ABOUT SCHOOL

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE METHODIST BOYS’ SCHOOL, SENTUL

The Beginning

The Sentul Methodist Boys’ School was founded on February 10”, 1936 by Rev. Preston L. Peach, a popular and dedicated American missionary. There was only one class with 7 pupils located at the back room of the Methodist Tamil Church, Sentul. Mr William Dudley, a senior teacher from the Methodist Boys’ School, Kuala Lumpur was assigned to be in this class. He taught all the subjects.

During the years 1936 to 1938 the school functioned in temporary quarters. The foundation stone for the school was laid in 1938.

MBS Sentul was officially declared open on 27” April 1939 by the Hon. S. W. Jones, the British Resident of Selangor. In the same year the school had 7 classrooms, an office and a hall and was known as the Tower Block.

The War Years

During this period the school experienced several changes. In 1940, the Australian Imperial Forces commissioned the school building to house its staff and soldiers. The school meantime functioned in the Sentul Convent in the afternoon.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese Government granted permission to the Indian Army to use the building for education purposes.

On June 30”, 1942 the Sentul MBS Building was restored to the school by the Indian Army with the authority of the Nippon Military Administration.

On July 1“, 1942 the school reopened under the name of Sentul Boys’ Gakko. The years of the Japanese Occupation were trying times for the school, Principal and teachers.

Post War Years

After the end of the war and the return of the British in October 1945, Mr. William Dudley was authorized by the Education Department to reopen the school. At that time there was a great demand for places in the school which continued in the following years. A Special Malay Class (SMC) was also started.

In 1950 the then Principal, Rev. J. A. P. Oswald, discontinued the school’s role as a feeder school. During his tenure, 8 new classrooms and a Science Laboratory were built.

In 1955 the present 3 storey block with 12 classrooms, an office, a library and a workshop was built. By then the student enrolment had increased to 1000.

In the next 2 years, there was consolidation of the Primary Department in the school. A building project for a new Secondary Building was launched to meet the needs of the expanding enrolment in the Primary Section. Mr Wong Lai Yuen was put in charge of the Primary Department by Mr K. V. Thaver, the Principal of the school.

In 1958, the Pure Science and Additional Mathematics Syllabuses were introduced. During the same year, the Secondary and Primary sections of the school became two separate entities, namely the Methodist Boys’ Secondary School and the Methodist Boys’ Primary School each with their own Boards viz. the Board of Governors for the Secondary School and the Board of Managers (in later years also known as the Board of Governors) for the Primary School.

In the following years separate blocks of classrooms, a hall and other ancillary rooms were built to accommodate the growing needs of the Primary School. A canteen was also built to cater for the secondary, primary and afternoon sessions.

In 1979, the Tower Block was officially handed to the Secondary School.

In subsequent years’ additional facilities continued to be developed to meet the increasing and diverse needs of the students. In 2001 the Secondary School for the 1st time had its own canteen through the generosity of the OBA which donated the lower floor of its newly built 2 storey building to the Secondary school solely for this purpose.

The school will be celebrating its 75’” year next year (2011). It can look back with pride that it has fulfilled the vision of the original founder. It is undoubtedly an icon in the landscape of Sentul which is currently undergoing rapid urban redevelopment with modern buildings and condominiums as well as new schools.

However, it is noted with concern and sadness that the enrolment in the Primary School has drastically declined whilst that of the Secondary School is steadily declining. It is hoped that this phenomenon can be arrested to avoid serious repercussions.