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St. Paul's School, Darjeeling

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St. Paul's School is a private boarding school for boys in the town of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. It is known as "Eton of the East"[1] because it is thought to follow the similar cultural and traditional values of Eton College. St. Paul's is one of the oldest public schools in Asia. Entrance tests for admission are held every September. The school follows the ICSE curriculum until class 10 and the ISC curriculum for classes 11 and 12.

St. Paul's School
Location
Map
Darjeeling
,
West Bengal

India
Coordinates27°01′57″N 88°15′48″E / 27.0325065°N 88.2633448°E / 27.0325065; 88.2633448
Information
TypePrivate boarding school
Motto
  • Moniti Meliora Sequamur
  • (Having been advised, let us follow higher things)
Religious affiliation(s)Church of North India
Established1864; 160 years ago (1864)
FounderArchdeacon Corrie
School boardICSE (year 10)
ISC (year 12)
RectorPeter Lepcha
GenderBoys
Age6 to 18
Enrollment600
Houses12
Colour(s)
  • Maroon & Dark blue
  •    
Publication
  • The Chronicle
  • The Paulite
School feesApprox. 4–5 lakh per annum
AffiliationCISCE
Former pupilsOld Paulites
Websitestpaulsdarjeeling.edu.in

History

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Darjeeling from above St. Paul's School in 1905

St. Paul's School was founded on 1 May 1823 in Calcutta by Daniel Corrie[2] at the instigation of John William Ricketts, a local Anglo-Indian leader. The first principal of the institution was Dr George Smith. Originally located at 11 Park Street, between the Archbishop House and the then Sans Souci Theatre, in 1830 it moved to Jawaharlal Nehru Road to the area now occupied by the Indian Museum.[3] In 1847, it was renamed St. Paul's School by Bishop Wilson, who had associated the school with St. Paul's Cathedral in Calcutta.It moved to its present Jalapahar estate in Darjeeling in 1864 with 31 boarders and a few day scholars. The estate was purchased from Brian Hodgson for Rs.45,000. At that time, at approximately 7,600 feet above sea level, it was the highest school in the world.[4][5]

A number of its students fought in World War I and World War II.[6]

The school's original purpose was "to supply a good education at a moderate cost to the sons of Europeans and East Indians".[5][7] After Indian Independence in 1947 it became a school for wealthy Indians and attracted wealthy students from other Asian countries.[5]: 66 

 
Bishop Foss Westcott

Bishop Foss Westcott, metropolitan of Bengal, Burma and Ceylon, played an important role in the growth of the school. The Maharajah of Burdwan also made important donations.[4] Over the years a number of estates were purchased and merged with the existing school estate. The Mount Vernon Estate, known as Dawkins, was purchased in the early 1900s, and the Terpsithea Estate in 1955.

L.J. Goddard was the longest serving and perhaps the most important rector, leading the school between 1934 and 1964, including the transition from British-ruled to independent India. His successors were David Gibbs (1964–72) and Hari Dang (1977-84). Dang was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 for his services in education.[8] Goddard and Gibbs received the OBE for their work at St. Paul's.[9]

School system

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The school is divided into Primary, Junior, and Senior wings. The three wings are run independently with the Primary Wing having its own campus and a slight difference in uniform. The Senior and Junior Wings share many facilities.[10]

The Rector is the head of the school, assisted by the Senior Master, Head Junior Wing, Head Primary Wing and House masters.

Culture

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The school currently presents itself as an residential school for boys, predominantly Indian with an "international, multiracial and cross-regional cosmopolitan character",[11] having students from many countries including the US,[12] the UK,[12] France,[13] Thailand,[14] Bhutan,[12] Japan,[15] Bangladesh,[12] Nepal,[12] United Arab Emirates,[15] and Hong Kong.[15]

Current students are referred to as Paulites and the alumni as Old Paulites. The school lays a great emphasis on uniforms. On off-campus trips students must dress in prescribed suits and carry umbrellas.

The school motto is derived from the passage 'Cedamus Phoebo, et moniti meliora sequamur' in the Latin epic the Aeneid by Virgil. 'Moniti meliora sequamur' means "Having Been Advised, We Follow Better (Higher) Things".

The student government is headed by a school captain, assisted by House Captains and Prefects, drawn from the sixth form. The Junior and Primary Wings have their own system of monitors. The sixth form is privileged and enjoys an advantage over the rest. The chapel holds a central place in the life of the school where it meets as a community. There are clubs which develop artistic and technical skills. Each house presents a concert from time to time, apart from the major school production in October.

The extracurricular activities in school are dramatics, elocution, debate, piano, guitar, drums, violin, marching band and sitar classes. There are various hobby clubs and societies. These are all run by the boys under the supervision of masters. In the senior wing, the hobbies are art and craft, Batik, Indian Western music, model-making, photography, wood and lathe work, cybernetics, textile design, and cooking. The school sends candidates for the music and speech examinations held by the Trinity College London and Royal Academy of Music. The boys are also sent on educational tours to NASA and other historical sites in India and neighbouring countries.

The sport curriculum is dominated by football, cricket, athletics, volleyball, basketball, squash, table tennis, tennis, Eton fives, gymnastics, rocking climbing.

There has been a long-standing rivalry between St. Paul's and St.Joseph's School, North Point in sports and other activities that the two compete in.

 
Cotton and Milman Halls

Awards and recognition

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St Paul's has been ranked first among boarding schools in West Bengal and fourth in India according to the 2019 Education-World rankings.[16] The school was featured in Forbes India magazine in the article "The great Indian Schools - 2018".[17] It was named among the top seven boarding schools in India in 2020 by India Today.[18]

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Notable alumni

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Karun Krishna Majumdar
 
Sharad Kumar, 2014 Para Asian Games

Films shot at St. Paul's School

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Howard Block

The school has been featured in Hindi and Bengali language films including Hamraaz (1967) by B. R. Chopra, Mera Naam Joker (1970) by Raj Kapoor, Seemabaddha (1971) by Satyajit Ray, Do Anjaane (1976) by Dulal Guha, Bada Din (2000), Main Hoon Na (2004) by Farah Khan, Chowrasta Crossroads of Love (2009) by Anjan Dutta, Barfi! (2012), Jagga Jasoos (2017) by Anurag Basu, Raja the Great (2017) by Anil Ravipudi,[60] Petta (2019) by Karthik Subbaraj,[61] and Mithya (2022)[62] by Rohan Sippy.

Hollywood actress Vivien Leigh was born on the school campus in November 1913.[63]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "'Eton of the east' celebrates 150 years in Darjeeling". The Times of India. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  2. ^ Eyre Chatterton, A History of the Church of England in India Since the Early Days of the East India Company, London: SPCK / New York: Macmillan, 1924, OCLC 1895674, "Chapter XXVII. The Mother Diocese of Calcutta, 1815".
  3. ^ "Full text of "St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, India collection"". archive.org. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  4. ^ a b Educational Institute, City of Darjeeling, retrieved 24 September 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Gordon Brook-Shepherd, Where the Lion Trod, London: Macmillan / New York: St. Martin's, 1960, OCLC 411159, pp. 65–72. Text online at archive.org.
  6. ^ "St Paul's School to mark 150th foundation day with 3-day celebrations". India Today. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. ^ Hunter, William Wilson (1898). "Darjiling". The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature. Werner Company. p. 728.
  8. ^ "Remembering Hari Dang – A Legend". The Outdoor Journal. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Supplement to the London Gazette" (PDF). 2 June 1973. p. 6490.
  10. ^ "St. Paul's School, Darjeeling". EducationWorld. 14 November 2018.
  11. ^ "About St. Paul's School Darjeeling". St. Paul's School. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e "St Paul's School to mark 150th foundation day with 3-day celebrations". India Today. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  13. ^ "St. Paul's School, Darjeeling to celebrate 150 years". Press Trust of India. 28 October 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  14. ^ "News & Event : Official Visit of Consul-General of Kolkata and Thai officials to Darjeeling during 25-28 April 2013 - Royal Thai Consulate-General, Kolkata, India". Royal Thai Embassy. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  15. ^ a b c Chhetri, Vivek. "Coronavirus: Darjeeling parents in quandary". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved 2 July 2020.
  16. ^ "EW India School Rankings 2019-20". Education World. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
  17. ^ forbes, india (2018). "M/s" (PDF). forbes India.
  18. ^ "Top 7 boarding schools in India that offer quality education and facilities". India Today. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  19. ^ Thomas, Prince Mathews (13 October 2014). "Mr. Hospitality: PRS 'Biki' Oberoi Has Made Guests' Comfort His Priority". Forbes India. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  20. ^ "Major-Gen Palit, the soldier who thought ahead". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  21. ^ Palit, Maj Gen DK (2004). Musings & Memories: Vol (I). Lancer Publishers. ISBN 978-81-7062-275-8.
  22. ^ Cross, L. Eric (10 November 2011). "Rustum Roy". Memorial Tributes. National Academy of Engineering. 15. National Academies Press: 340–344.
  23. ^ a b Sobhan, Rehman (2015). Untranquil Recollections: The Years of Fulfilment. SAGE Publications India. p. 86. ISBN 978-93-5150-320-0.
  24. ^ "Who's Who in Thailand - Who's Who in Thailand - Economist - Ammar Siamwalla". www.whoswho-thailand.com. Retrieved 14 July 2020. Education: St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, India
  25. ^ "Frank G Blaker VC - victoriacross". www.vconline.org.uk. Archived from the original on 19 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  26. ^ "Mr. Farooq Sobhan, Ex-officio Member". Bangladesh Enterprise Institute. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  27. ^ JRK (5 September 2019). "Lalat Indu Parija: A Tribute". OdishaPlus. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  28. ^ "Former Odisha chief secretary Lalat Indu Parija dies". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  29. ^ "Orisports.com". orisports.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
  30. ^ T. N. Ninan (23 July 2013). "Finance Ministry's Department of Economic Affairs sees senior officers quit in a row". India Today. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  31. ^ AFE–ADB News - Obituaries (PDF). p. 47.
  32. ^ Juneja, S.V.S.; Golan, A. "Forward". The Urban Poor and Basic Infrastructure Services in Asia and the Pacific (PDF). Asian Development Bank, Economic Development Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 June 2020.
  33. ^ a b Sobhan, Rehman (12 November 2015). Untranquil Recollections: The Years of Fulfilment. SAGE Publications India. p. 73. ISBN 978-93-5150-320-0.
  34. ^ "Madras High Court - Present Judges". www.hcmadras.tn.nic.in. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Business Leader of the Year". The Asian Awards. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  36. ^ "Ajay Chhibber – Institute for International Economic Policy". iiep.gwu.edu. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  37. ^ Roy, Amit (23 November 2014). "Bengal's top gun makes London bow". The Telegraph (India). Kolkata. Archived from the original on 12 December 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  38. ^ "SHRI MAHESH JETHMALANI". Indian National Bar Association. 3 August 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  39. ^ "Old Campionite's Association | Official website of the Old Campionite's Association". www.campionites.com. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  40. ^ PTI (5 November 2012). "Mahesh Jethmalani attacks Gadkari, quits BJP executive". @businessline. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  41. ^ "Hindi Tv Actor Manish Choudhary Biography, News, Photos, Videos". nettv4u. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  42. ^ "Bangladesh's former FM Shamsud Doha dies". DAWN. 10 March 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  43. ^ Laufer, David Calvin (2012). Dialogues with Creative Legends and Aha Moments in a Designer's Career. New Riders. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-13-313799-6.
  44. ^ "Reuben James Minney - I426 - Individual Information - PhpGedView". family.minney.org. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
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  46. ^ "Biography of KellyDorji". FilmiBeat. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
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  48. ^ Laghate, Gaurav. "Arré to produce original content for multiple platforms". The Economic Times. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
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  52. ^ a b Chhetri, Vivek (9 July 2016). "St Paul's alumnus eyes new heights". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  53. ^ "St Paul's alumnus eyes new heights". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  54. ^ Malik, Shalini (17 September 2014). "Asian Games | Dreaming on the greens". Livemint. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
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  58. ^ Vishnu Som [@vishnundtv] (9 May 2018). "As students in St.Paul's Darjeeling, we used to lobby for a 'sunshine holiday' after days of torrential rainfall. These days in Delhi, the Met dept gives folks a free storm holiday even when it barely rains !" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  59. ^ Wynn, Kenneth G. (7 July 2015). Men of The Battle of Britain: A Biographical Dictionary of the Few. Pen and Sword. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-4738-4768-2.
  60. ^ Agencies (12 April 2017). "Lights, camera, action! 'Raja The Great' starts shooting in Darjeeling". www.millenniumpost.in. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  61. ^ Chhetri, Vivek (6 June 2018). "Hills to host Rajinikanth". The Telegraph (India). Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  62. ^ "Huma Qureshi and debutante Avantika Dassani's face off in 'Mithya'". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 27 September 2022.
  63. ^ "Vivien Leigh was Born and Initially Brought up at Darjeeling". Coldnoon. 24 July 2016. Archived from the original on 25 July 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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