Reviews & Press : : Giving Our Best

A house with a birthright
Wednesday October 20, 2010

New use: The former Northam Road Girls' School at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah,
will be turned into an Islamic girls school.

THE former Northam Road Girls’ School at Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Penang, which is being renovated for SMK Agama (P) Al Mashoor will maintain its original look, said a State Education Department spokesman.

“Restoration work will be done as well as the repair of broken windows and tiles.

“We understand that the building has a history and we are aware of its heritage value,” he said.

It is learnt that three nine-storey buildings will be constructed in the vicinity to be used for classes, accommodation for the boarders and quarters for the teachers.

The spokesman said restoration work and construction would begin next month and that it would take between two and three years for the project to be completed.

Penang Heritage Trust president Khoo Salma Nasution said the contractors would need to “be careful when renovating and try to retain the original look of the school.

“We also hope that the Education Department will take into consideration that the school should be preserved.”

She added that even if the cen-tury-old building was adopted for new use, its heritage value should be retained.

“I feel anxious about the renovation and we’ll be happy to share our knowledge on the building,” she said.

The building had served as the St George’s Girls School (SGGS) from 1910 until 1954 when the school moved to its present location on Macalister Road where the school retained its name.

The building on Northam Road was then handed over to the Northam Road Girls’ School, which took in primary students, but closed down later.

The building last served as a training college for teachers.