Federation School for the Deaf
| Sekolah Menengah Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
|
600H, Jalan Lembah Permai, 11200 Tanjung Bungah George Town, Penang Malaysia |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Government-Aided Boarding Secondary School |
| Established | 1954 |
| Principal | Mrs. Mui Siew Koon |
| Grades | Form 1 - Form 5 |
| Abbreviation | FSD |
| Phone no. | 04-8907313 / 8905115 |
Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Pendidikan Khas Persekutuan (the Federation Special Education National Secondary School, formerly known as the Federation School for the Deaf) is a school in Penang, Malaysia. Currently located at 600H, Vale of Tempe Road, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, it was the pioneer deaf school in Malaysia.
The Federation School has a very important place in Malaysia's Deaf community as the first boarding school for deaf children in Malaya (the Chinese Deaf School in Singapore was founded in the same year).
In 1952, Dr C Elaine Field, a medical specialist, visited Penang to treat deaf children. Having met and interviewed some of the deaf children about their welfare, Dr Field realised that there were no education programmes for deaf children in Malaya. Dr Field met with Lady Templer, the wife of Sir Gerald Templer, British High Commissioner in Malaya, during an official visit to Penang.
On 9 December 1952, Lady Templer chaired a special meeting at the Residency (official residence of the Resident Commissioner of Penang), which agreed to channel funds for the establishment of a school for the deaf. In 1954, the Federation School for the Deaf officially opened its doors at No. 47, Northam Road, George Town, Penang. It was the first school for the deaf in Malaya, and offered primary education to deaf students. R.P. Bingham, the Resident Commissioner of Penang, supported the establishment and became the first Chairman of the Board of Governors.
Miss J. M. Hickes was appointed as the first principal of the school. At the beginning, the school housed only seven students and two teachers. The entry age was not fixed, with some students entering at 3 or 4 and others at 9. By 1959, the number of students had increased to 60 students. Students who completed Standard 6 did not continue their education, but were given the opportunity to gain vocational skills such as sewing, woodworking and repairing. At that time, the school was not funded by the Government, but was organised by volunteers and non-government organisations.
In 1961, Miss J.M. Hicks resigned as principal and was succeeded by Miss Lee Kooi Jong, originally a nurse at the Penang General Hospital, who had previously served as the first Secretary to the Board of Governors and as a teacher at the school. Lee persuaded businessmen and entrepreneurs in Penang to give opportunities to the deaf children to gain work experience at their companies. FSD students who completed Standard 6 received offers to work at companies doing printing, sewing, and other trades.
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