HISTORICAL BACKGROUND >> The First Day and The First Year

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Thursday, February 24th,1927 dawned to witness the materialization of another dream of Bishop Foss Westcott. At 8:00 a.m the venerable Archdeacon Grimes of Calcutta unlocked the doors of Bishop Westcott Boys’ School with a silver key; the same key with which in 1923 the Metropolitan of India had opened the Girls’ School. A simple and solemn service was held to mark the official opening of the school. To the strains of “O worship the king all glorious above” a procession of boys and girls, teachers and visitors filed into the hall. The most Reverend Foss Westcott (Metropolitan of India), Archdeacon Grimes, Reverend H.G.S.Kennedy (Principal) and others members of the clergy graced the occasion. After the benediction the procession field through all parts of the school building – the hall, class rooms, the dormitories, the dining hall and dwelling of the servants. At each juncture halts were made to offer prayer and blessing of the procession then left the school precincts and moved towards Sherwood House where the Chapel (Now All saints Church) meant for the use of both the Westcott School was also dedicated by the Bishop.

Classes begain with a handful of boys – five in number on 24th February, 1927. The first boy to take admission was Samule William Smith from Bhojudih. Mr.Mcdonald and Mr. Mason were the first among the staff to arrive and commence the work of teaching. On March 17th the inspector of Europian School paid his first visit to the School. The out coming of his inspection and exhaustive inquiries was a steady inflow of special grants and donations from the director of Public Instruction, the Metropolitan and Government. The School buildings were illuminated for the first time on 5th May 1927 by electric lights which were installed by Osler and Co. of Calcutta. By August the school library was set up with twerty books ( stories for boys ) which were donated by a student’s ( Derek Blake ) mother. 23rd September 1927 the school was honoured by the visit of his Excellency sir Hugh Stephenson. The students in his honour presented a drill display and he left with a word of praise good wishes for the future.

The first year was the year of good times as well as hard times. Both students and staff settled in an adjusted themselves to the school curriculum and its primitive surroundings. Daytime hours were spent comfortably but the nights tended to be frightening for there was no boundary wall and hardly any habitants in the vicinity of the school. Nonetheless the morale was kept high. Slowly and steadily more students, more members of the staff came in and more funds and donations trickled in for further development of the school.

 

 

 

 

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