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Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya Hare School
Hindu School - Heritage Schools
1952    Dibyendu Banerjee    30/08/2019

Located at 1B Bankim Chatterjee Street, in the vicinity of Sanskrit College, Hare School, Presidency College and the other famous educational institutions, Hindu School is the oldest modern educational institution in Asia, which played a key role during the Bengal Renaissance period.

During the early days of British rule, boys in the Primary schools were taught only Bengali, Sanskrit and simple Arithmetic. Apart from that, Sanskrit scholars used to take small classes in their houses , known as ‘tols’, and teach advanced Sanskrit literature, rules of Sanskrit grammar, different Hindu Purans and Upanisads, theology and the abstract theories of metaphysics, which has no basis in reality.

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However, with the advent of the 19th century, the enlightened section of the Bengal Society, comprising of the stalwarts like Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Raja Radhakanta Deb, Baidyanath Mukhopadhyay, Gopi Mohan Deb, Rasamay Dutt and others, felt that the traditional education system prevailing in the country does not have any practical use. In fact, they were convinced about the necessity of imparting English education to the mass. Under the above circumstances, as the Supreme Court of Calcutta was created in 1773, many Hindu parents also felt the usefulness of English education. However, they were very much apprehensive about sending their boys to the English missionary schools, where they were subjected to considerable Christian influence. Meanwhile, Raja Radhakanta Deb and others supported David Hare, one of the most prominent educationists in Bengal, who strongly advocated for imparting English education in the country. Immediately after that, Sir Edward Hyde East, the Chief Justice of Supreme Court, Fort William, called a meeting of the European and the Hindu Gentlemen in his house in the month of May 1816, to discuss the proposal of establishing an institution for imparting modern education to the children of the members of the Hindu Community. The proposal received a unanimous approval of the attending Hindu Gentlemen of Bengal and a hefty donation of more than one hundred thousand Rupees was promised for the setting up of the new college.

Hindu School

As decided in a subsequent meeting, a committee was formed, a fund was raised and on a wintry morning of 20 January 1817, the Hindu College started its journey from the rented house of Gorachand Basak at 304 Chitpur Road with 20 boys from affluent and enlightened Bengali Hindu families of Calcutta. Gradually, apart from the Hindu students from affluent and progressive families, the newly established college also admitted non-Hindu students such as Muslims, Jews, Christians and others

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Between the year 1817 and 1823 the school had to shift from Gorachand Basak’s house to the house of Roopchand Roy, also in Chitpur Road and thereafter, in January 1818, it moved to the house of Firinghi Kamal Bose, located at 51 Upper Chitpur Road. After that, the college moved to a building in Bowbazar area and later to the building, that now houses the Sanskrit College. Finally, the school shifted to its new building, constructed in 1825 with the help of the British Government, on a plot of land donated by David Hare, located at the north of Goldighi alias College Square.

Hindu School

From the inception, the Hindu College had two wings, a school or Pathshala, which used to teach Basic English, Bengali, Grammar and Arithmetic to the students under the age of 14, and an upper section or Mahapathshala for imparting advanced modern subjects to the young adults. On 15 June 1854, the upper section, the Mahapathshala of Hindu College was separated as Presidency College, while the junior section, Pathsala, gained independent status as Hindu School. As both the Hindu School and the Presidency College are originated from Hindu College, the date of establishment of Hindu College is considered as the establishment date of both the institutions.

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The Hindu School, a heritage educational institution of the country, is a Bengali medium school for boys and is under the management of the Government of West Bengal. The school is affiliated to both the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education and the West Bengal Council for Higher Secondary Education for Secondary and Higher Secondary curriculums.

Hindu School
Brahmo Balika Shikshalaya Hare School
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Author Details
Dibyendu Banerjee
Ex student of Scottish Church College. Served a Nationalised Bank for nearly 35 years. Authored novels in Bengali. Translated into Bengali novels/short stories of Leo Tolstoy, Eric Maria Remarque, D.H.Lawrence, Harold Robbins, Guy de Maupassant, Somerset Maugham and others. Also compiled collections of short stories from Africa and Third World. Interested in literature, history, music, sports and international films.
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