From the beautiful campuses to the immaculate reputation, there are plenty of reasons why you might want to study at one of the oldest schools in India. From ancient times, India has been a centre of education. It has given the world some of the oldest and prestigious institutions. They all have managed to combine their rich history and values with a commitment to high-quality education. Some of them are even more than 200 years old. Here is a list of the oldest schools in India:
St. George’s School, Chennai – 1715
It is the oldest school in the country. The school was founded in 1715 as the Military Male Orphan Asylum. It is committed to providing education to students with different backgrounds and cultures. The classroom block and the chapel are the part of the heritage structures of the city. Affiliated to the Anglo-Indian Board of Education, the school takes over 1500 children from NC to +2.
Bishop Heber Higher Secondary School, Trichy – 1762
It is a school of excellence worldwide. The school was developed by Lord Walsh. The school started as a center for soldier’s children by French. This was later changed into a missionary, to a hospital and then to a hospital.
St.Johns Vestry Anglo Indian School, Trichy – 1763
It was established by the British as an orphanage for British soldiers’ children. Later on, it was converted into a school. It gets the name vestry as the classes were held at the St’ John’s church’s vestry room. It also has boarding facilities. There is a separate building for Montessori facilities.
St. Thomas’ School, Kolkata – 1789
Located in Kidderpore, Kolkata, the school has the largest campus in Kolkata. It is also the home of St. Thomas’s College of Engineering & Technology. The motto of the school is- Nisi Dominus Frustra (Except the Lord, effort in vain). The students are called Thomasites and Thomasinas.
Hooghly Collegiate School – 1812
It is one of the oldest schools in West Bengal. The current building of the school was completed in 1956-57. The oldest building was owned by Hazi Mohammad Mohsin. There is a rumour that there is a secret passage running below the old building. The purpose of this is still unknown.
Christ Church School – 1815
Located in Mumbai, the school is under the Bombay Education Society. Barnes School in Deolaji is the twin school of Christ Church. It is affiliated to ICSE. It has a large campus. There is an average of 25 students in kindergarten and about 45 students in 10th. In 2008, a junior college was introduced with courses in science, commerce, and arts.
Hindu School, Kolkata – 1817
Located in Kolkata, it is a government-administered school. It was established on 20th January 1817. The school was founded by Raja Rammohan Roy, Baidyanath Mukhopadhyay, David Hare, Radhakanta Deb, Sir Edward Hyde East, and Rasamay Dutt. The school, affiliated to WBCHSE and WBBSE, has many notable alumni like Satyendra Nath Bose, Maghnad Saha, Satyendranath Tagore, Rajendralal Mitra, etc.
Hare School – 1818
It is an all-boys school. Affiliated to the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education and West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, the school was founded by David Hare, a Scottish watchmaker. The original name of the school was Arpuli Pathshala. Later on, it was changed to Colootala Branch School. It was only in 1867 when the name Hare School was decided.
St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling – 1823
It is an all-boys boarding school. The school was founded by Archdeacon Corrie. Later, it was moved to its current location in 1864. At that time, it was the world’s highest school (7,600 ft. above sea level). It is also known as Eton of the East because it is the only Eton fives court existing outside England. The school is affiliated to ICSE till 10th and ISC for 11th and 12th.
Lycée français de Pondichéry – 1826
It is the oldest school of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) network. It is the first international school in India. The school has been committed to the history of the town. The syllabus is approved by the French Ministry of Education. The subjects are taught in English and Tamil. The school also prepares students for certifications in French (DALF and DELF) and English (IELTS).
Are you an alumni of any of these schools? Please leave a comment below.
Our Barhra High School at Barhra,Birbhum,W.B was established in 1858.
Hi Akash,
Thanks for reading & sharing this critical information. Would you share more about Barhra High School so that we can make a mention of it in this blog.
Regards
Edustoke
Nice blog,
Thanks for sharing this excellent blog.
Keep blogging!!!
St. Michael’s High School, Patna, Bihar. Established in 1858
(Now under the Jesuit Society)
nice blog, thanks for sharing this excellent blog about the oldest schools in India. keep blogging!
Our School St. Peter’s College, Agra is from 1846
Boy’s high school Allahabad was founded in 1822 for british students only and in 1861 it was opened to indian royal and nobels
Thanks Vinayak for reading our Blog & sharing your school’s details. We shall include Boy’s high school ,Allahabad in our updated list
Regards
Edustoke
Thanks for this good information. If you want to make it longer you can add Bankura Zilla School , West Bengal also. It was established in 1840. I was an ex -student of that school. See more at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankura_Zilla_School
Thanks Nachiketa for reading our Blog & sharing your school details We shall include Bankura Zilla School , West Bengal in our updated list
Regards
Edustoke
Thanks for this good article. You can add my school Bankura Zilla School (1840) too in future. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankura_Zilla_School
CSI St. Pauls’ Higher Secondary school, Vepery, Chennai-600007
ESTD: 1716
2nd oldest school in India
Thanks Aravind for reading our Blog & sharing your school details We shall include CSI St. Pauls’ Higher Secondary school, Vepery, Chennai in our updated list
Regards
Edustoke
Duthie Higher Secondary school, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu ..
Established in 1819.
Duthie Higher Secondary school, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu was established in the year 1819.
Thanks Vimal for reading our Blog & sharing your school details We shall include Duthie Higher Secondary school, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu in our updated list
Regards
Edustoke
Baker memorial girls higher secondary school in Kottayam, Kerala. Established in 1819.
St George’s Grammar School, Hyderabad 1834
St. Jospeh’s boys’ higher secondary school, Kozhikode, Kerala is established in 1893 not found listed in your blog. It is one of the oldest institution in india.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Joseph%27s_Boys%27_Higher_Secondary_School
http://sanjoboys.com/sanjo/connect
Established in 1793
Hi, Do you know CMS college high school started in 1817 and the first school of Kerala?
St Pauls School Vepery, Chennai – 1716