| Penang Free School | |
| Native Name: | Malay: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Penang Free 槟城大英义学 |
| Motto: | Latin: Fortis Atque Fidelis |
| Motto Translation: | Strong and Faithful |
| Streetaddress: | Green Lane, |
| Postcode: | 11600 |
| Coordinates: | 5.4028°N 100.3051°W |
| Type: | National secondary school |
| Denomination: | Anglican (Diocese of West Malaysia) |
| Established: | [1] |
| Founder: | Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings[2] |
| District: | Northeast Penang Island |
| Educational Authority: | Penang State Education Department (PPD Timur Laut) |
| Session: | Morning |
| School Code: | PEB1094[3] |
| Principal: | Syed Sultan bin Shaik Oothuman |
| Teaching Staff: | 85 |
| Grades Label: | Forms |
| Grades: | 1-6 |
| Gender: | Male Co-educational (Form 6) |
| Students: | 914 |
| Enrollment As Of: | 2022 |
| Free Text: | PFS |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within George Town. The purple zone denotes the city's UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
Penang Free School (PFS), located at Green Lane in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, is the oldest English-medium school in Southeast Asia.[4] [5] Founded in 1816, its academic achievements lead to its inclusion in the Malaysian Ministry of Education's Cluster School and High Performance School systems.
This secondary school has been an all-boys school since its inception, although girls are now admitted for Form 6.[6] In addition, the school has produced several notable Malaysian and Singaporean personalities, including Tunku Abdul Rahman, P. Ramlee, Wu Lien-teh and Wee Chong Jin; its alumni are known as the 'Old Frees'.[7] [8]
Penang Free School maintains its historical rivalry with St. Xavier's Institution, another school in George Town which also claims the honour of being Malaysia's oldest school.[9]
The establishment of a free school
Penang Free School came into being on 21 October that year, with William Cox as its first principal, and was originally housed at Love Lane.[11] This was a temporary arrangement, as the new school building at the adjoining Farquhar Street was still under construction. The building, situated next to St. George's Church, was completed in 1821.[12]
By the 1890s, as the school building became overcrowded, a tender was called for the construction of a new wing. The new wing, funded mainly by Chinese philanthropists such as Chung Keng Quee, was completed in 1896. Another wing was also built in 1906. In addition, English was made the standard medium of instruction within the school.
By the 1920s, the building was also reaching its maximum capacity. Therefore, plans were drawn up for the relocation of Penang Free School to a suburban site further inland, while the school premises at Farquhar Street was to be turned into a primary school. In 1928, Penang Free School was officially moved to a 30acres site at Green Lane, where it remains to this day. The old school building was turned into Hutchings School; today, this particular building houses the Penang State Museum.
In 1958, the then Prime Minister of Malaya and an alumnus of Penang Free School, Tunku Abdul Rahman, opened the school's Form 6 block, making it the first school in northern Malaya to offer secondary education up to Form 6. More school blocks were added over the years, enabling it to switch to a single-session school system by 1992.
The following is a list of principals of Penang Free School.[13]
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1816–1821 | William Cox |
| 1821–1823 | David Churcher |
| 1823–1825 | George Porter |
| 1825–1827 | William Anchant |
| 1827–1829 | William Anchant |
| 1830–1843 | John Colson Smith |
| 1843–1846 | Bruton |
| 1846–1853 | Fitzgerald |
| 1853–1871 | John Clark |
| 1871–1892 | George Griffin |
| 1892–1904 | William Hargreaves |
| 1904–1925 | Ralph H. Pinhorn |
| 1925–1927 | William Hamilton |
| 1927–1928 | D. R. Swaine |
| 1928–1929 | L. Arnold |
| 1929–1931 | D. W. McLeod |
| 1931–1931 | E. D. l. M. Stowell |
| 1931 | M. R. Holgate |
| 1933–1935 | J. Bain |
| 1935–1941 | L. W. Arnold |
| 1945 | Koay Kye Teong |
| 1945–1946 | N. R. Miller |
| 1946–1947 | J. N. Davies |
| 1947–1950 | D. Roper |
| 1950–1951 | P. F. Howitt |
| 1951–1957 | J. E. Tod |
| 1957–1963 | J. M. B. Hughes[14] |
| 1963 | Brian Smith |
| 1963–1968 | Tan Boon Lin |
| 1969–1971 | Poon Poh Kong |
| 1972–1974 | K. G. Yogam |
| 1974 | Lim Boon Hor |
| 1974–1979 | Goon Fatt Chee |
| 1979 | Lim Chin Kee |
| 1979–1982 | R. Visvanathan |
| 1983–1988 | G. Krishna Iyer |
| 1988–1993 | Goh Hooi Beng |
| 1993–2000 | Hj. Ismail bin Ibramsa |
| 2000–2002 | Abdul Rahman |
| 2002–2004 | Arabi Sulaiman |
| 2004–2006 | Yusof bin Omar |
| 2007–2012 | Hj. Ramli bin Din |
| 2012–2017 | Jalil bin Saad |
| 2017–2019 | Omar bin Abdul Rashid |
| 2019–2022 | Shamsul Fairuz bin Mohd Nor |
| 2022–2024 | Syed Sultan bin Shaik Oothuman |
• P.Ramlee• Wu Lien Teh• Pinhorn• Hargreaves• Cheeseman • Sirajuddin• Tunku Putra• Hamilton