In 1903, the Straits Echo ran an interesting series on History of Penang over several months. This extract from the copy of 16th November will be of interest to historians and possibly anyone who had studied in Penang Free School.
During the establishment of the Presidency in 1805 there arrived in Penang a schoolmaster named Thomas Callum, whose duties apparently appertained to teaching the children of the European and Government officials, while the general public was not provided with educational facilities.
The Rev. R.S. Hutchins, one of the first Chaplains of the Presidency, appears to have been much impressed with the state of affairs with reference to the non-education of native children, and on his representations to Government an influential committee was appointed to convene a public meeting to discuss the advisability of opening a school for the education of native children.
A meeting was duly held on the 10th of January, 1816, and on the 0th of the following month the following resolution was published in the form of an "Address to the Public," setting forth the advantages of education, and at the same time soliciting subscriptions for the founding of an educational establishment.
The public responded with $9,937 that year; the Government added $1,500 in the year following to $300 subscribed by the public; and Government gave an annual grant of $2,400.
The school was first opened on October 21st 1816 - the anniversary of Capt. Light's death - in a rented house in Church Street. It was called the Free School, as it was intended for the reception of all classes of children.
The fees, which went to the Funds, were finally fixed at three rates, i.e., $3, $2 and $1 per mensem, and hildren whose parents were poor and could not afford to pay were exempted from payment, but all children had to be nominated before they were admitted to the school.
The salary of Mr. Cox, who had charge of the establishment and who came over from Madras, was fixed at $80 per mensem.
Malays, Chulias, and Hindoos who did not desire that their children should learn English could have them instructed in their own language.
A Girls' School was started the following year, but was afterwards discontinued, owing to lack of support, and was suspended until such time as sufficient funds were available for establishing a female Orphan Institution for boarding and educating at least 20 girls, instead of a day school used by only a few girl pupils.
At the first annual general meeting, held in October 1817, it was announced that the Government, now under Colonel Bannerman, had granted to the School a piece of land adjoining the new Church (St. George's). Lieutenant Smith, of the Royal Engineers, drew a plan for a suitable building to accommodate 100 boys and 50 girls, but for economical reasons he was compelled to refrain from adding any architectural ornamentation to the central block of the present school houses, which were built by a Chinaman, whose tender for $6,500 was accepted in December 1819; the School houses, however, eventually cost $7,208.
