SHANLAX International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities s han lax # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 Historical Development of Sultan Yussuf OPEN ACCESS School (SYS), Batu Gajah in the State of Manuscript ID: Perak, Malaysia, 1907 – 1957 ASH-2020-08012372 Ganesan Shanmugavelu Volume: 8 Senior Lecturer of History, Institute of Teacher Education (Ipoh Campus), Malaysia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9961-0121 Issue: 1 Khairi Ariffin Month: July Associate Professor of History, Sultan Idris Education University, Malaysia Year: 2020 Abstract The aim of this research is to study the History of Sultan Yussuf School in Batu Gajah, Perak, and it’s the development from 1907 to 1957. Sultan Yussuf School was founded in 1907 by an Indian P-ISSN: 2321-788X immigrant named K.Malaiperumal Pillai. Sultan Yussuf School was known as the Government English School, and it was the first English school founded in Batu Gajah, Perak. Sultan Yussuf E-ISSN: 2582-0397 School or better known as SYS, was attended by students from various races, particularly Malays, Chinese, and Indians. In 1956, Sultan Yussuf School was divided into two, that is for primary and Received: 11.03.2020 secondary. Since it was the establishment in 1907, Sultan Yussuf School had progressed rapidly and achieved a lot of success in academic and also co-curricular activities. Besides that, Sultan Yussuf School also produced many leaders in the country. One of the former students of Sultan Accepted: 17.06.2020 Yussuf School was His Majesty, Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah, the 34th Sultan of Perak, and was the 9th Yang Di Pertuan Agong (King) of Malaysia. Published: 02.07.2020 Keywords: History, Development, Education, English and School Citation: Introduction Shanmugavelu, Ganesan, Education system already exists in Malaya before the arrival of the colonial and Khairi Ariffin. powers, but it is different to what was introduced by the British colonialist. “Historical Development The educational system that existed during the British reign were four school of Sultan Yussuf School system, namely the Malay Vernacular School, Chinese Vernacular School (SYS), Batu Gajah in the Tamil Vernacular School and English School. During the British rule, English State of Perak, Malaysia, Schools can be divided into three categories, namely Free School, Grant In 1907 – 1957.” Shanlax International Journal Aid English School and private English schools founded by individuals. of Arts, Science and Independent schools are founded by the initiative of certain individuals in order 1 Humanities, vol. 8, no. 1, to provide English education to children from underprivileged families. 2020, pp. 7–14. One of the English School founded by an individual is Sultan Yussuf School (SYS), Batu Gajah, in the state of Perak. This school was founded in 1907 and DOI: known as the Government English School, was the first English school in Batu https://doi.org/10.34293/ Gajah, Perak. It was founded by an individual named K.Malaiperumal Pillai, sijash.v8i1.2372 an Indian immigrant from India. This school’s history can be divided into three phase. The first phase started from 1907 to 1910 as a small private school. The second phase is from 1911 to 1942 and the third phase is from 1942 to 1957. Initially, Sultan Yussuf school was also known as the Government English This work is licensed School, Batu Gajah. under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License 1 Frederick Mason, The schools of Malaya, Eastern University Press, 1959. http://www.shanlaxjournals.com 7 SHANLAX s han lax International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 Background of K.Malaiperumal Pillay: Founder K.Malaiperumal Pillay. He also donated a piece of of Sultan Yussuf School (SYS), Batu Gajah land belonging to him for the construction of the The school’s founder, K.Malaiperumal Pillay, Sri Subramaniam temple hall. He also handed over is an Indian immigrant from Karikal, India. He was a shop-house owned by him to the temple to make born in 1870 and raised in a low-income family.2 it a financial resource for the temple.5 He came to Malaya in 1889 at the age of 19 to make Although K.Malaiperumal Pillay only received a living and to change his life. K.Malaiperumal his education at a Tamil School in India, he has Pillay himself has no higher education. He only been a successful construction contractor in Batu received primary education in a Tamil School in Gajah. He always felt that education is important India, where he also studied French.3 to the community. Accordingly, he founded the When he arrived with some of his friends in English School, Batu Gajah, in 1907, regardless of Batu Gajah, Perak, K.Malaiperumal Pillay did money and time to complete the school.6 some temporary work. With a low educational Initially, classes were held in his own house, background, he could only get a job as a laborer. and only 30 students were interested in studying, For more than three years, he worked hard as a although education is given for free. It is understood laborer. When life in Batu Gajah is already quite that the founder of this school, K.Malaiperumal secure, K.Malaiperumal Pillay has returned to Pillay, has gone from house to house to persuade Karikal, India to bring his wife to Malaya in 1892. parents to send their children to this school. For two Since then, a new life began for K.Malaiperumal years, the tuition fees and teacher’s pay have been Pillay and his family. borne by him. He looks after the school affairs until Given that he now has to bear his family, the government took over the school in 1910 and K.Malaiperumal Pillay has left his job as a laborer. He renamed it the Government English School.7 then moved on to work in the housing construction. K. Malaiperumal Pillay died on 19th January He feels that the housing construction sector has 1935 at the age of 65. He left behind a great a bright future. Thus, he had the determination to history to the people of Batu Gajah at that time. become a successful contractor in the future. By His contributions are remembered to this day, and accumulating some capital, he began to involve the school he founded despite changing the name himself as a small-scale housing contractor. As a several times remains a pride of locals until today. result of his persistence, K.Malaiperumal Pillay has established himself as one of the successful Development of Sultan Yussuf School, 1907- housing contractors in Batu Gajah. Besides being a 1910 housing contactor, he was also involved in building Sultan Yussuf School in Batu Gajah in the state roads around Batu Gajah.4 of Perak was founded in 1907 by K.Malaiperumal Although he was a rich man, he was not Pillay as English School, Batu Gajah. For a start, arrogant. K.Malaiperumal Pillay has one of the K.Malaiperumal Pillay decided to start the first most admirable traits of generosity. Therefore, class of English School, Batu Gajah, in his own it is not surprising that he was also known as a house.8 Initially, K.Malaiperumal Pillay had a hard philanthropist by the people in Batu Gajah. He time getting students to enter the school. This is due was also responsible for the construction of the to the attitude of parents who are not yet aware of Sri Subramaniam temple in Batu Gajah. The site the importance of English education. for the construction of the temple was donated by 2 Sri Gajah, Majalah Tahunan Sekolah Menengah Sultan Yussuf, Batu Gajah, Perak, Keluaran Khas, 1981-1983, p.55 5 The Yussufian, op.cit. p. 57 3 The Yussufian, Sambutan Seabad SYS, 1907 – 2007, 6 Ibid p. 57 7 Ibid 4 K.L.O. 702 / 07, 25 March 1907 8 Sri Gajah, 1981 – 1983, op.cit. p.92 8 http://www.shanlaxjournals.com SHANLAX International Journal of Arts, Science and Humanities s han lax # S I N C E 1 9 9 0 For Malay parents, they are more likely to send from the old prison building. The construction their children to Malay schools.9 Also, it becomes a work was completed in 1908, and in the same year, common practice for the Malays to have an attitude the students were transferred to the new building.14 of suspicion towards the English School. In 1908, Mr. M.C.Champion was appointed Due to the difficulty of getting students to come as Headmaster of English School, Batu Gajah, in to school voluntarily, K.Malaiperumal Pillay had place of Mr. K. Mudaliar.15 Since moving to the to take his initiative. He had to go from house to new building, the number of students enrolled in house, persuading parents to send their children to the English School, Batu Gajah has increased. In this school. As a result, he managed to get about 30 1908, it was estimated that there were 40 students. students to start the first class of English School, In line with the increase of students, the existing Batu Gajah. All school expenses are fully borne classes were expanded. English School, Batu by K. Malaiperumal Pillay.10 In other words, the Gajah, now has classes up to Standard 4. By 1910, English School, Batu Gajah, offers free lessons to the number of students continued to increase to its students. 80.16 However, in terms of curriculum, education Having succeeded in getting students to study is limited to the basic English subject of writing, at the English School, Batu Gajah, K.Malaiperumal reading, and arithmetics.