St Xavier's Branch School, Pulau Tikus

St Xavier's Branch School, Pulau Tikus, Penang (18 February 2013)


St Xavier's Branch School, known today as Sekolah Kebangsaan St Xavier Cawangan, is a primary school in Pulau Tikus, Penang. It is located along Brother James Road.

An offshoot of St Xavier's Institution, St Xavier's Branch School had a humble beginning as a school for the children of the local Catholic community of Pulau Tikus. In the early years, classes were held in a shed near the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Due to its appearance, the shed was called The Noah's Ark.

In 1906-7, the Catholic school was handed over to the La Salle Christian Brothers, who in 1854 had taken on another Catholic school and re-established it as the St Xavier's School (predecessor of St Xavier's Institution). Hence this "new" school became the St Xavier's Branch School.

Sekolah Kebangsaan St Xavier Cawangan, Jalan Brother James (18 February 2013)


For much of the early 20th century, the person in charged of the St Xavier's schools was Brother Marius James Byrne, who was the Provincial (head of the religious order) until 1946. School was interrupted by the Second World War, during which the school building was turned into a factory by the Japanese navy. After the war, classes for St Xavier's Branch School were held in rooms within the St Joseph's Novitiate.

The construction of the present school building along Brother James Road was largely the effort of Brother Louis John Michael Jacques @ Brother Theodoret Michael, who went around canvassing the support of teachers as well as former students. The school building was and occupied in 1961, and was later officiated by the Governor of Penang, Raja Tun Uda Al-Haj Muhammad, on 10 March 1967.

Getting there

The nearest bus stop is along Burmah Road, which receives Rapid Penang bus 101, 102, 104 and 304.

View St Xavier's Branch School in a larger map

References

List of Schools in Penang and Schools in Malaysia