School celebrates 170th anniv, plans college, new campus
Times of India | 30 November 2025
Kolkata: Calcutta Girls' High School, founded in 1856 under the patronage of Lord Canning, the then Governor General of India, marked the 170th year of its journey in empowering women with education at an event held at Prinsep Memorial Ground on Saturday evening. The celebration, which brought together students, teachers, and alumni from different corners, was described by the school authority as "a tribute to the past, a celebration of the present, and a promise to the future".
The institution, affiliated to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, looks forward to opening new chapters before completing two centuries. Basanti Biswas, principal and secretary, said they would open their upcoming branch at Pailan by 2027.
"The land has been purchased. Initially, we will start the new school with the primary section and gradually extend classes to the secondary level. Given the rise in number of students, we have decided to come up with a new building on our existing campus. We will also start a degree college for humanities and commerce for women in Asansol. We have a branch in Jharkhand where we are contemplating opening a hostel. All our upcoming projects have been drawn up in keeping with our goal for women empowerment," said Biswas.
Twenty-one years after its foundation, the management of the school was handed over to Bishop J M Thoburn of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Now, the school, managed by the Methodist Church in India, functions under the supervision of the Calcutta Christian School Society. It has around 2,000 students and 64 teachers.
The evening evoked nostalgia among the alumni as many of them witnessed the transformation that took place in the past few decades. Some of them are also working as teachers in the school.
Bipasha Roychowdhury, who passed out from the school in 1986, said, "I took admission in 1977. When I was in class IV, I witnessed the school's 125th-year celebrations. Now as a teacher, I witnessed the 170th-year celebration." Another teacher and alumnus, Sushmi Olivia Francis, said, "I studied in the school from 1986 to 2000. Almost 20 years ago, I was a student when I witnessed our 150th-year celebration. Down the years, many changes have taken place in the school, and more are about to come."
Sudip Bandopadhyay, MP, and Reverend Bishop C Selvin, chairman of the school, were among the dignitaries present. Bandyopadhyay said, "The results of schools like Calcutta Boys and Calcutta Girls have improved. I wish Calcutta Girls' High School success in the years to come."