Type Christian Dean Sr. Severine Phone 033 2475 1959 | President Fr. Jeyaraj Velusamy Rector Fr. Raphael Hyde S.J. Date founded January 1937 Motto "For God and Country" | |
Established January 1937; 80 years ago (1937-01) Founder Fr. Lawrence Rodrigues, S.J. Address | ||
St. Lawrence High School is an English and Bengali language Jesuit secondary school for boys in Kolkata, India, which has boarding and day students. The school was started in 1810 in Baithakhana as an elementary school which later came to be known as St. John Chrysostom School. It was re-founded in January 1937 by Jesuit Fr. Lawrence Rodriques as St. Lawrence High School. Around 2,300 students are enrolled. It was named after Lawrence of Rome, a Spanish martyr, the patron saint of Fr Lawrence Rodrigues himself.
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History
Originally named St. John Chrysostom High School, the current school was founded by Goan Jesuit priest Fr. Lawrence Rodriques in 1937 in an attempt to reduce congestion at nearby schools. The plot of land on which the school sits was owned by St. Xavier's College, Kolkata and was purchased from them with the permission of the Archbishop of Calcutta.
During the Second World War the school premises were occupied by the Royal Air Force. In 1945, the students got back the school only after paying a rent of ₹17,000 to the government as directed by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell.
Administrators
The first four administrators (January 1937 to February 1950) were Frs. Joseph Arimont, Charles Vrithoff, Louis Schillebeeckx, and Joseph Segers, the School-in-Charges until 1950, when the title Rector-cum-Headmaster was introduced.
The Rector-cum-Headmasters from 1950 to 2000 were Frs. August Cordeiro, Albert Wautier, T. Richir, André Bruylants, Noel D’Souza, K.C. Jacob, Boris D’Santos, André Bruylants, A. Carvalho and Adrien Wavreil.
In October 2000, the Provincial Jesuit Superior of Calcutta (Kolkata) broke the post of Rector-cum-Headmaster into Rector and Headmaster/Principal.
The Rectors from October 2000 onwards were Frs. Charles Pollet, S. Nallail, and Joseph de Sousa.
The Headmaster/Principals from October 2000 onwards were Frs. Adrien Wavreil, Anil Mitra, Benny Thomas, and Sebastian Nallail,
Affiliation and performance
St. Lawrence High School was affiliated with the University of Calcutta. It has both secondary and higher-secondary sections and sends up its students of Class X board for Madhyamik Pariksha under West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) and students of Class XII boards for Uccha-Madhyamik Pariksha under West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education (WBCHSE)}.
The school maintains its ties to the Jesuit Society and is still administered by them. It always kept close ties with other Christian missionary schools, such as St. Xavier's College, Kolkata (brother school) and Carmel High School for Girls (sister school).
Classes
There are three levels of classes: primary, secondary, and higher-secondary, each with three sections or streams. The medium of instruction is English.
Weekly assembly
The Primary section has a weekly assembly on Monday, the Higher Secondary on Wednesday. From February 2011 on, daily assemblies were held for Secondary, starting at 08:45am. The Headmaster and all teachers attend the assembly escorting the students into the school hall. The assembly commences with a prayer song and ends with the Indian National Anthem.
School hostel
The school hostel is open only for Christian boys who are studying in Class VIII and above. The Jesuit Brothers run the hostel under the leadership of the Jesuit Senior Fathers.