Sejarah Maktab Sabah

Bertarikh 16 Januari 1957, Maktab Sabah telah ditubuhkan. Pada masa itu, sekolah Maktab Sabah measih dikenali sebagai Government Secondary School. Sekolah ini merupakan sekolah kerajaan yang pertama ditubuhkan di negeri Sabah. Pada tahun 1961 iaitu ketika negeri Sabah masih berada di bawah pimpinan Yang Berhormat Tun Datu Mustapha Bin Datu Harun selaku Ketua Menteri, nama asal sekolah ini telah ditukarkan kepada Maktab Sabah.

Cadangan penubuhan Maktab Sabah sebenarnya telah dicadangkan oleh Pengarah Pendidikan Borneo Utara yang pertama iaitu P.E. Perry pada tahun 1947. Namun, ia telah mengambil masa selama 10 tahun untuk dilaksanakan. Pada peringkat awal, daerah Beaufort telah dipilih sebagai tapak pembinaan sekolah tetapi akhirnya, daerah Jesselton yang kemudiannya dikenali sebagai Kota Kinabalu telah dipilih memandangkan Jesselton telah mengambil alih tugas sebagai pusat pentadbiran negeri.

Setelah Jesselton dipilih, timbul pula masalah untul memilih tapak pembinaan sekolah ini. Antara tapak yang dicadangkan ialah tapak S.M. All Saints sekarang, Kepayan dan tapak Hospital Queen Elizabeth pernah dicadangkan sebagai tapak sekolah Maktab Sabah yang ada sekarang. Akhirnya, tapak Maktab Sabah telah dipilih pada tahun 1955 dengan keluasan 16.77 ekar iaitu merangkumi 6 ekar bagi kawasan padang, 4.8 ekar bagi kawasan asrama. Oleh itu, pada awal tahun 1956, rancangan pembinaan sekolah ini telah diluluskan di London.

Dalam menjayakan projek pembinaan sekolah ini, pihak Colonial Development Welfare Fund telah membantu menampung 90% daripada kos tersebut manakala selebihnya pula disambungkan oleh sumber-sumber tempatan. Setelah tapak dipilih, kerajaan terpaksa mengambil masa untuk memindahkan pejabat Civil Aviation Department dan Pauper Institution yang menduduki tapak Maktab Sabah sekarang ini. Oleh yang demikian, Maktab Sabah terpaksa pula menggunakan rumah atap usang yang terletak di tapak S.R.K. Tanjung Aru sekarang, sebagai bangunan sementara apabila pembelajaran dimulakan pada awal tahun 1957.

Menurut pengetua pertama  Maktab Sabah iaitu G. Clarke, keadaan sekolah dan bangunan tersebut pada masa itu digambarkan sebagai, " An old board and atap house served as an office and spare classroom. Part if the house was also used as a garage until one day, a strong wind blew the part of it down... local children, dogs and chickens joined in our lesson."

Kisah-kisah ini membayangkan keadaan fizikal Maktab Sabah dan secara tidak langsung sekolah-sekolah lain di negeri Sabah pada masa itu. Maktab Sabah telah berpindah ke tapak tetapnya sekarang pada bulan Ogos 1959, sebahagian bangunan asrama telah siap pada Januari 1959.

Lembaran 1990-an dibuka oleh Puan Hajah Dayang Hairuni Binti Datuk Yan sebagai pengetua. Ketika ini perubahan terhadap struktur bangunan lama Maktab Sabah banyak diusahakan. Bermula dengan empat blok bangunan papan dan sebuah dewan (Turnbull Hall). Maktab Sabah terus diperbesar dengan beberapa bangunan tambahan. Selain itu, beberapa buah taman telah dibina dengan dilengkapi kolam ikan, pondok-pondok ilmu, taman sains dan taman seni untuk memberi keselesaan kepada para pelajar di samping dapat meningkatkan tahap keceriaan sekolah ini. Kini tempat -tempat tersebut telah digunakan untuk proses pembelajaran khasnya yang melibatkan aktiviti luar darjah.

Pada awal tahun 1991, Maktab Sabah sekali lagi mengalami pengubahsuaian untuk menampung pertambahan bilangan pelajarnya dan keperluan pendidikan semasa. Sebahagian daripada dewan utama iaitu Turnbull Hall telah diubahsuai kepada bilik gerakan; manakala bahagian atas dijadikan perpustakaan sekolah yang baru diambilalih daripada Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sabah. Perpustakaan ini diubahsuai sekali lagi pada tahun 1996 untuk dinaiktarafkan yang diusahakan oleh 'Ex Sabah Collegians Association (OSCA)' melalui sumbangan Corporate Dynamic Sdn. Bhd. Sebuah astaka turut dibina di kawasan padang dan kemudiannya dinaiktaraf pada tahun 1998. Projek ini jelas melambangkan komitmen serta kerjasama para pelajar senior terhadap barisan guru.

Kini, Maktab Sabah sebagai sekolah yang terunggul di negeri Sabah telah diamanahkan untuk menerajui dunia pendidikan di negeri ini melalui projek "Sekolah Bistari" pada tahun 1999 dan "Pusat, Maktab Sabah telah diisytiharkan oleh Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Sabah sebagai Sekolah Bersejarah di negeri ini.

Maktab Sabah pada hari ini setelah menongkah arus dunia pendidikan selama 4 dekad tetap teguh dengan moto "BERDIKARI" melambangkan kejayaan dunia pendidikan di negeri ini.

History Of Sabah College

As early as in 1948, a proposal to build a government secondary school by the government had been put forward. This school was to have one hundred and fifty pupils of whom ninety would be boarders. For unknown reasons, the site was to be in Beaufort. Money at that time was short and the proposal was dropped.

In 1950, the matter was raised once again and it was suggested that the site be moved to Jesselton, now Kota Kinabalu, so that more students could be catered for. This site was to be in Likas where All Saints's School now stands. It was also suggested that science laboratories be provided and that the students should prepared for university matriculation.

The scheme grew more ambitious and it was suggested that the intake of students be raised to 164 with 110 boarders. A lot of enthusiasm was worked up but the government queried the urgency in the setting up of this school.

However in 1955, a new plan was drawn by a former Director Of Educatio, Mr Wilson. The site is the one we now occupy. The school was to be known as the Government Secondary School, Technical. This name was later changed to Sabah College at the suggestion of the Chief Minister, Yang Amat Berhormat Datu Haji Mustapha Bin Datu Harun. Today the school is also known as Maktab Sabah.

A five-year course for the Cambridge School Certificate; and further two-year course for the Higher School Certificate would be provided for the most intelligent students in Sabah who had already completed the five year in the Cambridge School Certificate. This school would also have 230 students with adequate boarding facilities.

Things were beginning to be taken seriously and a scheme was drawn up, 80% of the funds were to be provided by the Colonial Development And Welfare Fund and the rest to be drawn from local funds. In 1956, the scheme was approved in London and a staff recruitment drive was initiated.

Again the establishment of this school was hindered by difficulties. This time the sitting problem. The proposed site was not immediately available because it was then occupied by the Department Of Civil Aviation and The Pauper Institute. They could not be moved unless the could find another place to go to.

In November 1956, advertisements were sent out calling for applicants to join the new school as yet, still not established. It was proposed to open two preparatory classes and one Form 1 class. Response was poor and no one from outside Jesselton applied. Eventually, the school was opened at the beginning of 1957 in what is now the Goverment Primary School at Tanjung Aru with 85 pupils and 9 teachers with Mr. Bukley as the acting Principal. In the same year too, Mr. Geoffery Clark arrived to be the school's first principal.

At the end of 1957, the school was moved to the dilapidated kajang building vacated by the Secretariat which had moved to its new premises. Troubles and delays seemed to dog the school. The construction equipment had to be moved from the site due to trouble at the airport. The school was also confronted by the financial problems because the number of students had grown rapidly that twice the original number of the buildings had to be built. Nevertheless in 1958, the first Form Sixth was established with very poor facilities and another recruitment drive was carried out for more graduate teachers. In 1960, the school moved to its new buildings and the kajang buildings was demolished.

In the 1960s, Sabah College grew and established itself as one of the most important and well-known secondary schools in Sabah - both in academic and extra-curricular activities. In the early 70s, Sabah College became the prerunner in introducing the New Mathematics Syllabus in Sabah. In 1971, we saw another significant achievement. For the first time in the history, Sabah College, a school song had been adopted and sung at every assembly.

In order to cater for the rapid increase in the student population, two new four-storey classrooms cum science laboratories blocks were constructed in 1996. In 1999, Sabah College is the first secondary school in Sabah, which is not designated as a smart school. participated in the implementation of the smart school programme. The school with the generous assistance of the Ministry Of Education, State Education Department, Parent Teacher Association, OSCA, private organisations and concerned individuals was able to renovate two rooms equipped with computers and other multimedia facilities to enable teachers and students to use the lastest information technologies in the acquisition of knowledge.

The year 2000 marks another milestone in the history of Sabah College. Two new classrooms cum administrative office blocks and a multi-purpose hall were completed. With the completion of the new hall, students do not have to stand under the hot sun and rain during morning assemblies. Many activities can now be conducted indoors. Staff can also enjoy a game of badminton in the afternoon or evening. The prepetual problem of flooding will be something for us to remember only with the relocation of classes frequently affected by floods. However, two singles storey classroom blocks and another blocks which houses the living skills workshop and art room had been demolished to make way for the construction of a new highway.