The Queen Mary School, founded in 1875, is a private school for girls in
Grant road
Grant Road (named after Sir Robert Grant, the Governor of Bombay between 1835 and 1839, formally Maulana Shaukatali Road) is a locality in South Mumbai. Grant Road railway station serves this area.
Grant Road along with Tardeo and Mumbai Centr ...
,
Mumbai
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It operates under the management of the Christian Medical Educational Fellowship (C.M.E.F) Trust and prepares students to take the
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board designed to provide an examination in a course of general education, in accordance wi ...
(I.C.S.E) Board examinations. English is the medium of instruction throughout the school for all subjects, except the regional languages. It is among the oldest schools in Mumbai, and boasts, among its alumni prominent Indians like Maniben Patel (the daughter of Sardar Patel).
History
The Queen Mary School in Mumbai, India, was started in 1875 by the
Zenana Bible and Medical Mission The International Service Fellowship, more commonly known as Interserve, is an interdenominational Protestant Christian charity which was founded in London in 1852. For many years it was known as the Zenana Bible and Medical Missionary Society and i ...
, an Anglican Mission, to provide education for girls.
The school was called Queen Mary High School even though it had classes from Nursery (typically age 4) until the 11th standard (grade) which was equivalent to the "O" levels in
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...
.
The monthly tuition fees were higher than the schools which taught in the local languages and the "convent" girls' schools run by
nuns
A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
associated with
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
societies. The medium of instruction was
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and the examination papers for the 11th standard final school exams were set in
Cambridge, England
Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge became ...
and initially were sent there for evaluation. Until about 1964, students were required to take both the Cambridge exams as well as the local SSC (Secondary School Certificate) exams.
Most of the teachers were of British origin who came to India under the auspices of the Mission to teach. These were gradually replaced by local Indian teachers, primarily
Parsis
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim co ...
, followed by other Indian ethnicities. All of the teachers were female with the exception of one elderly gentleman who taught Persian to the couple of girls whose parents wanted it for their daughters. The student body came from a range of income levels as the school subsidized the fees for certain students.
As it was a girls' school with all female teachers, there were a number of
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
girls. In order to qualify for both the Cambridge and SSC exams, a range of subjects were offered. A choice of
French,
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
or
Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
was mandatory from standards 5 though 8. For the latter, students had to elect courses either in the Sciences or the Arts in the 9th standard. There were other mandatory subjects like English (language)and
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
. As per local state regulations, students had to pass the 9th standard
Marathi
Marathi may refer to:
*Marathi people, an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group of Maharashtra, India
*Marathi language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people
*Palaiosouda, also known as Marathi, a small island in Greece
See also
*
* ...
or
Gujarati
Gujarati may refer to:
* something of, from, or related to Gujarat, a state of India
* Gujarati people, the major ethnic group of Gujarat
* Gujarati language, the Indo-Aryan language spoken by them
* Gujarati languages, the Western Indo-Aryan sub ...
exams, and the 10th standard History and Geography exams. Science subjects included Higher Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Arts subjects included English Literature, any of the languages, regular Mathematics, History, Geography, Physiology/Hygiene and Domestic Science. In addition, there was Physical Education. Extracurricular activities included dramatics, elocution, sports including swimming.
Girls have a choice of four houses named after famous women :
Edith Cavell
Edith Louisa Cavell ( ; 4 December 1865 – 12 October 1915) was a British nurse. She is celebrated for saving the lives of soldiers from both sides without discrimination and for helping some 200 Allied soldiers escape from German-occupied Be ...
,
Grace Darling
Grace Horsley Darling (24 November 1815 – 20 October 1842) was an English lighthouse keeper's daughter. Her participation in the rescue of survivors from the shipwrecked ''Forfarshire'' in 1838 brought her national fame. The paddlesteamer ...
,
Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
and
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale (; 12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was an English Reform movement, social reformer, statistician and the founder of modern nursing. Nightingale came to prominence while serving as a manager and trainer of nurses during t ...
. Each girl had a school badge and a house badge (C, D, J, N). Sports, drama, elocutions and other contests were held between the houses. The school uniform was a white pinafore with three box pleats in the front and three in the back. Under that was worn a white button down blouse with short sleeves and a Peter Pan collar.
There were white laced canvas shoes and white socks. Many of the Indian girls had long hair which had to be braided into two braids or two short pony tails, single braids and pony tails were, and still are, not allowed
Even though the majority of the students were non-Christian, a Christian assembly was held mornings and evenings. Even though the Mission was established to achieve some level of conversion,
there was no proselytising.
The first new wing in the late 1950s was built along the railway line with a new assembly hall and stage. The new science lab was in this building. In the 1960s, ZBMM was changed to BMMF (Bible Medical Missionary Fellowship) and the number of foreign teachers decreased.
The building started out as L-shaped with a junior and high school assembly hall/gymnasium. The foreign teachers lived on the second floor of the main wing and their dining room was below that together with the principal's office. There was a wide staircase leading to the main entrance. Students were not permitted to use that staircase and the whole wing was out of bounds.
Present
Queen Mary School is affiliated to the
Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) is a privately held national-level board of school education in India that conducts the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Examination for Class X and the India ...
for the class 10 Board exams. Queen Mary School has a history of producing students who consistently score high grades at the standard 10 board exams called the
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private board designed to provide an examination in a course of general education, in accordance wi ...
. Batch sizes approximate 90 students divided into two sections. The uniform has undergone a lot of changes over the years, and is currently with a pink blouse and a black and white checked skirt with black sneakers. The school, house badge, and class badges are worn by every student, while prefects have additional badges
School song
In Bombay there is a School that I love,
Windswept and encircled by trees,
Midst roar of the traffic, yet towering above
As a beacon looks over the seas.
Her emblem's a rose, the queen of all flowers,
She's the best school of all, this dear School of ours!
Chorus:
Then here's to Queen Mary's, our School in Bombay,
We ne'er can forget her, we love her always,
We are proud of her past, she is famous today,
And here's to her future, Queen Mary's for aye!
The lessons we learn here, the plans that we make,
Successes and failures we have;
The guides and the houses, the games that we play,
The thought of them makes the heart glad.
The spirit of fellowship binding us all,
From dignified prefect, to K.G. girl small.
horus
Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...
Your hair may grow white and your step lose its spring,
Your girlhood be left far behind,
But through all the mists that the long years may bring,
One longing will 'ere fill your mind:
Once more to be under the kindly, mild rule,
Of the best school of all, Queen Mary's our school.
horus
Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...
Headmistresses
As time rolled by Queen Mary passed through the hands of many capable and dedicated principals, initially British nationals, and thereafter Indians. It had 10 British principals (headmistresses), Betty Shelton being the last British principal. Listed below is the list of the British principals
British Principals
*Miss Harley
*Miss Kimmins
*Miss Kelsall
*Miss Wilson
*Miss Nixon
*Miss Heather
*Miss Bevis
*Miss A. K. Groom
*Miss A. E. Lambert
*Miss B. R. Shelton
Indian Principals
The British Principals were followed by the First Indian Christian Principals, except for Mrs. R D. Wadia who was the only non-Christian principal and was appointed by the C.M.E.F. Trust headed by Dr. David. Miss G. Mathias is the current principal.
*Mrs. K. P. Rajhuns
*Mrs. M. Poyyail
*Mrs. N. David
*Mrs. I. K. Soans
*Mrs. M. Bharucha
*Miss F. Gonsalves
*Mrs. I. A. Aarons
*Mrs. A. Sudhakar
*Mrs. R. D. Wadia
*Mrs. I Aarons
*Miss G. Mathias
Notable alumni
*Padmashri
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several ge ...
, actress, National award winner and Rajya Sabha MP
*
Shobhaa De
Shobha De ('' née'' Rajadhyaksha, formerly Kilachand; born 7 January 1948) is an Indian novelist and columnist. She is best known for her depiction of socialites and sex in her works of fiction, for which she has been referred to as the "Jackie ...
, columnist, author, and publisher
*Chandi Bathwala, Indian Representative at the U.N.
*
Nargis Dutt
Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...
, the woman-in-white of the Indian cinema and former Chairperson of the Spastics Society of India
*Dr. Armaity Desai, former Director of the
Tata Institute of Social Services
Tata or TATA may refer to:
Places
* Jamshedpur, a city in Jharkhand, India also known as Tatanagar or Tata
* Tata, Hungary, a town in Hungary
* Tata Islands, a pair of small islands off the coast of New Zealand
* Tata, Morocco, a city in Tat ...
and former Chairperson of the University Grant Commission
*Preeti Sagar, playback singer.
*Rajni Iyer, Senior Counsel, Bombay High Court
*Sharda Dwivendi, historian
*
Shaina NC
Shaina Nana Chudasama (born 1 December 1972), better known by her abbreviated name Shaina NC, is an Indian fashion designer, politician, and social worker. Daughter of the former Sheriff of Mumbai, her father, Nana Chudasama, was a well known c ...
, fashion designer
*Soli P Godrej, Former Sheriff of Bombay
*
Sooni Taraporevala
Sooni Taraporevala (born 1957) is an Indian screenwriter, photographer and filmmaker who is the screenwriter of ''Mississippi Masala'', ''The Namesake (film), The Namesake'' and Oscar-nominated ''Salaam Bombay!'' (1988), all directed by Mira Na ...
, international award winner for script writing ''Salaam Bombay'' and ''Mississippi Masala''.
*
Aarti Chhabria
Aarti Chabria (born 21 November 1982) is an Indian actress and a former model who appears in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi and Kannada films.
Career
Actress Aarti Chabria started her career as a model in advertisements at the age of three years. H ...
, Actress
*Ayra Cama, famous poet and writer
*
Devita Saraf, Founder of Vu Technologies and Co Founder of Vu TelePresence
*
Gautami Kapoor
Gautami Kapoor (born Gautami Gadgil) is an Indian television and film actress and model. She is well known for playing the role of Jaya in '' Kehta Hai Dil'' on Star Plus. She also gained popularity playing the lead in TV drama '' Ghar Ek Mandi ...
, Actress and model
*
Saryu Doshi, Padma Shri awardee
*
Sohrab Pirojsha Godrej, Former chairman of Godrej Group and Padma Bhushan awardee
References
External links
*
* https://web.archive.org/web/20060314201524/http://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/collections_az/CMS-2-05/description.aspx
*
{{coord, 18.9594, 72.8150, type:edu_region:IN, display=title
Primary schools in India
Catholic secondary schools in India
Christian schools in Maharashtra
Girls' schools in Maharashtra
High schools and secondary schools in Mumbai
Educational institutions established in 1875
1875 establishments in India