Schools in Bangalore: Tried and tested

Bangalore boasts of schools that offer education par excellence. Incidentally, most of the city’s best schools are also the oldest. Set up by the Christian missionaries, these schools follow the tried-and-tested methods of education and produce bright young minds ready to take on the world in their stride.

Founded by the chaplain of St Mark's church, Bishop Cotton Boys School harks back to the days of the Raj. It was the first of its kind in this part of the world to start the house system, school sports day and the prefect system, almost at the same time as they were developed in England.

An all-boys school that offers hostel facilities as well, Bishop Cotton follows the ICSE curriculum from nursery to class X after which students can opt for the ISC curriculum (Class XII) in the Science or the Commerce stream. Spread over a huge area in the heart of the city, the school is known for its excellent infrastructure with playgrounds, classrooms, library, administrative centre, auditorium, staff rooms, dormitories for the boarders, the computer lab and the cafeteria. There are two basketball courts, two tennis courts and a swimming pool as well. The school also encourages co-curricular activities among its students.

Bishop Cotton Girls School has a 135-year-old history that dates back to the mid-nineteenth century. It is an all-girls school for boarders as well as day scholars. Founded in April 1865, it started off by sharing premises with the boy’s school and later shifted to its own campus across the road. Since then, the school has grown in strength. It now has 2800 students and a faculty of about 100 teachers.

True to its Christian heritage, the school lays emphasis on holistic education. It follows the ICSE curriculum upto class X, after which students can opt for the Commerce, Arts or Science stream in ISC (class XII).

Established by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1880, Baldwin Boys is an all-boys secondary school, and follows the ICSE syllabus. Although its standard has declined in recent years, it has an impressive alumni list that includes the likes of musician Sandeep Chowta and playwright Mahesh Dattani.

The sister concern of Baldwin Boys School, Baldwin Girls High School is an all-girls school from nursery to class X and follows the ICSE curriculum. The school is equipped with a big playground, swimming pool and has large and airy classrooms. The teaching methods are concurrent with those followed by any missionary school.

Founded with the motto "Courage is Destiny" and the belief that each student is an individual who needs to be nurtured and moulded with care to become responsible citizens, The Frank Anthony Public School strives for holistic development of its students. It follows the ICSE and ISC curricula for the secondary and higher secondary levels respectively, the medium of instruction being English.

The academic block is a four-storeyed building with large and airy classrooms, well-equipped laboratories and a library with a special section for audio-visual teaching aids. The school also encourages its students to take part in sports and various extra-curricular activities.

St Joseph's Boys High School is probably the oldest and best boys school in the city. Originally founded by the French Missionaries in 1858, the school was later handed down to the Jesuit priests who still run it. Though it primarily favours admission to boys from the Catholic and Anglo Indian community, due regard is also given to the merit of the pupil, irrespective of his religious background.

St Joseph's follows the ICSE system and has classes from standard IV to X. It boasts of a playground, a gymnasium and a swimming pool. The school has a chequered history, having produced many distinguished citizens during its existence of over 125 years. The students are known for their deep commitment towards their alma mater.

Flanked by the golf course on one side and overlooking Bangalore’s major landmark, the Vidhan Soudha, Sophia Girls High School is one of the finest examples of a premier educational institute. Founded with the motto that every student be allowed to evolve academically and personally in a conducive environment, it has a record of its students finding placements in some of the best colleges and universities in India and abroad. The school is co-educational till the fourth grade, beyond which, it functions as a girls school. Sophia prepares its students for the ICSE and the ISC examinations.

So if you are on a school-hunting trip for your tiny tot, now you know where to head to.