All-boys secondary school in Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
King Edward VII School (Malay: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan King Edward VII; abbreviated KE7) is a premier secondary school for boys[citation needed] (and girls, in Sixth Form) located on Jalan Muzium Hulu, in Taiping, Malaysia. Formerly known as Central School, it is one of the oldest schools in Malaysia. The school is widely known as by its initials "KE7". The students are known as Edwardians or Tigers and, as alumni, Old Edwardians.[1][2]
History
The history of King Edward VII School goes back to the founding of Central School in July 1883. The initial site was the small area of land on which the present Nurses' Hostel stands.[3]
In 1885, a gymnasium was added. In 1899, according to the report of Mr. Greene, the first headmaster, physical drill with music was introduced, and the lads were gradually being initiated into the mysteries of football and cricket.
Roger Francis Stainer, B.A. (London), was the headmaster of Central School, and later of King Edward VII School, from 1900 to 1922. He was a great leader, a fine sportsman, and a capable organiser. The greatest obstacle he had to face was lack of qualified staff. There were no formal training classes in those days, and so he set out to train his own staff. He infused his spirit into a handful of young men around him. Still living today is a handful of the old brigade, seasoned in years, but ever young with fresh memories of the arduous past. Stainer chose "Magni Nominis Umbra" as the school motto.
As the enrollment of students increased, infrastructure became inadequate. A large shed, made of jungle rollers and cheap timber, was built to add capacity to the crowded school. The demand for education was exceeding all expectations; and a new building on a new site was necessary. The site finally selected was the land on which the railway station, probably the first of its kind in Malaya, had stood.
Stainer proposed that the school name be changed from Central School Educational Centre to King Edward VII School, in conjunction with the coronation of King Edward VII, who ascended the English throne in 1901. Red and black, colors of the flag, were selected to be the school colors, red symbolizing courage and pride, black the unity of the whole. King Edward VII School was inaugurated by H.R.H. the Sultan of Perak in 1905, when the number of students enrolled was 434.
In sports, the school performed well in football, cricket, and gymnastics. In 1919, the army cadet force was established, with Stainer as the commanding officer. In 1922, a scout troop—known as the "Second Taiping", under the leadership of D. G. Doral and En. Surjan Singh—was established. In 1923, T. J. Thomas introduced the game of rugby to the school, which, in 1933, emerged as champions among Malay-language schools, beating Penang Free School in the final match.
During World War II, the school was occupied by the Japanese army and was used as the headquarters of the Malayan Kempeitai, and the school sports field became a farm. On January 14, 1946, the students returned to the school under the administration of Captain C. R. Holliday. During that time, the number of students had increased to 1004 students, and the school was housed in four buildings. Lower standards' classes were conducted in the building on Trump Street, elementary classes in Sheffield Hostel on Museum Road and in Old Boys Hostel on Station Road. The middle class was placed in the main building which is near Taiping Rest House.
In 1951, in addition to the existing science laboratories, room for geography, history and arts classes were made available for the students. Form 6 classes were started in 1954, with the school allowing enrollment of female students. In 1958, classes were separated because of the large number of primary and secondary students. Classes of lower forms were divided into two, namely Primary One and Two, which were held in the main building on Station Road, with the Middle Class in block Sheffield, "Former Infant Department", and in the new blocks erected along Brunt Road.
From 1960 onward, Malay-medium classes were introduced. In 1965, students sat for their SPM for the first time.
Rugby history
Introduced in 1923, by T. J. Thomas, a schoolmaster, rugby is a sport as popular as football at the school. The school rugby team became known as the Tigers in 1933, the year they beat Penang Free School in the first inter-school rugby match in the history of Malaya.[4]
Between 1954 and 1961, the Tigers arranged friendly matches with opponents from Johore to Singapore, beating all opponents and becoming champions, earning the title of Kings of Rugby.[4]
In 1978, the school team was selected by Malaysia as a representative to the ASEAN Inter-school rugby tournament in Hatyai, Thailand, gaining third place. After that, the Tigers were winners of the Rugby Silver, District Champion (1979), Taiping Cup Champion (1979), the North Zone Malaysia (1979), and the Inter-School Rugby Tournament (1979), beating Royal Military College by 22–3. The Tigers also won the Silver Cup (1983-1985, 1987-1989 and 1996–1998). During the Royal Selangor Cup match, the Tigers took fourth place at the national level (1987 and 1998).
In 1996, 14 players were chosen for the Perak state team, which defeated Negeri Sembilan for the championship. In 2000, the Tigers were MSSPK champions, finished second in the Perdana Silver Zone competition, and were in the semi-finals in the National Premier Cup.
The Tigers were MSSD LMS champions for 19 years, from 1994 until 2015, and are six-time champions of the Premier Cup.
Among the great school rivals in the sport are Malay College Kuala Kangsar, Royal Military College, Penang Free School, Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Hulu Selangor Science School, Selangor Science School, Sekolah Datuk Abdul Razak, English College Johore, and College of Sultan Abdul Hamid.
