Campion School, Mumbai

Campion School

Gaudium in Veritate
(Latin: "Joy in Truth")
Location
13, Cooperage Road, Colaba, Mumbai
India
Coordinates 18°55′30″N 72°49′48″E / 18.924870°N 72.829962°E / 18.924870; 72.829962
Information
Type Private
Established 1943 (1943)
Principal Paul Machado
Staff 35
Faculty 50
Grades Prep-10th
Enrollment 800
Houses Britto, Loyola, Xavier, Berchmans
Sports Soccer, basketball, swimming, athletics, cricket
Affiliation ICSE
Former Pupils Old Campionites
School Song Campion Calls
Website campionschool

Campion School is a public school for boys located at 13, Cooperage Road, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Established in 1943 by Jesuit Fr. Joseph Savall, the school is named after St. Edmund Campion, a 16th-century English Roman Catholic martyr.[1]

In a 2009 pan-India survey of day schools conducted by Education World magazine, Campion was ranked 1st in the country.[2]

The school is housed in Wellesely House on Cooperage Road in the Fort neighbourhood of South west Mumbai. The school is across the street from Cooperage Ground, which is a major soccer stadium in Mumbai, as well as Oval Maidan a city landmark. The school has over 800 students and offers classes at elementary and secondary levels, ranging from preparatory to grade 10. It is affiliated with the ICSE school syllabus and has English as its primary language of instruction. In addition to academics, the school offers a wide range of co-curricular activities: soccer, cricket, athletics, gymnastics, swimming, basketball, music, drama, debates and elocution.

Notable alumni include leading industrialists, political figures, Bollywood film stars and artists.

History

Foundation and early years (1943 to 1956)

Campion School was founded on 20 January 1943 by Father Joseph Savall, S.J. He had been the principal of St. Mary's High School, Mazgaon, for many years. In 1942, the Society of Jesus purchased Wellesely House on 13 Cooperage Road to house Campion School. But opposition from tenants delayed occupancy for 5 years, during which time the school was run from a ground floor rented at 45 New Marine Lines. It moved to Cooperage Road in January 19. Within nine months the Department of Education recognised and registered Campion School under the Code of European Schools. It was authorised to teach up to Standard IV and to add one standard every year until the highest form was reached.

The school grew steadily in the late 1940s, but lacked a full-time principal, and Fr. Savall retired and returned to Europe in June 1949. Fr. Conesa, the director of the Technical Institute at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, served as principal until December 1950 Jesuit authorities appointed Fr. E.F. More first full-time principal. More oversaw major renovations to Wellesely House including the acquisition of the second floor in 1954 and the addition of a fourth floor.

In 1956, Campion School attained the stature of a full-fledged high school with an enrollment of 382. It was recognised by the University of Cambridge as an A-certificate school and by the S.S.C. Board, Pune. In the same year, the first batch of students appeared for the Senior Cambridge Overseas Examination and all eight of them passed, five secured Grade I, one secured Grade II, and two secured Grade III.

Academics

The school year consists of two terms from May to April, with October as mid-year. The course of school studies extends from the Preparatory Class to Class 10. It is designed to prepare students for the ICSE Examination, conducted by the Council for the I.S.C. Examination, New Delhi.

In addition to English which is the primary language of instruction, Hindi is taught from Class 1 and Marathi, the regional language of the state of Maharashtra, is compulsory from Class 1 to Class 8.

School badge

The school badge is in the form of a medieval shield. The shield has three major divisions, each with a different colour background, and a scroll containing the school motto “Joy in Truth”. This motto is symbolically expressed by each of the three main divisions on the shield.

On the left side, against a red background is a rope shaped like a noose. It stands for the death of St. Edmund Campion, professedly for the love of Truth. On the right side, against a white background are three birds that stand for Joy while the star stands for Truth. Finally, at the base of the shield is to be found the logo of the Jesuits. It consists of the first three letters of Jesus' name in Greek, Contrary to the popular belief, the divisions and their background colours do not represent the colour of the four school "houses".[3]

School anthem

Campion calls, Campion calls to courage and high chivalry
Campion calls, Campion calls to shared responsibility
To peace, love and charity; To honour truth and loyalty
Campion calls, Campion calls, Campion calls to You and Me.

Fair school, thy gracious gifts for mind and soul let me not miss
We pray that all thy sons may reach their goal eternal bliss
There is a challenge every man must meet who walks by day
But Campion steers me, lest my wandering feet from grace should stray.

Campion calls, Campion calls to courage and high chivalry
Campion calls, Campion calls to shared responsibility
To peace, love and charity; To honour truth and loyalty
Campion calls, Campion calls, Campion calls to You and Me.[4]

Principals

Fourteen people have held the position of principal at the school.[5]

  • Father J. Savall S.J., 1943–1949
  • Father R. Conesa S.J., 1949–1951
  • Father E.F. More S.J., 1951–1964
  • Father F. Ribot S.J., 1965–1969
  • Father H. Miranda S.J., 1969–1972
  • Father D. Donnelly S.J., 1973–1974  
  • Father A. D'Mello S.J., 1974–1983
  • Father H. Miranda S.J., 1983–1986
  • Mr. K. Dyer, 1986–1989
  • Mrs. M. D'Mello, 1989–1990
  • Mr. J.S. Lewis, 1990–1998
  • Father John Rodrigues, 1998–2001
  • Father P. Falcao, 2001–2003
  • Mr. Paul Machado, 2003–Present

School organisations

All students are assigned to a house. There were three houses until the 1990s when Berchmans was added:

The School Council is a body established to put into practice the aims and objectives of the house system. The Council is made up of the School Captain and his Assistant, the House Prefects and their Assistants, the Leaders, the Class Monitor of the upper classes, and representatives of activities and organisations. It is purely an advisory body.

School organisations include:

Notable alumni

Shashi Tharoor: former UN Under-Secretary General for Communications & Public Information
Rajdeep Sardesai: prominent Indian journalist

Development

The school is mentioned in Salman Rushdie's book The Moor's Last Sigh as a school for boys from "good homes".[17] Other schools mentioned in a similar context are Cathedral and John Connon School and Walsingham House School.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Almost 150 years, and counting". Hindustan Times. 16 November 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  2. ↑ "India's Top Schools" (PDF). 2009-09-01. Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  3. ↑ "Website of Campion School, Mumbai". Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  4. ↑ "Website of Campion School, Mumbai". Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  5. ↑ "Website of Campion School, Mumbai". Retrieved 2011-12-25.
  6. ↑ "Man of the year? It's Ratan Tata". Times of India. 30 December 2007. Retrieved 31 March 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Distinguished Alumni of Campion School".
  8. ↑ "Leadership Profiles - Microsoft India".
  9. ↑ "'I never want to be a former writer'". Times of India. 2006-07-09. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  10. ↑ "How Patel changed Indian skies". Rediff.com. 2005-01-29. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  11. ↑ "The evolution of Jyotiraditya Scindia". Times of India. 2002-06-02. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  12. ↑ "Randhir Kapoor Class of: 1964".
  13. ↑ "Rishi Kapoor Class of: 1969".
  14. ↑ "Personal Agenda: Atul Kasbekar, photographer". Hindustan Times. January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  15. ↑ "The haute couturier". Times of India. 2002-07-03. Retrieved 2009-06-21.
  16. ↑ "Ardeshir (Adi) Bulsara Class of: 1966".
  17. 1 2 "The Moor's Last Sigh". Retrieved 2011-12-25.
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