Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School, Golden Rock, Tiruchirappalli

Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School, commonly Railway School or RMHSS or RMHS/EM/GOC is a Government coed day school located at Golden Rock, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. It is one among 42 schools in the state^[2] and among 4 schools in the Tiruchirapalli Revenue district that follows both Anglo-Indian Board of Education^[3] and Higher Secondary Board, catering to pupils from Class I to Class XII in bilingual pattern, viz., English and Tamil, which are the medium of instruction.

History and background

Prior to the 18th century, Golden Rock, was earlier referred by Robert Orme to the British as Sugar-Loaf Rock,^[4] where after the Battle of Golden Rock, the erstwhile Trichinopoly was divided into two parts, one called the Cantonment, which contains the residences of European & Anglo-Indian community and the garrison-barracks for stationing the European and Indian Regiments.^[5][6][7] The cantonment^[8] then comprised the present day areas of Cantonment, Tiruchirappalli Junction, Senthaneerpuram, Varahaneri, Golden Rock, Tiruchirapalli Central Prison and other major parts of southern and eastern trichy.^[9] During 1878, when the Afghan War broke, the whole of the European troops were withdrawn.^[10] According to Oral lore, some parts of the barracks were converted to dispensary and clinic. Later, the buildings were transformed for Cholera/T.B. Hospital and again as barracks and again to hospital, which was mostly devoted and preferred for the Europeans and Anglo-Indians. Around the 1920s, provision was contemplated for a Railway School since there were considerations to move the railway workshop from Negapatnam to Trichinopoly, for strategic purposes, for which foundations were laid in 1926 and permanently moved in 1928.^[11] Around the same time, two Railway schools at primary level in English Medium and Tamil Medium were established during 1923^[12] and 1925^[13][14] respectively along with an exclusive Divisional Railway Hospital was also set up and started to function here since 1927.^[15][16] Post-independence the administration was transferred to Indian railways, which opened many more such schools,^[17] where quality education is provided at subsidized cost to about one lakh children of railway employees and about 30,000 non-railway wards. There are about 5,500 teachers and about 1,100 non-teaching staff employed in these railway schools. Indian Railways also supports many Kendriya Vidyalayas for the benefit of wards of railway employees.^[18][19] Under British rule, initially the school served the purpose only for Europeans and British children, then extended to Anglo-Indians and finally exclusive to the wards of Railway employees who serve anywhere in India. In the early 1990s, admission was open to all, with substantially a little higher fee for wards of Non-Railway employees than that of Railway employee. Preference of admission is given only for wards of Railway employee. Now, this school has been elevated to Higher Secondary School.

Campus

The school is spread over a sprawling 20 acres (8.1 ha) site, which has sufficient spacious classrooms to accommodate enough pupils. Initially, the students were taught at the building of now-defunct Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School/Tamil Medium,^[20] which was then High School (Class I - Class X) for both Tamil/English Medium since a Primary School (Class I - Class V) for Tamil Medium was established amidst “C” Type Quarters in 1925 and Middle School (Class I - Class VIII) was functioning within North “D” Quarters, which also housed a CSI Church. Around the 1980s, the present premises of the school was utilised only for the High School as the sections of Primary Classes were functioning at the premises of Office of Chief Mechanical Engineer, Central Workshops, Golden Rock, where the pupils here would assemble at the main campus which was about 400m away, for the purpose of daily morning prayers and important events.

The school has a large central hexagonal hall with classrooms along with labs at every 90 degree (like a compass view). Later on when the large and additional building (with ground and first floor) was completed along with improvement in other basic amenities like additional privy, bicycle parking stand, drinking water, entire pupils of the school were moved under one premises. Recently, this school was elevated to Higher Secondary School accepting students for both English and Tamil Mediums.

Apart from the facilities inside the main campus, the school is also allowed to use the nearby Railway Community hall, Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Common Wedding hall, Railway Sports playground, Railway Gym Club, Railway Cinema hall and other Railway buildings for bona fide educational and recreational purposes either at very nominal cost or at free of cost.

Management and faculty

In the Indian System, the school will have a Principal/Vice-Principal, if it is a Higher Secondary School and Headmaster/Assistant Head Master, if it is a High School/Middle School/Primary School/Elementary School to look after the day-to-day affairs, is selected upon qualifications, experience and seniority basis, and thereby becoming a Gazetted Officer.

Though the school comes under the purview of Chief Educational Officer, Tiruchirapalli district. The activities of the school were managed by DRM or Chief Personnel Officer/Dy.CPO as he/she is the higher official for the school within the divisional railway limits.

The teaching and non-teaching faculties were being recruited by the Railway Recruitment Board and there upon posted at schools, as where vacancy is available. The average education of the teaching staff is Master's degree in their respective disciplines combined with a Master of Education. Both the teaching and non-teaching staff assist in the curricular/co-curricular activities of the school. Most of the faculty live within the Railway Colony.

The school boasts of about 793 students and about 29 Teaching and 5 Non-Teaching staffs (Approx.).

Head of School

Following are the few past and present Principal(s)/Head Master(s)/Head Mistress:

• Mrs. Rosy Biehl
• Mrs. Day
• Mrs. Merritt (Officiated for a brief period before the official HM took over)
• Mrs. Violet Stevens
• Mrs. Rodriguez
• Mr. M.Kalyanram
• Mr. Mahalingam
• Mr. Shanmugham
• Mr. P.M.Amaranathan

Academics

The academic year starts from 1st or 2nd Wednesday of June and runs till the succeeding year's first fortnight of mid-April.

The school is affiliated to the Government of Tamil Nadu's Tamil Nadu Board of Secondary Education. From Class I to Class X the pupils follow Anglo-Indian Board of Education/Uniform System of School Education (Samacheer Kalvi) as the subject include English, Mathematics, Science (Physics & Chemistry), Biology (Botany & Zoology), History-Civics & Geography are taught along with Tamil (or) Hindi chosen as optional language and are required to take Anglo-Indian School Leaving Certificate examinations as Annual exam at Class X for Higher studies. For Class XI and Class XII the pupils follow Higher Secondary Board, as subjects include English, Mathematics, Biology, Botany, Zoology, History-Civics & Geography, Computer Science and Engineering (Vocational Subject) are taught along with Tamil (or) Hindi chosen as optional language and are required to take Higher Secondary School Certificate examinations for Higher studies Viz., Collegiate/Professional/Vocational/Other education.

After completion of 1/3rd of syllabus quarterly exam is conducted during first fortnight of September which is followed by a short autumn vacation about 8–10 days and the school reopens the next working day after Gandhi Jayanthi. After 2/3rd of syllabus completed half-yearly exams are conducted during first fortnight of December which is followed by a short winter vacation about 8–10 days and the school reopens the next working day after English New Year. After full syllabus is completed annual exams were conducted during first fortnight of April which is followed by a long summer vacation for about 7–8 weeks and the school reopens again in mid-June. The reopening of school is intimated via school notice board and through postal letter for every student.

School period

The day in the school starts with a 15-minutes of morning prayers, and the educational activity starts from 9:40 a.m. to 4:10 p.m., which includes eight periods with a 10-minute short interval between 11:00 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. and an hour long lunch interval from 12:30 p.m to 1:30 p.m., during which desired students may leave campus for having lunch, provided that they intimate the concerned class teacher for leaving the campus.

School uniform

The colours of school uniform are White and Navy Blue. For boys, it is White-coloured half-sleeve shirt from Class I till Class XII & Navy blue-coloured shorts till Class VIII and full pants thereafter, tucked in with belt. For girls, White-coloured half-sleeve shirt & Blue-coloured box pleated-frock till Class V, tucked in & belted and thereafter its salwar kameez with white-coloured tops and blue-coloured sleeveless overcoat and pant on all working days. Apart from these all are required to wear neat & polished black shoes with white socks. The hairs should be neatly combed for boys and double plaited for girls. Ordinary blue-coloured tie must be worn till Class VIII and executive tie (single knotted) of same colour thereafter with Indian Railway logo embossed School Badge.

Wearing uniform is a must for every pupil without any caste, creed and colour. Attires with religious symbols or markings aren't allowed with or without uniform. Pupils are excused in wearing uniform on their Birthdays, Children's Day and the succeeding working day after Diwali, Pongal, Christmas and Eid al-Fitr.

Extracurricular activities

The Annual School day is organized during second fortnight of January month or first fortnight of February month. During which events like, drama, mime, elocution, quiz, debate, essay writing, Craftwork, Choir, drawing and other activities are conducted and top three performers are awarded with certificate. Also top three rank holders every class of previous academic year are honoured with certificate. The students are also allowed to participate in inter-railway and inter-zonal competitions. Apart from these students are also involved in Green Club, National Service Scheme, Literary Club, Social awareness rallies, etc.,

Sports

Closing ceremony at a Sports day

Students from all classes were encouraged to participate in various sports events. Students right from Class VI till Class XII were alphabetically partitioned and accommodated to the four houses almost within one month from the start of the academic year. During Independence Day, Annual Sports day and Republic day, the students are trained and assembled to perform a mass physical exercise drill to the musical tune of big drum. Apart from these, hand-picked students for parade and sports events were allowed to participate for Independence day and Republic day celebrations at Central Workshop, Golden Rock and also to Inter-School, Inter-Railway, Zonal, District and State-level competitions.

Houses

Following are the houses where, inter house competitions are held every year. Each house gets points based on their performance. The house which gets most points at the end of the year will be winner of the year.

Apart from that students actively take part in march-past (sports parade) and in various track, field and other events including Football, Hockey, Volleyball, Basketball, Cricket, Athletics, Cross-country running, Cycling, Karate, etc., for their respective houses, for which the top three performers are honoured with certificate on the basis of results of all the events along with Individual topper in male & female and Best House (based on overall points of all events). The School sports day, is said to be major visual treat for students from nearby schools and residents nearby flock to watch march-past and the final round of sprinting track events (viz., 100m, 200m, 400m & 800m) and the colourful award ceremony.

See also

• Tiruchirappalli
• History of Tiruchirappalli
• Tiruchirappalli district
• Education in Tamil Nadu
• Indian Railways
• Golden Rock Railway Workshop
• List of Railway Schools in India

References

Further reading

• E. B. Eastwick (1879). Murray's Handbook of Madras Presidency: With a Notice of the Overland Route to India (2nd ed.). 
• F.R. Hemingway (1907). Trichinopoly. Madras: Superintendent, Govt. Press. 
• Margaret Deefholts and Susan Deefholts, ed. (2010). Women of Anglo-India: Tales and Memoirs. New Jersey, USA: CTR Inc. Publishing. 
• Caplan, Lionel (2003). Children of colonialism : Anglo-Indians in a postcolonial world. Oxford: Berg. ISBN 1859736327. 
• "Railway Mixed High School (English Medium), Golden Rock". The Hindu. 19 October 2007. Retrieved 18 September 2013. 
• "Railways observes World TB Day". The Hindu. 24 March 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013. 
• "STAFF WELFARE and EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES". INDIAN RAILWAY QUESTION BANK. 
• South Indian Railway Co. : Illustrated Guide. Madras: Hoe & Co., Premier Press. 1921. 
• "Festival of talent". The Hindu. 2 September 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2013. 

External links

• RMHSS/EM/GOC on WordPress.com