The school’s Heritage and Cultural Gallery are the result of efforts by school staff in preserving an educational heritage that spans close to 200 years.
Headmaster Isma Sharni Mohamad Saad told Bernama that the setting up of the gallery demonstrates the school’s commitment to preserving its identity, creating awareness of its historical value and instilling love for history and heritage among teachers and students.
“The school’s original building was chosen as the site of the gallery thanks to its sentimental and symbolic value,” he said, explaining that the building stands as a silent witness to the early struggle of Malay education.
According to Isma, the institution was founded by David Brown, a landowner living in Gelugor, who built a shed as as school to teach the Malay language, Jawi, and the Quran to the children of his workers.
Brown’s efforts were continued by Reverend Beighton, a rubber and nutmeg estate manager. Led by headmaster Munshi Shaikh Tambi and three teachers, the school offered classes to boys from Standard One to Four.
The Straits Settlements administration took over the school in 1838 and built the official building called “Sekolah A”, which marked the start of an organised effort to encourage local community education and raise literacy rates among the Malay community.
It also served as a model for the development of other Malay schools in Malaya.
“Besides being a reference centre for the school’s history, the gallery functions as an informal medium for pupils, school staff and the public, through which they can experience the long journey of the country’s education, and appreciate the contributions of those who fought so hard for the pursuit of knowledge,” Isma noted.
He said the gallery exhibits various historical items and educational artefacts including old documents, archival photos, desks, chairs and blackboards, Jawi textbooks, traditional stationery, and classic teaching materials.
Old badges and uniforms, traditional musical instruments, Jawi writing samples, handicrafts, materials relating to local customs, and Gelugor community history are also exhibited, alongside books, trophies, certificates and souvenirs donated by former pupils.
“The collating and conservation of these historical materials are done systematically and in stages. It involves various parties, including teachers, alumni, the local community, and other institutions,” Isma added.
“The entire collection not only reflects the story of our school, but serves as an effective paedagogy tool to inform pupils’ understanding of history and their roles as a legacy generation.”
The gallery was officiated on March 31, 2016 by then education minister Mahdzir Khalid.
It has since received many visitors, including students from other schools and universities, local community representatives, and education delegations from Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Japan as part of cultural exchange programmes.
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SK Sungai Gelugor
Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah,
Kampung Gelugor,
11700 Gelugor, Penang