Unsung legacy of school that shaped icons

In the 1830s and 1840s, education in Assam was undergoing a transition from traditional indigenous systems to a more westernised model introduced by the British. After Assam's annexation through the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826, the British found the existing system inadequate for their administrative needs, as it did not produce an English-educated local workforce.Until then, education was largely informal and centred around Sanskrit tols (traditional centres run by Brahmin scholars), satras (Vaishnava monasteries), and village namghars (community prayer halls). These institutions focused on Sanskrit grammar, religious texts, philosophy, music, art, and crafts. Education was generally reserved for Brahmin, royal, and upper-caste families, with little access for the wider population. During the 1830s and 1840s, a few British officers, including Francis Jenkins, advocated for state responsibility in education and proposed the establishment of English-medium schools under European supervision in major centres — Guwahati, Sibsagar, Goalpara, Nowgong, Darrang, and Bishwanath. This led to the founding of Assam's first school, Gauhati High School, in 1835. In the following years, schools were opened in Durrung (now Darrang) and Nowgong (Nagaon) to impart English education. William Robinson, inspector of govt schools in Assam and later headmaster of Gauhati Seminary (Gauhati High School) in 1838, described the deplorable state of education in his 1841 work, "A Descriptive Account of Assam". Besides the Gauhati Seminary and schools in Nowgong and Durrung, Robinson mentioned the existence of no fewer than 20 mofussil vernacular schools, supported by the govt and managed by the collector in the then undivided Kamrup district. Amid this transition, a mofussil vernacular school — Latasil Primary School — was established in 1849 at Latasil in Guwahati, likely by local Assamese residents. "No written history of the school's early phase exists today. It would have been a great contribution if those involved in its founding had preserved its history in written form," said Jangannath Das, who studied there in the late 1960s. Das said Jnanpith award-winning novelist Mamoni Raisom Goswami (Original name: Indira Goswami), who played a key role in mediating between the central govt and the militant outfit Ulfa-I during the Assam peace process in the mid-2000s, studied in the school. So did members of the illustrious Baruah family of Latasil, which includes filmmaker-actor-musician Brajen Baruah, singer-composer Ramen Baruah, filmmaker Dibon Baruah, singer Dwipen Baruah, and multi-talented artist Nip Barua. Cricketer-pilot-politician Girin Barua and radio broadcaster Niren Barua also hail from this family, contributing significantly to their respective fields. Current headmistress Dharitri Goswami said noted educationist Lakhyadhar Choudhury, who served as education minister in CM Golap Borbora cabinet in 1977, was also an alumnus. Freedom fighter Hareswar Goswami (born in 1918) studied at the school before joining Cotton Collegiate for further education. Das said while these prominent personalities once glorified the institution, its prestige has waned over the past couple of decades. "Now, the school has lost its glory for various reasons, which is a matter of concern. Hardly anyone outside Latasil knows about this 176-year-old primary school," he said. He added that the school has witnessed several historical events, including both World Wars, the creation of Assam as a separate province in 1874, and the visit of British liberal statesman Lord Northbrook (Thomas George Baring) in the same year. "Although British allied forces occupied many educational institutions during World War II, there is no evidence of such impact on Latasil Primary School, likely because it was a very small institution at the time," Das added.

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