Jenkins School

Overview

King Maharaja Narendra Narayan had an interest in education and arranged for a modern education system in Cooch Behar. He established Jenkins School to teach English and other studies.

The school was named after Major Gen. Francis Jenkins, an alumnus of Oxford University and the nommissioner of Assam and official agent of the Governor General of Bengal for Assam frontier (now North-East India). Jenkins was fond of people of Cooch Bihar, Assam and the eastern region, After retirement he never went back to England and settled down at Gauhati. He died of fever on 28 August 1966. At that time there was no high school in the region. Starting from 3rd standard, students can study up to 12th standard.

History

After the independence of India in 1947, the princely state of Cooch Behar was merged with India in 1950 as Cooch Behar district within West Bengal, and Jenkins School was declared as one of the state government schools. During that period many teachers joined the school under the patronage of the then king of Cooch Behar, Maharaja Jagaddipendra Narayan and the government of West Bengal. Between the late 1940s and the early 1960s, the school flourished under the leadership of headmaster Kalipada Mukherjee. The Maharaja also employed Sailen Datta, a veteran cricketer of the Bengal cricket team for the upliftment of sports education in the school.

The National Award for Teachers was given to Prabodh Chandra Goswami, a popular mathematics teacher in Jenkins School in 1958, the first year that the award was instituted.

The 100-year anniversary of Jenkins School was celebrated in January 1961. January 2011 saw the celebration of 150 years of the institution.

The first line of the school anthem is "Moder Jenkins School, Biharo Tirthe Amar-o Kirti, Banir Punnyo Deoul…."

Emblem, motto, song and prayer

Uniform

Students wear white shirts, olive green pants and a black school shoe, with an emblem olive green tie. Olive green sweater or blazer is additional for winter.

Academics

The school has nearly 83% of students securing 1st division with regular names among the toppers in the madhyamik pariksha and nearly 81% students securing 1st division marks with names consistently figuring in the toppers list in uchcho Madhyamik pariksha. In all India entrance exams (like PMT, AIIMS, Indian Institute of Technology, National Institute of Technology etc.) and West Bengal Joint Entrance Examinations, students secure good ranks.

Curriculum

Students follow the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education curriculum till class 10. In classes 11 and 12, they follow the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education curriculum but may choose to study either Science (Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology/Computer Science) or Commerce (Commerce, Accounts, Economics and Maths). An Indian language must be offered up to class 12.

Facilities

The school has science laboratories and two computer laboratories. Facilities for sports include a football ground.

Groups and associations

The Jenkins School Alumni Association was founded in 2010 by former students. Its mission is to strengthen the relationship between Jenkins School and its alumni and friends; to preserve and promote the school's traditions, purposes, growth and alumni; and to keep alive the spirit of affection and reverence for the school.

Athletics

The school has coaching classes for each sport.

Notable alumni