The college boards 600 male students[6] (12 to 19 years old) and offers GCE 'O' Levels, A Levels from Cambridge, and HSSC (Pre-Medical & Pre-Engineering) from the Federal Board, Islamabad.[6] Students appear in a nationwide competitive examination for the merit-based selection, including those from overseas.[7]
History
Cadet College Hasanabdal is the first cadet college of the country. The idea of building a cadet college in Hasan Abdal came directly from then Commander in Chief of the Pakistan Army—General Muhammad Ayub Khan—in 1952. The purpose was to establish a military feeding institution for the Services Academies.[8][9] Consequently, military wings (were) started in 1952 at Government College Sahiwal (then known as Government College Montgomery) and Islamia College Peshawar. For the present structure, the land that used to be the firing range was provided by the Pakistan Army, and funds were allocated by the Government of Punjab. The Chief Architect for Government of the Punjab, Habib J. A. Somjee,[10] designed the structure of this institution.
In 1960, the government created a board of governors to exercise administrative control over the college. The members of the board include the honorable governor of Punjab — chairman board of governors, chairman POF's Board — vice chairman, commissioner, Rawalpindi Division (member), secretary, Finance Dept, Govt of Punjab - member, Secretary School, Education Dept, Govt of Punjab — member and
principal, Cadet College Hasanabdal — member.[11] Since then, it has been known as Cadet College Hasanabdal.
Wings
The college is divided into six wings:[12] Jinnah, Haider, Iqbal, Omar, Liaqat, and Aurangzeb.
Student life
Students attending Cadet College, Hasan Abdal, are called cadets.
The college prepares boys for the secondary school and intermediate examinations conducted by the Rawalpindi Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, and also for the General Certificate of Education 'O' Levels and 'A' Levels, which follow a similar format to the GCSEs and 'A' levels used in the UK.[13] Some cadets study for Matriculation or F.Sc. (both pre-medical and pre-engineering). English, Urdu, Islamiyat, Pakistan Studies, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are compulsory at each level; some other subjects (e.g. Computer Science) are offered within the different levels.
Classes are conducted in the morning and preps (individual silent study periods) at night. The routine is a structured daily regime to promote maximum performance by the students.
Infrastructure
Cadet College Hasanabdal - 1993Mascots and slogans representing the college wings
The college is spread over approximately 98 acres (40 ha). Buildings on the property include a mosque, a two-story education block, college hall—known as Naeem Hall in memory of ex-cadet Captain Naeem Akhtar (Shaheed)— the six boarding wings, two cadet messes—known as Khatlani Hall and Hussain Shah Hall in memory respectively of ex-cadet Lt. Ahmed Farooq Khatlani (Shaheed) and ex-cadet Lt. Hussain Shah (Shaheed)— a swimming pool, a 16-bed hospital, the administrative block, a workshop and a hobbies block. Sports facilities include two squash courts and a number of football, hockey and cricket pitches, as well as a horse-back riding ground. The college has residential accommodation for the teaching and administrative staff based within the college. There is an oval ground in the middle of the college around which all the six wings are located. Recently, every wing has been given a slogan and a mascot. A road, "Scholar's Walk" as called by BOGs, surrounds the Oval.[14] It is a cricket ground with flood lights installed around for playing cricket matches even at night.
