Satyajit, Ritwik, RD Burman’s school steps into 100th year
Times of India | 4 January 2026
Kolkata: The school that served as the alma mater of doyens, like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Shambhu Mitra and RD Burman, stepped into its centenary year on Saturday.
Ballygunge Govt High School took out a colourful procession on the 99th Foundation Day to unveil the year-long celebration that will end on Jan 3, 2027, when the school completes 100 years. Actor Rajatava Dutta from the 1983 batch was in the procession. "This morning took me back to my childhood days. My first performance was at a school play. Here, I met a very old friend and missed many who couldn't make it or are no longer among us. My teacher, Benimadhab Babu, walked with us, as did my acting mentor, Soumitra Basu. I had classes with Moon Moon Sen in classes 4 and 5 and later, acted with her. Many memories flood the mind," he said.
The list of illustrious alumni includes Padma Shri awardee nuclear scientist Sekhar Basu, Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology VC Dipankar Banerjee, economist Sukhamoy Chakravarty and historians Parthasarathi Gupta and Rajat Kanta Ray.
The school was inaugurated by Lord Lytton, then Bengal governor and CU chancellor, on Jan 3, 1927. The same day, the institute got CU approval that helped establish it as a key centre for secondary education.
Officials at the school and old-timers said the centenary gave them an occasion to recall the school's history. Back in 1908, David Hare Training College was set up at Albert Hall, 115 College Street, to provide structured teacher training. As the college expanded, space constraints at the leased premises became a major hurdle. M E Griffith, the first principal at the college, proposed relocating it, a plan supported by H R James, then Presidency College principal and director of public instructions. The proposal included creating a model training school to serve as a practical teaching ground.
The initiative faced delays after Griffith's transfer in 1915, but gained momentum after Sadler Commission came into being in 1917. Asutosh Mookerjee, a member of the commission, helped advance the plan to establish the training college and a linked school in south Kolkata. Despite setbacks after his death in 1924, the project was completed by 1926-end, with the college built at 21, Pramathesh Barua Sarani and the school at 38/2, Naresh Mitra Sarani.
Assistant master-in-charge at school Ranjit Garang said, "The institute aims to carry forward a blend of an evolving curriculum, modern educational philosophy and century-old traditions."
Former Bengal home secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy from the 1965 batch said he had joined the school in 1955. "I had a strong bond with the school as my two uncles were former students and Manik Da was my cousin. I am attached to the alumni association, and we told the assistant headmaster that we are always there to support our alma mater," he said.
Satyajit Ray's son Sandip Ray said his father's love for his school was evident from the drawings of the school building in his book, ‘Jakhan Chhoto Chhilam'. "The school often held events featuring him, and I attended them. It's truly a joyous occasion that the school is stepping into its 100th year," he said.