History

Hooghly Branch Govt School is one of the oldest and prestigious institutions of our country. In 1814, Robert May of London Missionary Society set up a primary school in Chinsurah. Later, after his death, the school lost relevance due to the lack of interest of the clergymen. On request of the missionaries ,the then District Judge D.C. Smith took responsibility of the school and in the year 1834 the school started its journey as a ‘zamindar school’ or ‘subscription school’ getting donations from Raja Mahatab Chandra Bahadur of Burdwan, Jaykrishna Mukhopadhyay, the landlord of Uttarpara, and Dwarkanath Thakur who is notable for making substantial contributions to the Bengal Renaissance. As per Hooghly Gazetteers, this school was the first English medium school in Bengal outside Kolkata. The school formally started functioning on the ninth day of July, 1836. On August 1, Hooghly College was founded. On December 4, 1837 the school became a part of Hooghly College and thereafter came to be known as Hooghly Branch Govt School. The madrasa linked to Hooghly Imambara too merged with this school. In 1902 the school dissociated itself from Mahsin College, went under the administration of the Inspector of Schools and became a model school.

In 1834, eminent educationist Ishan Chandra Bandyopadhyay became the school’s first Headmaster. Later, when the school came to be known as Hooghly Branch School, Parbati Charan Sarkar , a scholarly alumnus of Hindu College, became the Headmaster.

As per records, when the school officially started its journey on July 9, 1836, there were two teachers and five students. Later, when it came to be known as Branch School it had 227 students and in the very next year, the number of pupils increased to 364. Now, the almost two-century-old higher secondary boys school has more than 1200 students and 42 teachers.