Calcutta Boys' School to introduce Humanities from 2019-20 academic session

Kolkata: The Calcutta Boys' School (CBS) will introduce Humanities from the 2019-20 academic session. "We at CBS teach Science and Commerce in Class XI and XII. However, in recent times we are witnessing a huge demand amongst our students for pursuing Humanities after passing Class X Board examination. Hence, we have decided to introduce Humanities from the next academic year. All major subjects in humanities will be taught," said Raja McGee, principal and secretary of The Calcutta Boys' School. There will be 55 seats for the Humanities stream.

The school that has stepped into its 141st year inaugurated a new Commemoration Building on its main campus on SN Banerjee Road on Tuesday. The Commemoration building was inaugurated by Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi. Union Minister of state for External Affairs MJ Akbar and Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay were present at the inaugural function.

The construction work for the new block had started in 2012. The school has witnessed a major boost in infrastructure to keep in pace with the changing times that includes total revamp of fire fighting facilities and elevators for the students. The new building will have ramp and other facilities for the disabled students.

"Ours is a heritage institution and the Commemoration Building has been built maintaining the heritage facia of the Main building which cradled the CBS ever since it moved to its own campus in 1893," McGee said

The CBS has also come up with a cafeteria and a gymnasium, nostalgically named the 'Patty Man Café' and the 'Cub Den' respectively. The school already has smart classrooms, bright and radiant science and computer laboratories equipped with the paraphernalia that modern laboratories command.

It may be mentioned that Calcutta Boys' School has 2,473 students on its main campus while there are three more branches at Beliaghata, Sonarpur and Asansol.

It was Bishop Thoburn who founded the Calcutta Boys' School. First located on Mott Lane, and then later housed in a room on Corporation Street (known as S N Banerjee Road today), the school struggled for its survival without a building of its own. It acquired a permanent residence in 1893 thanks to the generosity of Sir Robert Laidlaw, who could be regarded as the chief patron of the school.