Dr. Graham's Homes

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Dr Graham's Homes is a famous school in the hill station town of Kalimpong in West Bengal, India. The school is situated on Deolo Hill overlooking the town. The school was founded by Rev. Dr. J A Graham, a Scottish missionary in 1900. The school conducts classes in English medium and follow the ICSE syllabus.

John Anderson Graham originally came to Kalimpong as a missionary. He soon began to focus his attention on teaching the underprivileged children and thus set up an orphanage-cum-school for destitute Anglo Indian children on Tirpai Hill. At that time the school was known as St Andrew's Colonial Homes but was later renamed to Dr. Graham's Homes. In the beginning only Anglo Indian children were permitted to school there, but subsequently children from all communities were allowed in.

The school encompasses an area of 400 acres (1.61 km²). The campus is a mini-township and is self sufficient with its own cottages, staff quarters, chapel, workshop, hospital, bakery, playground, farm and hostels. On the other side, the school overlooks the Teesta River and its carved valleys. The establishment of the school was greatly responsible for Kalimpong gaining economic prosperity owing to the migration of many families in search of quality education and a salubrious climate.

The academic year begins around late February and ends in early December, thus having a long holiday of almost three months, owing to the cold weather in the winter. The school attracts students from not only Kalimpong, but also from places as far away as Siliguri, Sikkim, Bihar, Calcutta, Assam and the north east states and Bhutan and Nepal.

For a comprehensive history of the Homes it is well worth reading Rev. Simon Mainwaring's seminal book, "A Century of Children." - Mani Press 2000 - published to coincide with the Homes' centenary.