St. Paul's School is an independent boarding school for boys in the town of Darjeeling, West Bengal, India. It is known as "Eton of the East" 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.

History

St. Paul's School was founded on 1 May 1823 in Calcutta by Archdeacon Corrie 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 Chowringhee Road (also spelt ''Chourangi Road''), located in the Chowringhee neighbourhood of Kolkata, is the arterial road running from the eastern fringes of Esplanade southwards up to the crossing with Lower Circular Road (AJC Bose Road) ...

to the area now occupied by the

Indian Museum The Indian Museum in Central Kolkata, West Bengal, India, also referred to as the Imperial Museum at Calcutta in colonial-era texts, is the ninth oldest museum in the world, the oldest and largest museum in India as well as in Asia. It has rare ...

. 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.Educational Institute
City of Darjeeling, retrieved 24 September 2013.Gordon Brook-Shepherd, ''Where the Lion Trod'', London: Macmillan / New York: St. Martin's, 1960, , pp. 65–72
Text online
at archive.org. A number of its students fought in World War I and World War II. The school's original purpose was "to supply a good education at a moderate cost to the sons of Europeans and East Indians". After Indian Independence in 1947 it became a school for wealthy Indians and attracted wealthy students from other Asian countries.

Bishop

Foss Westcott Dr. Foss Westcott (23 October 186319 October 1949) was an English bishop. Westcott was the son of a distinguished clergyman, Brooke Foss Westcott (and brother of George, Bishop of Lucknow) and was educated at Cheltenham College and Peterhouse ...

metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...

of Bengal, Burma and Ceylon, played an important role in the growth of the school. The Maharajah of Burdwan also made important donations. 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 Hari Dang (1935-2016) was an Indian educationist and a mountaineer. While at The Doon School, he led the schoolboys on the first Indian expedition to Mt. Jaonli (6,632 m) in 1965. Education Dang was schooled at Modern School, Delhi, and then w ...

(1977-84). Dang was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 for his services in education. Goddard and Gibbs received the

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for their work at St. Paul's.

School system

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. The

Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

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

Culture

The school currently presents itself as an residential school for boys, predominantly Indian with an "international, multiracial and cross-regional cosmopolitan character", having students from many countries including the US, the UK, France, Thailand, Bhutan, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, United Arab Emirates, and Hong Kong. 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 Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

. 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.

Awards and recognition

St Paul's has been ranked first among boarding schools in West Bengal and fourth in India according to the 2019 Education-World rankings. The school was featured in ''

Forbes India ''Forbes India'' is the Indian edition of ''Forbes'' which is managed by Reliance Industries-owned media conglomerate, Network 18. History and profile Since its founding in 2008, ''Forbes India'' has achieved a circulation of 50,000 copies and ma ...

'' magazine in the article "The great Indian Schools - 2018". It was named among the top seven boarding schools in India in 2020 by ''India Today''.

Gallery

Notable alumni

* Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi - Executive Chairman of EIH Hotels, The Oberoi Group; Padma Vibhushan * Major General

D K Palit D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''. History The ...

- Vir Chakra recipient for commanding the

9th Gorkha Rifles The 9th Gorkha Rifles is a Gorkha infantry regiment of the Indian Army and, previously, the British Army. The regiment was initially formed by the British in 1817, and was one of the Gurkha regiments transferred to the Indian Army after independe ...

, author *

Rustum Roy Rustum Roy (July 3, 1924 – August 26, 2010) was a physicist, born in India, who became a professor at Pennsylvania State University and was a leader in materials research. As an advocate for interdisciplinarity, he initiated a movement of mater ...

- physicist in the field of chemistry and materials sciences with 21 nominations for the Nobel Prize; awarded with

Order of the Rising Sun The is a Japanese order, established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. The Order was the first national decoration awarded by the Japanese government, created on 10 April 1875 by decree of the Council of State. The badge features rays of sunlight ...

by the Emperor of Japan * Rehman Sobhan - Bangladeshi economist and freedom fighter *

Ammar Siamwalla Ammar Siamwalla ( th, อัมมาร์ สยามวาลา; ) is one of Thailand's most prominent economists. Education Siamwalla attended St. Paul's School, Darjeeling in India, and went on to receive a B.Sc. in economics from th ...

- Thai economist, former President of

Thailand Development Research Institute The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI – th, สถาบันวิจัยเพื่อการพัฒนาประเทศไทย) is a non-profit non-government Thai policy think tank focused on social and economic de ...

, author * Samiran Nundy - founder editor of the '' National Medical Journal of India'' and ''Tropical Gastroenterology'', recipient of India's Padma Shri *

Frank Blaker Frank Gerald Blaker VC MC (8 May 1920 – 9 July 1944) was a British-Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces ...

- Victoria Cross recipient; in 3rd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles, the khas battalion in the Indian Army during World War II *

Farooq Sobhan Farooq Sobhan (born 17 September 1940) is a former Bangladeshi diplomat. He served in various capacities in the Bangladesh government and foreign service. He was Bangladesh's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China (1987–1990) and High ...

- diplomat, Foreign Secretary of Bangladesh *

Lalat Indu Parija Lalat Indu Parija (died 26 August 2019) was an Indian cricket player and civil servant. He played 20 first-class matches for Odisha in Ranji Trophy. He was also the former chief secretary of Odisha for two terms in 1983 and later in 1986. His aut ...

- IAS, former Chief Secretary of Odisha, Author and Captained Odisha cricket team in the

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. * S.V.S Juneja - IAS, former Joint Secretary and Additional Secretary in the union finance ministry, former Director (Infrastructure Department) at the Asian Development Bank * Sanjib Banerjee - Chief Justice of

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* Subroto Roy (economist)- Indian economist, former economic advisor to late

Rajiv Gandhi Rajiv Gandhi (; 20 August 1944 – 21 May 1991) was an Indian politician who served as the sixth prime minister of India from 1984 to 1989. He took office after the 1984 assassination of his mother, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, to beco ...

Anand Burman Anand Ashok Chand Burman (born 1952) is an Indian billionaire businessman, and chairman of Dabur a leading consumer goods company. With a net worth of $5.8 billion, he is among the Top 20 richest Indians and on the ''Forbes'' list. Early life ...

- Indian businessman, chairman of Dabur * Ajay Chhibber - first Director General of India's Independent Evaluation Office (with the status of a union Minister of State), former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), head of the Asia-Pacific division of the UNDP *

Karun Krishna Majumdar Wing commander Karun Krishna 'Jumbo' Majumdar, DFC & bar (Bengali: করুণ কৃষ্ণ মজুমদার) (6 September 1913 – 17 February 1945) was an officer in the Indian Air Force. He was the first Indian to reach the rank ...

- during World War II, the first Indian to achieve the rank of wing commander in the

Indian Air Force The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...

* Mahesh Jethmalani - lawyer and senior council,

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

and senior member of BJP Party. *

Manish Choudhary Manish Choudhari is an Indian actor who is best known for his character of Sunil Puri in ''Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year''. He made his film debut in the 2003 Indian film ''Rules: Pyaar Ka Superhit Formula''. He was also seen in the 2021 w ...

- Bollywood actor *

A R Shamsud Doha Aminur Rahman Shamsud Doha (24 January 1929 – 3 March 2012) was a Bangladeshi politician and former Foreign Minister of Bangladesh. Early life Shamsud Doha was born on 24 January 1929 in Murshidabad District, West Bengal, British India. His ...

- Bangladesh Minister of Foreign Affairs, former Ambassador to Yugoslavia, Iran and the United Kingdom; former Minister for Information * James McMullan - artist, illustrator, educator; received Drama Desk Special Award in 1991 and

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R. J. Minney Rubeigh James "R.J." Minney (29 August 1895 – 5 January 1979) was a British film producer, journalist, playwright, editor and author. He was author of over 40 books including novels and biographies. As a film-maker and film producer, he worked w ...

- British film producer, journalist, editor and author * Kelly Dorji - actor and author *

Anjan Dutt Anjan Dutt (Bengali: অঞ্জন দত্ত) is an Indian film director, actor, and singer-songwriter known for his work in the Bengali alternative music genre ''anyodharar gaan''. As an actor, Dutt began his career in Bengali cinema i ...

- Indian film director, actor, and singer-songwriter *

George Emmett George Malcolm Emmett (2 December 1912 – 18 December 1976) was an English cricketer, who played first-class cricket for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club. He also played one Test cricket, Test match for English cricket team, England in 1948. ...

- test cricketer for England, Captain of the Gloucestershire cricket team, 1955–1958 * Kaizad Gustad - Bollywood director and author *

Peter Hildreth Peter Burke Hildreth (8 July 1928 – 25 February 2011) was a British hurdling athlete. Athletics career Born in Bedford, he reached the semi-finals of the 110 metre hurdles at the 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki, finishing 12th. He also represe ...

- Olympian *

Paul Raschid Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity *Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

- Olympian in boxing * Sharad Kumar -

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

high jump The high jump is a track and field event in which competitors must jump unaided over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without dislodging it. In its modern, most-practiced format, a bar is placed between two standards with a crash mat f ...

er, Olympian *

Rajeev Mohta Rājīv (Devanagari: राजीव, Bengali script: রাজীব) is a popular Indian, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Nepalese male name, also spelt Rajeev, Rajive, Rajib, Rajeeb, Rajiva and Rajiba. It is said that the lotus flower (''Nelumbo nuc ...

- team gold medalist and individual silver medalist in golf at the

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Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''srid skyong sprul sku rnam rgyal'') (1879–5 December 1914) was the ruling Maharaja and Chogyal of Sikkim for a brief period in 1914, from 10 February to 5 December. Biography He was the se ...

-Maharaja and Chogyal of Sikkim *

Tashi Namgyal Tashi Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''Bkra-shis Rnam-rgyal'') (26 October 1893 – 2 December 1963) was the ruling Chogyal (King) of Sikkim from 1914 to 1963. He was the son of Thutob Namgyal. He was the first independent king of Sikkim. Bi ...

- longest-reigning Chogyal (king) of Sikkim (r. 1914-63), who signed the 1950 treaty giving India suzerainty over Sikkim *

Jamling Tenzing Norgay Jamling Tenzing Norgay (born 23 April 1965) is an Indian-Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer. Biography Norgay is the son of mountaineer and guide Tenzing Norgay (who first climbed Mount Everest in 1953 with Sir Edmund Hillary) and Daku, his third w ...

- mountain climber, author, recipient of National Citizen award * Vishnu Som - senior editor and principal anchor with New Delhi Television *

Tashi Tenzing Tashi Wangchuk Tenzing () is a Sherpa mountaineer. His maternal grandfather, Tenzing Norgay, made the first ascent of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953. Early life Tashi spent part of his childhood in Darjeeling, India where he attended St Paul ...

- mountain climber *

Swapan Dasgupta Swapan Dasgupta (born 3 October 1955) is an Indian journalist and politician. He is influential within the Indian right wing, writing columns for leading English dailies espousing Hindu nationalism. He is a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. ...

- columnist, Member of Parliament, Padma Bhushan

Films shot at St. Paul's School

The school has been featured in Hindi and Bengali language films including Hamraaz (1967) by

B. R. Chopra Baldev Raj Chopra (22 April 1914 – 5 November 2008) was a famous Indian director and producer of Bollywood industry and television series . Best known for directing Hindi films like ''Naya Daur'' (1957), '' Sadhna'' (1958), ''Kanoon'' (1961) ...

, Mera Naam Joker (1970) by Raj Kapoor, Seemabaddha (1971) by

Satyajit Ray Satyajit Ray (; 2 May 1921 – 23 April 1992) was an Indian director, screenwriter, documentary filmmaker, author, essayist, lyricist, magazine editor, illustrator, calligrapher, and music composer. One of the greatest auteurs of fil ...

Do Anjaane ''Do Anjaane'' () is a 1976 Hindi-language drama film, produced by Tito, it is directed by Dulal Guha and based on the story ''Rater gari'' of Nihar Ranjan Gupta. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Rekha, Prem Chopra, Pradeep Kumar, Utpal Dutt, L ...

(1976) by Dulal Guha,

Bada Din ''Bada Din'' () is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Anjan Dutt. It stars Marc Robinson, Tara Deshpande, Shabana Azmi and Irrfan Khan. It is about a couple who face tribulations while helping a mute boy on Christmas ...

(2000), Main Hoon Na (2004) by Farah Khan, Chowrasta Crossroads of Love (2009) by

Anjan Dutta Anjan Dutt (Bengali: অঞ্জন দত্ত) is an Indian film director, actor, and singer-songwriter known for his work in the Bengali alternative music genre ''anyodharar gaan''. As an actor, Dutt began his career in Bengali cinema i ...

, Barfi! (2012),

Jagga Jasoos ''Jagga Jasoos'' () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language musical adventure comedy film written and directed by Anurag Basu, and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur, Basu and Ranbir Kapoor. It stars Kapoor and Katrina Kaif, and tells the story of a teena ...

(2017) by Anurag Basu, Raja the Great (2017) by Anil Ravipudi, Petta (2019) by Karthik Subbaraj, and Mithya (2022) by Rohan Sippy. Hollywood actress

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967; born Vivian Mary Hartley), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. She won the Academy Award for Best Actress twice, for her definitive performances as Scarlett O'Hara in ''Gon ...

was born on the school campus in November 1913.

References

External links

*
St. Paul's School, Official, Darjeeling

St Paul's School Official Darj (@st_pauls_school_official) • Instagram photos and videos

St Paul's School Officials Darjeeling - YouTube

St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, India collection

St. Paul's School, Darjeeling, India collection
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Pauls School Darjeeling Church of North India schools Boys' schools in India Christian schools in West Bengal Boarding schools in West Bengal Primary schools in West Bengal High schools and secondary schools in West Bengal Schools in Darjeeling district Education in Darjeeling Educational institutions established in 1823 1823 establishments in India