St. George's Girls' School

St. George's Girls' School, at Macalister Road, George Town, is one of the best missionary schools on Penang Island. Founded by a British Anglican missionary in 1885, it educated daughters from wealthy and influential families in the past, and to this day, still produces distinguished personalities who serve in Malaysia and abroad.

**St. George's Girls' School** is located near the western end of **Macalister Road**, **George Town**.

Today, like other missionary schools on Penang Island, St. George's Girls' School follows the standardised Malaysian education system.

History[]

St. George's Girls' School was started by Mrs. Katherine Biggs, wife of Reverend L.C. Biggs. Both were British Anglican missionaries who lived at Farquhar Street; their residence was named The Manse.

Mrs. Biggs conducted informal classes at The Manse for a year before establishing St. George's Girls' School in 1885. The school was named after St. George, the patron saint of England; schools and churches established by the Anglicans throughout the British Empire were often named after St. George, such as the St. George's Church at Farquhar Street. In addition, St. George's Church provided much of the school's funding.

**St. George's Girls School** was formerly named the Government Girls' School, and was located at **Northam Road** in the early 20th. century.

In its initial years, most of the pupils of the school were daughters from well-to-do families. The girls were usually ferried to the school on trishaws, shielded from public view by a curtain. At the time, it was considered improper for unmarried ladies from well-to-do families to be seen in public.

In 1888, classes were shifted into a newly-completed bungalow beside The Manse and the Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

The Straits Settlement government took over the management of the school in 1909 and renamed it the Government Girls' School. The authorities also tried to turn the school into a co-educational school in 1916, but the idea was short-lived.

The Straits Settlement government returned the school to St. George's Church in 1920, at which point the school reverted to its original name.

**St. George's Girls' School** at **Macalister Road** in 1954

To cope with increasing enrollment, St. George's Girls' School was moved twice in the 20th. century, first to Northam Road, and later to its present grounds at Macalister Road in 1954.

Another picture of **St. George's Girls' School** at **Macalister Road**, taken in the mid-20th. century.

Today, the school not only retains its strong reputation, but is also one of the best academically-performing schools on Penang Island. In 2010, the Malaysian Education Ministry listed St. George's Girls' School as one of the High Performance Schools throughout the country, in recognition of the school's strong academic achievement and internationally-acclaimed alumni.

Motto[]

Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam (Latin)

If there is a will, there is always a way.

Students[]

St. George's Girls' School is a girls' school that offers secondary education up to STPM (Malaysian Higher School Certificate) level, equivalent to Form 6.

Alumni[]

Khoo Salma Nasution, a famous Penangite historian who has several publications about the history of Penang.

Among the more famous personalities in Malaysia and abroad who were once educated in St. George's Girls' School are as follows.

Judy Cheng-Hopkins was appointed the Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peacebuilding Support in 2009.

Khoo Salma Nasution, a well-known Penangite historian
Faridah Merican, Malaysian playwright
Oon Beng Hong, Malaysia's first female lawyer
Ooi Chean See, Malaysia's first female orchestra conductor
Judy Cheng-Hopkins, Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peacebuilding Support
Teng Yeohlee, American fashion designer
Eva Kwok, prominent Canadian businesswoman
Tuanku Bainun, former Queen of the Sultanate of Perak
Harbans K. Virik, Malaysia's first paeditrician
Sun Jin-yuan and Sun Jin-wan, daughters of Sun Yat-sen

Sun Jin-yuan (right) and Sun Jin-wan, daughters of the Chinese revolutionist Sun Yat-sen

References[]

Cheah J. S., 2013. Penang 500 Early Postcards. Editions Didier Millet.
http://www.smkpstgeorge.edu.my/profil-sekolah.html
http://www.penang-traveltips.com/st-georges-girls-school.htm
http://wongchunwai.com/2013/08/missionary-couples-contributions-are-well-recorded-in-penang/