The Headmaster's Diary - 1919 Victoria School - Kurseong. |
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1919 March 14th The first party of boys, seventy five, returned from holidays. in charge of Messrs Price and Green who reported very favourably of their exemplary conduct on route. The Gymnasium..is being used as a dining room pending the completion of repairs to the Dining Hall by the P.W.D. Lt. Berry arrived on leave from Furrow to do his wife’s work during a temporary indisposition. March 16th The second party of boys arrived at school. March 15th Mrs Hines Bulter (Butler ?), reported for duty as Matron. Mrs McLean reported for duty as a nurse. March 17th School re-opened with 163 boys on the rolls. I addressed the boys in the Hall and appointed six Prefects assigning to them definite duties. It is hoped that they will help very considerably in keeping discipline, particularly in the dormitories. At 10 am the Staff met to recommend boys for promotion and in the afternoon books were distributed. March 18th Classes opened. I am obliged to combine..three and four, five and six, and eight and nine as we are seriously understaffed. March 19th M. Soldonha (?) reports for duty and in Carpentry a new table is drawn up and and classes allotted as follows. 1..to 3 Mr Soldanha March 20th The Head Mistress of Dow Hill asks for a servant to serve our Infants owing to the large numbers this year. this is very inconvenient:..We send a Chuprassi with them in the morning and now a second servant is required the rate is reset to 3/8 this year. I am not in favour of sending the little boys to Dow Hill : it is a hardship on them, particular during the Monsoons when they get drenched sometimes twice in a day. This means they’re changing their wet boots at Dow Hill and again upon their return to Victoria. It too often leads to the Hospital March 21st Mrs Baker reported for duty. I gave her a week’s casual leave owing to the critical condition of her sister in hospital. A half holiday given to allow the Staff and Upper School to attend the “Assault at Arms”, at Kurseong. In the evening a little boy Johnson was found in an unconscious, condition. His life was for a time despaired of but he recovered thanks to Mrs McLeans patient attention. it was the result of rough treatment from another small boy. April 6th A half holiday given for the Flower Show. Dr Ward recommends our compelling Mrs Berry to take full maternity leave in two months. Mrs Montgomery whom I permitted to live on the premises as Mrs Berry’s nurse applied for a vacancy which I recommended owing to the difficulty of finding quarters for another Matron. Her attitude compelled me to withdraw my recommendation. Mr and Mrs Quigley generously offered to look after the dormitory until such time as a substitute should appointed. Mr Quigley, I may mention is always most willing to help me in any way and at any time. I have always found him a capable and reliable man. April 16th A holiday for a cricket match and the District which we won. April 17th A half holiday April 18th Easter holidays began, Classes to be resumed on Easter Tuesday. April 19th Mr Berry reports for duty in the afternoon upon release from military duty. I wrote to the Inspector suggesting that Mrs Berry be compelled to take two months maternity leave.The Doctor recommended this as the only course open to us. She has declined to alter the date of her leave although it is perfectly obvious that she will not be able to resume work in May. I feel convinced she wishes to cause all the arrogance possible. I regard her as a undesirable member of the Staff and should be glad to know (?) that her services were dispensed with. April 19th The Doctor orders 17 R.C. boys to be segregated in hospital because they attended service in St Paul’s, Kurseong where the Convent Children, who were in quarantine for measles had been to services. April 23rd These boys were allowed by the Dr to attend class until May 1st. When they were to be put into quarantine again for four days more. April 23rd The Bishop of Madras held a Confirmation Service in the School Chapel. there were 13 Candidates. Owing to one or two cases of measles the girls from Dow Hill and the Convent were..all confirmed here. April 25th The Clerk reports that Mrs Montgomery who is permitted to reside here as Mrs Berry’s nurse has been worrying the servants. April 27th Mr Soldanha is given a day’s Casual leave to visit the dentist. April 28th The Doctor recommends our discontinuing sending the smaller boys to Dow Hill. His reasons being 1. Range of illness due to the rains. April 29th Mrs Haigh reports for duty as Matron in Mrs Berry’s place until June 1st. May 3rd A Cricket match v Mr Beauforts team, which we won. May 6th All the boys in Form VII except two left to school at 8.45am apparently intending to take the train to Calcutta and home. Mrs Price and O’Riordan and friend (?) went to conduct them back to School. It seems that or the previous evening four of them went to bed when they aught to have been in Study. Mr Soldanha the Duty Master should have reported it to me and was so prepared me for events. The class had been repeatedly reported to me for bad work and Monday 5th I spoke to them about it and insisted that in future things generally must improve. I mentioned two boys in particular whose conduct was considered unsatisfactory - Yacchter (?) (?) and Jurnlan (?) Conroy. After the boys left I asked one of the remaining boys why they had absconded. He replied that he thought it was because they had not prepared their Latin Lesson: that they were afraid of the cane. I don't think I have used the cane more than four times in that class since March 17 (?). Yacchter has been somewhat of a hero and Conroy has a very answerable (?) record. I believe that those two boys only are to blame for the trouble. I have removed these two from the school, caned eight of the leading malcontents in the Hall in the presence of staff and boys and fifteen in my office in presence of staff. Most of the runaways gave insufficient food, to much Latin and harsh treatment as their reasons for absconding. They all now receive an extra slab of bread with the result that not infrequently a full basket of extra slices is removed by the Servants after meals. One slice of..bread makes the difference between insufficiency and an abundance! They had complained of the bread supply only. the staff are satisfied that the boys are not given too much work by me. I believe I had caned not more than five boys. On no more than five occasions, in Form VII which is not harsh treatment. One boy who complained to..his mother of harsh treatment at my hands had to confess that I had never punished him!!!. I regard the whole episode as part of an anti work campaign. I am pleased now that this occurred. The result has brought it home to the boys generally that they must do what they are sent here for viz. work and obey the school rules. This lesson. I could not have taught them without the position taken up by the Inspector and the (?) support of the Staff. April 20th Mr Berry falls ill. He resumed work on May 20th. I allowed him to go to the School Hospital for a week to be attended by Mrs Mc(?) who is ever most happy to do anything in her power for each and every member on..he premises. May 26th Mr Quigley has been more or less indisposed for some time. I wrote asking him to resume his..ordinary duties at once or apply.for leave. May 27th Dr Ward recommends a months leave to Mr Quigley. Went to the Sanitarium, Darjeeling on Jun 1st suffering from (?) . May 28th I wrote to Mr Quigley about the meat supply. I found goats flesh in the meat basket. At first Mr Quigley denied that it was ‘goat mutton’, I maintain that the food produced from the basket was that of goat. He then said that “Goat-mutton” is supplied at certain seasons at the price of mutton, and the practice accepted by the municipality as goat is (?) The butcher’s explanation does not tally with his. He said it was due to a coolies mistake that goat had been sent in place of mutton and that this had not occurred previously. I wrote to Mr Quigley asking him to reconcile the two statements. A reminder..followed but he has not replied. Later replies that this butcher had been unsatisfactory and recommends and comments giving the contract to another. May 25th (?) Ewing Junior Admitted to the hospital. He died after twelve days in hospital. Regarding his treatment his mother said:..More could not have been done for my son. I am most grateful to you all for your devoted attention. She and her husband expressed themselves astonished that there is not a Subordinate Medical Office on the premise. June 9th Mr Oates A.D.P.I. visited the School. He expressed himself pleased at the way the boy’s meals had been prepared. He did not inspect the School closer as his visit was in connection with Dow Hill. June 14th Miss Cummins asked me to withdraw the bigger boys from the Kindergarten class at Dow Hill. It was decided to keep nine here. Though it will be difficult for Mrs Sharpe to find enough attention to her own class while these backward boys are in her class room. I first proposed that Miss Baker should take these new boys but that would mean sacrificing the whole school to the Infants as the members of the Staff would have to fill up the gaps left by her giving up Drawing to take the Infants. June 23rd The Hon. M Dunn D.P.I. visited the School. He expressed himself strongly in favour of the removal of the Commercial classes and in sympathy with the appeal of the Staff for higher salaries. He criticised the Readers in Form 4 as being out of date. I pointed out that parents cannot afford in these times, to meet heavy bills for books and suggested that Government should at least supplement what parents pay for the use of books. June 26th The Inspector of Schools held his inspection. He too criticised the books in use. particularly the mathematics books in the upper classes. He found in the pupils hands books that he had on a previous occasion condemned. He proposed promoting some ten boys from VII to VIII. One of the boys promoted took first place in Form VIII a month after promotion and several took higher places than the old members of that form, so many justified their promotion. July 1 Mr Quigley reports for duty but his leave did improve his condition The C.M.O., Darjeeling in reply to an inquiry gave it as his opinion that a further period at the Sanatorium would not be likely to effect his case. Mr H Bulter took over charge of the Mess from the Quigley’s who made no effort to give satisfaction. July The Compounder reports for duty (?) defined his duties as: 1. To be present at certain certain times every day in the dispensary for compounding medicines. 2. Assist the Nurse in serious cases. 3. Relieve the Nurse in the afternoon should she desire leave of absence from duty. 4. General supervision of the servants and their quarters. July 19th I accept no responsibility whatever for the Stores Branch of the Corp Bank. July 20th Mr Greene goes to Calcutta on leave on the C.M.O’s recommendation. July 30th Interview with Mrs Cummins re intercom between the schools. August 16th Mr Quigley and Mrs Quigley should for a leave but there is nobody to succeed them. Dr Kingsley (?) C.M.O. asks me to report to him any complaints re meat supplied by the local butchers. July 22nd A case of measles: in quarantine. The small boys consequently miss classes at Dow Hill and the girls cannot attend services at Victoria. August 25th A boy, G. Jowett, after a week at the School runs away. He reached home, in Sahibganj [West Bengal Editor],, on the 28th. He had previously run away from other schools. His Father, - step-father in a letter, recommended cane and starvation diet as the remedy for his distaste for books. August 30th Mr and Mrs Quigley leave for six months. Mrs Carter success Mrs H (?) Butler as Matron. I proposed that Mrs H Butler should take Mrs Quigley’s place as Lady Housekeeper. After the departure of the Quigley's it was found that a considerable number of articles purchased in March of this year couldn't not be traced. I wrote asking him for a explanation. His wife in reply wrote that it had been their intention to come back from Calcutta to rectify matters, that her husband had threatened to commit suicide and was not well enough to reply to my letter. A man with suicidal intentions should not on any account be allowed to return to the School. Sept 1st Pujah holidays begin. A number of Darjeeling boys were allowed to go home for the ten days. Owing to lack of funds we were not in a position to provide amusements and picnic for the boys. They must have found the holidays dull but as we had been running into debt. I did not feel justified in spending more money than was necessary. Oct 10th Mr Stark of Dacca Training College delivered three addresses to the boys during the holidays. The lectures were intended to guide the boys in their preparation for their future and were listened to very attentively and appreciated by the bigger boys. He indicated the necessity of.Character Formation for the struggle in store for them. October 24th The Honourable Member, Director, Inspector of and Government Architect our Engineers visited the School in connection with a Scheme for improved conditions at..Victoria. These cannot be taken in hand until the Dow Hill Hospital is Extended. [This is what eventually happened. The Dow Hill Hospital had two wings with the centre section housing the Hospital Staff and Admin rooms. One wing for the girls and one for the boys. Editor] October 29th November 1st Annual Sports. All went off very well thanks to Mr Prices efforts. The Prizes were distributed by Mr. . Irwin (?). November 11th A School picnic. The whole School , Staff, and boys attended, also Mr Brock, Mrs Cummins and Mr Kingsley Ward. The boys attended a Concert at Dow Hill in the evening. November 15th Mr Lennon gave as pleasant afternoon to the prize winners in the S.P.C.A. Essay Competition. This year for the first time we won. The Challenge Cup for which all the Schools in the District compete. A Bachana (?) was the Winner. Mrs Bake undertook the preparation of the candidates and the result is very creditable to her. C. Manson won a prize and these were four honourable mentions. E. Fisher, A Cameron, C. Verney and I. Read. November 17th The Final School Examinations began.
My thanks to Kay White who assisted in typing this document together with some local knowledge from myself!
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