Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, is located in the foothills of the Himalayas nestled between the river Ganges on the east and the river Yamuna on the west. The city is famous for its picturesque landscape and for being a gateway to the surrounding region. Beside this, it is known for many other things –weather, Basmati rice, Lichi, neighboring hills like Musoorie and Rishikesh, Indian Military Acadamy (IMA) and education also. It attracts many tourists and scholars not only from other parts of the country but from abroad also.
Dehradun has its rich history in hosting some of the best schools and colleges in our country. The city is known as the “school capital of India” for its world class residential institutes with sophisticated methods of learning. Some of the prestigious boarding schools of Dehradun are :
1. Doon School is an independent boarding school, only for boys. It was founded in 1935 by Satish Ranjan Das, a Kolkata lawyer, who revised a school modeled on the British public school, and took donations from some kings including Maharaja Hari Singh. Sports is mandatory here, and the school is known to have vast sports facilities for basketball, football, tennis etc. The school houses nearly 500 students, Class 7th to Intermediate. The former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was the most notable alumni of the Doon School, and he is known for appointing many of its alumni to his cabinet.
2. Welham Girls’ School is a girl’s boarding school. It was established in 1957, and since then has expanded from being just a local school. The age of students is between 10 and 18, the total number being 600. Welham is the name of the village that the co-founder of Welham Girl’s School and Welham Boy’s school belonged to. The initial number of students was 10. The school has five houses, whose students compete in sports, dramatics, music, debating etc. All students are expected to take two activities in one term. Its alumni include Brinda Karat and Tavleen Singh.
3. Welham Boy’s School is a boys-only boarding school, affiliated to CBSE. It was established in 1937, by Ms. Oliphant, also founder of the above-mentioned girls’ school. At junior level there are three houses, and for senior age groups there are four houses. Various facilities include badminton court, volleyball court, squash court, shooting range, gymnasium etc. Moreover, it has a 20-bed hospital with a resident doctor. The total number of students is more than 700. The area of the campus is 32 acres.
4. SelaQui International School was established in the year 2000. In our list, this is the first coeducational institution, that is, open to both boys and girls. SelaQui is also affiliated to CBSE. The size of the campus is 52 acres. Facilities include a golf course, a shooting range, a cricket oval, two football pitches, five tennis courts etc. The school, like some of those mentioned above, has a history of mountaineering. There are nearly 350 resident students in the school.
5. Colonel Brown International School, established in 1926, was the first boarding school in Dehradun. It is only for boys. It started with only 5 students. There is an attached hospital with a resident doctor. There is also a library, with Internet access. The alumni include former Prime Minister V.P. Singh and Raj Kapoor. Hobby classes such as Painting, Woodwork, Drama, Photography and Music are held in the evening. Inter house competitions are held in hockey, cricket, badminton, volleyball, basketball, dramatics, art, music etc.
6. Musoorie International School is an all-girls boarding school in Musoorie, Dehradun. Established in 1984, it is affiliated to CISCE board. The campus is 40 acres in size and there are a total of 500 students in 3 houses. The classes 1 to 12 are covered. Students from foreign countries including Nepal, China, USA, Canada, Britain, Germany, Spain among 19 other countries are present. In keeping with technological progress, a robotics curriculum has been established here.
7. Ecole Globale International Girl’s School is again an all-girls boarding school established in 2013, in the foothills of Himalaya. EGIGS is affiliated to CBSE board and Cambridge and has a 40 acre campus. The teaching staff is 70, and the number of students 300+. Education from Grade 4 to Grade 12 is offered here. The school provides optional courses in French and Spanish. Students of EGIGS have represented Uttarakhand in various sports like swimming, squash, basketball etc. and in gymnastics.
Writer Bio: Aniruddha Aloke, 13 Years old student from Virar, India. A participant of International Essay Competition,July,2019 organized by Monomousumi Services.
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