Penang Free School (PFS) was founded on October 21, 1816 by a committee headed by Reverend Robert Sparke Hutchings. The school was open to all children regardless of race or religion, hence the name “Free School”.
The current location at Jalan Masjid Negeri is not the original location of the school; before that, it was located in rented premises along Love Lane in the heart of George Town. Not until 1927 was the school fully moved to Jalan Masjid Negeri due to overcrowding and rising enrolment. The original building is now the state museum.
PFS is famous for producing top students in the academic world and also in sports, politics, arts and the judiciary. Among its most famous alumni were Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia; Tuanku Syed Sirajudin; Dr Wu Lien Teh; Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Eusoffe Abdoolcader; Tan Sri P. Ramlee; Tan Sri Elyas Omar; Datuk Sri S. Subramanian and many more. The school system is currently a single session, boys-only school, with the exception of girls in the Sixth Form.
