LETTER | On this day, 125 years ago, Victoria Institution (VI) was founded. Three businessmen, with the support of the then British Resident of Selangor as well as Sultan Abdul Samad, came up with the idea of forming an English school in Kuala Lumpur. It was their foresight and devotion that led to the founding of the school.
Over the years, many a young man has passed through our school. Regardless of one’s stature in life, a lot of us, if not all, credit Victoria Institution for character-building and instilling in us a deep sense of value.
Students who join the school identify themselves as Victorians. It is almost like a badge that we wear with honour. But it is so much more than a badge. There is a feeling of pride, dignity and gratitude to belong to the Victorian ranks.
Undoubtedly, there is something special about the school. Men in their 40s and 50s and even some in their 80s, continue to identify themselves as Victorians today.
Most of them still remember the words to the school song and proudly sing it with gusto, much like the days when they were in school. For some of us, it even brings a tear to the eye.
While VI is not the oldest school in Malaysia, it carries the distinction of being home to the oldest cadet corps in the country, the Victoria Institution Cadet Corps; the oldest cadet corps band in the country, the Victoria Institution Cadet Corps Band; and the oldest scout group in the country, the first Kuala Lumpur scout troop, originally known as the First Selangor Scout Troop.
It was also one of the first few schools to have a prefects board and a school magazine.
The school is full of history and tradition. Many of these traditions have lasted over a great number of years.
Schools like Penang Free School, Malacca High School, St Xavier's Institution, King Edward VII, Anderson School, St Michael’s Institution, St Johns, and Malay College Kuala Kangsar are some of the oldest schools in the country.
They, too, are rich in history and tradition. Their students and former students also have great pride in their school and would think that their school is the best around.
There is a sense of community, of camaraderie and of brotherhood that seems to traverse across time. There seems to be an immediate bond formed when one realises that someone is from the same school, regardless of the age gap.
Decline of colonial-era schools
Today, however, intake of these premier schools is decreasing. This is in no small part due to the mushrooming of national-type schools in almost every neighbourhood as well as the burgeoning of private and international schools all.
Funding has also decreased and this has led to the colonial-era school buildings losing their lustre. Classrooms are in disrepair. Financing for niche and cluster activities have trickled.
Lots of parents seem not to want to send their children to these schools any more, opting instead for a local neighbourhood school. Some just don’t see the value in these premier schools, preferring to send their children to international or private schools instead.
A school can only thrive if there is a student population. If the student population dwindles, the school will cease to exist.
This has led many to feel that there is a dastardly plot to reduce student intake and then convert schools for commercial or other use. Most premier schools are, after all, on prime land and we all know of the fate of a premier girls school in Kuala Lumpur that was demolished and replaced with what is now, sadly, a shopping complex.
Hence, there must be a concerted effort to preserve these premier schools. There must be a collaborative effort to raise the intake of students to these schools and return these schools to their former glory.
While most of these schools may have heritage status, this only relates to the preservation of the buildings and not the function of the buildings. It would be such a shame to lose these premier schools simply because of a decline in student population.
Adopt these schools' best practices
Perhaps the solution to fixing the perennial problem of complaints about our education system is to really see what makes these schools tick and how they have continued to thrive for over a hundred years.
Pay more attention to the upkeep of these schools and focus on making these schools a model for other schools. Make these schools the schools of choice by emphasising the needs for holistic education rather than one just focused on grades. Focus on instilling pride and honour. The other schools will soon follow suit.
Really, it's not that complicated. After all, these schools must have done something right for students to feel such pride and a sense of belonging and kinship even after having left school for so many years.
We cannot afford to lose these schools. That would be akin to losing part of our history. This is my fear for Victoria Institution. This is my fear for all the other premier schools in the country.
Victoria Institution has long been a part of my family’s traditions. My grandfather was one of the early students of the school. My father was a student in the 1950s and then my two brothers joined the school in the late 70s. I was a student in VI from 1980 to 1984. Exactly 30 years after I left VI, my son became a Victorian in 2014. He is now in Form Five.
Four generations of my family have studied at the same school and checks show that this is the first time this has happened so far. Four generations of Victorians! Quite remarkable and something to be grateful for.
So, thank you Yap Kwan Seng, Loke Yew, Thamboosamy Pillai, Sultan Abdul Samad and Sir William Treacher for founding Victoria Institution on Aug 14, 1893. Thank you Victoria Institution for 125 years of excellence. May there be at least another 125 more!
The writer is an old boy of Victoria Institution, Kuala Lumpur.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
