History

Our school was founded by the Great Pandit Iswarchandra Vidyasagar in 1853 in his native village Birsingha. He was greatly devoted to his parents. He sought permission from them before opening the school. They gladly approved of the proposal. Accordingly a tract of land was purchased and an Anglo Sanskrit School with a Vernacular Department attached to it was opened. It has been said that, on the day of laying foundation-stone labours were not available. So the Pandit himself with his brothers dug the earth with spade etc. The scantified land and school has been the seat of learning from the day. The name of the school, according to Government Record was “Beersingh School”. A school for girls and a night school for the boys of the labouring classes were also opened.

From a report of then Inspector of schools (South Bengal) dated 20^th May, 1859, it is seen that students were educated free and supplied with all sorts of books, slates etc, The poorer students about 30 in number were constantly boarded in his family and supplied with cloths etc and also careful medical attendance was secured for them, as if, they were so many members of the family. The number of classes in the school was six or seven. Teachers were paid from the Pandit’s private resources. The Great Pandit provided funds for maintenance of the school in his life time and such provision was also made by him in his Will dated 1875 for smooth running of the school after his death.

The school which had been in existence for more than twenty years and which had been closed for some time owing to the severe outbreak of malarial fever, was re-established in 1890 about a year and a half before the death of Vidyasagar. Vidyasagar himself named the re-established school “Bhagabati Vidyalaya” in memory of his beloved mother Bhagabati Devi. Bhagabati Vidyalaya was a free school.