year.
It was now
definite that the Rev. Bro. Patrick was leaving but the date of departure was
uncertain. Preparations, however, were set on foot to give Bro. Patrick a
worthy send-off. A group-photograph of the whole school was taken and this,
together with photographs of different groups as the staff, the Perfects and
Scouts was presented to him as a memento of his long and distinguished
connection with St. Michael’s. The usual farewell party was given, presided
over by the Hon’ able Mr. Leong Yew Koh and attended by heads of schools and
distinguished visitors, including a number of Federal and State Councillors,
several being old boys. At short notice nearly 200 Old Boys turned up to bid
their old Director goodbye. Truly may it be said that seldom has a Principal of
a School enjoyed such whole-hearted support and esteem from pupils and staff
during such a long term of office and given such enthusiastic send-off as the
Rev. Bro. Patrick, who will long be remembered in St. Michael’s as the one who
has played the most important part in giving the school the importance and
reputation that it now enjoys.
The End
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