The Sadiq Public School (SPS) is a college-preparatoryboarding school located in Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan. It also takes day pupils. It is one of the largest schools in Pakistan and its area of 451 acres (1.83 km2) makes it both the largest in the country and in continental Asia.[1][2]
The curriculum includes education from KG[3] to O-level and A-level as well as local board Matriculation/Intermediate. The school has over 1400 boys and 600 girls supported by a staff of about 135.
The foundation stone of the school was laid by Nawab Sadeq Mohammad Khan V on 4 March 1953 and the school started functioning on 18 January 1954.[4][5]
Organization and curriculum
Pupils in each school are divided into houses. Houses promote inter-house competitions and mentorship opportunities.
The other two types are Secondary School Certificate or Matriculation (for grades 9–10) and Higher Secondary School Certificate or Intermediate (for grades 11–12).
List of houses
Junior School
Kamal Pasha House (East Wing) - Nursery to Grade 2 (Boarding)
Kamal Pasha House (West Wing) - Grades 3 to 5 (Boarding)
Babar House - Grades KO1 to 5 (Day Pupil)
Khalid House - Grades K01 to 5 (Day Pupil)
Preparatory School
Alamgir House (North Wing) - Grades 6 to 8 (Boarding)
Alamgir House (South Wing) - Grades 6 to 8 (Boarding)
Farid House - Grades 6 to 8 (Day Pupil)
Shehbaz House - Grades 6 to 8 (Day Pupil)
Senior School
Mahmud House - Grades 9 to 12 (Boarding)
Abbas House - Grades 9 to 12 (Boarding)
Salahuddin House - Grades 9 to 12 (Boarding)
Iqbal house - Grades 9 to 12 (Day Pupil)
Jinnah House - Grades 9 to 12 (Day Pupil)
Anwar Sikander House - Grades 9 to 12 (Day Pupil)
Girls Section
Farell House - All Grades (Boarding)
Khadija House (Day Pupil)
Amna House (Day Pupil)
Maryam House (Day Pupil)
Principals
At the start the school had 37 children and seven teachers. Khan Anwar Sikandar Khan was Principal for over 18 years. For his services in the field of education he was decorated with Sitara-i-Khidmat.[citation needed] On his retirement, Abu Zafar Haneef who was the vice-principal took over, in March 1972.
The next two principals were Col (Retd) Zahoor ul Haq from 1977 to 1990 and Sqn Ldr. (Retd.) Agha Khalil Ahmad from 1990 to 2001.
Prof. Mohammad Asif Malik took over as Principal in September 2002. He is a recipient of the President's Award of Pride of Performance for services in the field of education.[citation needed]
Maj. (R) Syed Munir Ahmad, an Old Sadiqian, took the charge as 6th Principal of Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur in November 2007, after the departure of Prof. Mohammad Asif Malik. He was the first Principal of Sadiq Public School who was also an old Sadiqian (left school in 1966).
Prof. Dr.Saleem Raza Chaudhry took charge as 7th Principal of Sadiq Public School on the orders of Governor Punjab Sardar Latif Khosa in August 2012.
Prof. Abdullah Shah, who at the time was serving as vice-principal of Sadiq, was appointed interim-principal. The school went through a difficult period during his supervision because of the decision to increase fees (this was reversed in a lawsuit filed by parents) and there were reports of conflicts with faculty and staff members. Allegedly due to political reasons, several office holding staff members were swapped or replaced.
Prof. Nauman Ahmed Qureshi (Old Sadiqian) took charge as the 8th principal of Sadiq in July 2014. It is noted that Nauman Ahmed Qureshi introduced several new events at Sadiq, including "Technothon" and "Sadiq MUN", while also reviving old traditional activities like the "Swimming Gala." Additionally, efforts were made to modernize certain aspects of Sadiq under his leadership.
In June 2017, Mian Muhammad Ahmed, the sitting vice-principal of the School, took charge as the acting principal. His period in office is widely regarded as an era characterized by a commitment to the principles of the rule of law. He made earnest efforts to instill the authentic Sadiqian ethos among the students, ensuring that he neither disrupted nor discontinued any longstanding Sadiq tradition, and refrained from causing harm to anyone. All decisions were made based on merit, following thorough consultations with all members of the school's higher management.[6]
In May 2019, Governor of Pujab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar commissioned Peter Giddens, a New Zealander, as the principal of the institute.[citation needed] During his tenure, a new girls' boarding house, "Farell House," was established, and boarding house rooms were equipped with air conditioning. Certain traditional Sadiq events, including Meena Bazaar and Sadiq MUN, were discontinued under his leadership, leading to dissatisfaction among some students.
As of 2023, David Dowdles is the principal of Sadiq.
Girls Section
In 1966 the admission of girls was stopped. A separate Girls' Section started in May 2003 with 9 girls and has since grown to more than 700 girls with more than 100 boarders commissioned August 2006. The new academic building for girls, donated by H.H. the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of UAE, was completed on July 25, 2008 for girls classes (Class 6 to 12). Lessons for girls in the new building began on October 6, 2008.
Information Technology Center
An IT Centre has been established adjacent to the senior school academic block. Labs are equipped with computer workstations.
Administration
Al-Maktoum Library
Administratively, the school is governed by a Board of Governors with the Governor of the Punjab as its president. District Co-ordination Officer, Bahawalpur and Principal of the school are members of the board along with the GOC 35th Division, Bahawalpur. Six to eight Old-Sadiqians sit as members of the Board for a period of three years. The day-to-day administration is entrusted to the Principal, managed by the executive committee with the General Officer Commanding 35 Division as its chairman.
Hospital
The hospital at Sadiq Public School is fully equipped with modern machinery and with an ambulance with 24 hours services.
Facilities
Cricket pavilion
Education
Boarding Houses
Science Labs
IT (Information Technology) Center
Audio visual aids
Electronic Lab
Libraries
Amphitheater
Sports
Swimming pools
Squash courts
Tennis courts
Badminton courts
Basketball courts
Volleyball courts
Gymnasium
Sports fields
General
Guest houses for parents/wards
Mosque
Hospital (with ambulance service)
Canteen, general store, tailor shops, shoe store, Post Office, ice-cream/drinks parlor, bakery, fruit shop
^Baqaul Mohsin and M Afzaal Hameed (25 May 2013). "Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan V, A great reformer and Mohsin-e-Pakistan". The Nation (newspaper). Retrieved 20 February 2023. In his efforts for the dissemination of education he readily spent the resources of the state and launched a number of educational institutions all over the state including the exclusive Sadiq Public School, Bahawalpur and when the first college of Bahawalpur, Sadiq Egerton College was founded, the college education was being provided only in Lahore and Delhi.
