Murree Christian School

Last updated

Murree Christian School
MCS Logo in Colour.jpg
MCS High-School Building.JPG
This was the most recent MCS logo (as of 2016). The logo includes the Murree hills, the trinity symbol, Christ's cross, and a torch that symbolizes the Godly perspective of education that MCS strove for. The exact origins of the logo are unknown, but the last changes to the logo were done by a student attending MCS.
Location
Murree Christian School
Coordinates 33°54′53″N73°26′01″E / 33.914838°N 73.433729°E / 33.914838; 73.433729
Information
Founded1956
Website www.mcs.org.pk

Murree Christian School was a small private boarding school founded in 1956. It closed in June 2021. It was a founding member of the South Asian Inter-Scholastic Association (SAISA) in 1972, and was a highly regarded educational institution in Pakistan. It was located near the resort town of Murree, Pakistan, at over 7000 ft. elevation in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains in Pakistan. [1] The main high school building, made of stone, is a former garrison Church, serving as a Church of Scotland congregation for British soldiers in training in the hill station of Murree, until the church was given to the Anglican Diocese of Lahore during Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. It was unused until the newly formed Murree Christian School started renovating and refurbishing the deconsecrated church. Several other buildings are used as elementary classrooms, staff housing as well as boarding hostels (dorms). Until 2011, high school boys were housed at a building which was formerly Sandes Soldiers Home, for convalescent soldiers of the British Indian Army.

Contents

Murree Christian School is one of the better known international boarding schools on the Indian Subcontinent, established to serve the needs of the expatriate communities in and around Pakistan. It was established after the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 which made it increasingly difficult for children to continue to attend other similar schools in India such as Woodstock School in Mussoorie, and Hebron School in Ootacamund, and Kodaikanal International School in Kodaikanal. Attendance in the early 1960s quickly rose to over 100 pupils and the first graduating class was celebrated in 1964. Through the 1970s and up until 2001, the school boasted a multinational community of over 150 students and over 50 expatriate staff from over 25 countries.

History

MCS High-School Building. MCS High-School Building.JPG
MCS High-School Building.

Murree Christian School was founded in 1956 to educate the children of missionaries in Pakistan [1] and is located near the tiny crossroads town of Jhika Gali which is in the Murree hills of Murree District, Punjab province. The school had been functioning without notoriety until 5 August 2002 when gunmen attacked the school killing six people, none of whom were students or expatriates. [2] The school returned to normalcy with increased security after this attack. Since the mid-1960s, not all students have been from missionary families; some are children of expatriate workers of diplomatic missions, non-governmental organisations, or multinational corporations in Pakistan. Some students were from the small Pakistani Christian community, but because the national curriculum of Pakistan is not taught, Pakistani students have very limited options for tertiary education domestically. Courses are taught in English, with supplementary classes for European and Asian native-language speakers as well as Urdu as a foreign language for students.

Sports

MCS Gym MCS Gym.JPG
MCS Gym

MCS was the smallest member of SAISA (the South Asia International Schools Association) with enrolment under 100 students after reopening in 2004. SAISA facilitates athletic and cultural interaction with other international schools in the region. MCS students join with students from other schools in South Asia for sports tournaments and occasional fine arts productions. Meeting other students from different backgrounds, forming friendships, sharing victory and defeat are some of the beneficial experiences that MCS students have gained from participating in SAISA events. MCS students also contributed much to the Association through their sense of sportsmanship, manners, cheerful cooperation and team spirit, frequently winning the sportsmanship awards. In preparation for these tournaments, students spent many afternoons after school training and practicing. [1]

Boarding life

General information

All the elementary boarders were housed in a separate building as a group with the boarding parents. Junior and senior high-school boarders had separate departments divided by gender. Grades 7–9 were in the junior-high boys and girls, and students in grades 10 to 12 were in the senior high boys and girls boarding departments. Normally a husband/wife would work together for each boarding department, but single boarding parents were also allowed especially when staffing was limited. [1]

Admissions

General Information

Murree Christian School was established primarily to meet the educational needs of the missionary community working in and around Pakistan. Applications were accepted from families working in other areas who understand the historical evangelical Christian background of the school and accept its centrality in school life. Subsequently, the school did contact applicants for an interview. The school also accepted applicants from an English as a Second Language (ESL) background on the condition that they have English proficiency and prior English-language schooling experience. [1]

The school did not admit students from Muslim backgrounds due to Pakistani regulations. [3]

Education

Elementary curriculum

In the Elementary Department the aim was to give the children a strong foundation across the curriculum. It had a staff of one full-time teacher and benefitted from the input of many other staff on a part-time basis.

The curriculum covered all general subjects: math, English, science, Bible, social studies, computing, art, music, technology, library skills, personal and social education and physical education. Courses were adapted and extended as necessary in order to meet the varying needs of children from many different parts of the world. When staff was available the school also offered English as a Second language as well as German, French, Urdu and Korean.

Homework was given each day to be completed in study hall.

Elementary students took the IOWA tests of educational development each spring.

The National Institute for Learning Disabilities (NILD) was available to students with learning disabilities.

When possible the school was able to offer general music lessons as well as private lessons in piano and other instruments.


An experiment performed during an MCS Physics class. MCS Physics Class.JPG
An experiment performed during an MCS Physics class.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kodaikanal International School</span> Independent school, residential school in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, India

Kodaikanal International School (KIS) is a co-educational independent residential school offering education for grades P-12. It is located on 43 acres (0.17 km2) in Kodaikanal, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India. Kodaikanal is a hill station at 2,133 m (6,998 ft) in the Palani Hills, 121 kilometres (75 mi) northwest of Madurai.

An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body and staff, multilingual instruction, curricula oriented towards global perspectives and subjects, and the promotion of concepts such as world citizenship, pluralism, and intercultural understanding. Many international schools adopt a curriculum from programs and organizations such as International Baccalaureate, Edexcel, Cambridge Assessment International Education, International Primary Curriculum, or Advanced Placement.

Nicaragua Christian Academy is an ACSI accredited English-language school located in Nicaragua. It is classified as an evangelical, non-denominational, nonprofit preschool, elementary, and secondary educational institution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The International School of Penang (Uplands)</span> Private, non-profit school in Batu Feringghi, Penang, Penang Island, Malaysia

The International School of Penang (Uplands), commonly known as Uplands School or simply Uplands by its members (called Uplanders), is one of the International Schools in Penang, Malaysia. Founded in 1955, it was first situated on Penang Hill, moving to Gurney Drive and finally Batu Ferringhi in 2006. Uplands School is a multicultural, multiracial and multinational community whose aim is to promote the School Motto: "Respect for Self. Respect for Others".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodstock School</span> Independent, residential, international school in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India

Woodstock School is an international coeducational residential school located in Landour, a small hill station contiguous with the town of Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

The Alliance Academy International is a private, co-educational, international, Christian school located in Quito, Ecuador, with a curriculum based on a United States program of education. AAI was founded in 1929 as the Alliance Academy, to provide an English-language American education for the children of missionaries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA) and is now an independent school that serves many nationalities in an English immersion setting with a Christian worldview. The academy is located in Iñaquito, a section of north Quito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Paul College (Brisbane)</span> School in Daisy Hill, Logan, Queensland, Australia

John Paul College is an independent, non-denominational Christian early learning, primary, and secondary day and boarding school, located in the Logan City suburb of Daisy Hill, Queensland, Australia.

Dalat International School is an international day and boarding school in Penang, Malaysia. Founded as a boarding school for children of missionaries in Southeast Asia, it has grown into an international school with a diverse student population. As of the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, there are 650 students representing 28 different countries. It is one of eleven schools on the island and is the only one offering an American curriculum.

Seoul Foreign School is a Pre-K/Reception to Grade 12 international school located in Seoul, South Korea. The school was founded in 1912 by Christian missionaries to Korea and emphasizes Christian values. The Elementary, Middle and High Schools offer an international curriculum within the International Baccalaureate framework of PYP, MYP and DP. The High School offers the IB Diploma Programme. The British School offers the English National Curriculum - Key Stages 1–3. Seoul Foreign School has been located in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, since 1959.

The city of Kobe, Japan, is home to a number of schools, both public and private. The following is a list of some of the more prominent academic institutions in Kobe:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ekamai International School</span> International school in Bangkok, Thailand

Ekamai International School (EIS) is a private, non-profit, co-educational, international school founded by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is located in Watthana District, Bangkok, Thailand and educates students from pre-kindergarten to the twelfth grade. In 1993, the school acquired an international school license. The school is part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist education system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mazowe Boys High School</span> School in Mazowe, Zimbabwe

Mazowe Boys High School in Harare, Zimbabwe is a Salvation Army boarding school established in 1959. The school teaches Christian values in accordance with Salvation Army principles.

Stanborough School is a coeducational independent day and boarding school in Watford, Hertfordshire, England. Situated in 40 acres of parkland in the village of Garston, it was founded by the Seventh-day Adventist church and remains under the governance of the church. It is a member of the Independent Schools Association.

The South Asian Inter-Scholastic Association brings 11 top international schools from across the Indian subcontinent region together to compete against one another in sports, music and other extracurricular activities. It is comparable to other regional networks of international schools, such as the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS), operating in Southeast Asia.

Taiwan Adventist International School is a secondary boarding school operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It is situated in the midst of rural Nantou County, Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary F. Scranton</span> American missionary to Korea (1832–1909)

Mary Fletcher Benton Scranton was an American Methodist Episcopal Church missionary. She was the first Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church representative to Korea and the founder of the Ewha Girls School under Emperor Gojong. Today, the Ewha Girls School is the Ewha Womans University, one of the most prestigious women's schools in Asia. Scranton also founded the Tal Syeng Day School for Women in Seoul and the Training School for Bible Women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rehoboth Christian School</span> School in Rehoboth, New Mexico, United States

Rehoboth Christian School is a private, parent-controlled Christian school in Rehoboth, New Mexico. Founded in 1903 as Rehoboth Mission School, the school serves a portion of the Navajo Nation and its student body is predominantly Native American.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seigakuin Atlanta International School</span> Elementary school in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States

Seigakuin Atlanta International School was an international, private, Christian elementary school located in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, United States, northeast of Atlanta, It is an affiliate to Seigakuin University, and therefore is a Shiritsu zaigai kyōiku shisetsu or an overseas branch of a Japanese private school. It was the only school in Greater Atlanta to have its curriculum accredited by the Japanese Ministry of Education. From its founding in 1990 until 2003, the school had been located on the property of Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven, DeKalb County. In 2003, the school moved to its final location. From April 2008 until the school's 2018 closure, Minako Oki Ahearn served as the principal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Yu Adventist School</span> Private school in Singapore

San Yu Adventist School (SYAS) is a private Christian school in Singapore which caters to students from ages 7 to 16/17. It follows the local education system and is fully owned and operated by the Singapore Adventist Conference. The current school was a result of the merger of two Adventist schools: the English-medium Seventh-day Adventist School previously located in Upper Serangoon Road and the Chinese-medium San Yu High School.

Taejon Christian International School (TCIS) is a Pre-K to Grade 12 international school located in an area known as Techno Valley, a neighborhood in the northern part of Daejeon, South Korea. TCIS is a Three-Programme IB World School and provides boarding care through on-campus dormitory facilities. The school accepts foreign families living locally for work, families living abroad and looking for education in Korea, and local Korean families with connections to foreign culture and education abroad. Taejon Christian International School also plays a partnership role in globalization efforts in the city of Daejeon.

References