Bishop Cotton Girls School
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Bishop Cotton Girls School, is an all-girls school for boarders as well as day scholars in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. The first of its kind in this part of the world to start the house system, organized games, school sports day and the prefect system which were introduced almost at the same time as they were developed in England, admitted students without regard to race, religion, gender or national origin even before Indian independence[citation needed].
Named after Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton from the 19th century, the school is bordered by Residency Road, St.Marks Road and Lavelle Road , and is spread over 10 acres of land in the heart of Bangalore City.
Also known as the BCGS, this school is one of the esteemed and reputed Girls schools in India. Originating originally from a Co-education school, this school was formed when the girls were separated from the boys and the school was moved to the sister campus across the street. It is based on the ICSE format of education, and has teaching facilities from Kindergarten, 1 to 10 (ICSE) as well as 11 and 12(ISC).
[edit] Origins
The Bishop Cotton Schools past extends back to the British Raj and the Victorian era. The School had its humble beginnings in a house on High Grounds. It was started in the year 1865 by Rev. S. T. Pettigrew, the then Chaplain of St. Mark's Church who had a vision of starting a school for the education of children of European and Anglo-Indian families. In his own words, he wanted to "establish a day and boarding School for the Children of Christian residents in the station and its vicinity." The school was given the name Bishop Cotton School in honour of Bishop Cotton of Calcutta, under whose stewardship a scheme of education was organized for the Anglican Churches in India. The School maintains its close ties with the Church of South India amongst other Indian organizations..
The first five years of the School could be termed as turbulent period during which time school had three principals. It was only with the arrival of Reverend G. U. Pope, a distinguished Tamil Scholar that the school acquired the present site and was shifted to the new premises. The Boys' school and the Girls' School functioned in the same campus but under different administrative heads. Under the stewardship of Rev. Pope, the school grew from strength to strength. A collegiate section was started and the School obtained recognition from the University of Madras. He gave the School its motto - 'Nec Dextrorsum Nec sinistrorsum'. But when Rev. Pope left India in the year 1892 to take up the post of Reader at Oxford University, the standard of the School began to decline. By the year 1906, closure of the school was contemplated.
It was Reverend Whitehead, Bishop of Madras, who as the Chairman of the Board of Governors, as a last resort to save the School from closure, invited the members of the Saint Peter's Brotherhood to prevent such an eventuality. Rev H. Pakenham-Walsh, of the Brotherhood of St. Peter, later to become Bishop, took the initiative to revive the school. The School is indebted to the yeomen service rendered by the brotherhood of St. Peter, the School even to this day celebrates St. Peter's day amongst other traditions such as Guy Fawkes bonfires. A lot of improvements took place under the stewardship of Brotherhood of St. Peter. There was remarkable increase in the student strength and several buildings were constructed. In 1911, the Girls' School was moved across the road. One who worked sincerely for a quarter of century for the growth of the Institution was Rev. Canon Elphick (it was hard to forget the sight of him cycling around).
The last living member of the Brotherhood of St Peter in India, Father David, died a few years back of natural causes (old age). He lived & worked in the school as the school chaplain.
