Penang
Free School is a secondary school located on Green Lane (officially Jalan
Masjid Negeri), George Town, Penang, Malaysia.
Penang
Free School is the first English-medium school in Southeast Asia, and is the
oldest recorded school in the country. Alumni are known as "Old
Frees". There is a history of rivalry with St. Xavier's Institution,
another of Penang's premier schools, which also claims to be Malaysia's oldest
school.
The
school was founded by Rev. Robert Sparke Hutchings on 21 October 1816, on the
island of Penang, Malaya. Its first headmaster was Mr. William Cox 1816-1821.
Its premises on Farquhar Street first housed the Hutchings School, but is now
the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery. In 1928, the school moved to its current
location on Green Lane (officially Jalan Masjid Negeri).
At
its first meeting, the Board noted that the school was name "Free
School" and that only children who could afford were requested to pay a
fee of $3, $2, and $1 per year. Poor children who could not afford to pay were
exempted, but every child had to be nominated and accepted before admission to
the school. At this meeting too, it was announced that the Government had
granted the school a piece of land adjacent to St. George's Church on Farquhar
Street. A plan was approved for the construction of a school, plain in design
to save costs, to accommodate 100 boys and 50 girls. The successful tender for
this project was given to a Chinese contractor who had bid $6,500. On 31
December 1927, the Penang Free School moved again, to its present site on Green
Lane. On 1 January 1928, the school next to St. George's Church, vacated by the
Free School, was renamed Hutchings School in honour of the late Rt. Rev.
Hutchings, who was the prime mover to establish a "free school" for
the education of the children in Penang. Because of his key and cardinal role,
and support for his concept of a "free school" for all children, he
is acknowledged as the founder of the Penang Free School.
Date of Issue : 21 October 2016
Stamp Value: 75sen, 85sen & 95sen
Stamp Size: 40mm x 30mm
Perforation: 14
Stamp Paper: Tullis Rusell High Reading Yellow/Green Phosphor Gummed Stamp Paper 103gsm
Sheet Content: 20 stamps
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