The name's 𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹

The founding of Penang Free School is a fascinating story, driven by Robert Sparke Hutchings in 1816. Hutchings, the Chaplain of the Anglican Church on the Prince of Wales' Island, was deeply committed to education and he recognised the dire lack of opportunities for the local population on the island. He felt compelled to act on this gap.

On 6 January 1816, during a Council meeting under the governorship of William Petrie, Hutchings proposed establishing the Native School of Prince of Wales' Island. His vision was to create a school "open to all children regardless of class or race," ensuring that even those who couldn’t afford the nominal fees would be supported by the institution. This proposal was about more than just education; it was about inclusivity and equal opportunity.

Initially, the school operated from rented premises in Love Lane. However, it soon relocated to its own buildings on a plot of land alongside the compound of the Anglican Church in Farquhar Street. Hutchings threw himself into this new role with enthusiasm, balancing his church duties with his passion for education.

The Prince of Wales Island Gazette on 17 February 1816 captured Hutchings’ sentiment perfectly: “It is an uncontroverted truth that the happiness of society results from the good conduct of the majority, and this good conduct results from early habits, or education. It is impossible that the rising generation should acquire good habits and inclinations if they are left in idleness – uncultivated ground must at least remain barren, or what is worse, produce noxious weeds.”

Hutchings' proposals were well-received, and the Governor in Council appointed a committee to implement them. This committee, chaired by Hutchings and including notable public figures such as Robert Ibbetson, Capt John Monckton Coombs, Capt John MacInnes, James Carnegy, David Brown and Richard Caunter, presented a detailed report on 13 January 1816 in which they proposed establishing two schools, one for boys and one for girls.

This marked the beginning of the Prince of Wales' Island Free School, named after the island itself and reflecting its colonial heritage. The school's name underscored its mission: to provide free education to all children, regardless of their background. This institution not only provided education but also embodied the spirit of inclusivity and equal opportunity for all children on the island.

I cannot find any confirmed sources that could tell me when the name of Prince of Wales' Island was changed to Pinang or Penang. The name change could have been gradual, but by 1867, the name Penang had started to gain permanent use and traction even in government documents, thus superseding the name Prince of Wales' Island, which was frankly quite a mouthful. Accordingly, the school's name was shortened to simply Penang Free School to reflect the changing times.

After the Independence of Malaya in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, efforts were made to convert all English names into Bahasa Malaysia. Thus, Penang Free School suddenly became called Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Penang Free or SMK Penang Free. Of course for many of the Old Boys of the school, this was completely unacceptable. Horrors, it was like a big part of the school culture and tradition been chopped off and discarded. Unofficially, they continued to called it Penang Free School, despite the official documents.

In the 2010s, and possibly even earlier, a campaign was initiated by the Old Frees to petition the Ministry of Education to revert the school's name to its original form. By no means was this a precedent because in 2009, Victoria Institution in Kuala Lumpur had its ugly sounding name of SMK Victoria reverted to its original. The Bicentenary celebrations in 2016 provided a good platform for this effort, and the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamallulail, was fully supportive. During the Bicentenary dinner on 21 October 2016, he proclaimed, "I would like to announce that the school will retain its name. The school will not be called SMK Penang Free but will be called as Penang Free School until the end of time." 

It is never too late to reproduce this old Bernama story from 2016 in case people forgets about this momentous decision.

Penang Free School to keep its name

Bernama
Published:  Oct 22, 2016 9:02 AM
Updated: 9:24 AM

Penang Free School will retain its name as this has been approved by the Education Ministry.

The announcement was made by the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail, who is also an Old Frees Association member, in his speech during the bicentenary dinner of the school in George Town last night.

"I would like to announce that the school will retain its name. The school will not be called SMK Penang Free but will be called as Penang Free School until the end of time," Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin said in his speech.

Penang Free School, the oldest English medium school in Malaysia and South-East Asia, celebrated its 200-year anniversary yesterday and more than 3,000 alumni and former teachers gathered at the school field for their grand gala dinner. 

The gathering had gained the National Book of Records as the largest alumni gathering in the country, with 3,130 registered attendees.

The bicentenary celebration was planned by its Bicentenary Committee chairperson, Abdul Rafique Abdul Karim, since 2011 and alumni from across the globe had come back to the school for the celebration.

In conjunction with the celebration, a stamp line with the image of the school, together with a time capsule that is to be opened in 50 years' time, has been launched.

Meanwhile, the 200-year-old school is also waiting to get the approval from the National Heritage Department on its heritage status.

- Bernama

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