THE CRUCIAL YEARS 1947-1949

 THE CRUCIAL YEARS 1947-1949

In the last post, we saw how the future of the School was very uncertain in 1946. With the Independence of India around the corner many students of both British and Eurasian ( as was the term commonly used for Anglo-Indians those days) lineage left to go to the UK, Australia, and even the United States.

 It must be remembered that till 1947 there were no Indian students in the School at all. The first student who was not British or Eurasian, to be admitted to the School was Humayun Dhanrajgir. He is listed in the School Admission Register as being admitted on June 10, 1947. The first Indian girl to join the School was Komala/Kamala Reddy who joined on March 2, 1948 along with Malathi Reddy. 

Three days later, one of our key contributors for Glimpses- Kevin Joseph Phillips, ARA 1956, joined on March 5, 1948. 

 At that time there was considerable opposition in political circles to the continuing of institutions perceived to be elitist English schools. It was widely feared that schools such as Sanawar and Lovedale would be closed down in the new milieu of an independent India. One of the School's distinguished Headmasters, Mr L A Vyas has publicly acknowledged the role of Independent India's first Minister of Education, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958) in the decision to keep the schools going.

In 1948, at a crucial juncture, the fortunes of the School were saved by the recommendations of the Rao Committee -comprising Mr P V R Rao, ICS, Mr J Dayal, Mr M S Sundaram, and Brigadier J H Wilkinson -appointed by the Government of India to "examine the Future Organisation of The Lawrence Military Schools."

They recommended vide their report dated May 31, 1948: "....we are satisfied that there are facilities to run a first class public school in Lovedale...... for any public school to run efficiently and economically it must have at least 300 pupils on its rolls.....many of the current 300 may be expected to be removed from the school shortly.......we feel if a public school open to all without restriction of nationality or creed is available in the Nilgiris it will meet a long felt need.........it is essential that admission to a public school run by the Government should not be confined only to those rich persons who can afford to pay the high fees to the extent of Rs 1200 per annum ..........we recommend therefore that the Government must  accept liability to educate free of cost or at concessional rates at this school, a limited number of children who on merits are capable of benefitting by a public school education but whose parents are unable to afford the necessary expenditure. "  

The Lawrence Schools at Sanawar, Mt Abu, and Lovedale, had different histories and issues at this point in time.  The one at Sanawar had always been directly administered by the Crown while Mt Abu and Lovedale were administered by Trustees who owned considerable assets. The Trustees governed the Schools through the Boards of Governors which had representatives of the Government of India. Funds for the schools by way of grants in aid came from the Ministry of Defence, through Army HQ. 

The Government of India decided that the Schools would be managed by the  Ministry of Education effective May 14, 1949. In Mt Abu, at that time, most of the staff and students had left the School. The Trustees concluded there was no way they could continue to run the School with their limited resources as the grants in aid were a factor of the number of entitled children in each school. The Government of India decided to close the School in 1950. The facilities and campus were then used to house the Police Training College.

In the case of Sanawar, things were much easier. The Ministry of Defence passed on control to the Ministry of Education as the Government owned all the assets including the land. 

Lovedale was a different case as the Trustees owned the buildings and other assets but not the land which always was owned by the Government of India. Consequently, the Government of India held negotiations with the Trustees and took complete charge of the School after agreeing that they would bear the expenses of the entitled children as long as such entitled children remained on the rolls of the school. The expression " entitled" children was used for the orphans of British military personnel, and children of British military personnel who died during service in India.  

An article in "The Lawrencian" in 1950 reported: " The Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors therefore wisely decided to hand over the institution to the Government of India with its assets and liabilities on the condition that the "entitled" children will continue to get the facilities which they were enjoying heretofore. The actual hand over took place on May 14, 1949. The Government of India decided to run the institution as a public school for boys and girls and have also changed the name of the School to "The Lawrence School, Lovedale, (Nilgiris)" 

It was decided that children of military personnel would make up 40 % of the student body.

Dr Suraj Bhan, MA (Lond), Dip in Edn, Ph.D (Edin) was appointed the first Indian Principal of the School. In 1949 he succeeded Major A V Richardson - the last British Principal - who resigned. 

As 1949 came to a close, it was clear that the worst was over. The Lawrence School, Lovedale - like the old buildings on its grounds- had successfully weathered the storm. 

LMRMS, LOVEDALE IN THE 1940s

 

LMRMS, LOVEDALE IN THE 1940s 

July 3, 1942 was a red letter day in the history of The Lawrence Memorial Royal Military School, Lovedale. On that day, His Royal Highness Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, younger brother of the reigning King Emperor George VI visited Lovedale. This was the very first visit by a member of the British Royal Family in the history of the school. 

Unfortunately, the heavy monsoon rains that day prevented the School from arranging an outdoor parade but His Royal Highness visited the Boys’, Girls’ and Prep Schools.

Shortly after, His Majesty, the King Emperor graciously acceded to the School’s request that His Royal Highness Prince Henry be the Royal Patron of the LMRMS.

The Rev C B Hall passed away in 1942. He was succeeded as Principal in 1943 by the Rev F R L Brooke MA Cantab who was no stranger to the School having been the Headmaster from 1940. 

The above picture of Rev Brooke and Mrs Brooke is from the collection of School pictures of OL Norman R Minus- so kindly shared with us by his daughter, Ms. Sharman Minus. 

Rev Brooke was a popular Principal as he was well-versed with the School system. 

In the last blog post, OL Peter Forkgen (1929-2017) who studied in Lovedale from 1935 to 1946 had written about the school uniforms of those times. 

Today, we share what he recalled for us of the School Routine in the Boys'School in the 1940s. He wrote:-

" A time lapse of about 75 years may have diminished my memory a little, so there will be readers of this who may rightly disagree with the exact times of events – but they are reasonably close to allow time for the progress of events through the day. Monday - Friday. 6 a.m. Reveille. Awakened by Sarge Nicholls, whose private apartment was located at one end of the Junior Boys’ dormitory, the selected boy from the School band would sound “Reveille” military style on the bugle at a couple of strategic locations in the dormitory areas. There were always those students who, in addition to the bugle, required a shout, or a snarl from the Prefect in charge, or even having all his bedding unceremoniously dumped on the floor beside his bed. Boys hurriedly did their toilet and dressed in sports shorts and shoes and “singlet” shirts, and went to the “mess"

(dining) hall for a half mug of slightly sweetened thin coffee and a bun. 6.45 a.m. Assembled in their respective platoons (according to age) on the parade grounds (Top Flat or Middle Flat) for P.T. (Physical Training - Calisthenics, various exercises, jogging, etc.) 7.30 a.m. Return to dormitories. Clean up and dress in the uniform of the day. Tidy dormitories to pass inspection from the Prefect in charge. 8 a.m. Breakfast. 9 a.m. - 12 noon. Morning classes. (with a 15 minute break mid-morning). 12 noon. Lunch 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. Afternoon classes 4.30 p.m. – 5.45 p.m. Sports of various kinds.....Football, field hockey, cricket, gymnastics, field events (races, relays, high and long jumps, shot putt) The student body was divided up into four “Houses” – Lawrence, Murray Hammick (or just simply Hammick), Padfield and Hope Grant. Within each House, students were assigned to groups, referred to as “Elevens” on the basis of their age level. Throughout the year the several “elevens” in each House competed with their equivalent level in the other Houses in all sports activities (and other competitive events)........ with a view to accumulating the most points to win the coveted Board of Governors Shield, awarded to the “best” House. When an important event was pending, for which a full-dress military parade of the student body was included (e.g. the annual “Trooping of the Color” parade), and/or a visit by a dignitary, military or civilian, meriting a full military parade, then the “sports “ period in the evening was pre-empted on some evenings by “parade practice.” 6 p.m. Supper 7 p.m. - 8.p.m. – 8.30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Homework. Time depending on academic level. 9.30.p.m. Lights out. The assigned bugler would sound the “Lights out” on the bugle. There was a bath schedule set up for the different dormitories from the end of homework period to lights out time, and it worked out to two baths a week for the boys. In between those bath nights one did the best one could  during the morning ablutions, or post sports activities, to keep oneself clean ! Saturday/ Sunday schedule: Breakfast, lunch and dinner were at the regular times . No set “reveille” in the morning. Lights out 9 p.m. For those students who had run afoul of the regulations or their duties, their punishment frequently took the form of “Extra Parade” for a certain number of Saturdays; and they had to report to Top Flat at 7 a.m. Saturday morning for calisthenics, or parade and extra drill routines until breakfast at 8 a.m. Before breakfast on Saturdays, each dormitory in turn made the trip to the “kit room “ to exchange the week’s dirty clothes for a set of fresh clean clothes. Occasionally if Sarge Nicholls thought that the students’ parade performance was not measuring up to his high standards for a potential visiting dignitary, there would be general extra parade practices sometimes on a Saturday afternoon . Otherwise one’s time was free on Saturday. Sunday - 10A.M. - Compulsory morning Church service. Full Sunday dress. Formal parade and march to the church, and return , with the band, and with the formal “march past “ at the church after the service. Marching to the Church, 1943.  5 p.m. Evensong church service. Compulsory. In dress uniform, but marching to the church and back without the accompaniment of the band." --------------------------------------------------- The Second World War ended in 1945. The days of the British Raj in India seemed to be numbered, especially with a new Labour Government in power in the UK.  No one was quite sure what would happen to the School as the political situation in the country became more complex. The very future of the school was uncertain. A notification was received that the Grant–in-aid from the Central Government of Rs.2,10,000 would not be renewed after 31st March, 1947. In accordance with the instructions received from the government, action was taken to terminate all existing contracts with the Teaching, Administrative and Domestic Staff with effect from 30th November. 1946.  The Rev.F.R.L.Brooke resigned becoming the last of the long list of Church of England chaplains who were Principals of the School. You will recall that the very first was the Rev T Whitehouse appointed in 1862.   In his place, Maj A.V.Richardson was appointed as Principal in 1946.