St Anthony's Primary School
St Anthony's Primary School (known as St Anthony's Boys' School until 1992) is a primary school in Singapore. It is located in Bukit Batok.[1]
It was established on 1 August 1879 by the Catholic Portuguese Mission of Singapore when it was then known as St Anna's School founded by Fr. Jose Pedro Sta. Anna de Cuhna with the mission in educating the poor who could not afford education.[2] It was built within the compound of St Joseph's Church Portuguese Mission and with an initial enrolment of 6 children. C.M.E. Buccanam was then its first principal with Margaret Dias and Mary Anna Ruggelly as the first group of teaching staff.[2]
On 23 February 1886, the school has as new building and thus was renamed as St Anthony's Boys' and Girls' School under the consent of the Archbishop Primate, Canon Pinto.[2] However, by 1887 December, the boys were separated with the girls as the government then did not consent to the idea of mixing both genders together for classes and by 1893 November, the boys were moved out of the girls' school premises to a two old shop-houses.[2]