South Point School (India)

Coordinates: 22°31′33″N 88°22′12″E / 22.52583°N 88.37000°E / 22.52583; 88.37000

South Point Group of Schools, Kolkata

Courage to Know
Address

Education Society -
Regd. Office: Birla Building, 9/1 R. N. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata - 700001
Branch Office: 16 Mandeville Gardens, Kolkata - 700019


82/7A Ballygunge Place
Kolkata - 700019 West Bengal, India. (High School)[1]
Information
Type Private school
Established 1 April 1954
Founder Satikanta Guha
Director Dr. Madhu Kohli (Junior school)
Principal Dalbir Kaur Chadda (Junior school)
Principal Rupa Sanyal Bhattacharjee (High School)
Faculty 300 (Junior school)
275 (High school)[2]
Teaching staff 150 (Junior school)
175 (High school)[2]
Grades Nursery I to V (Junior school)
VI to XII
Number of students 13,500[3]
Colour(s)      Navy blue
     Gold
     White
Publication Nursery books, song books and CDs[4](Junior school),
Write Now (High school wall magazine)
Pointer (School magazine)
Affiliation WBBSE & WBCHSE, CBSE
Website http://southpoint.edu.in/

South Point School also known as SPS along with South Point High School also known as SPHS together constitute the South Point group of schools. It is Kolkata's first coeducational school.[5][6] The school opened in the year, 1954 and introduced higher secondary level in 1960. The school split into two buildings with the high school shifting to Ballygunge Place in 1980.[7]

South Point group of schools, consisting of the junior and senior divisions, made an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records[8] as the largest educational institute in the world in 1984 till 1992. The existing South Point school in Kolkata of the M.P. Birla Group, which was, till recently, managed by R. S. Lodha, has around 13,500 regular students on its rolls, and is reported to be the second-largest school in the world.[9] The EducationWorld - IMRB International Survey ranked South Point High School at fourth in their 2007 list of India's most respected schools.[7][10]

The school currently operates out of Mandeville Gardens, where the junior wing is housed, and Ballygunge Place, the address for the high school, in the same neighbourhood. However it will be shifting from its current premises once its new campus in Mukundapur, behind the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute is ready.

The school offers education in English medium with Bengali and Hindi taught as vernaculars. Other subjects are taught as per the norms of the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education.

History

On 1 April 1954, Shri Satikanta Guha founded South Point School at 16 Mandeville Gardens in south Kolkata with Smt. Prityalata Guha as the associate founder. It began with twenty students. The school is run by the South Point Education Society. It is English medium and co-educational.

South Point High School was the first co-educational school in the city, to be affiliated to the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. It sent out its first School Final batch in 1958. Upgraded to the Higher Secondary level on 1 April 1960, the High School shifted to its present home at 82/7A Ballygunge Place on 8 April 1970. South Point has a place in the Guinness Book of Records (1984-1992) as the world’s largest school.

It now has 13,500 students, 325 teachers and 225 non-teaching staff-members. The school has Nursery, Transition and Classes I to V. Students then study in South Point High School from Classes VI to X under the Central Board of Secondary Education/West Bengal Board of Secondary Education. Thereafter, a majority of Pointers continue their studies in Classes XI and XII, under the Central Board of Secondary Education/West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education.


The EducationWorld-IMRB International Survey (August 2007) which evaluated 250 schools in India and developed a league table ranking them shows South Point High School at the fourth position in the top ten list of India’s Most Respected Schools, with an average score of 7.80.

Campuses

South Point School at Mandeville Gardens Kolkata

The school is divided into two campuses located close by:

Classes between nursery and class five are taught in the junior section, while classes between six and twelve are conducted at the high school campus.

Having started with only 20 children, the school has 13,500 students in up to 15 sections divided between morning and afternoon sessions for every standard. It has 405 teachers, and 245 members of non-teaching staff. South Point held the record for being the world’s largest school from 1984 to 1994 according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The Bengali film and theater actor, Utpal Dutta was, at one time during his long career, a teacher of the English language at SPS. The quiz-master, Barry O'Brien was in charge as assistant principal of South Point High School for seven years and also taught English.[11]

However, timings vary with the respective classes. For example, the primary school gives over at around a quarter to five, but classes end in the high school only at a half past five.

School emblem, motto, song and prayer

The school motto is Courage to Know, as illustrated in the school's emblem. The emblem itself is that of a Paloma, symbolising the holy spirit. This is printed on all school shirts, sweaters, blazers, laboratory coats, Physical Education and athletic uniforms as well as school satchels, note book covers and other articles.

We'll never stop, Pointers one and all
We have work at hand, and that is our call
We will never turn away from those in need
We'll help everyone, that is our creed.
We are the Pointers, ready to grow
We are the Pointers, with "Courage to Know"
We are the Pointers, challenges we'll face
We'll make our mark in the human race.

Dear God,
Thank you for everything;
Bless me and help me to be good,
And to do my studies well.

The two songs of South Point

Sharing:

Sharing, If we would all keep sharing,
Sharing all the things we have
Oh! What joy, what peace
And contentment, if we would
Keep sharing all we have

Our god bids us shine:

Our god bids us shine with a pure clear light,
Like a little candle burning in the night;
In this world of darkness so we must shine,
You in your small corner and I in mine!

Our God bids us shine,
First of all for him;
When he sees and knows it if our lights grow dim,
He looks down from heaven, to see us shine,
You in your small corner and I in mine!

School events

The school magazine, "Ascent" is published bienially by the South Point Education Society. Poems, articles and paintings of students of all classes are published in it.

The newsletter of the school is called the "Pointer", which contains news of developments, picnics, and records of alumni.

This is a three-day arts fair that is held every year in mid December. All students are encouraged to take part and contribute their works for public display. It is not only limited to arts, but also houses projects by the students on all subjects.

The Annual Prize Distribution takes place every year at the Science City Auditorium on 4 July. An exception was made in 2012, when the ceremony was held at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. Students of all classes securing the first ten ranks and the highest scorers in subjects receive the awards. The school also recognises pupils who have shown talent in spheres apart from the school curriculum. The MP Birla Smarak Kosh provides scholarships and recognition to deserving pupils. Among these, the all-rounder award (founder's medal), the Braveheart Award and Special Talent Award deserve special mention. There is also the Puja Utkarsh Samman, awarded to the clubs with the best idol, pandal and ambience respectively in the durga pujas the previous year, as judged by a team of student judges from class IX and XI. This is followed by cultural programmes put up by the junior and the high schools students. Mostly, these are musicals or plays, each based on a different theme every year.

The school organises trips and sports events. An athletic meet is held every two years in winter. The athletic meet and art exhibition occur alternately.

Independence day is celebrated every year on 15 August in the school premises and so is the school's foundation day on 1 April. Christmas, Teacher's Day, Children's Day and Saraswati Puja are also celebrated.

School calendar

Summer and Durga Puja vacations are about a month each and are in May–June and September–October, respectively. Winter recess is in the last week of December, just after the three day annual arts and crafts exhibition in mid December.

Uniform

Students in Nursery classes are allowed to come to school in colored dresses, and the uniforms are very similar from Classes I to VIII, barring a few subtle modifications. The uniforms, however, are drastically different in for the Secondary and Higher Secondary sections, each of which has its own uniform.

White shirts with blue stripes and the school emblem on the pocket, navy blue pants and a black school shoe. An navy blue tie with the school emblem and sweater or blazer is additional for winter.

For junior school students the shirt collar is blue.

Special uniforms in white and a house color are worn for P.E. and special events.

The houses and their colors are:

For the students of classes 9 and 10, the shirt is white with wide dark blue pin stripes and the emblem on the pocket. For the students of classes 11 and 12, the shirt is again a white one with thin navy blue pin stripes and the emblem on the pocket.

Notable alumni

Acdemia and education

Public administration and politics

Scientists

Physicians and social workers

Business and finance

Film and entertainment

Literature and Journalism

Sports

References

  1. ↑ "Contact Us". South Point School. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Faculty". South Point School. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  3. ↑ "Welcome". South Point School. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  4. ↑ "Nursery Books" (PDF). South Point School. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  5. ↑ "Kolkata Schools". Coaching Indians. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
  6. ↑ Dey, Anurag. "In twilight years, gift of love to teachers". The Tribune. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  7. 1 2 "History". South Point Education Society. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  8. ↑ "Recalling an old school - An institution with little rooted identity". The Telegraph. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  9. ↑ "Group Philanthropic Activities - Educational Activities". Birla Co-operation Limited. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  10. ↑ Thakore, Dilip (August 2007). "India's most respected schools". EducationWorld-IMRB International Survey. Retrieved 10 April 2012.
  11. ↑ "after which he took charge as assistant principal of South Point high school for seven years". Times of India.
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