| St. Joseph's School, North Point | |
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Sursum Corda
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| Location | |
| Darjeeling, India, | |
| Information | |
| Type | Private |
| Established | 1888 |
| Founder | Rev. Henry Depelchin |
| Rector | Rev. Kinley Tshering S.J. |
| Enrollment | 800 |
| Colour(s) | Blue |
| Website | www.sjcnorthpoint.com |
St. Joseph's School is a private school owned and managed by the Jesuits in Darjeeling, India. The school and the college of the same name are popularly known as "North Point".[1]
The Kangchenjunga mountain range forms the scenic backdrop to the school, with Grecian columns and cuneiform windows enclosing an eye-catching quadrangle in the centre. The school was first opened on February 13, 1888 at a place locally known as Sunny Bank in Darjeeling town. There were eighteen boarders and seven day scholars on the rolls. Numbers soon increased and the need was felt for more ample grounds. Extensive property was procured by Fr. Henry Depelchin SJ, the founder, on the town limits at North Point. The laying of the foundation stone at North Point took place on April 27, 1890, and on February 18, 1892 the new building received the first North Pointers. In 1899, the student body consisted of 193 boys.
Towards the end of 1908, the dear and devoted friend of the college, Sir Andrew Fraser, who had by his action on several occasional attested to his great esteem for St. Joseph’s community, bestowed a gift of Rs.21,000 on the school as a final pledge of his sincere affection. This money was used to close in the quadrangle completely. With this the number of students increased to 290. In 1947, the year of Indian Independence, the number reached 422, including ninety-three college students. Changes in the school department were dramatic. There was a steady increase in the numbers of day scholars. More striking was the growing international character of the school. An international student body was not new at North Point. There had always been a scattering of English, French and German boys, now students from China, Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Burma started arriving. In 1954, twenty-eight nationalities could be found in the college, including the staff. Students from varying backgrounds and from many different parts of the sub-continent and beyond attend the school.
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"The Harrow of the East". Its alumni include the royal families of Nepal, Bhutan, Coochbehar, Burdwan. Students in the late 1950s included nephews of the then Shah of Iran. Fr. Van Walleghem heading the organization. Some of the notable alumnus are:
The building of the structure was entrusted to Brother Eugene Rotsaert, who commenced with characteristic energy the levelling of the site, approximately 2,000,000 cubic feet (57,000 m3) of rock and soil had to be removed before building could begin, and a force of some two thousand men was employed for the purpose. Below the school site, the Maharaja of Burdwan had an extensive field known as Ladbrooke Farm. It was acquired on long lease and the property taken over at a moderate rental. Thus came to a close the year 1888. The work at North Point proceeded apace under the strenuous lead of Brother Rotsaert. Alignments were taken on May 2, 1889 and the foundations marked out. By May 10, 1889 the excavation of the foundations was completed and construction was started without delay. By December the plinth was four feet high, and in January, 1890 the arches were begun. On April 27 His Grace blessed the foundation stone. By December, 1890 the eastern wing had been roofed over. By June that year 1891, the whole building had been roofed over, and Brother Rotsaert now devoted his entire attention to the rapid completion of the interior. In December, to the surprise and delight of all, the building was declared fit to be occupied, and on December 8, Fr. Depelchin blessed the new school. It was during this year, 1892, that Mr. E. H. FitzGerald joined the staff. From then until his death in 1945 he remained with the school and contributed enormously to its success by his generous and whole-hearted devotion. Classes reopened on February 18, 1892, for the first time at North Point. The boys were delighted with their new surroundings and ever so proud of their school, already recognized as the premier school of Darjeeling.
In spite of the financial difficulties at St. Joseph’s, material improvements were actively taken in hand from the very first year of its existence. The dormitories were panelled, spacious dressing-rooms were fitted out, and the equipment of the two laboratories-for physics and chemistry-was considerably improved. Important changes were made in the course of studies, with a thorough revision. The first year at North Point was a decided success. The appreciation of the general public for the efficiency of Jesuit education was manifest beyond all doubt; and the boys' systematic and thorough ways of studying, bore ample witness to the good wrought by the Fathers’ efforts. An important and most welcome change was the creation in 1893 of the front flat, by the complete removal of the unsightly mound which stood between the building and the Lebong Road.
The House System was introduced in 1936. Four Houses Ashley, Garnet, Campion and Southwell had been established with a Boy Prefect each. There are no records of those after 1938. In 1952 the present system was introduced. The Houses were named after four deceased Jesuits who had served many years at North Point.
Depelchin House (Red) was named after the founder of St. Joseph’s College and builder of North Point, Fr. Henri Depelchin S.J. (1822–1900)
Fallon House (Blue) was named after Fr. Joseph Fallon, a former Prefect and Rector (1913–1919). Fr. Fallon later became Superior of the Bengal Mission. He later returned to North Point and died here in 1952.
Laenen House (Yellow) was named after Fr. Denis Laenen who taught from 1901 until his death in 1946.
O'Neil House (Green)was named after Fr. Edward O'Neil who had been a teacher and then the Prefect. Later he was appointed Rector of St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta.
Boys who come to North Point are assigned to a house. A great deal of pride is attached to activities relating to the House, be it games or other co-curricular activities. It helps develop espirit de corps
The North Point academic year is February-November.
During the year 1893 Darjeeling residents were surprised by the excellence of the school sportsmen. St. Joseph's met St. Paul's for the first time in a cricket match on April 3, and to the amazement of many the result was a glorious victory for the North Pointers. Ten days later they won again in a season of mostly victories. Cricket first flourished under the wise and firm direction of the captain, F. Boswell, who led the team from victory to victory. Such indeed was the success that at the close of the year the team organized and carried through a successful tour of Calcutta. During the year the first cricket pavilion was erected. Though it cannot bear comparison with the present pavilion, it certainly served the purpose. In sports North Point continues to capture more the its share of honours.The old war-cry “The Blues, they never lose” may not have been literally true, but St.Joseph’s School remains, as always a very hard team to beat.
The Duke of Edinburgh Shield in Cricket, The Herlihy Cup and the Jack Coffey Cup in Football, The Pliva Shield in Hockey is time and again found in the parlor of the school. The major sports seasons are cricket, football and hockey. While other sports like basketball, volleyball, table tennis, squash, lawn tennis, athletics, swimming, billiards, boxing and gymnastics are interjected between the major seasons.These really help to a great extent in character building of individual students.
The class nine passed students have to undergo a 15 days compulsory adventure course before they attend class 10. The courses offered by the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute on Birch Hill is another innovation of the school. From 1970 onwards, every year in the first week of February, the boys who were about to begin their class ten return for a two-week course in mountaineering under the guidance of experienced instructors.
It is difficult for the uninitiated to understand fully the benefits derived from the mountaineering. It is an activity which exercises and develop the best of mental, moral and physical faculties in a person. Training is aimed to develop self confidence, endurance, preservation, determination and spirit of adventure. More than anything else it enables a person to discover himself a new. It is a form of sport in which material gains are negligible and one has to toil hard up the gradient towards an ever receding objective with an iron will and resolve in the face of many odds. A mountaineers is always a gainer even though he may not reach the summit. He learns to appreciate the virtue of sacrifice, the value of above all the spirit of Camaraderie.
There is one North Point tradition that did not fade. The College had always been noted for its beautiful garden and the nineteen fifties were its golden age. Bro Udovc was in his prime and year captured the lion’s share of the prizes at the Darjeeling Flower Shows.
The school has been featured in various language films by Raj Kapoor, Satyajit Ray, Anjan Dutta to name a few.
According to the EW Survey of School, conducted by Education World Magazine, the school has been constantly acknowledged as one of the best Boarding/Residential School in the country.[2]
School's experiment with honesty[3]
Old students head hillwards for reunion[4]