Queen Mary School, Mumbai

History

The Queen Mary School in Mumbai, India, was started in 1875 by the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission, an Anglican Mission, to provide education for girls. The school was called Queen Mary High School even though it had classes from Nursery (typically age 4) until the 11th standard (grade) which was equivalent to the "O" levels in Great Britain.

The monthly tuition fees were higher than the schools which taught in the local languages and the "convent" girls' schools run by nuns associated with Jesuit societies. The medium of instruction was English and the examination papers for the 11th standard final school exams were set in Cambridge, England and initially were sent there for evaluation. Until about 1964, students were required to take both the Cambridge exams as well as the local SSC (Secondary School Certificate) exams.

Most of the teachers were of British origin who came to India under the auspices of the Mission to teach. These were gradually replaced by local Indian teachers, primarily Parsis, followed by other Indian ethnicities. All of the teachers were female with the exception of one elderly gentleman who taught Persian to the couple of girls whose parents wanted it for their daughters. The student body came from a range of income levels as the school subsidized the fees for certain students.

As it was a girls' school with all female teachers, there were a number of Muslim girls. In order to qualify for both the Cambridge and SSC exams, a range of subjects were offered. A choice of French, Sanskrit or Persian was mandatory from standards 5 though 8. For the latter, students had to elect courses either in the Sciences or the Arts in the 9th standard. There were other mandatory subjects like English (language)and Hindi. As per local state regulations, students had to pass the 9th standard Marathi or Gujarati exams, and the 10th standard History and Geography exams. Science subjects included Higher Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Arts subjects included English Literature, any of the languages, regular Mathematics, History, Geography, Physiology/Hygiene and Domestic Science. In addition, there was Physical Education. Extracurricular activities included dramatics, elocution, sports including swimming.

Girls have a choice of four houses named after famous women : Edith Cavell, Grace Darling, Joan of Arc and Florence Nightingale. Each girl had a school badge and a house badge (C, D, J, N). Sports, drama, elocutions and other contests were held between the houses. The school uniform was a white pinafore with three box pleats in the front and three in the back. Under that was worn a white button down blouse with short sleeves and a Peter Pan collar.

There were white laced canvas shoes and white socks. Many of the Indian girls had long hair which had to be braided into two braids or two short pony tails, single braids and pony tails were, and still are, not allowed

Even though the majority of the students were non-Christian, a Christian assembly was held mornings and evenings. Even though the Mission was established to achieve some level of conversion, there was no proselytising.

In the 1960s, ZBMM was changed to BMMF (Bible Medical Missionary Fellowship) and the number of foreign teachers decreased.

The building started out as L-shaped with a junior and high school assembly hall/gymnasium. The foreign teachers lived on the second floor of the main wing and their dining room was below that together with the principal's office. There was a wide staircase leading to the main entrance. Students were not permitted to use that staircase and the whole wing was out of bounds.

The first new wing in the late 1950s was built along the railway line with a new assembly hall and stage. The new science lab was in this building.

Present

Queen Mary School is affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations for the class 10 Board exams. Queen Mary School has a history of producing students who consistently score high grades at the standard 10 board exams called the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education. Batch sizes approximate 90 students divided into two sections. The uniform has undergone a lot of changes over the years, and is currently with a pink blouse and a black and white checked skirt with black sneakers. The school, house badge, and class badges are worn by every student, while prefects have additional badges

Headmistresses

As time rolled by Queen Mary passed through the hands of many capable and dedicated principals. There were 10 British principals (headmistresses). Miss Betty Shelton was the last British principal. Listed below is the list of the British principals

British Principals

Indian Principals

The British Principals were followed by the First Indian Christian Principals, except for Mrs. R D. Wadia who was the only non-Christian principal and was appointed by the C.M.E.F. Trust headed by Dr. David. Miss G. Mathias is the current principal.

Notable alumni