The headmaster who transformed our school

Written by Kartik Chandra Ta

I studied in a high school (established in 1896) in a small town in West Bengal for 4 years before moving to Kolkata in 1956. Before 1950, this school had a very poor academic record and was being run without any discipline whatsoever. There was a low height boundary wall, scaling of which was a child’s play, and there were two openings on the boundary wall, one for entry and exit of students and the other, a wider one, for teachers and occasional entry of School Inspector’s jeep etc. But there was no gate or any locking arrangement.


As a result, bullock carts with agricultural produce to be sold in local ‘Haat’ or meant to pick-up /drop female passengers, in particular, used to take shelter till school hours started. The cart owners were not bothered about littering with cow-dung and urine etc of the compound. Many late travellers used to spend the night in the office building of the school.


Again there was no system followed in promotions to higher classes. Influence of guardians played a more important role in deciding whose wards would be promoted than the examination results. As a result before the joining of the new Headmaster in 1950, rarely anybody passed in first division in the Boards examination.


With joining of the new Headmaster, KNB, an M.A in English, migrated fresh from East Pakistan after partition, the whole scenario changed very soon under his strict administration, including, rules for examination, elevating height of boundary wall plus fence above, proper gated entries with locking arrangements, watchman at night etc. Even rules applicable to school teachers were tightened with respect to late coming, availing more leave than permitted etc. Some teachers were sent for training courses and a few Honours graduates with experience were recruited as teachers.



As a result, all these had a good effect on the examination results and in two years, i.e from 1952, about 50% students passed in second division, while nobody failed. In 1953, and after the takeover by KNB as Headmaster, for the first time one student even passed in the first division. In 1956, out of a batch of 11 students appearing, two passed in the first division, five in the second division and the rest in the third division. More or less the same trend continued in years to come.


KNB was a confirmed bachelor and slept on a hard bed with head resting on bricks and no pillows but a cloth cover on the bricks. He used to wear dhoti and ‘Punjabi’, all in white while attending classes. Off duty he used to wear dhoti folded as lungi and shirt.. Rarely we saw him smiling and we were afraid to stare at his face wearing thick black framed spectacles.


I still remember one incident in class X, when our classes were in full swing, one of our batchmates was absent for about 10 days and missed important classes. When he turned up, it was evident that he got married under pressure from his parents!
KNB was very much taken aback and shocked with this news. He remarked ’Do not try to praise both Mammon and God’. And a new word got added to our then limited dictionary that day!


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