Background

Canossaville was first established as an orphanage in 1941 with the aim of providing care and attention to male and female orphans. In later years, it became a home for girls from single-parent families and troubled homes.

In 1983, the Student Care Centre (previously known as Before and After School Care Service) was introduced to cater to the rising numbers of school-going children left unsupervised at home during the day.

Canossaville is affliliated to Caritas Singapore Community Council and the National Council of Social Service. It was registered as a Charity under the Charities Act on 29 June 1987. Charity Registration Number is 0462.

With effect from 1 January 1997, it became a voluntary welfare organisation authorised to receive tax-exempt donations under the NCSS Central Fund (General Fund) Scheme.

Aims and Objectives

To provide shelter and integrated services to young children and adolescents who are at risk or who lack adequate family support for their well-being and development

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To reach out and support these children and their families through individual and group counselling, skills development, learning support and other programmes.

To provide Student Care services to ensure a supportive learning environment outside school.

History of Canossa Convent

Canossa Convent was the first Canossian community directly dependent on the Diocese of Singapore and the last before the Japanese Occupation in 1941. It was the outcome of Rev. Father Stephen Lee's dream of having an orphanage and a private Chinese school for the education of the poor. Subsequently when the British surrendered to the Japanese in February 1942, the chapel was used as their office and the rest of the building was converted into a hospital for their wounded soldiers. The Sisters and orphans had to evacuate and they were sent to Fiji Village, Bahau in Negri Sembilan where they spent more than two years until the Japanese surrendered. This historical surrender took place in the parlour of Canossa Convent.

In May 1942, the wooden "long house" was blessed. It served as the boys' home. On Sundays, the big dormitory was reserved for the use of the newly established parish of St. Stephen for masses.

First the chickens, then the school More than150 orphans returned from Bahau with the Sisters in 1945. Food was scarce. During this time of scarcity, vegetables planting and rearing chickens were more important than learning in the classroom.

From private Chinese school to Government-aided English school In 1951 the Chinese private school was converted to a Government-aided English school. This was done for two reasons. First to raise the education of our orphans to a higher standard and secondly to answer to the request of the Chinese, born in Malaya, for tuition in English so as to have better employment prospects in the future. With this change, the Sisters took over the teaching from the Chinese- speaking teachers.

Canossian Eduplex

In 1999, the Canossian Eduplex was born after extensive renovation and extension works. It comprises Canossa Convent, Canossaville Children's Home, Canossa Convent Primary School, Magdalene's Kindergarten and Canossian School (for the Hearing Impaired). The relocation of the Canossian School from Jalan Merbok to Sallim Road was to provide for full/partial integration into the mainstream primary school.