CHIJ Secondary

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School History

The oldest Catholic girls’ school and the mother school of all the CHIJ schools in Singapore, the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) was established in 1854 by the Infant Jesus Sisters at the corner of Bras Basah Road and Victoria Street. Under the supervision of Mother St Mathilde, within ten days of their arrival, the Sisters were able to open the Convent and Baby House and started classes for both fee-paying students and under privileged girls.

Besides providing education, an important part of the Sisters’ work from the start was providing refuge for orphans and destitute children. The “baby gate”, now called “the gate of hope” was where orphans and disabled or unwanted baby girls were left. The Sisters welcomed them and cared for them, giving them the possibility of a new life.

Education standards in the school, fondly remembered as Town Convent, had always been high. In its annual reports, CHIJ was classified as Grade 1 in the grading of schools system. In 1881, CHIJ became an “Aided School”, receiving grants from the British colonial government for its administration. The Junior Cambridge Examination was started in 1902 and Secondary-level education officially commenced in 1905.

As Singapore’s population grew steadily, so did the school’s enrolment. Its premises were enlarged over the years, with the purchase and building of several new structures adjacent to the original buildings of the Victoria Street compound. CHIJ also expanded from one to 11 schools, with the establishment of other CHIJ schools, guided by the common mission of education and charity.

After being a full school for 110 years, CHIJ split into separate primary and secondary schools in 1964. Pre-university classes were phased out in 1975. December 1983 marked the relocation of both the primary and secondary schools from Victoria Street to Toa Payoh to make way for urban renewal of the city centre. Meanwhile, the original buildings on Victoria Street were converted to the CHIJMES commercial complex, whose name pays tribute to the original occupant of the premises. The schools were officially opened on 17 August 1985.

In 1986, CHIJ became one of the few secondary schools offering the Art Elective Programme. The school achieved autonomous status in 1994. It was named the South Zone Centre of Excellence for Language and the Arts in 2007, and attained the School Distinction Award in 2008 and the Singapore Quality Class in 2009.

Principals:
- Mother St Mathilde (1854–1878)
- Mother St Gaetan (1879–1892)
- Mother St Hombeline (1893–1915)
- Mother St Lutgarde (1916–1921)
- Mother St James (1922–1942)
- Mother St Charles (1943–1954)
- Mother St John (1955–1963)
- Sister Damien Murphy (1964–1966)
- Sister Dolores Healy (1967–1974)
- Sister Elizabeth Browne (1975–1982)
- Sister Anne Wong (1982–2000)
- Ms Theodora Tan (2001–2006)
- Mrs Regina Lee (2006–2012)
- Mrs Karen Tay (2013–2018)
- Mrs Rachel Lee (2019–present)

Key Milestones


1854	Founding of CHIJ on Victoria Street.
1881	Became a Government-Aided School.
1905	Start of secondary education.
1920	Start of commercial classes, with domestic science and needlework included in the curriculum.
1964	Separation of primary and secondary sections into two schools.
1983	Relocation from Victoria Street to Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.
1994	Became an autonomous school.
2002	Relocation to holding site on Thomson Road as original site undergoes PRIME upgrading.
2006	Returned to Toa Payoh campus.
2016	Attained School Distinction Award.

School Motto

Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty

To be simple in virtue is to go to God in childlike confidence and love. Virtue is a personal possession, which cannot be taken away against one’s will. An upright virtue assesses oneself with humble honesty and goes out to one’s neighbour with spontaneous warmth. To be steadfast in duty is to have an awareness of the duty to be of service to others. Perseverance in one’s vocation is not always easy, but it yields that inner peace and freedom that no money can buy.

School Crest

The red shield conveys the message of God’s love embracing the world. On its right is the open Gospel, which represents the teaching of Christ, a light to life and its mysteries. The silver rosary symbolises prayer and is the Gospel in miniature, seen through the eyes of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. On its left are the golden distaff and spindle, symbols of womanly labour and reminders of the fulfilment to be found in a task well accomplished. The cross that surmounts the shield is the symbol of salvation and of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. The shield is encircled by a garland of marguerites, which are symbolic of purity and simplicity – charming traits of girlhood. Emblazoned on the crest is the school motto, ‘Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty’.

The CHIJ school crest is worn by students of Infant Jesus schools all over the world.

School Song

♫ Listen

Forward, CHIJ, forge a future bright,
Advancing our aims with zeal and might.
Guide us in our studies, O 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, CHIJ: we will strive to succeed.