The oldest record in the School is dated 1900 but the school has a story even before this date, so read on….

During the British Rule, the Province of Assam, which included Sylhet, the Surma Valley and the Brahmaputra Valley, was one of the remotest provinces in the country. It was only after 1826 that the Europeans and the Eurasians came into this Province and were employed In the Army, Police and Administration, Public Works Department, Post and Telegraph, Steamer service, Tea industries etc.

In the affairs of the British Government, the Church of England always played a very important role and so the Church also played a very significant role in the Province of Assam which was under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Calcutta since 1827. The Chaplians who catered to the spiritual needs of the Christians officers, personnel and the families became concerned about the well being and Education of the Europeans and especially the Eurasians children. They saw that the well to do Europeans families sent their children to Calcutta or England for education while the Eurasian children were sent to orphanages in Calcutta or Darjeeling. However the journey to these places was long, arduous and costly. These considerations prompted the Anglican Chaplains to move the Government, the All Saints Church Shillong and the Diocese of Calcutta to look into the problem of education of Eurasian and European children in the Province.

In 1866 Bishop George Lynch Cotton visited the Eurasian Battery at Cherrapunjee and advised them to start a school, which they did. In 1872 the Battery shifted to Upper Shillong and school was also shifted. The Chaplains then felt that a more permanent and lasting arrangement should be made for education, especially of the Eurasian children and they wanted more involvement of the Government, the All Saints Church Shillong and the Diocese of Calcutta in the establishment of a school.

The Government of Assam and Anglican Church took up the matter and in 1875 the Chief Commissioner of Assam Colonel Keating conducted a survey and made following remark:

  1. “Shillong is so admirably adequate for a school for European and Eurasian children, and the descendants of the domesticated residents in Assam might with advantage be sent there rather than to Calcutta”
  2. “The Chief Commissioner will do all which a Government may legitimately do to find a scholastic accommodation at Shillong for children now sent out of the Province”.

In order to start arrangements for the school; Colonel Keating setup a committee with the All Saints Chaplain as the Secretary. He also gave permission for the quarters in the Military Lines to be used for the School. The committee called in applications for admission but as there were very few applicants the scheme had to be abandoned for the time being.

In 1880 a person who would play a very important role in this school was sent as the Chaplain. He was the reverend S B Taylor and his wife Mrs. Taylor. Revd. Taylor made a survey and he came to the conclusion that there were enough children in the province between the ages of 6 to 16 to the make the establishment of a good school in Shillong. So in June 1880 he sent a 55-page report on the Anglo-Indian Education to the Government of India. On 21st October 1880 the Chief Commissioner constituted the School committee which consisted the Deputy Commissioner, the Inspector of Schools, the assistant secretary, the Head Assistants of Secretaries and the Chaplain as the Secretary of the committee.

By Oct 1880 the School rules were carefully prepared by the Chaplain and by November the School Prospectus was printed and copies were sent out to the Province. In December Revd. Taylor visited Calcutta and placed the orders for supply of furniture, books and stationery for the School, which was scheduled to start in 1881.

The first Headmistress to be appointed was Miss. E Cordue and Monday 20th February three boarders came up to Shillong in a tonga. These were followed by Miss F. Cordue, assistant Teachers and two more boarders. The School was opened on 3rd March 1881 with 5 boarders and 2 day scholars. By April there were 11 boarders and 5 day Scholars. The Revd. Taylor and his wife whose tireless efforts resulted in the establishment of the Girls School were transferred to Kolkata in 1883, so school lost good friends.

On 11th October 1889 the Rev. Archdeacon Michelle visited the Girls School and observed “On Monday I visited the Shillong School under the care of Miss. Jones. The School building is excellent but there are only 11 boarders and 22 day scholars on the rolls. The children appear to be of the upper middle class and I am led to think that it is an unsuitable need of a cheap elementary school teaching upto the IV standard”.

With this the story of Pine Mount School before 1900 ends as for another decade or so there seem to be no mention of the school. The reasons for this was the earthquake on 12th Jun 1897, which destroyed the All Saints Church, and hence there was much dislocation and loss of records. The oldest school register found in the School office records admission by Miss. Miles, the Headmistress from the year 1900. Hence the Centenary in the year 2000.