Sekolah Kebangsaan King Edward VII (1)

Sekolah Kebangsaan King Edward VII (1), formerly King Edward VII School, is the oldest-standing school in Taiping, established in 1883. Today, it is a primary school teaching pupils from Standards 1 to 6.

There are actually three schools in Taiping that bear the name of King Edward VII: 2 primary schools, and one secondary school. They were originally all part of the same school, but the growing number of students saw it impossible to have them all under a single school compound. The oldest King Edward VII School building that still stands is the building along Jalan Stesen (Station Road), with the other two being built much later.

History of King Edward VII School

The school began its history in 1883 when it was established as the Central School, which was the first English school in Taiping. The original location of the school is in the area where the Nurses’ Hostel now stands. The school had modest beginnings with 13 students, but enrolment picked up fast, and a gymnasium was added to the school in 1885. In 1894, physical education was added to the school’s curriculum. By 1895, the school’s students numbered 159, with 28 of them being Malay boys. Two additional wooden sheds were built that accommodated two and three classrooms each, but this was fast becoming inadequate. In 1901, the Central School was renamed the King Edward VII School in conjunction with the coronation of King Edward VII, successor to Queen Victoria.

The school was in need of new grounds, and serendipitously, so did the Taiping Railway Station. In 1905, the King Edward School was relocated to the site of the first railway station in the Malay States. Construction of the school building began in 1904, and the new building was inaugurated by the then Sultan of Perak, Sultan Idris. The school had an enrolment of 434 students.

There is an ornamental gate with the name of the School inscribed on it which was put up in 1908 by the Public Works Department (PWD). This gateway can still be seen today. The large shade trees which line the school were planted in 1910, by a Mr. P. Moss, and the surviving trees are more than a century old now.

The school excelled in sports, namely cricket, athletics, gymnastics, and cricket. In 1919, the Cadet Corps was introduced, and in 1922 the first Scout troupe, “Second Taiping”, was formed. Rugby was introduced to the School in 1923, and in its first foray into a tournament among Malay schools, emerged as champion, beating Penang Free School.

In the Second World War, school was out and the school came under Japanese military occupation.  It was used as the base for the garrison commander in Taiping.

After the surrender of the Japanese in Malaya, the school’s students resumed their education by being accommodated into St. George’s Institution in the afternoons from October 1, 1945. On 14 January 1946, King Edward VII School’s doors reopened to 1004 students, with the school operating in 4 buildings. Primary school classes were conducted in the building on Trump Road, elementary school classes in the Sheffield Hostel on Museum Road and the Old Boys Hostel on Station Road. Secondary school classes were housed in the main building across the street from the Taiping Rest House.

In 1951, besides having a science laboratory, there were also dedicated rooms for Geography, History, and Art.

In 1954, girls were welcomed to the first time to the school when Form 6 classes began.

In 1958, the school’s population grew to large, and the decision was made to separate primary and secondary school students. The primary school students were divided into two: Primary I, and Primary II, which were housed in the main building along Station Road. Secondary school students were placed in the Sheffield Hostel, the former Infant Department, and in new buildings erected along Trunt Road. This separation has remained to this day.

The Kind Edward VII School, or Sekolah Kebangsaan King Edward VII (1) as it is now known, is stop number 23 on the Taiping Heritage Trail.