Former Acting Principal,congratulates St.Paul's School

In his reminiscences, former teacher and acting Principal, Father Colin Hurford said he arrived in Sabah in Sept 1963. "Just in time to see the last British Governor (Sir William Goode) plummed and all said into the sunset.

The next day , I was at the padang in KK to see the inauguration of Malaysia. Since then, the country has taken enormous strides forward to become a very prosperous nation and I am pleased to say that St Paul's has made a contribution to this. " he said in congratulatory message.

According to father Hurford, St Paul's at that time had a boarding house and six classrooms and students were taking Secondary 3 examinations for the first time. "Mr (now Father) Noel Chin arrived and it was under his inspired leadership that the school was really built up to 5th Form status. The main problem was recruiting teachers but we had an enthusiastic local and expatriate staff who did work very hard despite lack of resources.

Money was another difficulty and I would like to thank parents ,local business people and others who contributed very generously (as no doubt they still do) to the school's development," he recalled.

During his seven years in Sabah (1963-1970), the school grew from 300 students to about 720. He also remembers that the school didn't have a science teacher.

"So, I prayed hard ! Within one week , a young English student-Hugh Kingston -was seen walking down the road asking for St Paul's. He had been sent by the voluntary Service Organisation (VSO) which had forgotten to tell the school he was coming.

St Paul's has invaluable support from the VSO and Peace Corps movements ". In 1966, Father Hurford was the form teacher of the first batch of senior Cambridge school certificate students. As acting Principal in 1969, he made 3 observations- the willingness of both staff and students to take part in various school activities and to help in any way they can. Parents and other members of the community have help the school generously by way of donations , although passing of examination is very important., the most important thing a school can give is training in moral and spiritual values which last, not just for this lifetime,but for eternity.

We do not receive any support from outside the country and rely on the grant of 50 pc from the Govt and the generosity of people who lived in the district for all improvements in Buildings and surroundings". he wrote in the 1969 School Magazine (The Leaven) .

On the Boarding House, Father Hurford said students of all races were living together more or less in peace. " Just a few more memories ...the Boarding House Band played at local functions and for our concerts. The tension of examination results (no doubt, still a problem) generally good for a small town school. The floods and students splashing through water determined not to miss school. His abiding memory of Sabah and St Paul's is the wonderful hospitality and friendship received from staff .students and members of the town, and more recently ,former students.

He and wife Margaret were on a down memory lane trip to Sabah in 2004. We were very impressed when we last saw the school that year and I treasure the gift from the Sabah Chief Minister at our last reunion " he said.

Father Hurford has a few regrets. His main one is that he did not learn Bahasa or Hakka but there never seem to be time. "I very much admired and still so, those who speak at least two, if not three different languages. You put English people to shame." he quipped.

Special Report
DAILY EXPRESS
10th August 2008