Blessed Imelda's School


Blessed Imelda's School, Taipei, Taiwan, is the oldest Catholic school in Taiwan, established in 1916 by the Dominican sisters. The school is named after Blessed Imelda Lambertini, a 14th century Dominican sister.

History

Blessed Imelda's girls' school opened on April 16, 1917, with financial support from the Apostolic Prefect of Taiwan and from the Holy Rosary Dominican Province. It was established when Taiwan was under Japanese rule, and Japanese culture has influenced its development. It began with five Dominican sisters on the teaching staff along with Japanese teachers. Music, painting, handicraft, and English were taught. It had one junior high school and one senior high school class and 158 students, three quarters Japanese.
In 1934 the school extended it program to three-years. During World War II the president of the school was appointed by the Japanese but the Dominican Sisters continued to run the school. It was the only private school running during the Japanese occupation. In 1935 the enrollment was 740 with a staff of 22. It enrolled 120 of 652 applicants in 1942.

Notable alumni