Penang Free School - The Oldest English School in SEA -

dexa

Penang Free School -




Penang Free School is a secondary school located on Jalan Masjid Negeri (previously Green Lane), George Town, Penang, Malaysia. Although the medium of instruction is currently Malay, Penang Free School was the first English-medium school in South East Asia.

Penang Free School - the first English school in Malaysia ; established 1816

The Penang Free School is the oldest English-language school open to children of commoners in Southeast Asia. The person who is credited with leading the idea of setting up such a school was Reverend Sparke Hutchings, and the proposal was forwarded to the Governor of the then Prince of Wales Island in 1815.

The original plan, which was proposed by a committee set up by the Governor, called for two schools, one for boys, another for girls. Care was to be taken in providing secular education, and the sentiments of parents against any Christian teachings should be respected. Fees were collected only from those who could afford it. Children whose Malay and Indian parents do not wish for their children to be taught English could be taught in their own languages.

Those were the plans but they were never carried out in their entirety. A school was set up, on 21 October 1816, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the demise of Captain Francis Light. It was housed in Love Lane, and at other rented premises, while awaiting the completion of the building in Church Square. As expected, the name Penang Free School created a misunderstanding. Many parents thought "free" means free from fees, but actually, the "free" means the school is "open to all".

As initially planned, within Penang Free School are the Malay school and Tamil school to conduct classes in the pupils' own languages. These were started in 1821, but lasted only a few years, although there was a branch of the Malay school in Gelugor that remained until 1863.

Up until 1897, the Penang Free School comprised a few isolated buildings that took up all the land granted to it. At the same time, a permanent building was under construction. It was a symmetrical structure to be built in two phases. The first phase was completed in 1896, and was the wing closest to the St. George's Anglican Church. The remaining wing was completed in 1906.

With the completion of the permanent building, those isolated structures were demolished, allowing the school to have its own football field for the first time. With the passing of the Constitution of Free School, all instructions were given in English and no native languages were taught.

By 1919, even the permanent buildings were already overcrowded. It required space for science laboratories, workshops and a gymnasium. There was a suggestion to move the upper forms to a new premises on the outskirts of town, leaving the lower forms in the original building. At the request of the Board of Trustees, the Old Frees Association convened and decided to rename the original school as Hutchings School, after the school's original founder.

Meanwhile, a 30-acre site on Green Lane was identified for the new Penang Free School premises. It will have a school complex that includes quarters for the senior staff. Construction began in 1924, and was officially opened on 9 January 1925 by Ralph Scott, Resident Councillor of Penang.

When D.R. Swaine was principal, the House System was introduced for its extra-curricular activities, resulting in the creation of the following houses: Cheeseman, Hamilton, Hargreaves, Pinhorn and Wu Lien Teh House. Under this system, the student is attached to the house until he leaves school. With this system, and the rivalry generated, it is hoped that the student will take a keener interest in games.

The Second World War had a disruptive effect on the Penang Free School, although it remained intact throughout the war, unless its former premises, the Hutching School (now housing the Penang Museum), which lost a wing to Allied bombing. It was used as the headquarters of the Indian National Liberation Army. When it finally reopened after the war in 4 October 1945, the school had lost much of its furniture and prized documents.



The Penang Free School was first named Pinang Free School
and later known as The Grand Old Lady


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... sempena sambutan PFS yang ke 192 tahun ni...
baru la saya tahu it is the oldest english school in
south east asia.. let alone malaysia -
memang bangunan dia pun nampak jenis bangunan lama
tapi sangat menarik.. dan maintain bagus....
sesuai dengan penang sebagai tapak warisan dunia -

tahniah pada PFS.. hopefully dapat lahirkan ramai scholars
yang can be proud of  -

dexa

In 1966, the 20 sen and 50 sen stamps and first-day covers featuring the school were issued to commemorate the school抯 150th anniversary and according to stamp dealer Lee Soon Seng people are still asking for them today.


Historic school: The 20 sen stamp of PFS issued
to commemorate the school抯 150th anniversary.

akudimana

aah, mmg skolah plg tua kt sea..dr generasi atuk aku, pastu bapak aku, pastu pakngah aku, pastu abg aku, pastu adik aku, pastu lps nih anak aku kot..suma generasi skolah situ..aku je x skolah situ sbb aku pompuan..klu laki gak haruss aku pn skolah situ..

dexa

akudimana... sekolah kat st george's girls school ke?

akudimana

aku masuk asrama luaq dr penang..kt kedah nun..huhu..tp skolah rendah sblh st george's la, residensi girl skul tuh..hikhik

sintaq

sekolah aku nie sebelum masok MRSM hehehehe! byk la mitos2 yg aku dgr time blajaq kt sini dulu. cerita pasal hantu pengetua mat salleh mai melawat mlm2,ada terowong rahsia, ada bilik rahsia(ni mmg sngguh, aku dh tgk & masok) dan mcm2 lagi la.tapi la ni, sekolah ni pn dh caca marba. bdk2 pn mcm2 dok ada. hisk hisk hisk....

proud to be XFREES and joined OFA (Old Frees Association)

choolakaw

penang free nie menengah ker rendah yerrr

sintaq

Originally posted by choolakaw at 21-1-2009 08:45 PM
penang free nie menengah ker rendah yerrr

sekolah menengah ja and for boys only accept tingkatan 6. Girls bleh join form 6.

chemie

heheh dekat dengan sekolah aku dulu

teknik tunku abdul rahman





salam newbie
----------------

http://che-mie.blogspot.com

joyahglam

nice building..
me admire betul kat arkitek dia..
tak kira lah, bangunan omputeh or melayu..
sungguh classic

sintaq

sekolah ni sekolah premier bkn SBP. even though sekolah premier, PFS ada hostel facility, especially, for budak-budak yg duduk kt seberang prai even student from sabah sarawak pn ada. ni aku share badge PFS, click the link to view.

http://www.fileqube.com/shared/KGUqRnKsh1335868

1816 = tarikh sekolah ni di tubuhkan.
FORTIS ATQUE FIDELIS in English means, kalo tak silap aku laa...

SCHOLARMAN,SPORTMAN,GENTLEMAN (maybe sequence dia lain..aku pn tak berapa nk ingt)

kiranya, PFS ni utk train boy to be a perfect man...kunun2 gitu laa cogangkata dia. actually, bangunan skang ni bukan bangunan asal PFS. bangunan yg cantik, putih melepak ni dibuat sebelum nippon attack malaya, sb tu ada byk terowong2  & bilik2 rahsia.

sintaq

Originally posted by chemie at 23-1-2009 12:06 PM
heheh dekat dengan sekolah aku dulu

teknik tunku abdul rahman





salam newbie
----------------

http://che-mie.blogspot.com

hahaha! dekat la. pi sembahyang jumaat kt masjid negeri, mesti jumpa bdk2 hostel PFS & bdk2 hostel tekni. kalo nk differentiate, tgk samping depa. heheheh!

awin2009

SCHOLARMAN,SPORTMAN,GENTLEMAN..
ni kn SAHC pnyer moto..
sama ke??
hmmm..
pelik jgk..
PFS ni mcm SAHC

awin2009

bangunan SAHC pn exact cmni lah..
tp sy suka lwt SAHC..
slaloo lpk ngn kwn yg ada kt sana..
bangunan sumer antik2

sintaq

disebabkan thread ni mcm aktif ja...meh aku share badge PFS
originally aku scanned dr bagde lama aku..hehehehe!

amazed

Majlis Back to School PFS

KUALA LUMPUR 12 Okt. - Mereka yang pernah belajar dan mengajar di Penang Free School, sekolah Inggeris pertama dan tertua di Asia Tenggara dijemput menghadiri sambutan ulang tahun sekolah itu yang ke-193 pada 21 Oktober ini.

Bertemakan Back to School, majlis makan malam anjuran Old Frees Association (OFA) itu bakal menghimpunkan kira-kira 1,000 bekas pelajar yang kini bermastautin di sekitar Kuala Lumpur dan Selangor.

Menurut Presiden OFA KL & Selangor, Datuk Kamil Khalid Ariff, majlis tersebut akan berlangsung di Dewan Perdana Felda, Jalan Semarak di sini mulai pukul 8 malam.

''Inilah peluang menyatukan kembali rakan sedarjah, bekas guru , rakan sekolah juga waktunya untuk mengenang zaman persekolahan dan berkongsi pengalaman hidup setelah masing-masing membawa haluan sendiri,'' katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Beliau memberitahu, perhimpunan ini juga akan memperlihatkan kekuatan pasukan rumah sukan apabila pihak penganjur menetapkan tetamu berpakaian smart casual mengikut warna rumah sukan yang dianggotai bekas pelajar.

Mereka yang berminat menyertai majlis makan malam itu bolehlah menghubung Kamil melalui telefon 012-2965688 atau Pengerusi Majlis Makan Malam, Kol. (B) Ariffin di 019-3512049.

VirginLady

reunion ni utk batch biler ni eh?
kalo cam bapak2 kita bley ke...kalo utk org tua2 skali syok jugak kalo my Dad nk join..jumpa kwn2 lama dia

tp 1000 org je?

jkkkj

Dua orang Yang Dipertuan Agong pernah menuntut di sini.

super_nova

skolah saya Methodist ACS Ipoh establish tahun 1895 ajer...huhuhuhu

loladoilies

cantek naa bangunan dia , ala ala victorian gitu , nice