St. George's School, Brunei
History
George Newn Ah Foott was adamant that education might give the many populations in Brunei Town, a brighter future. Newn took the initiative to open Saint George's School after seeing the lack of educational options and schools in the area. Fr. Piet de Wit, a local priest, first established the school in a house on Jalan Padang that Mr. Kay leased. In addition, this home housed the priest's residence and a chapel. Thanks to Newn's donation of land, the school was able to construct its first dedicated structure in Kumbang Pasang in 1941. Following World War II's interruptions, the school was reopened under Newn's leadership, with his daughters acting as instructors. Later, the school was named after him as a sign of respect.
In contrast to the contemporary concrete structures it now enjoys, Saint George's School was a modest thatch building with an attap roof in its early years. It became one of Brunei's most prominent schools as it grew over time to provide instruction up to the GCE "O" Level. In 1972, Newn received the Papal Decoration "Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice" in honour of his contributions to Saint George's School and his services to the Catholic Church.
Notable alumni
- Yassin Affandi (1922–2012), politician
- Zaini Ahmad (born 1935), politician
- Pengiran Abdul Momin (1927–2008), politician
- Pengiran Umar (1940–2023), police officer
- Steven Chong Wan Oon, judge
- Pengiran Anak Siti Saerah (1922–2013), nobility
- Abdul Aziz Umar (born 1936), politician
- Roderick Yong (born 1932), diplomat and educator
References
- ^ "Departments & Staff - St. George's School, Brunei Darussalam".
- ^ "Academics Secondary - St. George's School, Brunei Darussalam".
- ^ "Our History - St. George's School, Brunei Darussalam".
- ^ Suryadinata, Leo, ed. (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent. A Biographical Dictionary. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing. p. 763. ISBN 978-981-4345-21-7.
- ^ Gunn, Geoffrey C. (1997). Language, Power, and Ideology in Brunei Darussalam. Ohio University Center for International Studies. p. 101. ISBN 978-0-89680-192-9.
- ^ Mohamad Yusop Damit (1995). Brunei Darussalam 1944-1962: Constitutional and Political Development in a Malay-Muslim Sultanate. University of London 1995. p. 412.
- ^ "Allahyarham Pengiran Dipa Negara Laila Diraja Pengiran Haji Abdul Momin bin Pengiran Haji Ismail". Majalah Pusaka (in Malay). 39. Bandar Seri Begawan: Brunei History Centre, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. 2017.
- ^ "Inspektor Awangku Omar Di-Lantek Menjadi A.S.P." (PDF). www.pelitabrunei.gov.bn (in Malay). 1965-04-21. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-06-25.
- ^ "Brunei Sultan appoints Steven Chong as chief justice". freemalaysiatoday.com. 2018-07-13. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- ^ "Negara Brunei Darussalam: obituary 2014. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2024-01-24.
- ^ Suryadinata, Leo, ed. (2012). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent. A Biographical Dictionary. Singapore: ISEAS Publishing. pp. 1367–1370. ISBN 978-981-4345-21-7.
External links
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