Page 47 - KBHA BULLETIN 2
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years. She later employed the services of an assistant, who had also been a past pupil. The arrival
of the nuns from Springfield relieved Father Duignam of all teaching.
The school was basically Filipino, although a number of local white children attended, and it was
only with the great influx of whites after the Boer War in 1902 that petition after petition reached
Father Duignam from the white Catholic Community to have their children educated in Catholic
religious doctrine and sound primary education. Initially they wanted to have Father Duignam
teach them in the morning at the Mission School while the Filipino coloured children could be
taught in the afternoons. This was not, however, practical as it would tie Father Duignam to the
Mission School and, with the increased number of requests, especially from seasonal visitors,
Bishop Leonard however that Father Duignam approach the Holy Cross nuns at George for help.
This, however, was refused by Mother Modada as her superiors in Germany advised that they,
the German nuns, were not conversant with Filipino fisherfolk - (who were descendants from the
Spanish and Chinese folk in Manila in the Philippines.)
It was then that Father Duignam approached Mother Pius at Springfield and a happy and long
relationship with that school was established. It was Springfield that “footed the bill” in the
construction of the Convent (Fig. 3.3), a cost of £5400-12-8d. This amount had not to be repaid
nor had any interest to be paid on this amount.
On the 24th January 1908 Mother Joseph (principal) and sister Benigus opened a “small white
private school” at the Convent with no pomp or ceremony. There was a total of 10 children, who
were housed in a small dining room, for morning classes only. The 10 children who attended that
day were: May & Rose Scowen (from Scowen’s hotel in Muizenberg) Lily, Nellie and Tommy
Heath, Eric and Ethel Sauerlander, Rita Spence, Daisy Pillow and Rhoda Bailey (8 girls and 2
boys who were brothers of the girls.)
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