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It was with a sad heart that I left Singapore in July, 1895 in order to come and open an Anglo-Chinese School. I had spent a very happy year-and-a-half in the Anglo-Chinese School, Singapore, and I was sorry to leave that school to come to the jungles of Perak, for Perak at that time was mainly jungle. Not a single rubber tree had been planted, except the few original trees from Kew Gardens that had been planted in Sitiawan village and Kamunting Coffee Estate by Sir Grahame Elphinstone. Except for the tin mines and a few attap villages, the whole country was dense jungle. The new railway had just been opened from Teluk Anson to Ipoh but it did not go beyond. To get to Taiping one had to go in a "shandrydan". The journey then took eight hours.
On my arrival in Ipoh the only place I could get for the opening of the school was a small Malay house adjoining the present Police barracks. I was told that it was impossible to get any boys to come to school, and then the Protector of Chinese as well as the Assistant District Officer urged me not to open a school in Ipoh. But I persevered and four boys duly turned up - two Chinese and two Malays. One of them is the present Panglima Kinta of Perak.
In a few months' time I had sixty boys and the lower part of the Malay house was enclosed as a school room. Some one nicknamed it "The Black Hole of Calcutta". I immediately applied to the Government for four acres of land and this was given to me. On it now stand the Primary buildings, my house and the church. I had a good friend in the late Mr. W. Cowan, who was then Protector of Chinese. With him I approach the leading Chinese miners and they generously subscribed towards building a school. The foundations were laid in November , 1895 and the first school building was completed in May, 1896. I used it as a school for five days a week and for a church on Sundays. My house was built at the same time, a good friend lending me the money. It cost only $1,300. Today, it would cost $8,000 to build a similar house. This shows the high increase in the cost of building in Perak since the olden days. The lower part of my house was used by the Girls' School, which I had started a few weeks after the Boys' School. Miss Towers, the sister of Mr. C. J. Towers, was the first headmistress. In 1898 I erected the present Primary School buildings. The Government gave me the grant and the remainder was subscribed by the public.
In the year 1900, the Boys' School had grown to nearly 200 boys. That year, I went on furlough and Dr. Leuring, a prodigy in languages, speaking ten living languages and able to read another dozen, took my place. Just before leaving, I had started plans for the present Boarding School building and Dr. Leuring saw it built. Dr. D. T. Khong, a well-known Ipoh practitioner, was one of the first boarders. The Day School grew so rapidly that it annexed the Boarding School for class rooms, and it has only just reverted to its original use. The Boarding School under Mr. H. E. Bunn's management now has 39 boys, and has been very successful.
On from my return from furlough in 1901, I went to Kuala Lumpur and founded and built the Methodist Boys' School there.
In 1905, Mr. Foo Choo Choon, one of the most enlightened Chinese towkays in Malaya, built the present Primary Hall and presented it as a gift to the School. I have never met a finer type of a Chinese gentleman than he and it was mainly due to his and Mr. Cheah Chiang Lim's exertions that a monster petition was presented to the Government asking for the suppression of licensed gambling houses.
In the year 1909 I was again reappointed to Ipoh. In 1910 the School had increased so rapidly that I was obliged to erect four attap sheds to be used as class rooms. I approached the Government for $25,000 as a building grant which they granted, and the present main building was commenced in the year 1912. The Hon'ble Mr. Oliver Marks laid the foundation stone on 1st August, 1912. Generous donations were given by the Chinese community and others. The present building was declared open on the 4th April, 1914 by His Excellency Sir Arthur Young. It was a great day and a distinguished company attended. The new building was worthy of the oldest and biggest school in Kinta. It was one of the finest school buildings in the Federated Malay States. In fact the late Chief Inspector of Schools pronounced it the finest school building in the Straits Settlement or Federated Malay States.
Sir Arthur Young in his opening day's speech said that he was glad to be present at the opening of that fine, commodious building and he congratulated the Principal and all concerned. He had always received a kindly welcome whenever he came to Ipoh. He was not always in accord with the views of Ipoh but he heartily agreed with Ipoh in not believing in the saying, "What was good enough for my fore-fathers, was good enough for me." In its mines, and its institutions, and in everything, Ipoh was not only up-to-date but wish to be even more so and he knew of no town which ought to have the motto, "I Lead" more than Ipoh. The Chinese had contributed generously to the new building. It would always be found that the Chinese did so when the object was good.
The Anglo-Chinese Branch Schools in the outstations were opened from the Ipoh School - at Teluk Anson in 1898, Kampar in 1902, and later on in Sitiawan, Tronoh, Gopeng and Tapah. Our Ipoh School is still going forward and we trust that it will continue to grow in usefulness. Hundreds of years ago an old Chinese scholar said, "Education without ethics; education without subordination of pupils to master; of child to parent; or of subject to sovereign; education, above all, soaring in conceit above faith in, and the worship of the Supreme, this is what threatens China." And today it does threaten other nations too? Our school today stands for sound learning, loyalty to the State, honour to parents, ethics, moral training, and faith in God, the fountain of all truth. May its future be bright and prosperous. May the benefactors of the institution find happiness and blessing in the knowledge that their monetary help and assistance have helped thousands to get a good education.
(Extract from Rev. Horley's letter to Dr. L. Proebstel, published in the 1928 Voyager)
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