GEORGE TOWN – After 73 years, SMK Convent Pulau Tikus is set to close its doors for good tomorrow, ending a decades-old legacy as a government-aided institution on the island here.
The school, owned by the Infant Jesus Sisters (IJS) religious order, is forced to close after several years of dwindling enrolment and the shift of young Malaysians towards vernacular education and elite schools.
With the current academic year ending today, the final batch of 40 Form Five students, together with 11 teachers, will bid a tearful farewell to the school which has contributed to Penang’s chequered education past.
Being one of the states with the oldest schools in the country, Penang has seen many notable former students, including Kedah-born former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, who was born in Kedah, among others.
A teacher from the closing school who declined to be named lamented its closure.
“We will not be having anything special. We will just pack up and leave,” the teacher said.
“We are not allowed to speak to the media, but we are all sad.”
She said she and 10 other teachers would be relocated to other schools in Penang.
The school’s principal, Khaw Juat Woon, could not be reached for comment, but a female security guard there said many teachers left the school earlier today due to their sadness.
The school’s fixed-line number was also disconnected, the guard said.
The convent, as well as SMK Convent Light Street, will be returned to the care of the IJS movement, which owns 56 mission schools across the nation. It is believed that the building may be converted into an international school due to increasing demand for such institutions.
It was reported that the school was established in 1950, but its primary school was set up next to the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Pulau Tikus in 1922.
Being an affluent suburb in Penang, Pulau Tikus is home to many upper middle-income families. Convent Light Street, which also closed last year, was founded in 1852 and is regarded as the oldest all-girl school in Southeast Asia.
Among those commenting was Pulau Tikus assemblyman Chris Lee Chun Kit, who said: “I respect the rights of the custodians of the school to make the best decisions for the future of the school.”
“While the school administration will no longer be managed by the government, I am confident the custodians of the school will do their best to ensure the name lives on even with a different administration.
“I am confident that the Education Ministry under the current unity government will also make positive changes to our education system,” said Lee.
Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid expressed her sadness at the closure of the historical school.
“Although I’m from Convent Green Lane, as a fellow former student from a convent, I am filled with sadness. My father taught in this school in the 1980s and had many fond memories,” Syerleena said.
“I wish the outcome was different but alas, it is not to be. I wish all the best to the teachers, staffers, and students. The memories of the school and its contributions will remain a legacy in Penang for many more years to come.”
Missionary school SMK St Xavier’s Institution board chairman Victor Tan said the alumni of missionary schools should play a bigger role by contributing time and financial resources.
“The Christian brothers and sisters are getting old. They cannot manage on their own and would require help. The alumni of missionary schools need to play a big role.”
Tan said that the alumni would need to work with their respective school owners and the education authorities to ensure a well-rounded education can be delivered to future generations. – The Vibes, March 30, 2023
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