Treacher Methodist Girls' School Explained

Treacher Methodist Girls' School
Native Name:Sekolah Perempuan Treacher Methodist
Religion:Christian
Denomination:Methodist Church
Motto:Live Worthily
Established:1889
Type:All-girls primary school, secondary school
Principal:Mrs. Fuziah Binti Tak
Free Label 1:Founder
Free 1:Methodist Missionaries
Free Label 2:Chairman
Free 2:Mrs. Polly Tan nee Wong Mei Lan
Enrollment:856 (FY 2008)
Free Label 3:Employees
Free 3:55 teachers
Grades:1-5
Free Label 4:Abbreviation
Free 4:TMGS
District:Larut, Matang and Selama
Colours:Blue and white
Address:No 5, Jalan Muzium, 34000 Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
City:Taiping
State:Perak
Country:Malaysia

Treacher Methodist Girls' School (Malay: Sekolah Perempuan Treacher Methodist; abbreviated TMGS; formerly known as Lady Treacher Girls' School) is located at Museum Road (Jalan Muzium) off Walker Road (Jalan Temenggung) in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia.

History

Lady Treacher Girls’ School was the first English girls’ school in the Federated Malay States and was established in 1889 in Taiping, Perak. Its first name was English Government Girls’ School. The school’s establishment was devoted to Lady Treacher who was the wife of the then British Resident of Perak, Sir William Hood Treacher.

Establishing a girls’ school was Lady Treacher’s ambition and passion; she embodied herself to raise funds for building the school and work hard to make it a success. In 1889, a small wooden building was erected and able to accommodate eight students. After ten years, in 1898, the Perak State Government lost its interest to fund the school. Hence, in 1899, Lady Treacher held a meeting with Bishop James Thoburn to put the school under missionaries' care. On 4 May 1899, the decision was made that the school would be administered by missionaries, and Mrs. Mary Carr Curtis from Penang became the first principal with 28 students at that time.

In 1901, during the tenured of Ms. Mary Cody, the school went under a major renovation and expanded its building. In 1902, the school changed its name to Lady Treacher Girls’ School to honour its early pioneer Lady Treacher. On the same year, a hostel was built and occupied by 25 students, and the school was under a new principal Ms. Catherine Ethel Jackson with 41 students.

In 1908, the school had prepared six girls for the standard six examinations for the first time. When World War I was waged in Europe, the school continued to operate normally, and the 1918 student enrollment count increased to 108. In 1899, a primary school, bearing the name Lady Treacher Girls’ School, was established in Race Course Road. The school was later named Treacher Girls’ School. In 1901, the administration of the school was taken over by Methodists and renamed as Treacher Methodist Girls’ School. The school is located at Upper Museum Road, which is near the Perak Museum. The school was the first girls’ school to receive financial support from the state government since its establishment.

List of Principals

TenurePrincipal
1899–1901Mary Carr Curtis
1901–1909Catherine Ethel Jackson
1909–1912Thirza Bunce
1913–1919Minnie L. Rank
1920–1921Jennie Dean
1922–1925Norma Craven (1st posting)
1926–1928Ruth Harvey
1929–1930Lois Rea
1931–1931Martha Shively
1932–1934Norma Craven (2nd posting)
1935–1941Della Olson
1941–1945World War II, Japanese Occupation
1945–1946Glory Jeyamoney
1946–1952Della Olson
1952–1953Helen Desjardins
1957–1972Flora R. Knight
1972–1991Satwant Kaur Saini
1991–1999Azizah Hj. Taib
1999–2006Zaitone Shaffie
2006–2007Salmah Jaapar
2007–2011Noriza Dato’ Sulaiman
2012–2014Junaidah Haji Jaafar
2015-now Fuziah bt Tak

References