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No substitute to a convent upbringing
Published on: Sunday, December 27, 2020
By: K J Mary
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Credit: thestar.com.my
MUCH has been said about the need for preserving the “Convent Culture”. In 1925 three French nuns and two teachers, Miss Ethel Filders and Miss Winifred Allen, came to Johor Bahru and started the I.J. Convent. They received the support of His Royal Highness, the late Sultan Ibrahim and Her Royal Highness the late Sultanah Rogayah. The royal couple was happy with the work and effort of these pioneers and gave them a piece of land to build a proper school. He even enrolled his grandchildren in the school. In all these 85 years the school has grown in leaps and bounds to what it is today: – a Cluster School for Excellence, one of the top academic day-schools in the country and the only Band-A day- school in Johor Bahru!

These achievements are the culmination of the practice of a culture unique to the Convent. There has always been a clamouring among parents in Johor Bahru to enroll their children in the Convent. When the question is posed to the parents, ‘Why do you want your child to attend the Convent?’, the answer is always the same. ‘This is where my child can excel, there is a healthy competitive spirit, they can learn English, mix with students of all races and develop good character’, is what they say.

‘Simple in Virtue, Steadfast in Duty’. This motto of the Convent worldwide has inspired and guided girls over the years. A large number of girls over the years serve the community in their fields of work, be it as medical professionals and healthcare professionals, people who work in non-governmental organizations, charitable organizations, grassroots and community supporters, volunteers, religious organizations and as educators. The Infant Jesus Sisters always inspired and guided the girls in the value of compassion and love for neighbors. The nuns and teachers lived by this ethos and created an atmosphere of sharing and caring. The students were taught to have courage and conviction to serve the community. Even as many became successful, they remained humble and caring.

We have often heard it said, ‘You can pick out a Convent student as soon as she steps up to speak’. This is another feature that characterizes a Convent student- the ability to speak in public, an appreciation of the Arts, confidence and poise, independence and often a wicked sense of humor. The emphasis on character-building and the molding of young ladies of refined character was on the minds of the early I.J.Sisters. Needlework, Home Science, Singing and Dancing were taught to complement the sciences. They spread love and treated all alike, irrespective of race, color or creed. Spirituality was essential to molding character and they led by example. I quote a past I. J. student from a Convent in Singapore, ‘I can see the difference between Convent girls and other girls. They dress better…speak better English…they are more polite, that must come from respect, self-respect, as well as respect for others…have a wider breath of knowledge and …they are more open minded.”

Constant emphasis to character was foremost in the early days and this in turn produced students of excellent stature and high achievements. I must confess much has changed since those times. When we bemoan the fact that Convent culture is being lost, many raise an eyebrow or are cynical as if is it not a big deal. It is imperative that we strive to maintain this culture that brings out the best in a student. The by-line that I wrote for I.J.Convent Johor Bahru in 2007, “Unleashing Inherent Student Potential”, must be pursued on the foundation laid by the I.J. Sisters of old. Each child is a potential for excellence. She must be helped to reach her full potential. To this end we must strive and maintain a culture of which we have nothing to apologize for.

Convent culture then is to build students of fine character and excellent academic qualifications. To do this we have to begin with the heart. The teachers and students have to recognize that we are all God’s creation and we must see beyond creed and colour. They must start wearing glasses that cannot see colours. They must learn to love each other unconditionally. A respect for each other and the faiths they represent is crucial in maintaining the Convent culture. I quote Sister Bernad Au and Sister Dominic Lie who say, “Your value as person does not depend on your performance or your accomplishments now or later. You are precious in the sight of your creator and in ours, because you are you. Let your education evoke the fullness of this unique ‘you’, and be nothing more or nothing less.” This is indeed what we have to make our teachers and students understand. The habit of deeming one faith superior to the other must diminish. Spirituality must be emphasized and respect for another’s beliefs, upheld.

Nurturing wholesome development of the student is part and parcel of Convent culture. It is Convent culture that teachers teach with a passion born out of wanting to be the best. Understanding the earnest desire of parents for their children to excel, teaching must be their love, not just a vocation.

The culture of enjoyable extra-curricular activities of sport, singing, and dancing must be maintained. This freedom of expression must be encouraged. The I.J. Sisters always gave room for these forms of expression, all of it in moderation. As such, there must not be any covert attempt to consider these expressions as unhealthy by people who hold other personal prejudiced views.

The culture of appropriate attire for sports and other activities was also emphasized by the nuns. In the sports arena, appropriate dress code was essential for performing well. Modesty was always the priority then, and should be now. There must be no attempt to force a particular dress code on the students as this will impede their strife to excel.

The school must have the culture of a nurturing environment. We were taught to curtsey when we stopped to greet the Sisters or teachers. We were always told to look up and speak up and to be confident. School plays and concerts were the norm. There was laughter and joy in the air. This kind of atmosphere encourages students to love school and grow into healthy individuals. They must be taught to be warm and friendly and big-hearted. There must be a sense of wonder at being educated.

Besides this, there must be a respect for discipline. Although the Sisters were strict, they spoke kindly and they expected a show of respect for discipline. Discipline in studies and in obeying rules because it is the right thing to do must be nurtured. This cannot be forced on a person. Encouraging good actions and admonishing negative actions must be a daily exercise.

In a day when we find it difficult to differentiate femininity and masculinity, we must continue churning out well-bred young ladies. Femininity must be a feature of the Convent. The girls must have the ability to interact and socialize with people of all walks of life with decorum and maturity. Emotional development is crucial. They must know who they are and take pride in their personhood. This is the task of the Convent fraternity.

These are but some thoughts on what I understand as Convent culture. One Janet Ang describes her stint at a Convent as “Giving concern for others, enthusiasm to inquire and learn, gratitude for blessings however big or small, to be able to be in awe of and in wonder of God’s creation and God’s creativity, and to have a spirit of friendship that is long-lasting, and to feel a challenge to contribute and to make a difference. Yet in all, to recognize that by ourselves our capability is limited but in God we can reach unlimited boundaries and do the impossible”. This culture that we want to promote is of no threat to any faith or philosophy. It is one that wants to bring out the inherent potential of students to be respectable human beings. We want to build in them the spirit to want to conquer the world, to love life and serve mankind with a fear of God in their hearts. To do this, we must keep the noble values imbibed in the Convent culture. We must never forget how important the Convent is to building this nation. Its long history of excellence must be kept at all costs. The onus is on the next generations of teachers and students to make this a reality.

- K.J.Mary was Past-Principal (2005-2007); Vice-Chairman, Board of Directors (2007- Present); and Ex-Pupil, Father  Barrre’ Convent, SP, Kedah. (1957-1968).



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