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 State 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.
Further improvements to the school included the building of new classrooms in 1991, which enabled single session school since 1991.
Where to stay when in Penang? Well, it depends on what you are looking for and your threshold for "budgetness". The Penang Budget Accommodation Guide provides a selection of budget accommodation for you to look at. If I am allowed to be biased, I would recommend Hotel Mingood. It is operated by a friend of mine, Arthur, who has been in the hotel business for a few decades. I have visited it and found it to be a pretty decent place to stay, on a budget. But before you decide, go through the list of Penang hostels and check out their location before you book.
Penang Free School.
Penang Free School field and pavillion.
Penang Free School porch and rotunda.
Penang Free School main gate which was declared open on 29 September 1979.
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