The Chinese Public School in Art

Victoria Chinese Public School. Black and white ink drawing by Robert Amos, 1994.

The Chinese Public School was constructed in 1909 by the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association in response to a ruling by the Victoria School Board that children born in China, who could not speak fluent English, could not attend public schools. A central landmark of Victoria’s Chinatown, the school features a combination of western and Chinese architectural features. The school still offers afternoon and Saturday classes for elementary students and evening classes in Mandarin for adults. The school also includes a shrine and a meeting hall for the CCBA. The black and white drawing of the school by Robert Amos in 1994 has since been adopted by the CCBA as its logo.