Description
In 1925, the Maryknoll Sisters established their first school in Hong Kong. On 11 February they opened a kindergarten for twelve Portuguese children in the convent at 103 Austin Road. This became Maryknoll Convent School! There were demands for high-quality English-language education, and the Sisters responded to local needs.In 1928 MCS moved to King’s Terrace, next to the convent, and in 1929, it moved again to Torres Building, 2 Kimberly Road. By then, the Sisters could claim the many nationalities among the students: Chinese, Japanese, English, Portuguese, Irish, French, German, Russian, American, Indian, and so on. Since their early days, the Maryknoll Sisters played an active role in society, helping Chinese women secure better livelihood through the Industrial Department, and offering education to children irrespective of race, religious and social backgrounds.
The 1930s were a decade of challenge. Kowloon Tong was developing as a settlement for Chinese and Portuguese families; hillsides were leveled and roads were cut down. In 1932, the Catholic Church opened its parish in Kowloon Tong with the completion of St. Teresa’s on Prince Edward Road. To correspond with the development of the government and the Church, the Maryknoll Sisters bought the land of 200,000 square feet on Waterloo Road and Boundary Street for the construction of the MCS Building. In 1932 MCS relocated to 248 Prince Edward Road.
At last, in May 1937, MCS moved to its present campus. The Industrial Department also moved to the structure adjacent to the building and linked to it by the arch (the location today is the Sisters’ convent). The MCS Building, with its tower and courtyard, was an imitation of the Maryknoll Sisters’ Motherhouse, which was built a few years earlier in Ossining, New York.
| Period | 19 Apr 2023 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Global Histories of Education Dialogue: Histories of Education and Gender in East Asia |
| Event type | Symposium |
| Location | Hong KongShow on map |