| Bombay Scottish School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | |
 | |
Veer Savarkar Marg(Mahim) 400016 | |
| Coordinates | 19°2′2.5″N72°50′21″E / 19.034028°N 72.83917°E /19.034028; 72.83917 |
| Information | |
| Type | Private school |
| Motto | Perseverentia et fide in Deo (Perseverance and faith in God) |
| Religious affiliation | Christianity |
| Founded | 18 February 1847; 178 years ago (1847-02-18)[3] |
| Status | open |
| School board | ICSE and ISC |
| Authority | Bombay Scottish Orphanage Society |
| Principal | Sunita George |
| Teaching staff | 120[2] |
| Age range | 3 - 17 |
| Number of students | 3113[2] |
| Average class size | 38 |
| Student to teacher ratio | 27:1[2] |
| Education system | Coeducational |
| Classes offered | Junior Kindergarten–12th[1] |
| Language | English |
| Hours in school day | approximately 8 - 8.5 hours |
| Classrooms | 78 |
| Campus size | approximately 2 acres (8,100 m2) |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Houses | Blue, Green, Red, Yellow |
| Nickname | Scottish, BSS |
| National ranking | 1723829 |
| Publication | Tartan, the Scottish Herald |
| School fees | ₹90,000 to 1,05,000 |
| Affiliation | Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations[1] |
| Founder's day | 18 February[4] |
| School magazine | Tartan,The Scottish Herald[1] |
| Website | www.bombayscottish.in/mahim |
The Bombay Scottish School, Mahim, popularly known asScottish, is a private,Christianco-educationalday school located atMahim West inMumbai, India. The institution was established in 1847 by Scottish Christianmissionaries under the nameScottish Female Orphanage.Bombay Scottish School, Powai is an affiliate of this institution.
The school caters to pupils fromjunior kindergarten up to class 12 and the medium of instruction is English. The school is affiliated with theCouncil for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi, which conducts theICSE examinations at the close of class 10 and theISC examinations at the close of class 12. The school has been among the top 10 schools in India for the past few decades.[5]
The institution was founded in 1847 atByculla inBombay,British India by a small group of Scottish missionaries as theScottish Female Orphanage. Theorphanage was set up to educate the daughters of Scottish Presbyterian soldiers and Indian navy seamen. The success of theScottish Female Orphanage led to the establishment of a similar institution for boys known as theOrphanage for the Sons of Presbyterians in 1857. In 1859, theScottish Female Orphanage and theOrphanage for the Sons of Presbyterians were merged to formThe Bombay Presbyterian Male and Female Orphanage. In 1863, the name of the institution was altered to theBombay Scottish Orphanage.[3] On 18 February 1867, the first general meeting of subscribers to theBombay Scottish Orphanage Trust was held.[6]The institution acquired a large plot of land adjacent to the Mahim Bay. Here a boarding school was built to impart education on the model of British schools. The school building was designed by D. E. Gostling and J. Morris and sanctioned by the Government of Bombay on 15 July 1875. The construction of the school building was commenced on 8 December 1875 by Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse, then Governor and President in Council. The construction of theBombay Scottish Orphanage was completed on 28 February 1878 at a cost of₹ 84,015. The orphanage was opened by Sir Richard Temple Bart, then Governor and President in Council on 13 April 1878. The children were shifted from Byculla to their new accommodation in the boarding school at Mahim. The orphanage relied on the public to a considerable extent for monetary funds.[3]
When the orphanage was shut down and its 11th and 12th classes discontinued, its name was changed toThe Bombay Scottish School. In 1935, the number of students reached 100. The institution, which was intended to cater solely to the requirements of Scottish children, opened its doors to the children of English and European descent.[7] Today, the school is open to children from all communities. The school has a sister concern inPowai, Mumbai which was established in 1997.[6]
The school follows theIndian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) syllabus prescribed by theCouncil for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, New Delhi. English is the medium of instruction.Hindi and French are taught as second languages. English and Hindi are taught from class 1.Marathi, the regional language is taught as a third language and is compulsory from class 1 up to class 7.[8]
Candidates for the ICSE examination need to finish satisfactorily courses in a third language (Marathi), Art and Craft, Physical Education, Moral Education,Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW). These are evaluated internally by the school and the results contribute towards the award of the ICSE pass certificate. Field trips, camps and social service visits are organised regularly.[9]
The school flag features the whiteCross of St. Andrew against a blue background.St. Andrew is the patron saint ofScotland. The flag is flown during ceremonial occasions. The school shield represents the Cross of St. Andrew. The whiteCrux decussata (cross) quarters the shield into four segments each representing a house colour denoted by theFleur-de-lis, the Castle, theLion and thePalm tree.[10]
The school's motto is 'Perseverantia et fide in Deo',Latin for 'Perseverance and faith in God'.[11]
Bombay Scottish imparts Christian values to its students. A Christmas concert is held every December and is a three-day event. Inter-house competitions are held in cultural activities such as drama and elocution and sports such as football, throw ball, and basketball. An annual survey conducted by theOutlook magazine in 2002 ranked the school at top position in the Mumbai region.[12]
The institution has had fourteen heads. TheGamaliel Hall and theMacKay Hall are named after notable principals Lazarus Gamaliel and Adam MacKay. After the completion of his tenure at Mahim, Mark David went on to become the first principal of the sister school,Bombay Scottish School, Powai.
The school's principals include:[13]
| Designation | Name | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Superintendent | John Anderson | 1884–1914 |
| Superintendent | D. G. Ross | 1914–1916 |
| Superintendent | H. M. Green | 1916–1921 |
| Superintendent | Thornton Ripley | 1921–1927 |
| Superintendent/Principal | Adam MacKay | 1927–1947 |
| Principal | S. A. Badvey | 1947–1957 |
| Principal | Lazarus Gamaliel | 1957–1984 |
| Principal | A. T. Balraj | 1984–1987 |
| Principal | Mark David | 1987–1997 |
| Principal | Rev. Arun Thomas | 1997–1999 |
| Principal | D. P. N. Prasad | 1999–2009 |
| Principal | Melanie Chandrashekhar | 2009–2014 |
| Principal | Molly Paul | 2014–2019 |
| Principal | Sunita George | 2019–present |
On 11 May 2008, unidentifiedShiv Sena activists targeted the name plate of the school and blackened the word 'Bombay' written on one of the school gates withtar and replaced it with 'Mumbai'. The police was notified of the incident and a case was registered. Ironically, Shiv Sena chief,Uddhav Thackeray's sonsAditya and Tejas as well asRaj Thackeray's daughter Urvashi have all studied at Bombay Scottish School.[14][15][16]
A 40-year-old female teacher, had been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old male student on multiple occasions.The woman, who was married and also had children, has been charged under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and the Indian Penal Code. However, the accused “teacher” was not associated with the institution at the time of the incident, as she had been removed a year earlier. She was later acquitted on the grounds that the engagement was consensual in nature.[17]
bombay scottish orphanage.
