THIRTEEN new 75-inch (190.5cm) smartboards are giving Penang Free School classrooms a digital boost as Old Frees rally to help their 210-year-old alma mater prepare students for a technology-driven future.
The school in George Town, Penang, is aiming for 33 smartboards under its Digital Transformation Initiative, with 20 to go as of Monday (Sept 28).
The effort is part of the Penang Free School Digital Transformation Fund, which is seeking support from alumni, parents, businesses, industry partners and the wider community.
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Beyond buying equipment, the initiative covers improvements to digital infrastructure, educator capabilities and students' exposure to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), artificial intelligence, robotics, coding and emerging technologies.
Organising chairman Ivan Ooi Jieun Vei said the fund was intended to complement rather than replace government funding.
"Government funding sustains the school, while the Digital Transformation Fund accelerates its transformation.
"We are not raising funds simply to acquire technology. We are investing in capability, opportunity and ultimately in the talent pipeline that Penang’s future economy will depend upon," he said in a statement.
Ooi said technological advances had created disciplines, industries and career paths that were barely imaginable a generation ago.
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AI, data science, robotics and digital technology had opened up new opportunities and the school wanted its students to be prepared, he said.
The initiative is being highlighted as Penang Free School celebrates its 210th anniversary, bringing generations of Old Frees back together with present students, teachers and staff.
The three-day celebration from Thursday to Saturday (Oct 1 to 3) carries the spirit of the school motto "Fortis Atque Fidelis", or Strong and Faithful.
Ooi said marking the school's 210th year, just a decade after its bicentenary, was intended to be more than another anniversary celebration.
"This is not simply a celebration of 210 years of history. It is a call to action for the entire Penang Free School fraternity to come together and invest in the school’s future.
"We want to harness the strength of our alumni, educators, industry and community to ensure that our students are equipped not only to excel academically, but to thrive as future professionals, innovators and leaders," he said.
Penang Free School is South-East Asia’s oldest English-medium school.
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Its anniversary celebrations give Old Frees another opportunity to return to the school, renew old ties and share their attachment to an institution that has been part of Penang's history for generations.
The programme began with the school's 210th Speech Day at its hall on Thursday, with Old Frees invited to attend.
On Saturday, the Free School Reunites programme will bring together former and present students, teachers and staff for sporting and community activities from 8am to 2pm.
There will be a guided walkabout of the historic school grounds and a pickleball rally competition at Game On Pickle in Jalan Burma.
The celebrations will culminate in the 210th Anniversary Dinner at Penang Free School from 6pm to 11.30pm on Saturday.
Rock singer Ella will perform at the dinner alongside Penang Free School students.
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For the Old Frees behind the celebrations, however, the anniversary is as much about what comes next as looking back over more than two centuries.
Ooi said the task facing the school community was to keep that legacy relevant for generations to come.
"The best way to honour the past is to equip the next generation to shape the future," he said.
The organising committee is inviting Old Frees, alumni groups, parents, businesses, industry partners and members of the public to support the Digital Transformation Initiative as it works towards its target of 33 smartboards.
Those interested in the 210th anniversary celebrations or Digital Transformation Fund can contact the organising committee at 011-7621 1816 or follow the Old Frees Association Kuala Lumpur & Selangor's WhatsApp channel and Facebook page.
