Hindu School
Situated in the heart of the city of Kolkata (Calcutta) – the cultural capital of India – opposite Presidency College, amidst College Square, Sanskrit College, Coffee House and Calcutta University, Hindu School is reputed to be one of the oldest and leading institutions for education in India. It was established in 1817 by stalwart educationalists like Maharaja Radhakanta Deb, David Hare, Diwan Baidya Nath Mukherjee and others in a visionary and ahead-of-era intention to impart modern education to the young students in European and Oriental subjects.
Prior to the advent of the British in India, the indigenous primary schools of Bengal taught very little beyond Bangla, simple Arithmetic and Sanskrit .The tols (local small schools run by individuals) imparted lessons in advanced Sanskrit, grammar and literature, theology, logic and metaphysics. This was not enough to satisfy the aspiration of the enlightened Indians like Raja Rammohun Roy, who felt that the process would only “load the minds of youths with grammatical niceties and metaphysical distinctions” without having any practical use. The necessity of learning English was also keenly felt by people who had to carry on a constant interaction with the British businessmen.
