history

A Brief History of Methodist High School Klang

The school building was first erected in 1926 for education of girls in Klang. It served as a primary, secondary and kindergarten school especially for the Methodist Girls' School. It was first known as Eklund Methodist Girls' School and then as Methodist Girls' Afternoon School on 1949, when it provided education to over-aged girls.

After the transfer of Methodist Girls' School to Jalan Raya Barat in 1958, the Continuation School became a fully Independent School. The school was then called Eklund Methodist Girls' School, in honour of its founder Mrs. Abel Eklund. The school continued to progress in 1963, its enrolment was 6630 with a staff of 14. It had classes up to Form 5. Apart from regular classes, vovational type of education, especially book-keeping and typewriting were introduced and taught to enable the girls to take the relevant external examinations and seek employment.

In 1964, additional classrooms with modern facilities were added. The opening ceremony of the new block was held on 5 March 1965.

The School came to be known as Methodist Institute in 1971 and it prepared students for the Pitman's Examination in 1972. In 1976, the school was called its present name - Sekolah Tinggi Methodist Klang.

While the school was enjoying its highest enrolment and progress in the late Seventies, in 19/2/1980, fire gutted its front L-shaped annex. Eight classrooms, the staff-room and office perished with all previous records. Total loss was estimated at about four hundred thousand dollars. This did not deter the school and in true Methodist spirit, it continued to serve the needs of the community till the late Eighties.

With the abolition of the SRP and the introduction of PMR, the school faced problems and the enrolment decreased drastically. As a result, the Methodist Board of Education decided to provided a new direction for the school. Under the leadership of Bishop Denis C. Dutton, Mr.Yong Chee Seng (Education Secretary) and Mrs.F.R.Bhupalan (Principal of Methodist College K.L.), efforts were made to realise that vision.

The old 'second chance' school was phased out in November 1992 with twenty-three students sitting for the SPM and STPM (arts) examinations. In the same year, extensive renovations were carried out and the whole school was refurbished.

December 1992 marked the beginning of the new era for MHS Klang. Its first principal, Mr.Yap Choon Kee, together with Rev.E.T. Suwito as Chairman of the Board of Management assisted by a small band of teachers laid the foundation of the new quality school with the admission of 18 students - Form 1 (12 students), Form 4 Science (3 students) and Lower Six Science (3 students).

In the second year, the enrolment leapt to 62. A Remove class was started and later changed to an additional Form 1 class. At the end of 1994, three Science students in From 5 and nine Science students in form 6 sat for the SPM and STPM examinations.

August 1994 marked the appointment of Miss Tham Sueh Cheng as the second principal of MHS Klang. Under her able leadership, the school began to progress considerably academically and n co-curricular activities.

Pioneer students who started in Form 1 in 1993 sat for their PMR in 1995 and score excellent results.

Presently, the school has over 200 students in classes ranging from form 1, 2, 3 and 4 (arts and science streams). A four-storey building with twenty-six classroom was constructed and completed in January 1997.

The school will continue to uphold the Methodist tradition of providing and all-round education for the community of Klang.

LAST UPDATED ON Friday, 06 October 2000 14:22:01