0 Edward Mission Higher Secondary School Peshawar

Edward Mission Higher Secondary School Peshawar

Ihsanullah

The historical Edward Mission Higher Secondary School is situated in Kohati gate Peshawar. The school is the pioneer among all the institutions in the area which is now called North West Frontier Province and FATA. The school was established in a critical time when learning and studying in schools were considered to be a big sin. That’s why the masses of the area were mostly illiterate and under developed.

In 1853, Sir Herbert Edward, the British Commissioner of Peshawar, established this school from Primary level in Rethi Bazzar near Chowk Yadgar, Peshawar. Another branch of the school is located in the same area. After some time of its establishment, the school was shifted to the historical building in Kohati gate. Sir Robert Craft was appointed as its first principal.

The school has the honour of being affiliated with three Universities and Peshawar Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE). The school was first affiliated with Calcutta University before the formation of Punjab University. After establishment of Punjab University it was affiliated with the University till 1952 when University of Peshawar was established. After establishment of BISE the school was affiliated with it. The school has a great honour that not only from India (Before Partition) but from other countries like Afghanistan and Central Asian countries student also came to the school for learning. This old institution of learning has the honour that many renowned politicians, academicians, social reformers and poets studied in it. Among those the most prominent was Dr. Khan Saib, the former Chief Minister of NWFP, who did his matriculation from Edward Mission Higher Secondary School in 1905. Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Khan was another eminent person who later on laid the foundation of Islamia College Peshawar in 1913. He was among the first matriculation batch of the school. After matriculation he taught in this school for some time. Sardar Abdul Rab Nishtar, Patrus Bukhari and former Pakistan President General Yahya Khan also did their matriculation from this school. Former Afghanistan President Dr. Najeebullah also read in this school. At Last but not least Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan popularly known as Baacha Khan read in this school till class 5^th. According to school admission register he was admitted in the school in 1904. He left the school in 1909 when he passed class 5^th and got school leaving certificate. According to the register when he was admitted in the school he was eleven years three months and twenty six days old. The admission fees at that time were one rupee and tuition fees were eight pane. The school has also the honour that initial academic classes of Edward College Peshawar were used to be held in this school for ten years from 1901 to 1910.

The current school building is an historical value because it was used earlier by the Peshawar Afghan Sardar brothers-Sardar Yar Muhammad Khan from 1823 to 1829 as a palace and after him his younger brother Sardar Sultan Muhammad Khan from 1831 to 1834. They were the brother of Afghan King Amir Dost Muhammad Khan. Later on the building was used by the British Governors as Governor House and after the Edward Mission School establishment it was given to this school.

The current building is completely changed because of reconstruction and new faculties in different regime of provincial government. The only thing which remains unchanged is its door. Before entrance to the school there is a small mosque with the school gate which was constructed for prayer and which is still in its original shape. There was a Church in the school which was used by the British Governor’s and other officials for worship. Now the Church is outside the school building. After entering the gate, there is a ground where an English Medium of Edward Mission School was founded. For foreign students there is hostel slightly far away from the school main branch in Dabgari where now Elizabeth schools for girls is established.

It is one of the great achievement of this school that after 154 years of its establishment, it is still spreading the light of knowledge and learning from its own resources. Neither any government nor any other institution funded it till date. Even now a day’s there is no admission fees for the students and monthly fees is very nominal. Another honor for the school is that there are three hundred students studying in this school that belongs to four different religions. Majority of them are Muslims, a good numbers of Christians, few Hindus and very few Sikhs students are also studying in it.