Army Burn Hall College (ABHC) is a school and college, operating along English public school lines in Abbottabad, Pakistan, with separate sections for boys and girls. The girls' section (originally called Junior Burn Hall) is on Mall Road near the city center while the boys' branch (originally called Senior Burn Hall) is in Mandian. The school was founded by missionary Fathers in 1948 and since 1977 has been run by the Pakistan Army Education Corps.The school was originally established in Srinagar, Kashmir by the English Mill Hill missionary Fathers. In 1948, a year after Pakistan gained independence from the British Empire, a few of the Fathers moved to Abbottabad with a handful of students[citation needed] and set up the school in a small building, the Abbot Hotel.[citation needed] The Fathers reasoned that if Pakistan was to be a successful nation, it needed men of high calibre. Since the British Empire was built by men who came from the English public school system, the Fathers replicated the system and promoted sports as a means of character building.[3][4]
More buildings were added to accommodate an increasing number of students and the school came under the control of the Diocesan Board of Education, Rawalpindi. In 1956, a new school building was constructed a few miles outside the town, on Mansehra Road. The new building complex had sports facilities and a swimming pool. Its purpose was to provide more room for the seniors and it became known as Senior Burn Hall, while the campus in the city center became known as Junior Burn Hall.
There were seven sports played at the school: cricket, hockey, football, basketball, tennis, swimming, and athletics, with inter-house competitions between St Michaels and St Andrews (later renamed St Gabriel's). St Michael's was represented by a black shield with gold border, crossed white lance and sword. St Gabriel's was represented by a lion holding a fiery torch.
In 1966 and 1967, foreign experts had come to assist in building the Tarbella Dam and their families stayed in Abbotabad. Two daughters of one of the consultants joined the school and were the first foreign girls to enroll in Senior Burn Hall. Samina Manzoor and Imrana Hameed later became the first Pakistani girls to join ABHC. Foreign students came from Morocco, Egypt, Somalia, Laos, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Kenya, the US and Britain.
In 1977, the Burn Hall School Abbottabad, was taken over from the Mill Hill Fathers and the Rawalpindi Diocese Board, by the Pakistan Army's 'Education Corps' and has since become known as the 'Army Burn Hall College and School'. Since then, it has gradually turned into a military style cadets' institution, turning out students destined for army service
The college achieves outstanding results in O-Levels, Matriculation and F.Sc Intermediate examinations.[5] There are over 4,000 students and 200 faculty members.[citation needed] Physical training is usually provided by retired or serving instructors from the Pakistan military.
The students of Burn Hall are known as 'Hallians', and many have risen to prominence in Pakistan and overseas.
Army Burn Hall College for Boys is built in red brick and the old British architecture style dominates most of the college structures. The campus is divided into an administration block, academic blocks, Scanlon Hall and hostels. The college is located 4300 feet above sea level in natural surroundings. The college motto is 'Quo non Ascendam', which in Latin means 'To what heights can I not rise'.[citation needed]
Before 1977 (when Fathers ran the school) the houses were:
In 1977 it became a college. St Michael's House became Shah Ismail Shaheed House and St Gabriel's House was renamed as Syed Ahmad Shaheed House. Presently Senior Burn Hall has four houses. They are named after Muslim heroes of the Indian subcontinent, in keeping with the Pakistan Army's post-colonial ethos:
More buildings were added to accommodate an increasing number of students and the school came under the control of the Diocesan Board of Education, Rawalpindi. In 1956, a new school building was constructed a few miles outside the town, on Mansehra Road. The new building complex had sports facilities and a swimming pool. Its purpose was to provide more room for the seniors and it became known as Senior Burn Hall, while the campus in the city center became known as Junior Burn Hall.
There were seven sports played at the school: cricket, hockey, football, basketball, tennis, swimming, and athletics, with inter-house competitions between St Michaels and St Andrews (later renamed St Gabriel's). St Michael's was represented by a black shield with gold border, crossed white lance and sword. St Gabriel's was represented by a lion holding a fiery torch.
In 1966 and 1967, foreign experts had come to assist in building the Tarbella Dam and their families stayed in Abbotabad. Two daughters of one of the consultants joined the school and were the first foreign girls to enroll in Senior Burn Hall. Samina Manzoor and Imrana Hameed later became the first Pakistani girls to join ABHC. Foreign students came from Morocco, Egypt, Somalia, Laos, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Kenya, the US and Britain.
In 1977, the Burn Hall School Abbottabad, was taken over from the Mill Hill Fathers and the Rawalpindi Diocese Board, by the Pakistan Army's 'Education Corps' and has since become known as the 'Army Burn Hall College and School'. Since then, it has gradually turned into a military style cadets' institution, turning out students destined for army service
The college achieves outstanding results in O-Levels, Matriculation and F.Sc Intermediate examinations.[5] There are over 4,000 students and 200 faculty members.[citation needed] Physical training is usually provided by retired or serving instructors from the Pakistan military.
The students of Burn Hall are known as 'Hallians', and many have risen to prominence in Pakistan and overseas.
Army Burn Hall College for Boys is built in red brick and the old British architecture style dominates most of the college structures. The campus is divided into an administration block, academic blocks, Scanlon Hall and hostels. The college is located 4300 feet above sea level in natural surroundings. The college motto is 'Quo non Ascendam', which in Latin means 'To what heights can I not rise'.[citation needed]
Before 1977 (when Fathers ran the school) the houses were:
In 1977 it became a college. St Michael's House became Shah Ismail Shaheed House and St Gabriel's House was renamed as Syed Ahmad Shaheed House. Presently Senior Burn Hall has four houses. They are named after Muslim heroes of the Indian subcontinent, in keeping with the Pakistan Army's post-colonial ethos:
- Shah Ismail Shaheed House — Red
- Syed Ahmad Shaheed House — Blue
- Sultan Tipu Shaheed House — Green
- Sher Khan Shaheed House - Orange