Singapore Chinese Girls School was the result of the vision of a group of far-sighted and highly educated Straits Chinese gentlemen, including Sir Song Ong Siang and Dr Lim Boon Keng. Singapore Chinese Girls School was started from humble roots, opening in July in 1899 at Hill Street with an English Headmistress and the modest number of seven girls on the register. Wanting to provide the very basics of education and skills to its students, the young girls were taught Romanized Malay, Chinese, Arithmetic, Geography, Music and sewing to prepare them for their future roles as eloquent and capable wives and mothers. In this notion, Singapore Chinese Girls School is unique  Girls during that time period were rarely given education, parents usually gave the opportunities for education to their sons, daughters simply learnt the skills essential to homemaking, and literally waited to be married off into a good family. For girls of that time period to be educated in a school solely for girls was something unexpected; it was even criticized and ridiculed by those who did not understand; girls were thought to be undeserving of education, in contrast to their male counterparts. However, the founders vision for education for girls was maintained and kept in the times that came, despite the many hardships and obstacles that came the schools way.