Over the past few days, I’ve been busy writing and editing some articles for the Penang State Museum. It seems to me that the museum will soon be relocating back to its original premises on Farquhar Street after completing extensive repairs, having been temporarily housed on Macalister Road. The Farquhar Street building, as many will know, was originally the home of Penang Free School, and there will be an acknowledgment of this historical connection.
Last month, I was approached by the Headmaster, who asked if I could provide some information about the Free School. How could I possibly say no to both the school and the museum? Three days ago, I received the initial storyline, and since then, I’ve been hard at work revising it—correcting inaccuracies, expanding on key points, and ensuring the narrative is both concise and engaging, as the essay needed to be kept succinct.
Anyhow, this is as good a time as any to present a new concise history of Penang Free School for the record. Let's see what the state museum thinks about it when they finally get round to translating the text:
History of Penang Free School's Establishment
Thirty years after the British established Prince of Wales Island as a trading post, Penang Free School became the first English school in Southeast Asia. Founded by Reverend Robert Sparke Hutchings, then Colonial Chaplain, the school's proposal was presented to Governor William Petrie on 6 January 1816. Hutchings envisioned a public, inclusive institution open to all children regardless of class, race or religion, with financial support provided for those unable to pay tuition. Special care was taken to respect the religious beliefs of all students.
The founding committee, which included leading merchants and military officers like Robert Ibbetson, Captain John Monckton Coombs, David Brown and Richard Caunter, was secular with no clergy representation. This non-denominational ethos was reflected in the school’s charter, which prioritised practical education in reading, writing, arithmetic and trades such as carpentry and tailoring, explicitly stating that “the prejudices of Parents averse to the Christian Religion be not by any means violated.”
On 21 October 1816, Penang Free School (originally named Prince of Wales’ Island Free School) opened as a day school in rented premises on Love Lane, Penang, with plans for a permanent building next to St George's Church. At its first annual meeting in 1817, Captain Coombs described the institution as a “Public School,” highlighting its secular foundation and distinguishing it from contemporary mission schools that often aimed to spread Christianity. Despite its founder being an Anglican clergyman, historical evidence confirms that Penang Free School was never affiliated with any religious mission or denomination.
Penang Free School adopted a modified version of the Madras System of Education, a popular method in English elementary schools during the first half of the 19th century. This system, devised by Dr Andrew Bell, employed a "monitorial" approach: a single master oversaw the entire school, but instruction and discipline were largely carried out by selected senior students known as "monitors." These monitors assisted "tutors" (also students, but slightly younger or less advanced) in learning their lessons, and the tutors, in turn, instructed the younger pupils assigned to them. This peer-teaching structure allowed a single teacher to manage a large number of students.
Penang Free School at Church Square
Soon after the school's establishment, the East India Company granted land for the construction of the school’s first buildings in Church Square, next to St George’s Church. They were completed in 1821 and used for 80 years. The original school buildings, constructed in four blocks with a fifth added in 1879, faced St. George's Church and were connected by covered passageways. The central block was a two-story brick structure while flanking it to the north and south were identical single-story blocks. A driveway ran along the school's front, connecting Farquhar Street with a back lane off Stewart Lane and separating the school from the church grounds.
In 1821, the Girls' Day School which was established four years earlier was suspended due to the resignation of the school teacher and the inability to find a replacement. However, within the school premises, two schools were opened in that year to instruct Tamil and Malay students in their respective languages. The Tamil School operated until 1823, and the Malay School until 1826. A branch of the Malay School also existed at Glugor from 1821 to 1839. The Higher Scholarship, later known as the Queen’s Scholarship, was first awarded to a Penang Free School student in 1887, just two years after its establishment by the British government. Over the course of its existence, no fewer than 31 Penang Free School students earned this prestigious scholarship before it was discontinued after 1957.
Penang Free School on Farquhar Street
By the 1890s, the Church Square school building had become overcrowded. To accommodate the growing student population, part of the original structure was demolished to make way for a new building on Farquhar Street. Public donations, totalling at least Straits Dollars $12,000, were matched by a similar contribution from the government. The first phase of construction was completed in 1896, and the first students occupied the new building. The second phase was finished in 1907. To acknowledge the donors, their names and contributions were etched onto three marble slabs which still stands today on the walls of the building. Once the building was fully operational, the remaining structures in Church Square were demolished to create the school's first dedicated football field. Penang Free School occupied this building until the end of 1927 when the upper forms relocated to new premises in Green Lane. The lower forms remained in Farquhar Street and the building was renamed Hutchings School. Since 1965, the building is now the home of the Penang State Museum.
Penang Free School Celebrates its 100th Anniversary
Despite World War I taking place in Europe, Penang Free School still celebrated its 100th anniversary on 21 October 1916. Although a relatively modest anniversary celebration, Penang Free School students and alumni still managed to hold lively performances for two days to impress the local community. On the eve of the anniversary, the students performed for the public at the Town Hall. One of the most memorable parts of the evening was a performance of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Later, Malay students presented an impressive show. On the anniversary day, the entertainment at the Town Hall was repeated for the entire school. From afternoon onwards, various sporting events were held until late into the night. Throughout the two days, the school buildings were cheerfully decorated and brightly lit. Resulting from this occasion, there were many calls to form a club for the former students of the school. However, this proposal was only realised in April 1923 when The Old Frees’ Association was finally established.Penang Free School on Green Lane
In October 1919, there was the first indication that Penang Free School might be relocated, as the existing premises on Farquhar Street had also reached maximum capacity. The plan to move Penang Free School from Farquhar Street was not only intended to meet the needs of the growing school but also to adapt to a new school system. This system proposed that upper-form students be moved to a new building, while lower-form students remained in the old building on Farquhar Street. In May 1920, the government purchased a 30-acre plot of land on Green Lane for approximately Straits Dollars $148,000. The first construction in 1924 was to build quarters for British teachers. Construction of the school's main block began in mid-1925, and a sports pavilion was added in 1927. After the upper-form students moved to the new premises in January 1928, quarters for local teachers were built in 1929 and 1930.
Penang Free School Leading up to and After Independence
During World War II, the invading Japanese military turned Penang Free School over to the Indian National Army (INA) which converted the premises into a training camp. The school was renamed Hind Swaraj Vidyalaya (Indian Swaraj Institute) to accommodate the training of INA recruits. Classrooms were converted into dormitories and instructors, along with the Balak Sena or INA Boys’ Organisation consisting of boys no older than 14, were housed in the teachers’ quarters.
After the War ended, recovery from the effects was difficult. However, one great asset that Penang Free School possessed was a group of dedicated local teachers who returned to the school and strove to continue the school's progress. Through the perseverance of these teachers, Penang Free School regained its position as a leader in educational excellence.
In 1949, a class for Form Six students began at Penang Free School. This class was the pioneer for the new Form Six classes at the school. Two years later, in 1951, female students were admitted into Form Six.
Although Malaya achieved independence in 1957, Penang Free School was only fully absorbed into the Malaysian education system in 1963 with the appointment of the first Asian Principal. By 1966, the year when Penang Free School celebrated its 150th anniversary, the remnants of British influence in the school were finally eliminated. For the first time in the school's history, its entire teaching staff now consisted of Malaysians.
Penang Free School Sesquicentenary Celebration
Penang Free School's 150th anniversary on 21 October 1966 was celebrated joyfully by Old Frees throughout the country. It was a very meaningful celebration as this was the school's first major celebration since Malaysia achieved independence.
Among the VIP guests present, none was prouder than Tunku Abdul Rahman. He had entered Penang Free School in 1916 and left in 1919. Tunku Abdul Rahman was a student during the school's Centenary celebration, and after 50 years, he returned to the school, but this time as the first Prime Minister of Malaysia.
For this special event, various activities were planned. First, there were commemorative stamps and first-day covers issued by Pos Malaysia. Then, there was also a historical performance organised by students, a reunion week filled with games between Old Frees and Present Frees, a school drama performance and a large science and mathematics exhibition. The lasting legacy of this Sesquicentenary celebration is the practice of the spirited School Rally, composed by a Penang Free School teacher, Gerard S Reutens, which continues to resonate throughout the following decades as a call to all Old Frees around the world.
Penang Free School Bicentenary Celebration
The Bicentenary of Penang Free School, celebrated on 21 October 2016, marked yet another historic milestone. The celebrations were officially launched on 31 March 2012 by the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, at a gala dinner at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang. This event set the tone for years of activities leading up to the landmark day.
Fundraising efforts, such as the Bicentenary Putra Invitational Golf Tournament organised in 2013 by the Old Frees’ Association of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and a food carnival by the Parent-Teacher Association, demonstrated the unity and dedication of the Old Frees. On 25 January 2014, the unveiling of a digital countdown clock at the school gate heightened the anticipation, marking the final 1,000 days to the Bicentenary.
A notable highlight was the overland convoy to Dittisham, the hometown of the school’s founder, Robert Sparke Hutchings. The first journey, organised in 2012, saw a group of Old Frees embarking on a 63-day expedition from Penang to England, travelling through China, Central Asia and Europe. Inspired by this remarkable feat, another convoy set out in July 2016, taking a slightly different route to avoid conflict zones. This three-month journey replicated the spirit of the first trip, culminating in Dittisham, where the team honoured Hutchings’ memory and the enduring legacy of the school.
A series of local events added to the festivities, including heritage cycling tours, band performances, concerts and inter-school games. The celebrations culminated in a week of historic activities. On the morning of 21 October 2016, representatives of the school and its supporters gathered at the Protestant Cemetery to honour the legacy of Robert Sparke Hutchings. Later that day, the Bicentenary Speech Day took place, attended by the Raja of Perlis and the Penang Governor, where the book Let the Aisles Proclaim, authored by an Old Free, Quah Seng Sun, was launched and the singing of the School Rally echoed with unmatched pride.
The grand reunion dinner that evening brought together 5,000 Old Frees from around the globe, celebrating their shared identity and deep connection to their alma mater. The Raja of Perlis announced that henceforth, the school would retain its original name and be known formally as Penang Free School.