:History:
His Highness Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan Abbasi, the Ameer of Bahawalpur laid the foundation stone of Sadiq Pubic School on 4th March 1953; provided 450 acres of land and financed the entire construction cost. His dynamic Chief Minister, Makhdoomzada Hassan Mahmud, supervised the project.
Approximately 9 months later, on 18th January 1954, His Highness Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan Abbasi inaugurated the School with 37 students and 7 teachers.
The initial structure consisted of the Main Academic Block, 2 Boarding Houses and 5 Staff Houses with Khan Anwar Sikandar Khan as the first Principal.
Since inception SPS has contributed to the intellectual awakening, social upbringing & economic uplift, particularly in the field of politics of this area and of Pakistan in general.
The contribution of SPS is even more significant because there was no public school between Lahore & Karachi with the exception of Aitchison College in Lahore, Ghora Gali in Murree and a couple of schools in Karachi.
SPS (Sadiq Public School) started as a co-educational institution. In the next two years, one swimming pool, a hospital and 12 staff houses were built by the Public Works Department.
Today it has 4 academic blocks, 5 boarding houses, over 2000 students, 130 teachers, 61 staff bungalows, 100 staff quarters, 2 swimming pools, a library, a squash court, a gymnasium, a riding club, an IT Centre, an amphitheatre and a School for the children of lower staff.
The first batches in public examinations appeared, for Senior Cambridge in 1957, Matriculation in 1958, Intermediate in 1966 and A Level in 1994.
In 1966 the admission facility for the girls was withdrawn.
However, after a gap of some 40 years, a separate Girls Section started in May 2003 with 9 girls; has risen to 600 girls with 100 in the hostel commissioned August 2006.
The new academic block for girls, donated by H.H. the ruler of Abu Dhabi / President of UAE, was completed on 25th July 2008 and the girls (class 6 to 12) were shifted into it on 6th October 2008.
:About the Institute:
The Emergence of Pakistan with the changing horizons and new aspirations required a new leadership in almost every walk of Public and Social life. Thus the need of the hour was a Public School to lay special emphasis on Islamic Ideology, revive our glory and restore our cultural heritage besides character building and personality development programmes and usual academic activities; a Public School disciplined on the style of Harrow or Eton. The building of such an institution is an uphill task but real men are those who established such colossal monuments, worthy of the Nation, the teacher and the taught. Such institution illumines the life and character of the young generation which is but the future hope of our Millat.
This project was taken up by the Government of Bahawalpur. Its foundation stone was laid by Alahazrat, Sir Sadiq Mohammad Khan Abbasi V, in March 1953.
No country can prosper and flourish unless its people are properly educated so that they may know what is happening in the world around them and are able to discern between good and bad. The problem of education becomes all the more important and pressing in these fast changing times when our people aspire to attain full rights, and benefits of democracy and an enviable position among the progressive nations of the world. The achievement of this objectives needs large finances, careful planning, vision and better methods, New schemes need to be evolved whereby our educational institution should not merely produce baboos and petty job-hunters but youth with strong character, great capabilities, initiative and drive to shoulder the responsibilities lying ahead of them.
The Ruling House of Bahawalpur the scion of Abbaside Caliphs of Baghdad which had earned worldwide fame as patrons of education and knowledge – has distinguished itself in the Orient as great lovers of art and learning. The grant by them of big Jagirs to religious institutions which served as centres of education and enlightenment in those days is a vivid expression of their desire to maintain the noble traditions of their illustrious ancestors. Their zeal in this direction has continued unabated and as a result of this, satisfactory progress is being achieved in the field of education.
The Bahawalpur Government under the kind patronage of the Ammer of Bahawalpur and dynamic Chief Minister Makhoomzada Hassan Mahmud very timely, visualized the need of an institution which should nourish in its fold polished young men to fit in the future set-up as administrators, educationists, scientists, engineers and diplomats.
The scheme was discussed in all its details by the experts and as soon as they were convinced of its usefulness and feasibility, plans were drawn up, necessary formalities were gone through and the P.W.D. machinery was put into gear.
Just opposite the Bahawalpur Forest Reserve, on the left side of the road to Dera Nawab Sahib where there was a vast area of 180 acres covered by wild growth or mounds of earth and deep depressions, like irregular water catchments caused by excavation of earth by the owners of brick kilns across the road, bulldozers and hundreds of labourers began to work.
The opening ceremony of the School was performed by Ala Hazrat the Ameer of Bahawalpur on 18th of January 1954. The school started functioning with the main School Block, a senior and Junior Boarding House with accommodation for 50 boys each and five staff bungalows. Within two years, a Mosque, two Swimming Pools, a Hospital, a dozen more staff bungalows and all the ancillary buildings were completed.
To begin with, the School had only 37 children and 7 teachers. Khan Anwar Sikandar Khan, the first Principal developed this institution from scratch and converted a veritable wilderness into a campus of panoramic spectacle.
It was a Herculean task to make a beginning on nothing more than 450 acres of barren land. At present this institution ranks among the foremost Public Schools of the country. It has now seven Boarding Houses where more than 500 pupils reside varying in age from 5 to 18 years, including girls.
With the exception of Aitchison College in Lahore and a few Public Schools in Karachi there was no institution of high standard between Lahore and Karachi. This institution was thus established with the specific objective of providing Public School education to the children of Bahawalpur Region in particular and the whole country in general, so to produce leaders in various walks of public and social life.
Sadiq Public School is situated on the national highway, 392 kilometres from Lahore, 828 kilometres from Karachi and 100 kilometres from Multan. Bahawalpur is in southern Punjab, 350-375 feet above sea level and linked with Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad by road, rail and air. The temperatures vary from extreme hot in summer to very cold in winter.
Officials:
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| Newly built Gate of Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur |
