Knowledge Our Light

THE DOON SCHOOL

Information Handbook
 ORIGINS

Satish Ranjan Das 1872 - 1928

“To whose inspiration, devotion and energy the

inception of this school is due.”

Satish Ranjan Das, the founder of

The Doon School, was one of pre-
Independence India's eminent
barristers and a member of the
Executive Council of the Viceroy of
India. His mission was to constitute
India's first public school in an era
when 'Chief's Colleges' were the
ultimate school experience. The
Doon School was meant to provide
the youth of the country with an
opportunity to get an all round
education based on an adaptation
of the English public school system
on India’s tradition-enriched soil.

In 1929, under the Indian

Companies Act, with the help of
eminent Indians, the Indian Public
Schools’ Society was registered as a Colonel Skinner of Skinner's Horse,
non-profit making body. expanded the woody and lush

Though S.R. Das passed away soon surroundings to an impressive self-

after the registration, his wife and contained 70 acres. Dehra Dun is

devoted friends collected funds to located at 675 meters above sea level

start the school of his dreams in in the Doon Valley. It is about 250 kms

September 1935. north-east of Delhi and is well

connected to the capital by road and
Sylvan surroundings and a salubrious
rail. The Doon School nestles in the
climate are coveted trappings for any
Doon Valley with the magnificent
residence. The Chandbagh Estate, in
Garhwal Himalayas to the north and
Dehra Dun, was the ideal location
the sal-clothed Shivaliks to the south.
for the school. It had been the A E Foot, the first Headmaster, 1935 - 1948.
On the east and west, the Valley is
campus for the illustrious Indian
bound by two of India's most famous
Forest College (which has since been
rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna.
relocated as the world-renowned
Forest Research Institute.) The
acquisition of the Skinner's Estate,
from the family of the well-known

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 FACILITIES

Bricks and mortar do not an institution

make. However, since these house the
paraphernalia needed to keep body and
mind in the right frame, constant
improvement in infrastructure is a
necessary and an ongoing process. Most
recently, the school’s core academic and
administrative areas have been wired by
a fibre optic network. This is powered by
state-of-the-art servers and broadband
connectivity. Computers are used to
teach computer science courses and as a
resource for educational and
administrative purposes.

Every building on campus has been

wired and ‘smart’ classrooms are in place
to facilitate modern teaching
methodology. The school has thus
embraced the advantages that higher

The Music School

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3
In April 2001, 2002 and 2005,
the school choir and orchestra
toured Mumbai, Chennai,
Delhi and Dubai. They
performed at the Nehru
Planetarium and the Academy
of Music, Vasant Valley School
and The Modern High School,
respectively.
The money that was raised
was given to local charity,
social work projects and
earthquake relief operations,
for tsunami relief work and
refurbishing school facilities.

technology has to offer and ensured and imagination.

its smooth blending in with the
traditional chalk and talk. This makes
an emphatic statement about the
school’s commitment to gearing
students to navigate the information
superhighway that is changing the
world.
Well-equipped biology, physics and
chemistry laboratories, a state-of-
the-art computer department and
the IT centre are constantly buzzing
with activity. The students love
visiting the physics and biology
museums and the fascinating Rajiv
Gandhi Design and Technology
Centre.
Art and music stimulate a totally
different part of a student's intellect
Boys pursue these hobbies with a
passion and spend much of their free
time in the art and music schools that
are housed separately. Our art
exhibitions and music concerts elicit
an excellent response, which is a
reward in itself, for talented boys and
dedicated teachers. Painting, wood
and stone sculpting, pottery, batik,
screen-printing and hand-block
printing are some of the arts the boys
learn. The various sculptures that
adorn the beautiful campus of
Chandbagh are a testimony to their
creativity.
The music school offers training in
vocal, tabla, sitar, sarod, flute, drums,
violin and piano. Many of these

18
4
 FACILITIES
instruments are played by the boys at
assembly every morning. The school
orchestra has done us proud on many
occasions. The addition of Western
classical and popular music have been
enthusiastically received by the
students.
A large multi-purpose hall is the centre
of much activity and has facilities for
indoor badminton, basketball, table
tennis, dramatics and musical
performances. It also houses an audio-
visual room and a gymnasium. In the
basement is the Teachers’ Center which
is used for seminars, lectures and
teacher enhancement programmes.
5
A 25-metre swimming pool with diving
facilities, four squash courts, three new
all-weather tennis courts (with plans for
an additional three courts), cricket
grounds and hockey and soccer fields
provide excellent training grounds for
budding sportsmen.
The Rose Bowl has an ambience that is
a class apart. Cradled amidst a bamboo
thicket, built in the Greek amphitheater
style, many a memorable drama and
music performance has featured here.
A 24-bed infirmary, manned by a full
time resident doctor, a qualified nurse
and a compounder, takes care of the
medical needs of the community.
The school’s core academic
and administrative areas
are wired through a fibre
optic network. This is
powered by state-of-the-art
servers and broadband
connectivity.
 The Kilachand Library

Dehra Dun is blessed with good

medical facilities, and the school
arranges for experts and specialists
as and when required. Orthodontic
and ophthalmologic services are
outsourced. Vital doses of jokes,
pranks, camaraderie and bonding
help overcome the bout of ‘flu or
conjunctivitis perhaps as much as
the medication. For the escapist,
who conveniently falls ill during test
week, arrangements are made to
conduct the test in the 'hospi' if the
doctor deems it fit!

The Library Council

6
 THE DOON COMMUNITY

Our students come

from diverse
backgrounds and find
comfort in knowing
that the 'fairness
denominator' applies
to each and every one
of them.

OUR STUDENTS
Our students come from diverse
backgrounds and find comfort in
knowing that the 'fairness
denominator' applies to each and
every one of them, irrespective of
caste, creed, region, nationality or
economic background.
Our students have proven time and
time again over the last seven
decades that a public school
education system promotes the
overall development of the
personality. Participating in a
plethora of activities, both
intellectual and physical, gives our
students opportunities to identify
their talents and develop their skills.
Leadership qualities, teamwork,
commitment and loyalty are
character-moulding attributes
gleaned somewhere along the
way. Education truly extends
beyond the confines of the
classroom at Doon.
OUR TEACHERS
Our faculty at the Doon School
enlarges the learning experience.
The teachers all live on campus and
are actively involved in the extra and
co-curricular activities that are
pencilled into the daily routine of the
boys. Be it on the sports field, the
sphere of publications or debates,
teachers take an active interest and
share a healthy rapport with the
boys.
Every teacher is assigned a tutorial
group. The interaction with this
group goes beyond the usual
facilitator's role. Pastoral and
counselory roles are merged, and the
students benefit immensely.
Occasional outings with tutors to
explore the Doon Valley and
midterm expeditions strengthen the
bond that is forged on the anvil of
mutual respect.

7
At the Doon School, we
value our most
invaluable resource -
our teachers.

Teacher training programmes School Old Boys’ Society) It enjoys hosting those who come
organised at the Teachers' Center continues to support the school. back to Chandbagh to reminisce and
and workshops attended at different Be it fund raising or sponsoring contribute in one way or another to
venues are a regular feature and various events, publications, the progress of the school.
ensure that the faculty keeps abreast much-needed equipment or
of the latest developments in the apparatus, the DSOBS generously The Doon School Old Boys’
field of education. The school is stands by its Society generously supports its
commited to increasing its teacher alma mater. It is a alma mater.
development programmes, both sterling example
academic and non-academic. of one of the
At the Doon School, we value our strongest
most invaluable resource - our fraternities,
teachers. They, in turn, not only working
transact the curriculum, but also harmoniously
generate an enthusiasm for learning with the school
and a questioning, critical literally on a day-
disposition. to-day basis. The
school is
OUR OLD BOYS
pardonably
Their involvement with the school is proud of its
continuous. The DSOBS (Doon illustrious alumni.

8
 EDUCATING FOR LIFE
The Doon School is affiliated to the
Council for Indian School Certificate
Examination. English is the
medium of instruction, and the
Council administers two public
examinations - The Indian
Certificate of Secondary Education
(ICSE) at the end of year X and,
subsequently, the Indian School
Certificate (ISC) at the end of year
XII. Both examinations are held
annually in March.
From April 2007, the school hopes
to offer the International
Baccalaureate Diploma along with
the ISC. Teacher training, resources
and all other requirements for
accredition are being put in place.
19
9
After the +2 exam, many of our
students go overseas for further
studies and will benefit from having
the choice of doing the IB diploma or
the ISC.
The academic year consists of two
terms - a Spring Term from February
1 to May 31, and an Autumn Term
from August 1 to December 15.
The forms are assigned a letter: D
form being class VII, C form class VIII,
B form class IX, A form class X, S
form class XI, and SC form being
class XII. Rather than follow the
system of streaming the students
according to their performance, they
are randomly divided into sections.
Between the E and N of
education, The Doon School
slips in the basic skills
necessary to ride on the
challenging rollercoaster
called Life.

The Doon School follows a five and a
half day week comprising of 40
periods (each period is referred to as
a 'school'). The overall
student/teacher ratio is 10:1, and the
average strength of a class is around
20 students. The S and SC forms
sometimes have as few as 4-5
students, in some subjects.
The teachers are assigned their
classrooms, while the students walk
to their respective subject rooms at
the end of each 'school'. The five
minute break between the first and
second bell refreshes their minds,
stretches their limbs and gives them
an opportunity to reflect on what
has been taught or just chat with
friends en route.
Yoga, music, art, carpentry, Sanskrit
and design and technology are
compulsory subjects and are
conducted for two schools a week in
D form. When they come up to the C
form, the students opt for any one of
these activities. They can also opt for
French or German as an additional
language while Sanskrit remains
compulsory for a second year.
Our well-equipped school library
subscribes to a variety of newspapers
and magazines and also has
computers with internet connections.
Being informed on current affairs is a
The Main Building
20
‘Holi’, an oil painting by
Sudhir Khastgir, the first art
master of The Doon School,
whose paintings are
considered a national
treasure.
vital link to the outside world. Every
student is provided with a daily
newspaper of his choice to ensure
that that link is sustained.
The archives provide a rich insight
into the school’s past, are
meticulously maintained and serve
as a treasure trove of information for
the historically-inclined.
A 10:1 student / teacher
ratio ensures each
student gets individual
attention.
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 AT HOME

Kashmir House

When boys walk through the portals of The Doon

School, it takes a while to let go of the apron strings
and settle down. The extra care and concern so needed
at that stage is ensured by housing the young D
formers in two ‘holding houses’ under the personal
care of a Housemaster and his/her spouse. The school
has built two new holding houses, Foot House and
Martyn House, as part of its thrust on modernisation.

Hyderabad, Kashmir, Jaipur, Tata and Oberoi are the five

main houses to which the boys are assigned under the
able supervision of two Housemasters and a Dame.
There are approximately eighty boys in each main
Foot House
house. House spirit at the Doon School is legendary,
and here the boys absorb values like commitment,

11
 Tata House Hyderabad House

AT HOME

loyalty, sharing and standing by each other in times of

crisis.

Long after they leave, Doscos come back during

Founder’s, nostalgically attend an 'At Home' in their
former houses and revive old memories.

Meals are eaten in the Central Dining Hall (CDH) with

Masters and Dames supervising breakfast and lunch.
Chhota Haazri (chotes), a morning snack, is served in
the houses before PT. Breakfast, mid-morning snacks,
lunch, evening tea and supper are eaten in the CDH
with boys taking turns waiting at tables. An
experienced catering manager ensures that nourishing, Martyn House

wholesome and calorific fare fills hungry young

stomachs.

12
 AT HOME

Oberoi House

LEADERSHIP & PARTICIPATION

At The Doon School, the daily administration of affairs is

viewed with a refreshingly different perspective. Outside
the classroom, teachers only adopt the role of guide and
mentor. Discipline and 'getting the job done' is left to the
boys. The Prefects and the various games’ captains are
given responsibility and a reasonable degree of authority
to function effectively. Each house has a House Captain
and a couple of Prefects while a separate Games Captain
is appointed for each sport. Over-all responsibility resides
with the School Captain.
A tutorial meeting at a Master’s residence.

A quaint aspect of the functioning of this system is often

seen during break-time when a Prefect gives one of the

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 Jaipur House

Esprit de Corps

House spirit at the

Doon School is
legendary. In the
houses, the boys
absorb values like
commitment,
loyalty, sharing
and standing by
each other in
times of crisis.

boys a 'change-in-break,' which is a minor punitive

measure for a misdemeanour. The boy has to run back to
his house, change into his games clothes and report to a
Prefect waiting under the elephant-apple trees for a
signature on a blue slip or a chit written out by the boy
himself.

At Doon, the house council concept is unique. House

captains, Prefects, students, tutors and house masters
hold a lively monthly meeting to discuss matters
pertaining to the house, thereby encouraging
participation in decision making.
A tutorial meeting - Foot House quadrangle.

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 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

“It would not be untrue to say

that the foundations of Indian
Mountaineering were laid by
masters and boys of The Doon
School.”

George Verghese,
an old boy and one of India’s
most respected journalists.
(For Hills To Climb)

The Rose Bowl, cradled amidst a bamboo thicket, has featured many a memorable performance.

15
Multi-tasking is rapidly being
acknowledged as a necessary skill.
At the Doon School, our students
learn very early to focus, prioritize
and effectively juggle preparation for
their upcoming class tests, train for
soccer matches, and allocate time for
the multimedia contest they have
signed up for, as well as practise the
sitar for the music competition!
The world over, mediocrity is being
shunned, and our students take
pride in a job well done, however
small it may be. The school provides
a wealth of opportunities for extra-
curricular pursuits. Boys find their
niche and at the same time enjoy
exploring uncharted domains. In the
process, without their being aware of
it, a different aspect of their
personality emerges and gets
chiselled.
MIDTERMS
The term has a five-day break
structured into the calendar. The entire
school, including teachers, trek and
camp along various predetermined
routes chalked out in the Garhwal
Himalayas. A love for nature, a deep-
seated concern for the environment
and a yearning for adventure are
often the rewards harvested during
these bi-annual midterms.
The Doon School is largely
responsible for pioneering the
‘midterm’ concept, which is today
avidly followed by quality boarding
schools in India.
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 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

2005-2006

MOUNTAINEERING

Tradition often sets the benchmark for the

younger generation. Everest base camp
expeditions and scaling peaks like Jogin III stoke
the students’ desire to emulate their seniors and
teachers. Selected boys are sent to the Nehru
Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Uttarkashi
and the Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering
at Gulmarg or Auli. The school takes pride in the
fact that it was one of the first educational
institutions, way back in the 1930s, that placed
such activities at par with the academic
curriculum.

In the 1930s and 1940s, staff and students

17
mounted many of the first climbs in
the region, going upto heights of
over 20,000 ft.
PUBLICATIONS
In this media-barraged world, writing
skills, turn of phrase and succinctly
put together information have
acquired a different connotation. The
Doon School Weekly (DSW), written
and edited by the boys, has been in
existence since 1936 and is much
awaited at Saturday morning
breakfast. It is the Doon School's
newspaper. Prayas and Arpan (Hindi)
and The Echo (a bi-annual science
publication) and the Circle (a quarterly
newsletter that invites comment on
social issues) are written, edited and
published by our boys too. The
Yearbook, the School List, and The
Doon School Information Review have
been added to the ever-growing list of
publications. The current Publications
Room is being expanded to house a
larger number of techno-savvy
computers and equipment.
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 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

SOCIETIES AND COUNCILS minor and major issues concerning

the daily lives of the students. An
Those with special interests become
early initiation into the decision-
active members of specific societies:
making process indeed!
The Debating Society, The Historical
Circle, the Astronomical Society, The The Library Council members take
Scientific Society, The Nature Club, to decisions on which books should be
name a few. added to the racks of the much-
visited Kilachand Library, with a
Doon pioneered the idea of an
collection of 25,000 books and still
elected School Council consisting of
growing.
students, teachers and the
Headmaster. The School Council is a
key administrative body that debates

19
At the podium.

SPORTS the boys, and the last decade has

witnessed a tremendous
“You don't win silver, you lose gold!”
improvement in the techniques and
These were the words of an performance of our boys.
Olympian after coming in second in
Cricket, hockey and soccer are
the 100m sprint. Games at The
seasonal sports. Tennis, table tennis,
Doon School are played with much
badminton, squash, basketball,
fervour and passion. There is
swimming, boxing, athletics and
emphasis on regular exercise and
gymnastics tournaments are also built
physical fitness. All games are
into the calendar.
supervised by masters. Team spirit
and the desire to give the best IAYP (International Award for Young
performance possible are our People), formerly known as DEAS (The
watchwords. Nationally-trained Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme), is
coaches come to the school to help

20
 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
pursued with great enthusiasm by
many students and the programme
continues to churn out bronze,
silver and gold medals to the
meritorious.
The RLSS (Rashtriya Life Saving
Society) programme has been
restarted and is attracting a good
number of boys.
GUIDANCE AND
COUNSELLING
The school believes in the adage
'catch 'em young'. In grades seven
The Tuckshop
21
and eight (D and C form) all the
students have two classes a week on
‘Life Skills’. Run by counselors who
have vast experience in working with
children, the classes cover most of
the issues concerning teenagers and
life in a boarding school. Interactive
yet informative, they do our boys a
world of good. The boys get an
avenue to express themselves freely
and values are imparted alongside.
The school also employs the services
of a qualified counselor. The
counselor is available 24x7, and he
also boxes and plays cricket with the
boys! The emotional upheavals and

uncertainties of adolescence along
with major and minor irritants are
dealt with effectively by him.
The vision statement of the school
states that 'the school must assist
students in deciding their future
course of careers.' At Doon,
guidance and counseling services are
given utmost priority. The new
millennium has brought about a
revolution in terms of career options.
The Careers Department is a full-
fledged one that assists students
with their subject choices, offers
advice on course options after school
and helps them in securing
A ‘Life Skills’ session in progress
admission to colleges of their choice.
The Careers' Department constantly
brings out and updates its
publications. Student handbooks
Aptitude testing
and booklets are printed on how to
study effectively, time management,
admission procedures etc. The
department is constantly liaising
with admission officers around the
world and with external consultants
who provide effective support. The
department also organizes a
number of talks by representatives
of foreign and Indian institutes and
professionals from different walks of
life.
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 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
It is no wonder then that our
students get placements in top
institutions in India and around the
world. Around 40-50% of our
students go abroad for their
education, the more favoured
countries being the USA, UK,
Canada, and Singapore. As is the
emerging trend in the student
community worldwide, Engineering
and Business Studies seem to be
the two options favoured by our
students.
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STA (SPARE TIME ACTIVITY)
‘If your hobby becomes your
profession, you will always love your
work’…goes an old Persian saying.
Many Doscos have managed to
develop their 2 hour a week pursuit
into a full time profession.
Carpentry, photography,
aeromodelling, first-aid, dramatics,
painting, sculpture, music and a host
of other activities are offered to our
students. Well-trained staff and
external instructors supervise the
STAs.
 Working on the ‘Junko’, which is used to drive
the Chief Guest around the school on Founder’s Day.

The London Academy of Music and

Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) conducts
examinations in ‘The Speaking of
Verse and Prose’ and our boys 'put
in a commendable performance by
international standards' in the words
of the external examiner who flew in
from London in 2003. And she said
she wasn't just being polite!

Many Doscos have managed to

develop their 2 hour-a-week
pursuit into a full time
profession.

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 BEYOND THE SELF
Built into the educational philosophy of
The Doon School is the spirit of social
service. In the early 1940s, the Doon
School invented the SUPW programme.
From the example set by our school,
SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work)
With H.H The Dalai Lama at was made a compulsory subject in all
Samstaling, Ladakh secondary schools. Boys are expected
to give two hours a week of their time
for an SUPW of their choice, and they
have plenty to choose from.
Village development, adult education,
child education (at the Panchayat Ghar),
paper recycling, working in homes for
the physically and mentally challenged,
The Boys’ Bank
25
and community service on campus
by way of tree planting, gardening,
audio-visual activity, publication
work, the boys’ bank and tuckshop
are a few of the options.
The school has been actively involved
with the Round Square Conference.
Our boys are regularly escorted to
Ladakh, Vizianagaram, Scotland,
Germany or South Africa, to work on
international social service projects.
While building homes for the
underprivileged, pathways in remote
places or bird reserves, the students
interact with, exchange ideas and
share dreams with other students fellow Doscos that provided much
from all over the globe. The experience needed shade.
is unforgettable. Some things never change…
The school has contributed to many a
relief expedition in disaster areas. Our
boys also regularly undertake a 'do not
litter, let it glitter' campaign and clean
up popular picnic spots like
Sahasthradhara. During one such
event, an octogenarian enjoying a
From the example set by our
sunny morning commented to the
school, SUPW was made a
group leader that he remembered the
compulsory subject in all
Doon School boys doing a similar
secondary schools.
clean up a good three decades earlier.
He pointed to the saplings planted by

26
 SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Spare time at The Doon School comes at a premium. The school offers so many activities that there is something for
everyone whatever their interests may be.

Games Table Tennis Nature Club

Tennis Scientific Society
Athletics
Yuv Bharti
Badminton
Basketball Societies / Club

Boxing Art Society Publications

Cricket Astronomical Society Arpan (Hindi)

Gymnastics Bharat Vani Echo (Science)

Hockey English Debating Prayas (Hindi)

Road Running English Literary Society The Circle

Soccer Historical Circle The Doon School Information Review

Squash Information Technology The Doon School List

Swimming Maths Colloquium The Doon School Weekly

Music Society The Doon School Yearbook

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Socially Useful & Productive Work Mountaineering Carpentry
(SUPW) Music Chess
Art / Screen Printing Paper Recycling Computers
Audio Visual Squad RLSS English Dramatics
Bank Squad & Tuck Shop RSIS French
Chair Squad Stage Committee German
Child Education Sunrise Club Hindi Dramatics
Design & Technology Trophy Squad Industrial Chemistry
Estate Care Village Development Junior Chemists
First Aid & Ambulance Weather Reporting Maths Modelling
House Squads Website Maintenance Metal Work
IAYP Motor Mechanics
Implement Store & Anti Malaria Spare Time Activities (STA) Music
Information Technology Adventure Club Nursery and Gardening
Library Committee Aero-Modelling Photography
Lost Property Office Art Video Club

28
 The Doon School

The boys should “leave the Doon School as members of an aristocracy, but it must be an aristocracy of
service inspired by ideas of unselfishness, not of privilege, wealth or position .......” - A E Foot

29
A hand-painted map of the Doon Valley by John Martyn, Headmaster, 1948 - 1965.

The Doon School, Dehra Dun, reserves the right to add / delete / revise the
contents of this Information Handbook at any time and without giving prior
notice. The Handbook is not a detailed documentation of rules and regulations
and merely aims at outlining the objectives and facilities of the school.

Any matter of dispute will be settled at the Headmaster’s discretion.

layout and printing - Jay M Creatives.

<asap@jaymcreatives.com>
 KNOWL
E D GE O U R L I G H T

The Doon School

Dehra Dun 248001
Uttaranchal INDIA.

Telephone: +91 135 2759194 - 97 Ext: 402

Facsimile: +91 135 2757275, 2759198
email: dosco@sancharnet.in
Website: www.doonschool.com