S.M.K. Convent Bukit Nanas (abbreviated CBN) is an all-girls school located at Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest schools in Malaysia and is widely known as CBN. Convent Bukit Nanas is one of the first schools to be distinguished as a Cluster School of Excellence by the Malaysian Ministry of Education. CBN has a close relationship with her brother school, St John's Institution, which is located along the same road and is also a Cluster School of Excellence. It is one of the 30 convent secondary schools in Malaysia.
On 16 December 2008, Pos Malaysia issued a premium set of four commemorative stamps and first-day cover, honouring four Premier Schools of Malaysia - Convent Bukit Nanas and Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur, SMK St. Thomas in Kuching and SM All Saints in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah for their superiority in academics, sports and extra-curricular activities.
History
In 1899, three Sisters of the Congregation of the Holy Infant Jesus stepped off a steamship anchored at Port Swettenham. Reverend Mother St Levine, accompanied by Sisters St Sabine and St Madeleine, had come on a mission to establish a school in Kuala Lumpur. The first convent school was located in Nyonya Ah Yok's garden shed, and the Sisters lived on the first floor of her country house by the River Gombak on Ampang Road. The site is directly opposite Bukit Nanas, the current site of the Kuala Lumpur Tower. On 1 March 1899, the fee-paying Convent School in Kuala Lumpur officially opened with a dozen children. Many of the early pupils were children of immigrants working on the railway lines. By the second year there were 60 day pupils and the sisters were operating an orphanage on the site.
To the rescue came Towkay Goh Ah Ngee who gave temporary residence to the Sisters and the children at his house in Semenyih. He also approached the Government for approval to start a lottery to enable the Sisters to buy Victoria Hotel in Brickfields. Towkay Goh Ah Ngee, as one of the benefactors of the convent, continued to help the Sisters, even providing a carriage and pony for their grocery shopping. On 15 January 1901, Victoria Hotel - once the venue of annual general meetings of the United Planters' Association - became home to Reverend Mother St. André, 17 sisters, 60 orphans and a school for 22 boarders and 100 day pupils. There was also a creche for 12 babies. Word of the Sisters' good work spread, and increasing numbers of pupils crammed the school. By 1911, there were 308 children, prompting the Inspector of Schools to recommend that new classrooms be built.[1]:12–14
1899 The first principal, Reverend Mother St. Levine, was murdered. The murderer [who?]was found dead in mysterious circumstances and police considered it as a murder-suicide. [citation needed]
1900 The death of a day pupil was noted in the Diary. 'The school closed at half past one to allow the children to go home and get ready for the funeral on 24 January. In December, the Federal Inspector of Schools congratulated the Sisters on the 'efficient state of the school' adding that he would be recommending the maximum grant for the convent.
1902 5 November - The Inspector of Schools FMS, J. Driver, approved the syllabi for Hygiene and Geography. 11 December - The Acting British Resident [who?] visited the convent and its grounds to inspect the 'ruins of inundation'.[1]:62
1904 The pupils wore a convent uniform for the first time - a blue skirt and white blouse, sewn by Sisters Lawrence and Marie. Some boys left for the newly opened St. John's Institution.
School building
1907 The school got its first grand piano, donated by Milly O'Hara Music lessons introduced by Rev Mother St. Augustin. Rev Mother St André, after a recuperative period in France, was transferred to Taiping Convent.
1909 The Inspector of Schools in his report noted that the Infant class was well supplied with kindergarten material. The lower Elementary classes used writing books with double lines, and the 'writing' in consequence was better'. F. A. Vanrenen also noted that 'pains was being taken with the pronunciation and the reading throughout was most satisfactory. Composition of Standard IV was fair'. He recommended that each student in the Higher Elementary Standards be provided with an atlas or map of reference for the Geography lesson. (The Inspector of Schools made frequent visits to the Convent School - in March, May and September)
1911 Mother St Matilde, revered founder of the HIJ Missions in Malaya, Singapore and Japan dies in Yokohama.[1]:64
1912 2 December - Convent Bukit Nanas, or "The Top" as it came to be called, [clarification needed] by the Sisters was opened officially by Edward Lewis Brockman, Chief Secretary to Government. E.L. Brockman said in his opening address that he felt confident of the Sister's ability to raise the $26,000 that would be required to pay for the school building and extension. Their benefactors knew that the money would be 'well lid out' for besides 'offering a sound education to children of all classes and creeds, the sisters cared for orphans of whom there were 108 in the convent at the present time.[1]:65
1915 - 1924 Chapel built; blessed by Monsignor Barillon on 27 September, it would be a sacred place of prayer and reflection for generations of students. CBN gets electricity. Visit by Mother General St. Marguerite Mary, paying tribute to the convent's benefactor, Goh Ah Ngee, at the event officiated by Chief Secretary W E Maxwell. CBN's 25th Anniversary. Celebrations postponed until a year later. [why?] 700 pupils at the time.
World War II (1941-1945) The Japanese landed in Kota Bahru on 8 December 1941. Penang was bombarded by 85 Japanese dive bombers on 12 December. Kuala Lumpur was occupied on 13 January 1942, and Singapore fell to the Japanese on 11 February 1942. The Convent Bukit Nanas became a temporary sanctuary for hundreds of civilian refugees, and a home for even more orphans and abandoned babies. The Sisters grew vegetables on two acres in Kajang, drew water from a well in the courtyard, and looked after 400 refugees throughout the Japanese Occupation. Thirty-three Holy Infant Jesus Sisters of Malaya and Singapore died during the War. The Sisters continued writing their Annals entries.[1]:72
The end of war 1945 8 May The Sisters received confirmation of rumours that Germany had surrendered unconditionally to the Allied forces. 28 August Graduation ceremony of the last group of Sisters in the Shihan Gakko. 15 September Convent Bukit Nanas re-opened.[1]:77
1945 - 1965 After the Japanese Occupation, Rev Mother Adele returned CBN to its original state with the help of the British Military Administration (BMA). The Nazareth Building, formerly the house of the Chief Justice, became part of the school; this addition was granted by the Government. Rev Mother Pauline became headmistress and introduced physical education (PE) to the school. Science was introduced as part of the curriculum. [clarification needed] The art hall and laboratories were built and economics was added to the curriculum. The primary school and secondary school were separated. Form 6 classes began. The Form 4 block of classes was built. Rev Mother Aidan became headmistress and the four Houses were formed. The Houses took the names of current and previous headmistresses: Aidan (Red), Pauline (Blue), Adele (Yellow), and Xavier (Green).
1973 -2008 The school's Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) was established. Mrs Chee Phui Lay became the school's first layperson Principal. Sister Anne started the Counseling Program. The school office moved to a new location close to the Upper Secondary School. Bahasa Malaysia became the medium for study and instruction for all subjects. "The Facade" painted to commemorate the school's 85th anniversary. Both primary and secondary schools celebrated CBN's 100th anniversary and the school band was founded. Featured as one of four Premier Schools in commemorative stamps.
Location
On top of a hill once planted with pineapple and coffee, and only a stone's throw from St. John's Institution and Cathedral, the site at Bukit Nanas was the location to start the convent. The Sisters bought the land for $40,000 and sold the old convent property in Brickfields Road to the Government for $60,000. The new convent building cost another $26,000. The shortfall was paid for with contributions from the public.[1]:14
Architecture
English Gothic architecture
The Nazareth Built around 1898, this house has undergone several transformations. Once the house of the Chief Justice, 'Nazareth' was requisitioned during the Japanese Occupation as the Domestic Science School for Girls. With the rapid increase in enrolment, there was a shortage of trained teachers in the country. In 1957, the Sisters acquired Nazareth to house a Teacher's Training College. In the 12 years, Nazareth provided over 300 teachers who fanned out to teach not only at Convent Bukit Nanas but at 50 Convents situated in all parts of the Peninsula. After 1970, Nazareth became the Sixth Form Wing of Convent Bukit Nanas.[1]:86
Academics and curriculum
CBN comprises a secondary school and two primary schools. Administration of the secondary and primary schools separated in 1958. CBN has classes from Form 1 through to Form 5 for girls aged 12 to 17. Girls enter CBN after they have completed their primary education in SRK Convent Bukit Nanas I and SRK Convent Bukit Nanas II (Malay: Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Convent Bukit Nanas 1/Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Convent Bukit Nanas 2). These primary schools have classes from Year 1 through Year 6 for girls aged 7 to 12.
The CBN secondary school administers two national Malaysian exams, the PT3 (Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3), and SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia. PT3 is taken by students at the Form 3 level to determine placement into Science, Art or Commerce courses. However, most girls leave CBN after they complete the SPM at Form 5 to pursue other pre-university courses like the A-Levels. As a result, SPM is seen as the most important exam of most Malaysian high school students careers.
Former headteachers
St Levine February 1899-March 1899
St Augustin 1900-1911
St Tarcisius 1911-1923
St Adele 1923-1951
St Pauline 1951-1957
St Francis Xavier 1957-1965
St Aidan 1965-1967
St Brede 1967-1975
Chee Phui Lay 1975-1977
Indrani Manuel 1978-1993
Vimala Matthews 1994-1999
Alice George 1999-2004
Ann Khoo 2004-2012
Mystrical Rose Fernandez 2012-2014
Nirmala SS Nathan 2014-2017
Rosmand A. Lawrence 2017-2022
The primary and secondary schools became separate entities in 1958, and in 1967, the secondary school came under a separate administration. CBN continued with the practice of having Sister Superiors as coordinators of the various aspects of the convent.
Aida, Sister Superior 1967-1969
Lawrence, Sister Superior 1969-1974
Therese Barra, Sister Superior 1974-1979 CBN continued with the tradition of teaching Sisters who included Sister Bernadette, Sister Dorothy O Keeffe, Sister Bernadine Singleton, Sister Claire Wee, Sister M. Michael, Sister Angele Sih, Sister James Netto and Sister Fidelis.[1]:42–43
School magazine
The school magazine, Marguerite, is published annually. The first edition was published in 1968. [citation needed]
The Centenary Book
The Centenary Book is the culmination of many months of research. The Centenary Book Committee were motivated to produce this Centenary Book as a tribute to the Sisters and Teachers who taught them to read and appreciate poetry, to reason and to count their blessings. For the Sisters and the Teachers, the Committee turned to libraries and archives to uncover information that would help place the School in its proper historical perspective. The Committee wrote, faxed, and telephoned hundreds of Old Girls (alumnae) - from Hong Kong to Australia to England to the United States of America - asking them to cull schoolgirl photographs from their albums.[1]:116
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