Established 1917 | Grades Form 1 - Form 6 | |
Type Government non-boarding all-boys secondary school Motto Disco Ut Serviam - I Learn That I May Serve Principal Pn. Hajah Hanipah binti Endut Gender All-male (except Form 6 students) school |
For Maxwell School as a graduate school of Syracuse University see Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. For the Maxwell International Baha'i School see Maxwell International School
Contents
- History
- Buildings
- Student life
- Rivalry
- Traditions and heritage
- Sports
- House
- Prefects
- School crest
- Alumni
- Notable alumni
- References
Maxwell School (Malay: Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Maxwell) is a school for boys (and female students in form 6) and the oldest school in the north of Kuala Lumpur as well as one of the oldest in Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia. A student of the school is known as a Maxwellian.
History
Maxwell School was established in 1917, and named after a road in honour of Sir William George Maxwell. It opened its doors to 110 students and five teaching staff on 1 June 1922. During its pre-war days (1900s), it functioned as a feeder school (primary school) to the Victoria Institution. By 1933, the school was shut down to the public due to the recession, but was opened as a private school from 1934 to 1938. It was then given to the Trade School for their use.
During the Japanese Occupation, it was used as a camp for the Japanese Kempeitai. After the war, the school was used as a hostel by the newly formed Technical College until 1953, when, in September, the school was re-opened as Malaya's first Modern Secondary School. Today, the Maxwell School is still housed in the same building and has remained a secondary school ever since.
Buildings
The school originally consisted of two blocks, the present day main block and the gymnasium block, which is now the meeting room. The design and features of the two blocks is typical of the colonial era structures bearing some similarities with the Malayan Railway station and Sultan Abdul Samad buildings, both with Moorish designs. The school consists of a two-storey structure which was later extended to a block of solid masonry construction with arched openings along the corridors, typical of many of the school buildings that were built that time. There is a veranda on both sides of each storey (main block), high ceilings and broad stairways which depict typical colonial architecture.
Maxwell School is one of the very few schools in the nation that has not shifted and has remained in the original site from the very beginning. While the modern-day Ministry of Education has added rectangular-shaped blocks to the school, the distinctive "H" shape of the main block is still one of the more interesting features of Kuala Lumpur.
Student life
It is an unspoken rule that all freshman students join at least one uniformed body, join one of the school's 50 clubs and participate in a least one sport.
Rivalry
As like many other older schools, the Maxwell School has rivals. St. John's Institution, is the school's traditional rivals. This rivalry can be observed during visits by Maxwellians to St. John's Institution and vice versa. Setapak High School, Ampang Road Boys School and the Methodist Boys School, Sentul can also be included in this list, stretching back to the mid-1950s.
Traditions and heritage
While many of the colonial-period traditions have eroded over the years, some are still practised. The first one is the passing of the School Captain badge from Captain to Captain each year. The second is the sewing of the prefects uniform done by the school tailor, and not bought from a retail shop. Another one would be of the invitation by the Old Boys' Association of the school to the School Captain to attend the annual Dinner Night of the Association. Furthermore, the uniformed groups uniform is worn on every Wednesday.
Sports
Maxwell School participates in the Sentul zone at district level and in the MSSKL (Kuala Lumpur School Sports Council) tournament at the state level. The school has won trophies and titles in football, hockey, athletics, cricket, sepak takraw and badminton. Maxwell School has produced Malaysian sportsmen including Zainal Abidin Hassan, E.C. Dutton (national goalkeeper) S.A. Azman (national tennis player) and national cricket players.
House
There are four sport houses, and every year they compete on sports day. The Maxwell School Sports Day has been held since 1955. The houses are named after the founders of the state. The houses are:
Prefects
Maxwell School has one of the oldest prefects board in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. It was founded 1929. After the war, the Prefects Board was re-initiated and the first School Captain was S. A. Azman in 1954. He later became one of Malaya's first national tennis players.
Choosing prefects is done by nomination for prefecture by teachers and senior students, training, elimination processes, and a several month stint as a 'Temporary Prefect'. The motto for the Maxwell School Prefects Board is "Dedicated Prefects Towards Discipline"
School crest
Mr. Donald Priestley designed the school crest in 1954. It is green, yellow, blue and white, with each colour having a meaning:
The shield shows a tiger, an opened bible, the school motto, a compass which supports the opened book and an arrow pointing down surrounded by eight blue and white stripes. The opened book is the Bible Of Knowledge and the tiger is The Burning Tiger. The compass symbolises the school’s status as a modern secondary school, offering technical and vocational subjects at that period of time. The school motto – Disco Ut Serviam – is the Latin for I Learn That I May Serve.
Alumni
The alumni association of the school is the Maxwell School Old Boys' Association. It was established in 1956, de-registered in 1983 and was registered again on 13 February 1999. The OBA has a newsletter known as 'Berita O'Max', issued quarterly.
Notable alumni
Won the Punjab University Field Hockey championship after 27 years for King Edward Medical College. Youngest colour Holder for Hockey at King Edward Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan 1974. Outward Bound School, Lumut Merit badge holder 1967 course 129. Served with frontline hospital during the Gulf War - Operation Desert Storm. First Malaysian Chief Medical Officer at Bokamoso Private Hospital, Botswana