Education  of Indian Immigrants

Source 1: An extract about the school opened by the Singapore Indian Association in 1927.

The Singapore Indian Association opened its first night school in mid-1927 at 107 Rowell Road. The education was offered free with the aim to educate illiterate Indians (mainly labourers) under the employ of the Municipality. Lessons were conducted five days weekly, in English or Tamil, on subjects such as arithmetic, reading, writing, conversation as well as letter-writing. Talks on alcohol abstinence and personal cleanliness were also conducted and extra-curricular activities such as dramas and debates were later added. The school was moved to Norris Road as the student intake mushroomed and thereafter to the Ramakrishna Mission. In the late 1930s, the association also received regular financial aid from the British Government for its efforts to provide education for the disadvantaged.

Reference:

Conceicao, J.L. (2016). Singapore Indian Association.  Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board. Retrieved from https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1526_2009-05-21.html 

Source 2: An extract about the Indian education in the early 20th century Singapore.

Mass education and social service are two of the commendable recently-introduced activities of the Singapore Indian Association. Since the Tamil-speaking section predominates so greatly, the Association has established three schools at Macpherson Road, Cuff Road, and Short Street in addition to having two other similar schools under its wing at Tanjong Pagar and at Serangoon Road.

In the school at MacPherson Road there are morning, afternoon and night classes. At the Cuff Road school Tamil is taught in the morning and the afternoon is devoted to the teaching of elementary English.

Reference:

Morning Tribune (1936, April 16). Education among Singapore Indians.  Morning Tribune (Singapore), Retrieved from http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/morningtribune19360416-1.2.63

Source 3: The history of Ramakrishna Mission in the 1930s Singapore.

To facilitate the increasing activities of the Ramakrishna Mission a spacious building was built at Norris Road in 1932. In the same year the center started the Vivekananda School with thirty-two students. Both English and Tamil were taught in this school. The Mission realized education for the adults would be the best way to remove the problems of alcoholism and unhealthy living habits and conditions among the poor sections of the community. The Mission started a night school for these people. A separate school for girls – ‘Sardamani girls’ School’ was opened in 1937. As soon it was opened it was filled to capacity and the school had to turn away many. The high academic standards maintained by these schools were praised by the Education Department. Much later, these schools because of declining number of students were discontinued.

Reference: 

Ramakrishna Mission Singapore (2012). History.  Ramakrishna Mission Singapore, Retrieved from http://ramakrishna.org.sg/rkmsg/index.php/singapore-mission/history-2/

Source 4: An extract of the establishment of the Tamil schools in Singapore during the 1800s.

In 1887, a Tamil preacher, C W Underwood, was recruited from Jaffna, Ceylon, to work with the Tamil people. The Tamil Methodist Church was thus established with Underwood as her pastor. This then became the second Methodist Church in Singapore. Rev Underwood was instrumental in starting the Tamil Boys School in 1885 and Tamil Girls’ School (now known as Methodist Girls’ School) in 1887.

Reference:

Tamil Methodist Church. (accessed in 2020). The Early Days.  About Us. https://www.tamilmethodist.sg/index.php/about-us/heritage/the-early-days

Source 5: An extract of the beginnings of the Indian female education in Singapore during the 1900s.

The beginning was modest. In a shophouse in Short Street, she set up school for nine little girls whose fathers wanted them to be formally educated at a time when girls were discouraged from going to school. The fathers, all Tamil businessmen, donated money, furniture and the rent-free shophouse that became the Tamil Girls’ School, forerunner of Methodist Girls’ School. The school soon attracted so many other girls, all eager to learn, that in 1901 it had to relocate to Middle Road while a larger building was constructed in Short Street to house 150 pupils.

Ten years later, the first Senior class of four girls sat for and passed the Cambridge Examination. The enrolment at MGS increased steadily, and by 1925 the school had to move to Mount Sophia where it remained until 1992 when increasing numbers once again dictated another move, this time to Blackmore Drive.

Reference:

Methodist Girls’ School. (2020). Our Heritage.  About Us. https://www.mgs.moe.edu.sg/about-us/our-heritage

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