Barrackpore Government High School

Barrackpore Government High School
Central structure of school
Address
B T Road, Talpukur Barackpore, North 24 Parganas West Bengal, 700123 India
Information
School type	Higher secondary
Established	1837
Founder	George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland
Headmaster	Dilip Kumar Shymal
Grades	1 to 12
Gender	Boys school
Language	Bengali(I-XII) & English (XI-XII)
Color(s)	White and Navy blue
Affiliation	West Bengal Board of Secondary Education/West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education
Website	http://www.bghs.co.in

Barrackpore Government High School is situated on Barrackpore Trunk Road near Talpukur in Barrackpore, India and was established in 1837. Until recently it was believed that the school was established by Emily Eden. However, research gives credit to her elder brother George Eden, 1st Earl of Auckland the then Governor-General of India. He opened and ran the school at his own expense. The school continues to run from the heritage central building which is highly reminiscent of Collegiate Neo-Gothic architecture typical to nineteenth century British constructions.

The school has been referred as Eden School, Vice-regal School, Viceroy’s Park School, Governor’s School, Barrackpore Government Park School in government archives, newspapers and journals. It is now referred as Barrackpore Government School or Barrackpore Government High School.

The school was set up to teach English to the impoverished children of the local Bengali neighborhoods. The school started with a handful of local boys. The earl was so enthusiastic that he used to distribute pens, books, papers for free amongst the enrolled pupils. He arranged a stipend for the advanced students who are able to teach the beginners so that economically backward families would be encouraged to send their children to the school. Caste discrimination had no place in Lord Auckland’s school where all the boys had to study together irrespective of their caste and creed — which was exceptional considering the time.

Lord Auckland hired teachers from Calcutta and across Bengal at his own expense to give education of the finest quality. Among them, Rashik Lal Sen was also the first head master. The school started at the southeast corner of the erstwhile Barrackpore Park (now famous as Latbagan).

His sister Emily Eden was enthusiastic about her brother’s school. She writes

'George’s new school has been open this last fortnight and some of the little native boys already read a fable in one syllable. It is astonishing how quick they are when they choose to learn.’ –Letter dated 26 March 1837, Barrackpore

Ex-students of the school have researched the subject and it seems that the school was set up in March 1837.

The school continued to enjoy the vice-regal patronage till the end of colonial time. After the end of Lord Auckland’s tenure successive governor generals maintained the school. Among them Lady and Lord Canning were very enthusiastic. Charlotte, Countess Canning gave favourable comments when she visited. After her sudden death, Lord Canning gave a donation from his purse for the expansion of the school building probably in memory of his wife.