The English College Johore Bahru, also known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, abbreviated as English College, EC, MSAB, The college, and sometimes dubbed "The Pride Of Johore", is an old premier school in Malaysia. It is an all-boys school in Johor Bahru, Johor. The school is under the royal patronage of the Sultanate of Johor, and it has been awarded the status of Cluster School of Excellence by the Ministry of Education (Malaysia). English College Johore Bahru (EC) is one of the ten oldest English institutions in Malaysia and the oldest school in Johore.
History
Beginning
English College was established on 21 March 1914, with 21 students selected from Bukit Zaharah School. The school was initially located close to the Sungai Chat Palace facing the Lido Beach in Johor Bahru. Remains of the former school site can still be seen but on the site is now the M Suite Hotel, while the campus of vocational studies has been replaced by the old Royal Malaysian Customs of Johore. The 21 students were placed under the tutelage of two teachers brought over from England, Morrison and Holman. These 21 students can be regarded as the pioneers, and from this beginning EC became an educational institution in Johor Bahru.
The education system of the EC was based on that of the English public school and it adopted the British syllabus, and EC later became a model for other English medium schools in Johor. The teachers of the school were initially recruited from Europe, although later locally trained teachers were used to teach Malay subjects.
After end of World War I in 1918, the EC held for the first time its Junior Cambridge examinations, later followed by Senior Cambridge examinations. However, the results for both examinations were poor, and as a consequence the school was closed temporarily in 1928 for reassessment. It reopened in May of the same year, and after remedial actions had been taken by the school administration, the school met its target at the end of 1928. 143 students were selected to study Mathematics, Science and English. Also in 1928, T. Drury, who had been in the Education Service of Malaya since 1921, was appointed the principal of EC.
Relocation
At the end of 1930, the school moved to its present location at Jalan Sungei Chat. Of the original school, only stone blocks and steps are left, which can still be seen at its old site. The new EC was officially opened in early 1931, and the school has since produced many outstanding students. Two of its most famous students are Tun Hussein Onn, who later became the prime minister, and Tun Musa Hitam, the deputy prime minister.
Some of the notable teachers there were Pendeta Za'Ba, T. Drury, T. Grundy, Mr Bion Dury, Hj. Zulkipli Bin Hj. Mahmod, Victor Joshua Jeyaretnam (father of J. B. Jeyaretnam) and Mohamad Bin Iskandar (father of Tun Mahathir Mohamad).
During the Japanese occupation of Malaya from 1941 to 1945, the EC was used as a military base, a factory, a military hospital, as well as a prison camp by the Japanese. The school reopened in early 1946 after the end of Japanese occupation. H. L. Hill was appointed the Headmaster of EC, and under his leadership, the EC returned to its status of a prestigious school. In 1949, the first group of girls was admitted to the EC.
After Malayan independence
In 1965, following the end of the British rule in Malaya, the name was changed to 'Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar''' (MSAB) after Sultan Sir Abu Bakar of Johor who was the Father of Modern Johore. More local teachers were employed to teach at the school. In 1961, the school badge and uniforms were introduced for the first time. This was followed by creation of the school song with lyrics written by Yusof bin Karto set to music by Lim Teck Siang.
In 1974, EC celebrated its Diamond Jubilee, and the deputy prime minister Tun Hussein Onn as well as all the former students were invited to the celebration. Also in 1974, the first batch of students of Sekolah Menengah Sains Johor was placed temporarily in the English College until the completion of the school's building in the month of April 1974.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the school was further enlarged and facilities were added for student's use in accordance with the requirements of Ministry of Education and the introduction of Integrated Secondary School Curriculum.