Current condition
In use
Date completed
Completion date from school website:
The school moved to its present site in 1914 and the present building was completed in 1981.
Previous place(s) at this location
Photos that show this Place
1990s
Comments
The French Convent
David, My father's English school record gives his first school as "The French Convent" without dates. My father, Reg Warren was born in 1909 and was sent to school in Canada in 1917. The St Paul's school profile gives 1916 as the opening date. Is it known whether this is the first year that the school took pupils after its move to Causeway Bay? Are there records of other small boys attending the school?
Jill
The French Convent
Yes, Jill - from the prospectus of the French Convent, for the year 1910, reproduced in 'Education in Hong Kong Pre-1841 to 1941: Fact and Opinion by Anthony Sweeting HKUPress pub. 1990
"Children are admitted from the age of 4; boys are not received as boarders, but only as day-scholars until the age of 7."
Its a fascinating article, with the fees, uniform and other requirements, rules etc etc !
The French Convent
Many thanks for this information, Patricia.
Jill
The French Convent
Hi Jill,
Your father may have gone to the previous school in Wanchai:
http://gwulo.com/node/20324
Regards, David
The French Convent
David,
You may be right. However, the family moved from Kowloon to the top of Broadwood Road in 1916 and I think the new school was probably quite convenient from there, although my father would have been at the top of the age range for boys cited by Patricia. From what age did St Joseph's accept children? That's where his 10 year-old brother, Arthur, was at the time.
Jill
St Joseph's
I took a quick look through the Anthony Sweeting book that Patricia mentioned. No mentions of the age range unfortunately. I suggest adding a comment to http://gwulo.com/Saint-Joesphs-Building in case any future readers can help.
Regards, David
St Joseph's College minimum age limit
David,
I think I've found the answer from Arthur Warren's own school records in the UK. He first went to St Joseph's College in 1913, aged 7. If my grandfather had already decided to send his two younger sons to school in Canada, perhaps it was thought better for my father, (small for his age), to stay on at the French Convent for the final year possible for boys, rather than change schools twice in two years.
Jill