St. Xavier's Collegiate School
Encyclopedia
St. Xavier's Collegiate School was established in 1860 in Kolkata
, India
by missionaries of the Society of Jesus
. The school is named after St. Francis Xavier. The School, whose alumni range from the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore
to the former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly
, is widely regarded as one of India's most prestigious institutions, and has been described by the British writer Dennison Berwick
as the "Harrow on the Hooghly".. In 2010, St Xavier's completed 150 years.
There are two school buildings separated by a street, one for the Primary School (grades K - 5) and the other for the Secondary School (grades 6 - 12). The secondary school building shares the campus with the St. Xavier's College
building and one of the college hostels. The two institutions were established by the same Christian order, but have independent administrations.
boys. However, it has long admitted students of any religious belief. In fact, most classes (with the exception of Kindergarten) are made up of primarily non-Christian students.
" (which conducts the ICSE
and ISC
exams in grades, i.e. classes 10 and 12 respectively) as well as the "West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
" (which holds the Madhyamik
exams after grade 10). The students are given a choice of following either board up to standard 10 but must follow the Indian Council's board for classes 11 and 12. However due to a lower number of students opting for the West Bengal board, classes are held only for ICSE board, and the ISC board for the 11th and 12th standard.
A metal badge which shows the house name and colors is worn by the students on the top left side of the shirt. The house captains and vice-captains have badges that denote their designations along with the house colors.
Footwear is black leather shoes with laces. On days when students have Physical Training in school, they wear white canvas sport shoes.
The school tie is dark blue with white slanting stripes. It is not compulsory every day but required on important events.
or Madhyamik
curriculum till class 10. In classes 11 and 12, however, they must follow the ISC
curriculum, but may choose to study either Science
(Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology/Computer Science) or Commerce
(Commerce, Accounts, Economics and Maths). An Indian Language is optional in classes 11 and 12.
Each house has a House Captain and a House Vice Captain - generally students of grades 12 and 11 respectively. Reporting to them are the House Representatives - one for each of the other grades. These executive members are selected by voting amongst the students belonging to each house.
The houses compete against each other in sports and academics. On the annual sports day, the winning house is declared on the basis of points earned by its students throughout the year.
The Debate Club has several notable victories to its credit. Shourya Dasgupta, a student of Class X was adjudged the Best Speaker of the Frank Anthony Memorial Debate National Finals of 2011( organised by the ICSE council). Dasgupta has previously won the regional rounds of this competition, in addition to winning the St.Lawrence Old Boy's Association Debate, along with Mayukh Bhadra Choudhury.
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
by missionaries of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
. The school is named after St. Francis Xavier. The School, whose alumni range from the Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
to the former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly
Sourav Chandidas Ganguly is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Born into an affluent family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. He started his...
, is widely regarded as one of India's most prestigious institutions, and has been described by the British writer Dennison Berwick
Dennison Berwick
Dennison Berwick is a travel writer. Educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond, he emigrated to Canada in 1980...
as the "Harrow on the Hooghly".. In 2010, St Xavier's completed 150 years.
There are two school buildings separated by a street, one for the Primary School (grades K - 5) and the other for the Secondary School (grades 6 - 12). The secondary school building shares the campus with the St. Xavier's College
St. Xavier's College, Calcutta
St. Xavier's College is located in Kolkata, India, and is named after St. Francis Xavier, a Jesuit saint of the 16th century, who travelled to India. It is an autonomous college affiliated to the University of Calcutta. It gained autonomy in July 2006, thus becoming the first autonomous college of...
building and one of the college hostels. The two institutions were established by the same Christian order, but have independent administrations.
Religious affiliation
The school was established for the education of CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
boys. However, it has long admitted students of any religious belief. In fact, most classes (with the exception of Kindergarten) are made up of primarily non-Christian students.
Academic affiliation
The school is affiliated to the "Council for the Indian School Certificate ExaminationsCouncil for the Indian School Certificate Examinations
The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations is a private, non-governmental board of school education in India. It conducts two examinations in India: the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and the Indian School Certificate...
" (which conducts the ICSE
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...
and ISC
Indian School Certificate
The Indian School Certificate is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations for Grade 11, i.e., year 11, until 1976....
exams in grades, i.e. classes 10 and 12 respectively) as well as the "West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
West Bengal Board of Secondary Education
The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education is the West Bengal state government administered autonomous examining authority for the Standard 10 examination of West Bengal, India. The examination for the 10th standard is called the Madhyamik Pariksha or secondary examination...
" (which holds the Madhyamik
Madhyamik
Madhyamik is a centralised examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education at the end of 10th standard of school. It is the most popular 10th standard examination in India. More than 7,50,000 students took the exam in 2006 and the number increases substantially every year....
exams after grade 10). The students are given a choice of following either board up to standard 10 but must follow the Indian Council's board for classes 11 and 12. However due to a lower number of students opting for the West Bengal board, classes are held only for ICSE board, and the ISC board for the 11th and 12th standard.
School session
The school session is from April to March. Saturday is the normal weekly holiday (in addition to Sunday).Uniform
The primary school uniform is dark grey shorts and white shirt while secondary school students wear white shorts/trousers with white shirt. A colored monogram on the shirt pocket has been introduced from April 2011. During winter months a dark blue pullover is permitted in both schools. Secondary school students also have the option of wearing a blue blazer.A metal badge which shows the house name and colors is worn by the students on the top left side of the shirt. The house captains and vice-captains have badges that denote their designations along with the house colors.
Footwear is black leather shoes with laces. On days when students have Physical Training in school, they wear white canvas sport shoes.
The school tie is dark blue with white slanting stripes. It is not compulsory every day but required on important events.
Curriculum
Students may choose to follow either the ICSEIndian Certificate of Secondary Education
The Indian Certificate of Secondary Education or ICSE examination is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, a private, non-governmental board of school education in India, for class 10, i.e., grade 10...
or Madhyamik
Madhyamik
Madhyamik is a centralised examination conducted by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education at the end of 10th standard of school. It is the most popular 10th standard examination in India. More than 7,50,000 students took the exam in 2006 and the number increases substantially every year....
curriculum till class 10. In classes 11 and 12, however, they must follow the ISC
Indian School Certificate
The Indian School Certificate is an examination conducted by the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations for Grade 11, i.e., year 11, until 1976....
curriculum, but may choose to study either Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
(Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Biology/Computer Science) or Commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
(Commerce, Accounts, Economics and Maths). An Indian Language is optional in classes 11 and 12.
House system
The secondary school students are grouped into four houses named after Jesuit saints. These are:- Britto House (red), named after Saint John de Brito
- Gonzaga House (green), named after Saint Aloysius Gonzaga
- Loyola House (blue), named after Saint Ignatius Loyola
- Berchmans House (yellow), named after Saint John Berchmans
Each house has a House Captain and a House Vice Captain - generally students of grades 12 and 11 respectively. Reporting to them are the House Representatives - one for each of the other grades. These executive members are selected by voting amongst the students belonging to each house.
The houses compete against each other in sports and academics. On the annual sports day, the winning house is declared on the basis of points earned by its students throughout the year.
Other clubs
The school also has many active clubs, which are aimed at building leadership qualities in the students at the school level. The clubs comprise- Computer Club
- The Nature Club
- Sansriti (The Bengali Cultural Club)
- LTS (Leadership Training Service)
- CLC (Christian Life Community)
- The Debate Club
- Film Club
The Debate Club has several notable victories to its credit. Shourya Dasgupta, a student of Class X was adjudged the Best Speaker of the Frank Anthony Memorial Debate National Finals of 2011( organised by the ICSE council). Dasgupta has previously won the regional rounds of this competition, in addition to winning the St.Lawrence Old Boy's Association Debate, along with Mayukh Bhadra Choudhury.
Notable alumni
- Jyoti BasuJyoti BasuJyoti Basu was an Indian politician belonging to the Communist Party of India from West Bengal, India. He served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1977 to 2000, making him the longest-serving Chief Minister of any Indian state. Basu was a member of the CPI Politburo from the time of the...
, former Chief Minister of West Bengal - Kaushik BasuKaushik BasuKaushik Basu is an Indian economist who is currently the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India and is also the C...
, Chief Economic Adviser, Govt. of India - Sir Jagdish Chandra BoseJagdish Chandra BoseAcharya Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, CSI, CIE, FRS was a Bengali polymath: a physicist, biologist, botanist, archaeologist, as well as an early writer of science fiction...
, scientist - Aditya Vikram BirlaAditya Vikram BirlaAditya Vikram Birla , was an Indian industrialist. Born into one of the largest business families of India, Birla oversaw the diversification of his group into textiles, petrochemicals and telecommunications. He was one of the first Indian industrialists to expand abroad, setting up plants in...
, industrialist - Vijay MallyaVijay MallyaVijay Mallya is an Indian liquor and airline baron. The son of industrialist Vittal Mallya, he is the chairman of the United Breweries Group and Kingfisher Airlines. His United Spirits is world's second largest liquor maker, by volume...
, industrialist - R. D. Burman, film score composer
- Sugato ChakravartySugato ChakravartySugato Chakravarty is a Professor and the Head of the department of Consumer Sciences and Retailing at Purdue University. He serves as Associate Editor of the Journal of Financial Markets....
, financial economist, Professor of Consumer Economics, Purdue UniversityPurdue UniversityPurdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and... - Tarun Das, President- Aspen Institute India and Former Chief Mentor, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)
- Barun DeBarun DeBarun De is an Indian historian whose main area of research is Modern India. He has specialised in the social and economic history of India in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Bengal Renaissance, and British constitutional history.-Background:He was born in a Brahmo family of Calcutta...
, historian; Chairman, West Bengal Heritage Commission, Calcutta - Utpal DuttUtpal DuttUtpal Dutt was an Indian actor, director, and writer-playwright. He was primarily an actor in Bengali Theatre, where he became a pioneering figure in Modern Indian theatre, when he founded the 'Little Theater Group' in 1947, which enacted many English, Shakespearean and Brecht plays, in a period...
, actor - Sourav GangulySourav GangulySourav Chandidas Ganguly is a former Indian cricketer, and captain of the Indian national team. Born into an affluent family, Ganguly was introduced into the world of cricket by his elder brother Snehasish. He is regarded as one of India's most successful captains in modern times. He started his...
, former Indian Cricket Captain - Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, co-founders of Lexulous
- Sanjiv Goenka, industrialist
- Dipankar P Gupta, former Solicitor General of India
- Raj KapoorRaj KapoorKnown as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
, Bollywood Actor - Dilshad KhanDilshad KhanDilshad Khan is a Bengali Hindustani classical singer of the Patiala Gharana.-Early life and background:Dilshad Khan was born in Kolkata, and studied at St. Xavier's Collegiate School, Kolkata, where future music composer R. D. Burman was his classmate.He started learning tabla at the age of four,...
, Hindustani classical singer - P. LalP. LalPurushottama Lal was an Indian poet, essayist, translator, professor and publisher. He was the founder and publisher of Writers Workshop in Calcutta, established in 1958.-Life and education:...
, litterateur - Norman PritchardNorman PritchardNorman Gilbert Pritchard was an athlete from India who went on to star in Hollywood and Broadway...
, Indian athlete of British descent, first Indian to win an Olympic Medal. - Derek O' BrienDerek O'Brien (quizmaster)Derek O'Brien is an Indian television personality and Member of Parliament. He hosts one of the longest-running game show on Indian television, Bournvita Quiz Contest.- Early life and career :...
, Barry O'Brien and Neil O' Brien, Quizmasters - Siddhartha Shankar RaySiddhartha Shankar RaySiddhartha Shankar Ray was an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress. He was a prominent barrister, Punjab Governor and Education minister of India...
, barrister, former Chief Minister of West Bengal and former Indian Ambassador to the US - General Shankar RoychoudhuryShankar RoychowdhuryGeneral Shankar Roychowdhury served as 18th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army from 22 November 1994 to 30 September 1997.An alumnus of St...
, Former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian ArmyChief of Army Staff of the Indian ArmyThe Chief of the Army Staff is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army. The position is abbreviated as COAS in Indian Army cables and communication.... - Sanjeev SanyalSanjeev Sanyal-Profile:Sanjeev Sanyal is an Indian economist, environmentalist and urban theorist. He is Deutsche Bank's Global Strategist and was named "Young Global Leader 2010" by the World Economic Forum at Davos. He is also the author of the best selling book "The Indian Renaissance: India's Rise after a...
, economist and environmentalist. - Huseyn Shaheed SuhrawardyHuseyn Shaheed SuhrawardyHuseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy was a Pakistani-Bengali politician and statesman who served as 5th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1956 till 1957, and a close associate of Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Liaquat Ali Khan, first Prime minister of Pakistan...
, former Prime Minister of PakistanPrime Minister of PakistanThe Prime Minister of Pakistan , is the Head of Government of Pakistan who is designated to exercise as the country's Chief Executive. By the Constitution of Pakistan, Pakistan has the parliamentary democratic system of government... - Rabindranath TagoreRabindranath TagoreRabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
, writer and Nobel laureate, 1875 - Satyendranath TagoreSatyendranath TagoreSatyendranath Tagore was the first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service. He was an author, song composer, linguist and made significant contribution towards the emancipation of women in Indian society during the British Raj.-Formative years:...
, first Indian to join the Indian Civil Service, elder brother of Rabindranath - Shashi TharoorShashi TharoorShashi Tharoor is an Indian politician and a Member of Parliament from the Thiruvananthapuram constituency in Kerala...
, former UN undersecretary and former External Affairs minister - Majnoo Halaal,merciless butcher at park circus meat shop
- Tommy Sharif,biggest Gandu gunda in Kolkata