A Brief History of Methodist High School, Kanpur

The Methodist High School, originally established in 1876, by an American Christian Missionary named Isabella Thoburn, who was sent by the Women’s Division of Global Missions of the Methodist Church, is one of the oldest schools in the city of Kanpur. It is situated in the Cantonments on a campus of approximately 12 acres and currently has a strength of 3,300 pupils, 150 staff members and a host of other employees.

The school had humble beginnings with just seven pupils and two ladies to help the founder in the North-West Tannery Bungalow on the banks of the Ganges river, and subsequently shifted to its current premises two years later.

The Cantonment Board records reveal that the first building was ready for occupation in 1879. The left wing was added a few years later and the right wing was completed in 1911. Then, in 1928, the infirmary (which was in 2001 converted to the present Principal’s residence) was completed. In 1938, the playshed was constructed which was later used as the Day Scholars lunch room. The playshed was demolished a few decades later and the boys toilets constructed in its place. The Primary School was completed in late 1957 and Classes I to IV were shifted into this new building, while the Staff Residence was consecrated in 1963. The girls (new) hostel was built in 1979, and in 2001 the quasqicentennial gift to the school was the Evelyn Strader Block, which consists of an auditorium, a utility hall, a conference room, a computer lab, three science labs and six classrooms.

Since 2006, the old Chapel Hall, the Library and the Quad of the Primary Section have all been renovated and expanded. The heritage buildings were also renovated from roof to floor. In addition to this, the Lower Primary Block, the Cambridge International Section building and the Isabella Thoburn Founder’s Block were added as per the school’s growing needs. New basketball courts, the main playground and gardens were also expanded and rejuvenated.

The school has been expanding continuously in its scope and range of activities. In the beginning it was called the Girls High School, but admitted boys after the first few years. It was not until 1955, however, that the school was rechristened the Methodist High School. In the same year, the Constitution of the School was registered and adopted. The blue-and-white uniform was also introduced then.

In the early days, the children came to school by horse-drawn carriages. In 1908, the Prince of Wales visited India, particularly Kanpur, and presented the barge he travelled in to GHS. This barge was converted into a carriage and the children were hauled to school in the boat bus (which was horse-drawn). Later, the Old Bully and the Flying Angel, more modern buses, replaced the carriages.

The Quisqualis, the annual magazine of the school, was first published in 1939, during the tenure of Miss Jessie Bragg. Throughout the intervening years it has continued to be a document and record of the school times.

The Student Government was introduced in 1947 by Miss Irene Wells. Today it is called the United Students Organisation and has several branches of responsibility, each serving to uphold the discipline of the school.

To inculcate disciplined competition and responsibilities, the students were divided into Houses in 1941. These were the Warne, Cooper and Thoburn Houses. There was a reshuffling of the students in 1948 into White House and Blue House only. When the numbers of students began to increase, Gold House was added in 1961. In the mid-1960s, White House became Red House and the fourth house, Green House, was added. The Motto for each house is:
1. Blue — Ever to excel
2. Gold — To greater heights
3. Green — Vincit qui se vincit (He conquers who conquers himself)
4. Red — Nil desperandum (Never give in).

Our institution used to be affiliated to the U.K. Cambridge Examinations prior to 1947. Post-Independence, India decided to have an India-based school-leaving examination. This task was taken up by the Inter-State Board for Anglo-Indian Education, which then founded the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations, which offered the Indian School Certificate of Education (Grade X) and Indian School Certificate (Grade XII), both of which are very much prevalent even today pan-India. MHS was one of the founding members of this examination system.

The school has always prided itself in its dedicated and role-model teachers, who, with their ingenuity, talent, time and dedication, have trained their students to be confident, capable and mature young men and women of the world.

Prior to Indian Independence the school was given liberal grants by various charitable organisations to keep on with its ever-expanding and ever-growing processes. The grants then stopped and the school has remained self-sufficient since. The school has had a number of dedicated women missionaries who left their homes and families to serve here faithfully and to bring the school to its present status and high standard. The testimony of this lies in the character and culture of its age-long traditions that are instilled in its students and in the outstanding and excellent results in the Class X and Class XII Board Examinations and in the fact that many of its alumni are among the best-placed persons in India and abroad.

The recent defining and ongoing innovations at MHS include e-Classrooms from Pre-Primary to Grade 12, which help bring alive many a confusing concept. The school is also equipped with cameras and CCTVs in all classrooms, staff-rooms, fields, roads and other areas.

The Government of India has recognised and classified 59 schools as Heritage Schools. MHS has the honourable distinction of being the only one from Kanpur.

The School has also been affiliated to the Cambridge University since 2012 for conducting the IGCSE and the AS- & A-Level examinations.

In 2015, the school became affiliated to the Royal Schools of Music, London, U.K. It has been commendable that our learners have excelled in this sphere and managed to obtain Distinction degrees and participate in the London Schools of Music’s International Music Concerts, sometimes being the only school in India to do so.

MHS in its 148 golden years has rendered an invaluable service to the people of Kanpur. The MHS family lives strongly by its motto, Vincit omnia veritas (Truth conquers all). This spirit of truth has helped MHS withstand the storms and the strifes of the past and will give us the strength to march forward through the ages to come.