On May 1, 1823, John William Ricketts founded the Parental Academy in Kolkata’s Park Street, at the current site of the Indian Museum. In due course, the institution became St. Paul’s School and was shifted to the misty hollows of Jalapahar, Darjeeling, by Bishop George Cotton in 1864. Fast forward 200 years, and the majestic buildings of St. Paul’s still stands tall, looking forward to the next chapter.
On May 1, 2023, St. Paul’s, Darjeeling, observed its Founder’s Day and celebrated its bicentenary by felicitating former teachers for their contributions to the Eton of East. The event was attended by the Bishop of Kolkata, Reverend Paritosh Canning, Subir Choudhury from EduCare and faculty members from IIT Kharagpur, including the Dean of Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy, Suman Chakraborty. The audience was filled with Paulites from batches 60 years old to those from the Class of 2020-21.
St. Paul’s was established on Park Street in 1823, before being moved to Darjeeling Debrup Chaudhuri
Focus on bringing back glory days
The school, which was significantly affected by the political climate of Darjeeling and Covid-19 apart from the general turmoil that boarding schools are facing in general, is gradually getting back to its best. The staff are striving to bring back the glory days and carry forward the institution’s glorious legacy into the next century. St. Paul’s has a history of bouncing back from tough times, dating back to sending students to both World Wars. Many of those attending reminded how Paulites have always held their heads high in times of trouble.
Several sections of St. Paul’s has undergone renovation recently, including its chapel Marcian Joshi
The renovated school chapel and classrooms, and the Cotton Hall dormitory were inaugurated on the occasion by the Bishop of Kolkata, who serves as the chairman of the board of governors for the school. “Brighter days are ahead as we look back at the past year of gloom and keep it behind us,” said Reverend Canning.
Even amid torrential rain, the school campus looked magnificent, decked up in multi-coloured lights to celebrate the landmark that few educational institutions reach. The celebrations also featured the school’s new-age choir, which delighted the audience with various numbers, including a rendition of The Beatles’ Let it Be.
Tie-up with IIT Kharagpur to enter the era of AI and machine learning
Old and new Paulites took to the field for a cricket match on April 29 Courtesy St. Paul's School
Looking ahead, the school is working towards becoming more tech-friendly and has tied up with IIT Kharagpur to enter the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning and allow students in the higher classes to transition more smoothly into their colleges.
On April 29, the school had a pre-celebration as the Old Paulites Association (OPA) Kolkata chapter sent its cricket team for the annual School versus Old Paulites match, which was won by the Old Boys.
The acting-administrator, Peter Lepcha, addressed the large gathering to assure all that the school is on the right path, and that bigger celebrations are around the corner, to be held as soon as the school regains complete stability after the two-year Covid hit. “The numbers of St. Paul’s are not what they used to be, but we’re on track to achieve our targets sooner than expected,” he said.
