Bishop Cotton School (Shimla)

Bishop Cotton School
Location
Shimla, Himachal Pradesh India
Information
Type	Private
Motto	Overcome Evil With Good
Established	1859
Head of school	Roy Christopher Robinson
Grades	Class 1 - 12
Number of students	700 appx.
Campus size	3 Kilometres in radius
Houses	Curzon, Ibbetson, Lefroy and Rivaz
Affiliation	Indian Certificate of Secondary Education Examination (ICSE) and The Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC)
Website	http://www.bishopcottonshimla.com/

Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, is one of the oldest boarding schools in Asia, having been founded o­n 28th July, 1859, by Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, son of an Army Captain, who died leading his Regiment in battle. A scholar of Westminster School, and a graduate of Cambridge, in 1836 he was appointed Assistant Master at Rugby by Doctor Thomas Arnold, o­ne of the founders of the British Public School system. It was the young Mr. Cotton who is spoken of as the 'the model young master' in Thomas Hughes' famous book 'Tom Brown's School Days'.

The school opened for students o­n 15th March, 1863. The first boy, Frederick Naylor, joined the school o­n 16th March, 1863.

Bishop Cotton personally reconnoitred ten sites in September and October 1864, and finally approved the South end of Knollswood Spur which belonged to the Rajah of Keonthal. After lengthy negotiations the site was acquired through the intervention of the Viceroy and the foundation stone for the new buildings was laid o­n 26th September 1866, by H.E. the Viceroy, Sir John Lawrence.

Bishop Cotton School is the first of its kind in this part of the world, to start the house system, organized games and the prefect system which were begun almost at the same time as they were developed in England.

The school grew from strength to strength under the stewardship of the first Headmaster, Rev. Samuel Slater, who had been brought from St. Paul's School in Calcutta, and who went on to serve Bishop Cotton School for twenty-two years, thereby laying a solid foundation and transforming the school into a prestigious institution which grew to attract students from among the Indian elite as well. By the turn of the century, the reputation of the school was undeniable and greatly helped by staff who were mainly educated at Oxford and Cambridge.

The first Indian boys permitted to join the school were Suren Tagore in 1881 and Vishnu Singh in 1883. The first four Indian School Captains were RJ Gandhi in 1928, Harry Chukerbuti in 1936, Jahengzeb Khan in 1941 and Hasan Agha in 1946-47. These four boys were prominent examples of the predominance of a student body that was being groomed for leadership of Indian affairs, which was proof of the far-sightedness of the Founder and successive Headmasters.

A school is judged by its products. Bishop Cotton has produced Ambassadors, UN Contingent Commanders, Politicians, M.P.'s in England and India, about a dozen Generals/ Admirals/ Air Marshals, leading industrialists, authors, a Chief Minister, Secretaries and an Air Chief. Cottonians have donned the Indian colors in Golf, won national gold medals in Air Rifle Shooting, boxing and Taekwondo. They have broken the national broad jump record, represented England and Malaysia in hockey, and Malaysia in cricket, won the second highest Indian decoration in war and have been knighted. The School has also produced the most decorated officer in the history of all Armies, Maj. Roy Farran (Curzon). Many Cottonians have also made the supreme sacrifice in defense of their country.

The School saw a particularly successful phase under Mr Kabir Mustafi as Headmaster. Towards the end of his tenure, with assistance from the Senior Master, Mr Neelkanth Gupta, Mr Mustafi was able to set enviable standards of discipline and academic excellence. Bishop Cotton School seems to have benefited from the presence of people rubbed off by St Paul's, Darjeeling. Mr Mustafi and Mr Gupta both have strong connections with the school with one having studied and taught there, and the other having been baptized as pedagogue in that glorious school. The current incumbent, Mr Robinson, had also briefly taught at St Paul's.

Schedule

Senior school

The day begins with the rising bell at 6:00 a.m. and after Chotta Hazari (morning tea) the boys go for PT classes and games. Then there are baths, and breakfast at 7:30 a.m., followed by Inspection and Chapel at 8:25 a.m. Classes begin at 8:45 and, with a short break at 10:45 a.m, continue till 1:40 p.m. when the boys have lunch. After lunch the boys have time to relax till tea at 3:10 p.m. They then go for organized games from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thereafter they shower and change and go down to prep from 6:00 till 7:00 p.m which is supervised by the Master on duty. Supper is at 7:00 and after that the boys have second prep from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. and then for classes IX to XII a third prep till 9:45 p.m. when they have to go up to their dormitories to wind down for the day. Senior boys are permitted late study in their classrooms only with the permission of their House-masters till 10:30 p.m.

Junior School

For the Junior boys the schedule is different. The boys wake up by 6:00 a.m. and by 7:00 a.m. they have had their baths and start tidying their beds and getting ready for school. Chapel is at 8:00 a.m. followed by breakfast. Classes start at 9:00 a.m. and they have a short break at 11:00 for elevens. Then its back to class for them till 1:15 when they have lunch. After lunch they change and go for organized games till 3:15 when they have tea and then go straight in for an hours prep. After prep they have time to work at hobbies and special interests till supper at 7:00 p.m. they then go to the dormitories and get ready for bed. Lights are out at 8:30 p.m.

Residence

Dormitories

From classes one to eight the boys live in newly built dormitories under the direct care and supervision of Matrons and boys of the same age group are together. Our dormitories are: Linlithgow for classes I, II & III, Remove A for classes IV & V, Remove B for classes V and VI, Remove C for classes VI and VII and Remove D for classes VII & VIII. Each dormitory has about 34 boys with adequate locker, cupboard, toilet, common room and linen room space. From class IX onward the boys move up to the Main School, which dates back to the 1860s, and live in Houses (Curzon, Ibbetson, Lefroy and Rivaz) with all boys of a particular house together. They are under the direct control and supervision of their House masters. The Main School Matron is in charge of the box room and sees to the cleanliness of clothes, issue of personal items and other pastoral requirements.

School nomenclatures

House tutors

Each House master has between eight and ten House Tutors working with him. Each House Tutor has about ten boys from classes VI to XII attached to him or her. These tutorial groups usually don't change so as to foster the ward / guardian relationship. The tutors are responsible for the emotional, spiritual, physical and intellectual health of their wards. House masters and their tutors meet at least twice a month. Tutorial feed back is reviewed by the Senior Master (Vice Principal) and Headmaster (Principal) at least three times in the year. In the Junior School, from classes I to V, pastoral requirements are met and control and supervision of the boys is by the Matrons who live next to the boys in the dormitories. The children have Class Teachers who function like House Tutors for the children of their classes. Matrons and teachers work in tandem and feedback is a continuous process monitored by the Head: Junior School.

Prefects

The Prefectorial System in India originated at Bishop Cotton and prefects are appointed by the Headmaster after consultations with the boys and senior faculty. Every care is taken to appoint boys of caliber and responsibility and the Prefects are entrusted with a good deal of authority which is closely monitored to see that there is no abuse. The Prefects are led by a Captain of School, his Vice Captain and the four House Captains.

Curriculum

The School designs and implements its own curriculum for classes I to VIII and tries to ensure that the boys and their teachers have as much flexibility as possible to foster a mutual learning. While classes IX to XII have perforce to follow the CISCE syllabi, a flexibility of methodology and learning systems is strongly encouraged so that learning by rote is completely negated. A substantial amount of work is done in the library or outside the classroom and this is enhanced by the Council's own recommended structures. Every boy goes on for tertiary education at the end of year XII, and the success rate for the board examination is usually 100%. The teaching system is backed by a remedial address system, and since the boys and staff are resident every teacher is accessible at any time if a child needs help. The School has provisions for helping children with special needs which includes identifying their requirements and seeking appropriate solutions. The School also runs The Learning Centre, which is a special education centre for non-resident, mentally handicapped children of Shimla town.

Terminology

The Principal is called The Headmaster The Vice Principal is called The Senior Master

The Administrative and Financial Manager is called The Bursar

The Head of the Junior school is called Head: Junior School

The Padre is called the Chaplain

Deans are called Heads of Curriculum

The person in charge of Middle school is known as Coordinator: Middle School

All other teachers are formally designated Assistant Masters / Teachers and are also known as House Tutors.

The Quartermaster is in charge of stores

The Estate Supervisor is in charge of the Estate and personnel

The Caterer is in charge of the food and nutrition

The classes are known as follows:

Junior I, II, III, IV, V.

Middle VI, VII VIII (Fourth Form)

Main: IX is known as Shell

X is known as Fifth Form

XI is known as Lower Sixth Form

XII is known as Upper Sixth Form

Buildings and infrastructure

The culvert o­n the upper road to school from Khalini Chowk is called the First Bridge.

The first gate to school o­n this road is called First Gate and the next The Second Gate

The first building o­n the left is the Estate Supervisor’s cottage.

The building next to it is called Linlithgow, this houses staff.

Next to this is the Holy Trinity Chapel, between them is Canning Gate and next to Canning Gate is Lawrence Gate which can be identified with the LSS crest bearing the legend “Be ready”. This is to commemorate the Viceroy who laid the foundation stone of the school at the present site.

Across the road and below it is the infirmary.

From Lawrence gate a visitor would move past the tennis court and the middle school block o­n the right, to the First flat.

Facing the main school building Rivaz house is o­n the left, Ibbetson in front and to the right of the porch Lefroy with Curzon behind it.

Opposite Lefroy is the War Memorial and Museum with a cannon and an aircraft further along. Behind the aircraft is the newly built Hawkes Gym (at the time of writing under construction).

In front of the Porch is the Fountain commemorating Sardar Sohan Singh.

Between Lefroy and the War Memorial is an arched hedge with honey suckle and banksia. This leads past the tiny rose garden to the Headmaster’s Lodge and the Lady Willingdon Swimming Bath.

The main school classrooms and the school offices are below the main houses with the dining hall recessed at the back.

Behind the dining hall and next to the Chapel is Irwin Hall…. The main hall of the school. Behind this is the Senior Master’s Lodge to the left of which is the park and to its right Litster Hall and the laboratories.

Below the First flat is the main games field called the second Flat; the basket ball court is off it o­n the old Gym site. Between the second and third flats (second playing field) are the Bawa Squash Courts and Shankar Hall for indoor badminton, visiting team dorms and staff lounge.

Across the third flat is the Remove Building commemorating Ronald and Zoe Hakim (Staff 69-86; HM: 87-94) this building houses ten dormitories for the children of classes I- VIII.

The ground floor of this building contains the Junior School.

Below the Junior School is the Fourth Flat from which the new drive coming down from the tennis court and past the infirmary and the gym leads to Gate Number three and through that to the National Highway. Below this where used to be lush jungle and khud, buffalo pond etc. is now the suburb of New Shimla.

List of Distinguished OCs

Heads of State

• Jigmy Dorji, Prime Minister of Bhutan (R 36-38)
• Late King T.P Namgyal, His Highness, Maharaj Kumar of Sikkim, (L33-42)Padma Vibhushan, OBE

Ambassadors

• J C Kakkar, Ambassador (I 25-28)
• David Sadlier -Australian Ambassador to China. (1942- )
• H K Mahajan, Indian Ambassador (I 40-41)
• K Krishen, Ambassador, IFS (I 38-44)
• J N Kakar,Ambassador (R 39-44)
• Hamayun Khan, Pakistan Ex Foreign Secretary. (R 41-47) Ambassador to India
• Uday C Soni, IFS Ambassador (C 47-48)
• Prabala S J B Rana, Nepalese Ambassador to UK (R 51-54)
• R S Kalha, IFS Ambassador (C 48-56)
• Ranjit Gupta, India Ambassador to Baghdad (C 48-56)

Judges

• H.S. Bedi, Supreme Court of India (C 54-62)
• Jit Lal, High Court Judge (R 25-29)
• Y.B Bhatt, High Court Judge, Gujarat (L 55-56)
• V Sen, High Court Judge (I 58- 59 )
• R S Sodhi, High Court Judge (C 55-62)
• S S Saron, High Court Judge (L 63-71)

Defence Services (Brig. and above)

• Air Chief Marshal P.C Lal, Padma Vibhushan, DFC,CAS (27-29)
• Lt. Gen. Dewan Prem Chand, PVSM (I 27-29)
• Lt. Gen. N C Rawlley, P V S M, AVSM, MC, VCOAS (R 28-31)
• Lt. Gen. R N Batra, PVSM, OBE (C 27-34)
• Lt. Gen. I S Gill, PVSM, AVSM , GOC in C (I 30-36)
• Lt Gen Karamullah Khan, Governor, Baluchastan, Pakistan
• Lt. Gen. M N Batra, PVSM (C 27-37)
• Lt. Gen. K S Randhawa, PVSM, AVSM (C 47-48)
• Lt. Gen. Baljit Singh, AVSM,VSM (I 47-52)
• Lt Gen H R S Kalkat, PVSM, AVSM , GOC in C (I 53-57)
• General Reginald Dyer, CB (October 9, 1864 – July 23, 1927).
• Vice Adm R N Batra ,PVSM (C 27-37)
• Vice Adm Harinder Singh, PVSM, AVSM, FOC in C (L 51-52)
• AVM H P S Sidhu (L 55-58)

Police (DIG and above)

• B S Bedi (Director General Police Assam & J&K)
• Swaranjit Sen (Director Genreal Police, AP) - 1974
• Bramley DIG of UP (1879- )
• DIG(CBI) R Donald, CIE 1880
• DIG Sir I Tomkins, CIE (1886- )
• Sir L Tomkin,CIE, IG Police Punjab 1922-26 (1882-87)
• Ali Akbar Khan, IG Police , Hyderabad, India (R 20-22)
• Y S Nakai, I G Police (R 48-52)
• A S Daulat, Secy RAW (R 51-56)
• DIG Simranjit Singh Mann, MP, Punjab (I 51-61)
• G S Gill , Additional DG Police, HP (R 54-65)
• R.M.S Brar (L 57-67)
• Ravinder Kumar DIG HP (C 63-68)
• Krit Tippakorn, US Police (R 63-70)
• Shakti Singh Dhakray (R- 91-97)-Advocate Supreme Court

Politicians (MLA/MP)

• W M Kirkpatrick, Conservative MP from Preston, England, 1931 (1891-96)
• Raja Padamjit Singh of Kapurthala (C 23-25)
• Ramesh Ramchandra, President Communist Party ( -33)
• Maj R Farran MLA Minister of Utilities and Telephone, Canada (C 32-34)
• F S B Nariman, MP, Padma Bhushan (I 42-44)
• Lalit Sen, MP (1962), HP, India’s most powerful Parliament Secy (I 39-48)
• Gurdarshan Singh, Minister Punjab (C 48-50)
• Raja Virbhadra Singh, CM of Himachal Pradesh, MP and MLA ( I 47-51)
• Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia, Minister, Himachal Pradesh, MLA (C 48-52)
• Pashupati Rana, MP and Minister of Nepal (R 52-55)
• Ravi Inder Singh, Speaker Punjab Assemby (C 51-55)
• Charanjit Singh Channi, MP Punjab (R 53-58)
• Daljit Singh MLA Rajasthan (L 50-60)
• Simranjit Sing Mann, MP Punjab (I 51-61)
• Kanwar Arun Singh, MLA Rajasthan (I 54-63)
• Rohit Thakur, MLA, HP (L 80-90)
• Atomi Zhimomi, MLA, Nagaland (I 89-95)

Bishops

• Ronald W Bryan, Bishop of Barrackpur (I 20-22)
• Bishop A C Lal (R 43-49)

Industrialists/Corporate/Professionals

• Maj L Sawhney Chairman, Tata (R 27-30)
• Z A Qureshi OBE,GM of Gas Company in Pakistan (R 45-47)
• Ramesh Bhasin, EX Director TISCO (L 44-52)
• J Boga, MD, Pakistan Tobacco (C 45-53)
• Inderjit Singh U N World Bank (L 48-56)
• R.K. Malhotra Vice -President, Larsen and Toubro. ( I 48-56)
• Mohanpal S Sidhu,CEO, Assam Tea (L 54-57)
• Ashok & Suneel Advani, Chairman Blue Star (C 53-57)
• A K Mehra, MD, India Today Group (C 54-58)
• Nakul Anand CEO, ITC Corporation. (L 62-73)

Authors/Art/Culture/Activists/Poets

• Felix Rossetti, Poet (1899-1909)
• Bobby Kooka, Air India Cartoonist (C 24-25)
• Melville F O De Mellow, Padma Shri, Prize Italia,Commentator (I 1925-29)
• Sujat Hussain Khan, son of the legendary sitar wizard Ustad *Vilayat Khan, Grammy Nomination(2003)
• Ruskin Bond, Padma Shri, Author (I 43-50)
• Pratap Sharma Author & Commentator (C 51-54)
• Ravi Rikhi, Author ( 56-62)
• ‘Bitoo’ Sehgal. Environmentalist (I 60-63)
• Benjamin Gilani,Actor (R 59-64)
• R S Juneja, Producer, Bollywood (R 65-71)
• Raja Bhasin, Author (C 67-76)
• Manoj Kumar(Kumar Gaurav) Renowned Actor. (C -78)
• Tarsem Singh, Director, Hollywood film "The Cell", starring J Lo, (I 72 -78)

Billionaires

• Bob Singh Dhillon

Infamous

• Mohinder Singh Pandher, accused serial killer.
• Reginald Edward Harry Dyer the Buthcer of Amritsar, Responsible for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh Massacre