School

Goethals Memorial School

Kurseong, Darjeeling District, West Bengal - 734 203

Phone : 0354 - 2331214 / 2331152

Website: www.goethalsmemorialschool.com

Mission Statement
The aim of the institution is a co-ordinated and Christian balance of these elements; physical, socio-cultural, spiritual, psycho-emotional and intellectual. Boys are encouraged to cherish moral values, to foster diligence, integrity and independence of mind.

Background
When the great Jesuit Archbishop of Calcutta, Rev. Paul Count Goethals died in 1901, a group of admirers, headed by the Advocate General of the High Court, desired to erect a memorial in his remembrance. It was decided that a school would be the most appropriate memorial to a great educationist and the Christian Brothers were asked if they would conduct it. Kurseong was the site chosen. The school that was to become known as Goethals Memorial School was formally opened on 30th April 1907 by the Lt. Governor, Sir Andrew Fraser.

Campus
Kurseong lies on the main road from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The school stands some 5 kms outside the town at an altitude of 5600 feet. The large campus consists of well-designed buildings and spacious playing fields. There are seven playing fields for soccer and cricket. The main residential section is well designed and functional, containing all the amenities required in a modern residential school. The classrooms are bright, airy, and pleasantly quiet. There are fully-equipped laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology and a new computer laboratory with 24 terminals. The school hospital contains a well equipped and stocked dispensary with a large ward, sunny verandahs and its own garden.

The Head
The current Principal took over in 1991 and with his energy, creativity and foresight, the school has been able to carve a niche for itself in the district and the state.

Affiliation
The school is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi and prepares students for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) examination at the end of Class X.

Results / Exams
The performance of students at the ICSE examination has been excellent.

Sports
The school has the best playing fields in the area. Daily games are compulsory. There are facilities for Soccer, Cricket, Hockey, Volleyball, Table tennis, Athletics and Basketball. Besides regular school games, the boys are also encouraged to participate in hiking, trekking and other adventure activities.

Extra curricular activities
Other activities popular at the school include debates, quiz, The Leadership Training Squad with stress on community service, The Computer Society, The Computer Club, The Dramatics Society, The Elocution Society and The Boy Scouts are added activities.

Fees
The Fees schedule is as follows:

Admission
Goethals is a residential-cum-day school for boys. Boys are admitted into Class III and are prepared for the ICSE examination at the end of Class X. The selection procedure is based on a written examination and an interview. The academic year is from March to February.

Management
The Christian Brothers who conduct 20 schools, colleges, institutes and orphanages in many parts of the country among which Geothals Memorial School is one of the most important.

G. D. Birla Memorial School

Birla Gram’ Chilianaula, Ranikhet, Uttarakhand - 263 647

Phone : 05966 - 220441 / 220012   Fax : 05966 - 220915

Email : gdbmsprn@del3.vsnl.net.in
Website: www.gdbirlaschool.com

Mission Statement
Blending Indian cultural values with modern education techniques, the school aims at imparting a high standard of education so as to prepare young boys for a life of usefulness and constructive enterprise in this competitive world and to help them to build a strong character and inculcate the abiding virtues of integrity and moral values, which will enable them to make a noticeable contribution to society and help them weather the storms and vicissitudes.

Background
The school was started in July 1987 by Smt. Sarala and Syt B.K. Birla, in fond memory of Shriyut G. D. Birla, a pioneer of Indian industry and founder of the Birla Education Trust. The school is a fully residential +2 school for boys affiliated to the CBSE and a member of the prestigious circuit of Indian Public Schools Conference.

Campus
The school is located at a distance of 5 kms from Ranikhet, which is 360 kms from Delhi, with the nearest railway station Kathgodam, just 85 kms from Ranikhet. The Birla School is situated on a north-facing gentle hill slope at an altitude of 5500 feet surrounded by magnificent snow-capped Himalayan peak. Spread in a campus of twenty acres, the school has modern compact buildings with facilities for games and co-curricular activities besides being well-equipped with audio-visual facilities which is a unique feature. The school has a 13-bedded hospital with a qualified resident Medical Officer.

Affiliation
Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi and conducts the All India Secondary School Examinations (Class X) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (Class XII).

Sports
The school has excellent facilities for Football, Cricket, Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, Table tennis, Badminton, Roller skating, Gymnastics and Horse riding. Besides these, the children are taught Taekwondo and Yoga by skilled instructors. Opportunities for trekking and rock climbing are also provided. The school has a skating rink and a multipurpose gymnasium with exercise rooms and facilities for weight lifting.

Curriculum
The boys are given an all-round education with emphasis on academic excellence. At the +2 level boys can opt for science or commerce streams. The school offers facilities for a variety of games and sports but basketball is the main game for which there is a specialized coach. Band, NCC, taekwondo, athletics, etc. are also regular activities. Instrumental music, art, dramatics, debating and a host of other co-curricular activities are also offered to the boys. The school has established an exchange programme with schools in U.K. and Australia and outstanding students are sent to public schools abroad. The school is also a centre for the Business English Certificate Exam of Cambridge University. Students wishing to pursue their higher studies abroad are helped to procure admission in Universities in Australia, New Zealand and U.K.

Extra curricular activities
The school encourages students to develop their interests in music, drama, debates, photography, painting, book craft, sketching, woodwork, clay modelling, gardening, electronics, aero-modelling, sculpture, environment studies and foreign languages.

A number of clubs and societies are available to the students which include the UN Club, The English and Hindi Literary Societies, The General Knowledge Club, The Star Gazers Club and The Wall Magazine Club. Students are encouraged to join the tours organised during the breaks by the school authorities to places of educational, historical and industrial importance.

Fees

Admission
The school admits boys from class IV to IX and in XI. Students are admitted on the basis of their performance in a written test and interview. The school has entrance test centres in Delhi, Kolkata, Baroda, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Meerut, Lucknow etc. Admission to class XI is provisional till declaration of Board Exam results. The academic year is from March to December with two main breaks. The entrance tests are conducted in December and January.

The Laidlaw Memorial School and Junior College

(Run by ST. George’s Home Society)

Ketti, Between Ootacamund & Coonoor, Tamil Nadu - 643 215

Website: www.laidlawschool.org

Mission Statement
The school is run on the lines of a public school and provides education in English for children of all communities. The emphasis is on a sound general education, on self discipline and self reliance, not departing from the original aims of the school. Its constitution was amended in 1953, so as to admit children of all communities. Religious observance and instruction in the school are in accordance with the Protestant Christian tenets. However, there is a provision for Roman Catholic worship, and exemption from worship and religious instruction for those desiring it. Moral Science, as distinct from religious instructions, is compulsory.

Background
The Laidlaw Memorial School of St. George’s Homes, Ketti was founded in 1914 by the late Rev. John Breeden, to provide a home and education for children of the Protestant European and Anglo-Indian communities. It was generously endowed by late Sir Robert Laidlaw. The institution started its life in Kodaikanal but moved to Ketti, its present home, in 1922.

Campus
The school stands in a forested area in the heart of one of the most beautiful valleys in South India, at an elevation of 2082 metres, and its campus covers over 2000 acres. This provides ample space for playing fields and sports grounds.

Atmosphere
It has beautiful outdoor atmosphere.

The Head
Mr. W R Gardner is the Principal of The Laidlaw Memorial School and Junior College.

The Teaching Staff
The classes are conducted by qualified teachers. All the staff are resident, either in the cottages or on the campus. A Warden and a Matron on the premises ensure individual attention to every child.

The Pupils
The Laidlaw Memorial School is a Co-Educational Institution. There are eight cottages housing children of various age groups. On an average there are 50 students in each cottage. Each cottage has a House Matron and a House Warden.

Affiliation
The school is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations. Though it receives no aid from the state, it is recognised by the Government of Tamil Nadu. The medium of instruction is English.

Results / Exams
Candidates are prepared for The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Class X and the Plus 2 Course of the Indian School Certificate Examination (ISC) in Class XII. There are examinations in the Theory and Practice of Music of the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, London.

Sports
School activities are compulsory for all students. Cricket, Hockey, Football, Basketball, Tennis, Table tennis, Badminton, Gymnastics and Athletics are encouraged. Ketti and its surrounding of forested hills provide ideal conditions for hiking, scouting and camping.

Extra curricular activities
In addition to sports and games, there are other activities which occupy the leisure of the children. These include, music, singing, elocution, debating, dramatics, public speaking, photography and indoor games. Opportunities are provided for social service, for learning about flowers and vegetable gardens, for excursions and tours and for participating in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Scheme.

Fees
Fees are payable at the time of admission and should be paid in cash, or by Demand Draft, or by Money Order, and made payable to the Principal and Secretary St. George’s Homes, Ketti. All parents have to pay a refundable Caution Deposit.

Classes XI have to pay an annual fee at the beginning of the year and the fees will not be returned if the student decides to leave Mid-term.

Admission
Children are admitted from Class 1 onwards, and applications for admission have to be made on the form prescribed, at least one year in advance. The minimum age for admission is 5 plus, and the child must have attended a kindergarten for at least one year. Children are admitted after an entrance exam which is conducted in March. For Classes I and II, the examinations are mainly oral/written. At the time of admission, parents/guardians must produce the following documents:

1. A Transfer Certificate
2. A Document showing the date of birth.
3. Medical : A Certificate of fitness and the absence of any infectious disease. Admission fee will be charged for the academic year for all new admissions - Classes I to XII Rs 2000.00 per child (Non-refundable)

Management
The school is a private, co-educational institution, administered by a Board of Management.

How to get there
The Laidlaw Memorial School lies roughly half way between the hill stations of Ootacamund (11 kms) and Coonoor (13 kms). Ketti Railway Station is on the Southern Railway.