Bombay Scottish School

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Bombay Scottish School
Image:BSS logo 1.gif
'Perseverentia et fide in Deo'
('Perseverence and faith in God')
Location
Mumbai, India
Information
Principal D.P.N. Prasad
Chief Academic Coordinator Mrs. Molly Paul
Students around 3500
Type Private School
Grades Kindergarten - 10
Established 1847
Curriculum Indian Certificate of Secondary Education

The Bombay Scottish School is a prestigious private, co-educational school located in Mumbai, India.

Contents

[edit] History

The institution was founded in 1847 in Mumbai, India. At first the institution was an orphanage for the benefit of the daughters of British seamen of the (then) Royal Indian Navy. In 1859, the Scottish Female Orphanage and the Orphanage for the Sons of Presbyterians were merged to form the Bombay Scottish Orphanage. The construction of the building in its present form began on 15th July 1875. The structure, designed by Mr. D.E Gostling and J.Morris, was completed on 28th February 1878. The school was originally intended to serve children of Scottish and English descent but after India became independent from Britain, the Bombay Scottish School (as it was renamed in 1935) became open to Indian students.

The School now has a sister concern in Powai, Mumbai.

The school is situated on Cadell Road, overlooking the Mahim Bay. The original school buildings was a one-storeyed colonial structure, made of black granite. However, the building was later expanded and now consists of three wings- the Heritage Block (the original orphanage and school) which consists of the Junior School classrooms, the South Block (also called the Sesquicentennial Block) which includes the Middle School classes and the Computer Laboratories and the North Block in which are situated the Senior School classrooms and the science laboratories. The school also has a football pitch, basketball courts and a separate play-area for younger students. There are three halls in the campus - the Mackay Hall (named after the last Scottish Principal Adam Alexander Mackay), the Gamaliel Hall (named after a Principal who is much remembered and loved even today) and the Sesquicentennial Hall. There is a cafeteria run by the Interact Club of the school for use by both teachers and students.

Photograph of the Bombay Scottish School taken in the early 1900s
Photograph of the Bombay Scottish School taken in the early 1900s

[edit] School Flag, Motto and Hymn

The school flag features the white Cross of Saint Andrew against a blue background. St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland. The flag itself is flown during ceremonial occasions. However, as per Indian law, the school flag is at all times, flown at a lower level than the flag of India. The school's motto is "Perseverantia et fide in Deo", Latin for "Perseverance and faith in God". "Courage Brother, do not Stumble" is the official school hymn, however Psalm 23 is rendered at every school function.

[edit] Curriculum and extracurricular activities

The Bombay Scottish School follows the syllabus of the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education. English is the medium of instruction. Hindi and French are taught as second languages and Marathi is taught as a third language. Tests are conducted periodically and examinations are held at the end of every school term. The school's students have consistently performed well at the I.C.S.E examinations and the school has maintained a 100% pass-rate. A lot of emphasis is placed on extracurricular activities and there are various student-led clubs on campus, including the The Nature Club, Science Club, Scouts & Guides, The Scottish Junior Rifle Club etc. Inter-house debate, dramatics and sporting competitions are also an integral part of the cultural lives of the older students. Prominent sports activities at Bombay Scottish include football, cricket, basketball, swimming etc. The school was recently adjudged to be the best sporting school by the MSSA.

[edit] Culture

Bombay Scottish is a cosmopolitan school. Although the majority of the pupils are Hindu by religion, the school attempts to impart Christian values to the children. The Christmas Concert is celebrated every December and a sports meet and a farewell party for students who are passing out of the institution are also held annually. The school strength is divided into 4 group houses-Red, Green, Blue and Yellow house. Inter-House competitions are held in elocution, drama, song etc. In the Outlook 'India's Best Schools Survey' 2003, Bombay Scottish School, Mahim was proclaimed a close winner in Mumbai city.

[edit] Hierarchy

The school is managed by a Board of Trustees. A Chief Academic Coordinator manages the curricular activities of the school. The present Chief Academic Coordinator is Mrs. Molly Paul, who replaced Ms. Monica Bose at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year. In addition, there are also Academic coordinators at the Junior School, Middle School and High School levels.

[edit] Student Office-bearers

A School Captain and two Vice-Captains are selected from amongst the students of Class 10 by the Principal upon recommendation by the Faculty. Additionally, House Captains and Vice-Captains (two for each House) are selected by the House-mistresses. A Sports Captain is also selected to manage the sports activities of the House.

[edit] The House System

The main objective of the House System is to foster a sense of collective responsibility and solidarity amongst students. The House System also serves as the centre of school life, with students from different houses often competing at sports and other co-curricular activities.

There are four school houses, viz. - Blue, Green, Red, Yellow. The house names are different for Boys and Girls, as listed below:

     Boys                  Girls
  MacGregor (Blue)      Elizabeth (Blue)
  Kennedy (Green)       Victoria (Green)    
  MacPherson (Red)      Catherine (Red) 
  Haddow (Yellow)       Anne (Yellow)

[edit] Principals

The school's principals include:

John Anderson (1884-1914)
D.G. Ross (1914-1916)
H.M. Green (1916-1921)
Thornton Ripley (1921-1927)
Adam Mackay (1927-1947)
S.A. Badvey (1947-1957)
Lazarus Gamaliel (1957-1984)
A.T. Balraj (1984-1987)
Mark David (1987-1997)
Rev. Arun Thomas (1997-1999)
D.P.N. Prasad (1999-present)

[edit] Famous Alumni

[edit] Sources

[edit] References

  1. ^ Bombay Scottish School
  2. ^ BSS Famous Ex-Students