History of MGS and Girls Education

1879 - Raffles Girls School

Raffles Girls School was officially founded in 1879 and unofficially in 1844, it was a branch within the Raffles Institution. In 1879, the school moved out and Raffles Girls School was officially born. RGS was made a government school in 1903 and its secondary and primary school split in 1959. RGS has been considered the national institution for females, and usually sees top scorers in the national Primary School Leaving Exam (PSLE) join them. The secondary school is currently located near Orchard Road (Anderson Road).

1879 - St Anthony’s Canossian

St Anthony’s Canossian was set up by Fr Jose Pedro Santa Anna de Cunha. He set up the school for poor parishioners. It was originally for just Girls and was named St Anna’s School. It later expanded to take in boys and was renamed St Anthony’s School for Boys and Girls. It was taken by the Japanese during World War Two and the sisters were placed under house arrest. After the war, the school compound was used to house orphans from the war. This campus still houses the primary school, and the secondary school is now in Bedok.

Year: 1887 - Methodist Girls School Establishment

On 15 August 1887, Miss Sophia Blackmore, an Australian missionary, founded Methodist Girls’ School. Supported by the Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America, Miss Blackmore, she came to Singapore with a mission – to provide girls an education.

In a shophouse in Short Street, she set up school for nine girls whose fathers wanted them to be formally educated at a time when girls were discouraged from going to school. The fathers, all Tamil businessmen, donated money, furniture and the rent-free shophouse that became the Tamil Girls’ School, forerunner of Methodist Girls’ School.

Year: 1901 - Methodist Girls’ School first change in campus

By 1901, the school soon attracted so many other girls, all eager to learn, that it had to relocate to Middle Road while a larger building was constructed in Short Street to house 150 pupils.

Year: 1911 - Methodist Girl’s School Cambridge Examination / Campus change

Ten years later, the first Senior class of four girls sat for and passed the Cambridge Examination. The enrolment at MGS increased steadily, and by 1925 the school had to move to Mount Sophia where it remained until 1992 when increasing numbers once again dictated another move, this time to Blackmore Drive, its current location.

Year: 1989 - Move to Blackmore Drive

In the following years, MGS established itself as a reputable girls’ school, and in 1989, MGS (Secondary) became independent. Three years later, the school moved from its Mount Sophia premises to its current location on 11 Blackmore Drive.