St. Pauls School, Darjeeling, India
St. Pauls School, Darjeeling, I spent seven good years of my life here. It was a great experience, Here’s some interesting facts about my school from the wikipedia entry…most of the rest is quoted with my comments, such as they are! I should edit that wikipedia entry with some reality as I knew it back then…
It is claimed to be the highest public school in the world, located at 7500 feet above sea level. The famous Kanchenjunga mountain range forms the scenic backdrop to the school. The school is physically separated from Darjeeling by its location on a high hill that is a few kilometres above the main town. I always assumed 7600 feet but perhaps that was Jalapahar, the army camp above us, kinda makes sense.
Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind) is said to have been born in the school campus — at a place now known as Pelly’s. Today, Pelly’s houses staff members teaching at the school. I always knew this area as Dawkins (1979-1986, while I was there), a teacher’s house adjoining our basketball court, and the way I heard it, she was a teacher’s daughter, but we knew she was born there…
The wikipedia entry on her seems to be unclear on this claiming Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley in Darjeeling, British India to Ernest Hartley, an officer in the Indian Cavalry who was of English parentage, and Gertrude Robinson Yackje, whose heritage is in question. She claimed to be of Irish descent, but it is likely that she also had Armenian or Parsee Indian ancestry.[1]
I was lucky that through my years at the school we had in my opinion, the best Rector ever, Hari Dang, (1962: Second Indian Expedition with Major John Dias as leader. Returning to the SE Ridge route, climbers Sonam Gyatso, Hari Dang, and Mohan Kohli are forced to retreat from a high point of 28,600 feet (8720 meters) because of bad weather.) As I heard it he lost his toes on this climb, and that just made him so much more impressive to me!
Blackies is the school tuck shop which got its name from the fact that it was run by Indians when the student population was primarily non-Indian. There is no historical certainty about this and the name has been used for very many decades with great affection for the facility.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:16 am
[...] of Mount Kanchenjunga, which is very close to Darjeeling, where I went to school for seven years. See related, we had a lovely view of Kanchenjunga from the school, I’m very fond of this mountain and that [...]
October 26th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
hi.this is sunil………i really miss st.pauls…..wish i can get back my previous days
June 6th, 2008 at 8:28 am
hi guys even i miss sps alot n i hav studied there 4 10 years
July 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I left SPS in December 1963 and India in January 1966. I am really looking to returning for a visit in october 2008. Each year in School we counted the days to GHD, now I am counting the days to SPS.
Chris Tobin
Betten 56/57
Hastings 58/63
July 22nd, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Dear guys,
I am no one to your school yet I always keep watching this site.I am an English teacher working at Kolkata.I had always longed to be one of your St.Pauls family member.I have a knowledge in Japanese too (having passed two levels in J.L.P.T.),so if any time I am required pl. let me know.I have nurtured my love for St.Pauls from my very childhood.
July 23rd, 2008 at 4:51 am
Have a great trip in October, Chris!
I have not been back for a visit since I left in 1986, and eagerly look forward to going back up there at some point. Would love to take my family there to show them the school.
I want to do the trek to Sandakphu again at some point as well. Rhododendron Wine at 10000ft, pure heaven!
September 26th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
sp is the world’s best school.I stayed there for6 years and the school really rocks
October 11th, 2008 at 4:52 am
no doubt the best school…..waking up at 3 in the morning to decorate the field for sports day ……wishing frens at 12 at night when the whole world is fast asleep….bunking to george ….everythin and anything is gr8 fun …this is what u call life
October 17th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Hi I am javed khadim. spent 10 wonderful years at SPS.Imiss that part of my life. Iwould love to be in touch with any OP..
November 23rd, 2008 at 3:26 am
Dear Ms. Shampa Mukhopadhyay,
How does one go about learning the Japanese language at Kolkata? I am intrigued by the place, the people and their strange culture. have visited the country twice, each time for a fortnight and have a plethora of anecdotes to narrate.
laffing_sun@yahoo.com
December 7th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Hello everyone, was in St.Pauls for a while, 94-05, Everest, Cable, and Hastings. It was a bit of an experience..
January 4th, 2009 at 7:46 am
Hi …. i was in Saint Paul’s School from 1995 – 2002 …. 8 wonderful years …. amazing ….. used to bunk to Jordans a lot. I miss the dance days ….
January 5th, 2009 at 1:41 am
Hai,g,morning.
I have two child one is girl n 2nd one is boy.i want to admit in ur school in 5th n 3rd std.Uhave hostal facilities there.When the admission will be going on.I want to know the details about school n admission.What is the per anum fee structure for the two kids.
Awaiting for a favourable reply.
Thanks,
Satish
January 5th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Hi Satish, this is not the official St. Pauls School website, here is the link to the official school website: http://www.spsdarjeeling.com/
Admission details etc. can be found on there. It’s an all boys school only though, best of luck, it’s a great school for your boy!
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:35 am
Hi , my best years till now was spent in sps. bunking to jords,the p.d,blackies,boxie and the list will carry on. i studied there from 1 till 6th form i was in Lw and did ISC in the year 1993.
February 23rd, 2009 at 5:49 am
All this talk about how SP was great is fine but that was in the past. Today the school is appalling and the standard has dropped immensely. Have a look at this video as it would give you an idea as to what the school has become
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hi47BjlxWM
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:58 am
umm what to say just gave my ISC ,last paper was on 18 n afta that i came back to my home sweet home where there is a lot of loadshedding anyway it was good studying in SP n hope to meet some OP’s since i am now officialy an OP too…
April 10th, 2009 at 6:32 am
hi, im planning to go to this school next year, can someone help me with the details, such as fees and stuff,
as i cannot find this on the official website
does it offer IB or AP?
April 10th, 2009 at 6:45 am
Lalu, it’s on the official website, here’s the link:
http://www.spsdarjeeling.com/The%20Process.html
May 16th, 2009 at 4:28 am
hi guys it was gr8 fun at hope culd get back there, really miss sp a lot…
May 17th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Like I tOuT iD B bAcK So im heAr bT Im BaCk lIKe Im rUNnin dA SP TRaCk a pAuLItE In FoRm gREEtInG tO All My pAulItE bRoTHerS sTRAiGHt frOm My HEARt………….
June 3rd, 2009 at 1:32 am
This school is not the Saint Paul’s School of before. Visit it today and you realise it’s become Saint Paul’s Nepali High School..
June 18th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Further to the Vivien Leigh story. I was there from 1957-65 and my English teacher was a James Clarke who showed us a picture of himself as a young university student in Cambridge and a young Vivien Leigh. Apparently James was at a student party and woke the next morning besides Vivien. It was, he said, his first experience with a woman. Might well have been his last, to boot. I never knew she was born in Darjeeling.
Cheers
June 19th, 2009 at 4:46 am
@Andrew, that’s funny…her connection to the school always interested me, I grew up watching her movies.
@Josh, that’s sad to hear.
June 23rd, 2009 at 2:09 am
Hey.. somebody plz say something about Alu Bari and PonyStand too…
and the Long Bell… 
and about the PDs… yeah! it was THE YEARS.. i left St.Paul’s in 97. Clive house, Lions and Cottonfield dorm.
July 1st, 2009 at 1:58 pm
02-03 tenzing
04-06 cable
07-08 hasting
icse batch of ’09
sps…what an incredible 7 years..its been mere months since i left sps to shift to england and i’ve alrady started missing the place. the way we got freaked out in the cotton hall bogs or in johnson wall..the way our hearts beat while bunking down to geroges and corners..the way we got conked out running down the chapel slpoes during PD..the way you suddenly feel energetic (even tho you were tired) when you heard the long bell for sunshine holiday..the list goes on and on..
just want everyone to know that theres no better place than sps..school-life in uk is just not the same.
cheers
MONITI MELIORA SEQUAMUR.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
St. Pauls School will always be a palce of respect and honor for me, as it’s my LOVE’S school.
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:13 am
Only two years in SPS…but the best two years of my life…..bonded with the best of friends…met the best of teachers and made a lifetime of memories !!….
how i CRAVE to go back there…it’s just like my friend Dorje “Anda” Gurung once said….
“It’s funny how when we we were back in school,we longed for sunshine holidays and now that it’s all over,we wanna go back.”
it was all good back then….late risings…bunking down to Jordan’s and Corner’s….all the sports seasons…marathon…rooting for our team when rival schools competed against us…..annual pillow fight….GHD….House Concerts….Late Night Alu Parathas…..Man,the list goes on……
to put it short,all i wanna say is that…..I Love St.Paul’s and i owe everything i have ever become,to this glorious institution of learning…may the Paulites shine this day and for evermore……
-Yonten Gurung
Clive House
2007/09
August 27th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
i dont know but i still miss st pauls. i was in everest and westcott house and now i am studying in the doon school’ dehradun. i specially remember marathon and bunking.
moniti meliora sequamor!
August 31st, 2009 at 10:05 am
u knoe u’re a PAULITE wen:
- You preferred to eat out at Jordans and Corner’s instead of the school canteen.
- You knew that the school basketball team is always moreover like a hostel team.
- You joined the School Teams just to visit various places.
- You know the complete lyrics of the song “Showers of Blessing”.
- You didn’t participate in the sports day but still hoped to get a medal from friends.
- You thought ‘Tinkle’ was the best comic available in the world.
- You have been a victim of Mr. Pande’s punches.
- You can communicate in the Shakespearian Language, i.e thou,thy,etc
- You have watched the movie MAIN HOON NA which was shot at our school.
- You dont know Mr.D.Pradhan’s personal theory of length and depth.
- You knew the school ended at 1:40 pm.
- You have visited the school Chapel before the exams just for the sake of passing.
- You kept complaining about the Hostel but still got admitted every following year.
- You have bunked march past practices at least once.
- You are familiar with four names, i.e ;LAWRENCE,HASTINGS,HAVELOCK,CLIVE.
- You favourite class was Maths
- Your love story started in the borders of the MH fence and ended in the same fence.
- You being a Nepali could’nt still read and write porperly in Nepali.
- Your excuse for leave was always Diarrahoea or Headache.
- You know the secrets of minimizing the pain from the caning in the ass and hands.
- You scribbled the word ur gal’s on your book,desk,etc .
- You cursed yourself for having not studied only after you came out of the examination hall.
- You scribbled about your existence on every desk you placed your ass on.
- You had at least one nickname.
- You wore loose fitting clothes and party shoes because that meant being cool.
- You knew tomorrow would be a school holiday, if somebody from the school died today.
- You are still scared of dat hauntin experience u had in da cotton hall toilet.
- You have your contributions to one of the scribblings and drawings in school walls.
- Lastly,though you hated your stay in SPS,today you die to go back there………..
ONCE A PAULITE…..ALWAIZ A PAULITE
October 14th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Guys, if you’re missing school why don’t you join us at http://www.oldpaulites.in We currently have 300 members, so I’m sure you’ll find some old friends there! Registration is required but it’s a simple enough process. Look forward to seeing you there!
Tony
October 15th, 2009 at 4:47 am
@Tony, just figured that that’s Zubin’s old site that you have ported across. Did you guys move all the existing accounts as well or does one have to re-sign up even if one was registered while it was on Zubin’s site?
There’s also a fairly active facebook group for those OP’s who may be interested here; http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2257643760
October 16th, 2009 at 2:40 am
Dear Sir or Madam,
I need the E-mail and Contact address of St. Pauls School in Darjeeling for admission of my son. I need more E-mail and contact detail for other schools in Darjeeling too.
Thanks and regards.
Syed
E-mail: syed.bd@gmail.com
October 16th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Dtd : Oct 17, 2009
Dear sir/Madam,
Found your e-mail id from web site. Anyway, my son & my daughter wants to take admission in class two/eight respectively in your reputed academy.
So could you pls infm me detail info regarding admissions.
Fyi !! we are living in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Awating for your kind response by rtn mail.
Thanks & best regards
Kamrul Hassan.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:36 am
@Kamrul & Syed: this is not the official St. Pauls School website, here is the link to the official school website: http://www.spsdarjeeling.com/
December 3rd, 2009 at 8:10 am
best article I read about this yet!
February 11th, 2010 at 4:33 am
Respected Sir,
I am shatrughan roy from delhi can you provide me a contact no of Sir SUBIR ROY AND SIKHA ROY.
I will be very thankful to you if do the same
THANKS & REGARDS
SHATRUGHAN ROY
(SH. LAKHAN ROY)
April 22nd, 2010 at 12:16 pm
i have studied at saint paul’s for 5 yrs.
it is the best thing that has happnd in my life..
din wnt to leve the school but thats the way it had to happen….
Jst lyk Mr. J. Singh says, ”In our times…”
i would only say, ”those were the days”
It is indeed the best school in the world…..
June 23rd, 2010 at 3:24 am
who knows the son of Sita featured in the BBC series?
July 12th, 2010 at 8:54 am
hi guys , i rahul haque who had left the school and now who is very alone sorry to say but my friends i had studied for few years and i will never forget the love the respect and every thing which i had got from my school thanks to every teachers and my friends . s.t.pauls rocks . upward the old school calls st pauls st pauls st pauls ST.PAULS’.