About
The School is located on three sites. The original school in Saddar, the heart of the city of Karachi, is listed as a heritage building and now houses Classes VII, VIII and IX. At Clifton, not far from the sea front, in a building opened in 1991, we teach children from Nursery to Class VI. Our newest premises, opened in 1999, houses our O and A-level students. The School is entirely independent, receiving no grant from the government or any other source, and is controlled by a Board of Governors registered as a Society under the Societies Registration Act of 1860.
History
1840 Sir Charles Napier arrives in Karachi and lays the foundations for the social, economic and cultural development of the city. 1847 Rev. H. Brereton, the first Chaplain of Karachi, starts a class from which KGS grows. 1854 The School is formally constituted by Sir Henry Bartle Frere and reopens as the Karachi European and Indo-European School. 1871 The earliest recorded reference to the School’s motto, Indocti Discant: ‘Let the unlearned learn’ (a quotation from Horace). 1875 The School moves into purpose-built premises, (the present Saddar building) largely due to the efforts of Rev. G.B. Streeton. 1879 The name is changed to Karachi Grammar School. 1893 The first Old Grammarian (as far as we know) to gain a Masters degree at university: Matilda Hunt, MA (Bombay). 1912 The first student (Bernard Tobin) takes the Senior Cambridge School Certificate Examination. “The Shed” is built as a temporary place for large gatherings behind the main School building. 1916 The top floor is added to the School building. 1925 Electricity is installed in the School. 1927 The First Athletic Sports is held. 1929 The House system is introduced: originally named A, B and C and changed the following year to Napier, Frere and Streeton. (Streeton was the first Cock House). 1936 The first issue of The Grammarian is published. 1942 The First Art Exhibition is held. 1947 INDEPENDENCE OF PAKISTAN. The Centenary of Karachi Grammar School. 1949 The War Memorial Block is opened at the rear of the School courtyard. 1956 The School crest is changed to its present form. 1962 A new purpose-built Kindergarten is opened on the Holy Trinity Cathedral Compound. 1963 New Science laboratories are completed. 1983 The first computer arrives at School. 1987 Cambridge examinations are brought forward to June. 1991 The Kindergarten Section moves from the Cathedral compound and the Junior Section from Saddar to combine in purpose-built premises at Clifton. 1999 A new College Section is created for O-/A-level students in purpose-built premises at Clifton; the Middle Section (Classes VII-IX) remains in Saddar. A new House is created in memory of Mr J L Papworth, OBE, Music Teacher, Vice-Principal, Bursar and Principal. 2000 The first students gain ‘Top of the World’ Awards from Cambridge International Examinations. 2005 A major programme of modernisation at the Middle Section begins. 2008 Additional AV-Rooms opened in the Kindergarten and Middle Sections and a Lecture Hall in the College Section. 2009 Three sports courts are added at the Middle Section 2010 ICT facilities are upgraded in the Kindergarten and Junior Sections. 2017 Multi-media added to all classrooms and Teachers provided with touch screen sensitive laptops. 2017 4 ICT rooms are added to the Middle Section; New sound systems installed in KG/Junior and College Sections 2018 Media Studies and Project Based Learning Rooms added to College Section 2018 Middle Section “Shed” renovated to become an air-conditioned auditorium; 50KW of Solar Power introduced at KG/Junior and College Section