The Marlburian: The Sixth Form Centre at Marlborough College Malaysia.
Marlborough College Malaysia has seen a flurry of exciting new developments in recent months; the Sixth Form Centre was opened in December 2014 followed by the first official match on the cricket pitch on 17th January 2015.
The Sixth Form Centre is known as “The Marlburian”, after the Sixth Form centre in Marlborough College UK. On the ground floor, there is a kitchen and a space with café tables and chairs to allow Sixth Formers to study in a university-like environment. There is also the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) office where Miss Penny Court, the head of CAS, is based.
Full Focus: Sixth Form pupils studying
The Sixth Form pupils have breaktime snacks delivered to the Marlburian and some may also opt for a light lunch service. The second floor is a large space with soft furnishings, a sound system, retractable projector and University Guidance rooms. The University Guidance offices provide space to display prospectuses from various universities around the world and to allow the Guidance Officer to meet the pupils individually to discuss their future plans and ideas.
The opening of the Marlburian was closely followed by the opening of the cricket pitch in January. Cricket in Johor can be traced back to the 1870s when under the patronage of the ruling founder of modern Johor, His Majesty Sultan Abu Bakar, himself a keen player, cricket took root in the state. History also recounts the visits of two Australian Test teams, in 1909 (Monty Noble’s victorious Ashes side) and in 1927, and, more recently, the visit of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1992.
Cricket at Marlborough College Malaysia: The first official match
Full attention: All eyes on the ball as it flies towards the boundary
The College’s new pitch, which will be known as “The XI”, has been nearly four years in the making and thanks must go to Dato’ Dr Harjit Singh, the President of the Johor Cricket Council for his expertise, help and support in creating a high quality pitch.
Although the pitch was played on in 2014, the Official Opening took place on Saturday 17th January 2015 with a match between a College XI against a Parents’ XI. This was a repeat of the fixture scheduled for early December, which, perhaps inevitably, was cancelled due to rain. On this occasion the sun shone and the College XI narrowly emerged victorious.
Here’s to a good game: The Master of Marlborough College Malaysia, Mr Robert Pick, shaking hands with Parents’ XI Captain, Mr Simon Bird.
The focus on space and sport being critical to a good learning experience at Marlborough College Malaysia was emphasized when the Master gave a personal anecdote: “David Kempton and I played in the same club side (Horsforth Hall Park CC in Yorkshire’s Airedale and Wharfedale league) as young boys around the age of those who played today. We calculated it was 37 years since we had last played on the same ground together and some 44 years since the first occasion. How splendid that we were able to do so again on Saturday after all that time.”
