Background (quoted from Tung Lin's post, here)
There is a school site I want to investigate regarding its origin. If someone could check on the first educator who operated this address: 12-C School Road
(area : 8000 sq ft) in the 1920s, 30s, up to the 40s.
Before the early 50s, it was named Sum-Sum Kindergarten. In 1958, my dad rented this site to operate the Ching Tak Kindergarten..
Its construction is quite unique and has a higher level of design than the other schools in the island village. The major classroom is just as roomy as
a church assembly. Its back wall has a square hole designed solely for movie projection from the other classroom. The front yard is very big. Its backyard
is on a lower terrace, overseeing a Boundary Stone, which is the one in Tai Choi Yuen..
Some notes of my findings continue here :
I. The red brick building should be there still, after ~100 years. It still shows up in the school's events in recent years, as their website. [1]
It may not show up in Google Street View as it seems to be on inner part of the school site. May refer to the GIS map here. It is at 5B School Road, opened in 1928.
It was appraised as Grade 2 historic building back in 2009.
One clue about the school building may be a public work done in 1933 (a previous work was notice boards in 1930). [2]
Before 1928, the school had resided in different places (firstly on 18 Tai San Street) and ran under rather adverse environments.
II. My guess that the Girls' school may be on 12C is because of the linkage 'L.M.S.', which as Tung mentioned the property next to CTK on School Road. [3]
And its later connection to education, 'tended to accommodate foreign children', and as kindergartens in 1940-50s. There seems some correlation among these,
not purely coincidental. Possible ? I am not sure if better evidence may be found to support it, or not. (*)
It is found out further that the LMS Girls' School is actually run by the organization 'HK and New Territories Evangelisation Society'.
There was also Sunday school held at the school site. This was co-operated by the Union Church and To Tsai Church. [4]
(*) p.s. I said it too early above. At this hour, more specific information shows up. Chinese name of this Girls' School is probably 端儀學校 (since 1918). It may have lasted until WWII began. [5] Even a 1926(?) photo of the pupils, from the CCC CC Church 100th anniversary special issue, was shared by the 'CC Nostalgia' FB, here. Any idea already ? : )
In the era when the 'mui tsai' debate was ongoing in Hong Kong for another round in the 20s, I think, setup of two Girls' schools in Cheung Chau and Tsuen Wan in
early 1920s is a progressive initiative. e.g. the Cheung Chau one is likely sizable and of good standard to receive continued subsidy, than the new Free School opened in 1920.
These some 40 girls who received years of primary education may not know the story then...
Yet some of their offspring may still be living in Cheung Chau today perhaps.
Please advise me if I have mistaken any information in this post, or add your other inputs. Thank you.
sources and notes
1. recap the the 2008 school publication pdf here. Photos of the red brick building are shown from page 3 onwards.
2. 'work consisted of sinking a well of 28'0" in depth' at Cheung Chau School, completed in Sept. 1933 by Chiu Sing Kee (PWD Report 1933)
3. on land registry, 12C School Road entry is shown in English name as :
Tai Choi Yuen, Cheung Chau CCL 1472 S.A. Grace Garden (the Garden's name also hints something about its history ?)
[present day remains]
about the 2013 google Street View shared by Tung before, it could no longer show the details. But the two flights of steps are visible (link).
[birthday party]
in Sum Sum Kindergarten, birthday parties were held every season, as reported on Wah Kiu Yat Pao (e.g. 1952-10-14)
4. SCMP, 1924-3-17; China Mail, 1924-3-28, p.4
as recorded, J.L. MacPherson was a member on its Controlling Body, c.1924-1926
5. refer also CCC publication in Chinese : Wu Sing, issue 658 p. 5 (June 2012)