Lawrence College (Ghora Gali)

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Lawrence College Ghora Gali

"Never Give In"
Established	1860
Principal	Air Cdre (R) Farooq H. Kiyani
Location	Murree, Punjab, Pakistan
Homepage	www.lawrence.edu.pk

The Lawrence School, Ghora Gali (near Murree), Punjab, Pakistan, one of the few oldest co-educational boarding schools in the world, was established in 1860, and is named after Major General Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence of the Army of the colonial India’s British Raj. It is now known as Lawrence College.

[edit] The background

Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence had mooted the idea about the establishment of a chain of schools with a view to provide education to the children of the deceased and serving soldiers and officers of the British army. Lawrence was himself killed in the Indian rebellion of 1857, also called India’s First War of Independence. His dream took shape and four such schools, initially known as Lawrence Military Asylum, were established in different parts of then India: the first two during his lifetime in the year 1847 at Sanawar and the second at Mount Abu in 1856; the third at Lovedale, near Ootacamund on 6th September 1858, and the fourth in Ghora Gali in 1860.

Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas, at a height of about 1950 metres(6397 feet) above the sea level, the Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree spreads over an area of 150 acres of land. It has an exquisitely beautiful setting; a world in itself, in the vicinity of Murree town, this centre of excellence was founded by Sir Henry Lawrence, in 1860, as an asylum for the orphans of the British soldiers killed in the wars.Lawrence College, one of the oldest residential institutions of the subcontinent, well known the world over, went on expanding with the passage of time. It had the privilege of being manned by a long line of selfless, committed and distinguished British faculty members and Principals who elevated it to the zenith of glory. The founding Principal of the College was Rev H. W. TABERNACLE-1860 to 1863. Admissions to the Pakistani children became open in 1947. Lawrence College, Ghora Gali, Murree, is a premier English medium institution of Pakistan. The students of this centre of excellence are known as Gallians. Thousands of Old Gallians are rendering valuable services in almost every walk of life, around the globe. They are generals, bureaucrats, diplomats,leading businessmen, architectural wizards and recipients of rare awards in recognition of their distinctions. Reunions and get-togethers of the Old Gallians of different chapters in Pakistan and UK, Canada and New Zealand take place periodically to strengthen the Gallians Bond. Principal is the Head of the institution. Chairman of the Board of Governors is the Governor of the Punjab, whereas the Chairman of the Executive Committee is the GOC 12 Div, Murree. The College consists of Junior School (classes I to IV), Prep School(classes V to VII) and Senior School (classes VIII to XII, including 'O' levels). Each school is headed by a Headmaster/Headmistress. Initially Wright, Dane, Godley, Walker, O’Dwyer, Peak, Maclagan, Wightwick existed. The number reduced to four with Wright, Wightwick, Walker, Peake House, The names of the Houses were after the names of the most distinguished Principals. Houses today are Iqbal (Wright) , Jinnah ( Walker), Babar (Wightwick), and Tipu ( Peake).The motto of the College is "NEVER GIVE IN". The first Pakistani Principal was Ch. Abdul Hamid,1952 to 1955. The most well known and admired Headmistress of Junior School was Miss Glegg. The most distinguished Headmaster was Mr. Asghar Ali, Prep School. The well remembered Principal of the recent decades is late Brig. Mohammad Rafiq. Of the many Gallians who embraced the supreme sacrifice for their motherland (list of shuhada), the first one was Major Raza Shah Shaheed(S.J). The first ever Old Gallian Principal who studied at the Lawrence College as a student, served as the faculty member and finally had the honour of becoming the Principal of this great institution is Mr. Noor Muhammad.