By Uma Purkayastha
The Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School Jaiaw and the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School Jail Road were the two very strong educational pillars in Shillong in the early 20th century.
Shillong got its township only in 1874, when capital of the newly built Assam Province under Chief Commissioner was shifted here from Cherrapunjee. Though a capital town by name, Shillong was an untrodden place and lacked all amenities of a town. There was no electricity, proper water supply, medical facilities, motorable roads, not to speak of any educational institution.
There was also no communication arrangement linking Shillong-Guwahati or Shillong-Sylhet, other than ‘Thapa’ service, (passanger on cane-chair carried by man). The town area was covered with dense forest barring a few residential localities.
Despite all those ordeals and drawbacks, the government officers and other workers had to come to Shillong crossing the hills on foot to join their services. Some very brave and enlightened ladies (wives of the government service holders) also accompanied their husbands to reach Shillong and joined their hands in all-round development of the under-developed town.
During 1874-1880, total population of Shillong town was less than 4,000 and majority of the population was Bengalee who came to settle here for the sake of service and business.
The then British Government was quite indifferent towards education and other development of the locality. There was only one missionary school in the Mawkhar area mainly for children of British officers but there was no arrangement of primary education even for the children of the general public, which was the crying need of that time.
Babu Jeebon Kumar Roy, known as the ‘Father of Modern Khasis’ (for his contribution to Khasi language, literature, linguistics, entrepreneurship and education etc), had a deep farsightedness regarding the educational and cultural uplift of the Khasi Society. He was good at English, Bengali and Sanskrit because he kept close connection with his neighbouring town Sylhet, a hub of education at that time.
Babu Jeevon Kumar could realise the necessity of primary schools and high english schools in this region to enlighten the indigenous people of the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills. He approached the missonaries for spreading of education in Khasi Hills but they gave more importance in spreading of Christianity than proper academic education.
Undaunted Jeevon Kumar in his own capacity started a primary school in Cherrapunjee and an English high school in Shillong in 1880, appointing the faculties from Sylhet at his own cost. Not to speak of any help from the government, he had to deposit Rs 900 as security money for the said purpose.
It was a bold step by Babu Jeevon Kumar towards seeding English education in Shillong during that period and it was the only English high school for boys in the jurisdiction to appear the matriculation examination under Calcutta University.
Ultimately, the British government, observing the wonderful performance of the school, decided to merge the mission school with the school of Babu Jeevon Roy; in the name of ‘Government Boys HE School Shillong’. But there was one condition that the headmaster should be appointed from the missionaries.
Babu Jeevon Roy agreed but he also did a condition that the school should be open to all irrespective of caste, creed or religion. That very school is the Government Boys’ Higher Secondary School Jaiaw today, which rightly deserves the glory and credit of the present educated generation of Shillong.
Since 1880 to next 50 years, general people of Shillong, had no other choice than to rush to Government Boys’ HE School for education of the boys up to matriculation, and that school served the purpose very sincerely to place Shillong in the position as it is today. The missionary high schools in Shillong started later but entry for the common people was not very easy there. So the popularity of Government Boys’ HE School surged.
Simultaneously, in those days, girls’ education was totally neglected. There was no trace of even any primary school for girls of general category till 1886. Here we find the contribution of the Brahmo ladies like Saradamanjari Dutta and Hemanta Kumari Sen who were entitled as the ‘alma mater’ of the educated women in Shillong.
During 1882, Dutta, the teenager wife of Babu Nabagopal Dutta, a government employee, came to Shillong with her husband to settle here. She was a smart and enthusiastic lady with only primary education. She keenly observed that the children of her locality (Jail Road) would spend the day loitering, quarrelling and playing. She thought of teaching them the alphabets if they were interested. They showed their keen interest and Dutta started her venture at her own residence.
Day by day the number of the learners was increasing by leaps and bounds and it became out of capacity for Dutta to manage them in the small accomodation. The parents of the children came forward to help Dutta in her noble venture and extended their generous hands to make a better accommodation for the school.
A small house was built for the purpose and Dutta shifted her school to that house and the school took shape. The children, both boys and girls of different communities used to learn Bengali alphabets and numerals from Dutta but there was no financial help or moral support from the government.
But Dutta did not give up and as a result of her repeated appeals to the government, the school got its affiliation as Jail Road Girls’ Primary School. But Dutta did not stop here. Her ambition was to upgrade the primary school to a Middle English School; and she could make it possible only by her smart and brave approach to the then Chief Commissioner of Assam.
Though Dutta could not speak in English properly, she managed to explain her demand for a Middle English School for girls. The Chief Commissioner was highly impressed with the strong personality of the lady and genuineness of her approach and granted her prayer without delay.
In April 1914, the school was affiliated as Jail Road Government ME School. It was a great achievement but the great lady could realise that the headmistress of a Middle English School must be good at English and she was lagging. On this ground she submitted her resignation to the government but the government was gracious enough to appoint her as headmistress of Laban Bengalee Girls’ Primary School instead and appointed her daughter Subarnaprava, the second graduate of Shillong, as headmistress of Jail Road Government Girls’ ME School.
It is worth mentioning that Dutta was also the founder of Laban Bengalee Girls’ Primary School (present Laban Bengalee Girls’ Higher Secondary School), which is also a century-old prestigeous institute of Shillong.
Subarnaprava, the able daughter of Dutta, was an exemplary teacher and tough administrator and at the same time an ardent social reformer. Due to her untiring labour and undaunting efforts, the ME School was upgraded to High English School in 1945. In 1946, the first batch of regular matriculation examination for Shillong girls under Calcutta University passed out of the school.
But since 1928, Subarnaprava used to send her students to Sylhet, duly preparing them before the matriculation examination as private candidates under Calcutta University and achieved tremendous success.
Not only academic teaching, Subarnaprava introduced physical training classes in the school to improve the general health of students. She started performing cultural functions in the school for all-round development of the students and felt the need for constructing an auditorium on the school premises for cultural performances.
Sorojini Das, the then Inspector of Schools was impressed by the sincerity and intrepidity of Subarnaprava and donated Rs 10,000 for the construction of the auditorium to commemorate her mother’s name (Sarada Sundari) and accordingly that Auditorium Hall was constructed and named as ‘Sarada Sundari Memorial Hall’.
The century-old ‘Sarada Sundari Memorial Hall’ was demolished recently for constructing a new building. It goes without saying that Jail Road Government Girls’ High School was the pioneer for educational and cultural development of the girls of Shillong and facilitating them to appear for the matriculation examination from Shillong. Prior to that, the girls here had to go to Calcutta or Sylhet or Dacca for high school education.
In course of time, Lady Keane Girls’ High School, KJP Girls’ High School, Laban Bangelee Girls’ High School etc got affiliation for the matriculation examination under Guwahati University but Government Girls’ School Shillong produced matriculate girls from Calcutta University since 1928. It is worth mentioning that over hundred years, the celebrated schools like Government Boys’ High School and Government Girls’ High School of Shillong had produced hundreds of illustrious students who could bring top positions in the university/board examinations in the past and brightened the name of Shillong at home and abroad.
The then top-ranking government officers other than the British (during pre and post-independence period) used to send their children to the said government schools without hesitation whereas government officers today are quite reluctant to send their children to the said schools as their expectations are higher.
The present Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School Shillong is a victim of such reluctance. Even the principal, if retired or transferred on promotion, is not replaced in due time, which has been a regular pratice for last 20 years. Such a responsible vacancy of the vast establishment is somehow managed year after year by officiating teachers performing the duties of vice-principal and principal.
If any efficient person joins as principal, within a short period he/she is transferred on promotion. Senior higher secondary teachers were transferred on promotion in the mid-academic year (2017). Such practice hampers candidates preparing for HSSLC and causes irreparable loss to the school and its students.
Why the school, once a citadel of education and women empowerment, is so neglected today? Is it not the responsibility of the Education Department to help the institution regain its lost glory by taking proper care and attention towards transfer and appointment of principals and faculties? If government officers, especially in the Education Department, send their children to the government schools, the importance and decorum of the schools will undoubtedly improve and that will be proper justice to the ancient institutions.
(The author is former principal
of Jail Road Government
Girls’ High School)
