The Lawrence School, Sanawar, (elev. 1750 m., 5780 ft.) near Kasauli, in the Shimla Hills, was founded by Sir Henry M. Lawrence and his wife Honoria.
The School was one of the few of its kind in the world of that time. The School started with 14 boys and girls on 17th April 1847 and grew to a strength of 195 pupils by 1853. This was the year the School was presented Kings Colours by Lord Dalhousie. Sanawar was the first School in the entire British Empire to be presented the Kings Colours.
The main financial burden of the School continued to be borne by Sir Henry Lawrence till his death in 1857. As mark of esteem for his memory, the Government assumed the responsibility of the finances of the School after his death.
The first Principal of the School was Rev. William Parker, who died of a stroke in 1863. The development of the School continued steadily under the stewardship of the next two Principals, Rev. Cole and Rev. H. Hildesley. It was under Rev. G.D.Barnes (1912-1932) that Sanawar became a modern institution. He introduced the House and Prefectorial System and placed games on an organised basis. Being an outstanding sportsman himself, he trained the School teams in various sports. The Cambridge Examinations were also introduced in this period and the School was affiliated with London University.
In those days, the military training imparted by the School was of such a high standard that the boys enlisted from the School were sent straight to the battle fields in the Great War: several such contingents went from Sanawar.
In recognition of the service of its Old Boys in the War, the Lawrence Royal Military Asylum was given the designation The Lawrence Royal Military School in 1920. In 1922, at a presentation ceremony in Dehra Dun, the Prince of Wales presented the Sanawar with new Colours.
The Centenary Year was crucial for the School. With the Indian Independence, the British Troops were returning to England and the students were being withdrawn in batches from Sanawar. The bulk of the staff and students left in 1947.
Lord Mountbatten presided over the Centenary Celebrations and read out a special message from King George VI. Sardar Baldev Singh, who presided over the Founders Day, announced that the School would continue, but would be transferred from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Education. The transfer took place on 1st April 1949. On January 1, 1953, it ceased to be a Government institution and passed under the control of an autonomous society with the Secretary, Ministry of Education as the ex-officio Chairman.
Since Independence, Sanawar has been changing with times. In 1956 the last English Headmaster left and Major Som Dutt, the first Indian Headmaster, took charge of the School. It was during Major Som Dutt's tenure that the School flowered into a major public school with a definite contribution to make to the future of the Country.
Sanawar is a member of the Indian Public Schools Conference, The Headmasters Conference in the UK and the Round Square Conference.
The emphasis is on National Integration. Secularism, Academic excellence, Social work and a well rounded personality.
Never Give In is the School Motto.
1. Campus
Sanawar is situated on an independent hill and covers an area of 139 acres. The campus is heavily forested with pine, deodar and other conifer trees. The northern view includes the snowclad peaks of Himalayas.
Nature touches the impressionable minds of the students with her changing moods and colours in every season from February to December.
The total strength is 700 (250 girls and 450 boys).
Amongst the oldest buildings is the 140 years old School Chapel with its exquisite stained glass windows. The School takes pride in the State of Art Solar Heated Indoor Swimming Pool, above which is the Indoor Sports Complex., the latest addition to the extensive set of buildings.
The School is financially self sufficient and has its own printing press. A resident doctor heads the staff of the Schools 60 bed infirmary, having its own ambulance.
2. Academics
There are 75 members on the teaching faculty and at the +2 level the subjects offered include English Literature, Computers, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Home Science, Mathematics, Political Science, History, Geography, Hindi, Economics, Commerce, Accountancy, Art, Music and Sculpture.
The normal student strength per classroom varies from 10 to 25.
The School is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi.
There is a growing emphasis on the audio-visual Aids in education at Sanawar.
A monthly assessment, in which each student is discussed individually, forms a unique feature of the assessment system at Sanawar. Very bright students are encouraged with monthly awards of Distinction and Commendation and the privilege of signing the Honours Book once a year. Weak students are placed on the House Masters/Headmasters List and are helped to do remedial work in their weak subjects. A copy of the Assessment Card is sent to the parents. At the end of each term a statement of marks and comments by the subject teachers are also sent to the parents.
The School has an upto date library with a substantial collection of books and periodicals on a wide variety, accumulated over the years.
The School Museum is not just a collection of articles but an educational experience in much wider sense.
3. Co-curricular Activities
The students are involved in a wide range of activities ranging from fire-fighting to working at the School's Rural Centre.
Hobbies include Weaving, Art, Sculpture, Carpentry, Photography, Paper Recycling, Music, Computers, Dancing, Needle Work, Ceramics and Brass & Bugle Band.
There is an emphasis on Social Work and Social Forestry and among the other major projects are Adult & Child Education, a Crafts Centre at the Military Hospital in Kasauli, Annual International Village Development Camps (organised for the Round Square International Service) and the Schools Rural Centre.
We are a member of the round Square International Service. This gives the students an opportunity to take part in community service with students from various other countries. Our students go on exchange to other member schools, overseas, and we get overseas students on a reciprocal basis. There is a likelihood, in near future that such a program would be extended to the teachers also.
Debates, dramatics, elocution and quiz contests are organised on a regular basis.
Sanawar is a member of SPIC-MACAY . Each month an artist of repute visits the School for a lecture/demonstration on Classical Dance and Music. Through the North Zone Cultural Centre, the School organises performances to give an exposure of our Cultural and Folk Activities, to the students.
On the Sports front, team games like Cricket, Hockey, Soccer, Basketball are given greater importance. Individual sports such as squash, tennis, athletics, swimming, rifle shooting, kayaking, badminton and table tennis are also extensively played by the students.
NCC is compulsory in the senior classes and the School is proud of a very high standard in military training and discipline.
Annual camps are an integral part of the Schools Education System. These camps imbibe extreme interest and education as they are held in various parts of the Himalayan Region.
4. Alumni
We believe strongly in maintaining close contacts with our ex-students- The Old Sanawarians. The Old Sanawarians are found all over the world, in all walks of life and they show a deep affection to their alma mater.
5. Celebrations
The singularly most important festival of the School is the Founders Day Celebrations, held from 2nd-4th October annually. It is an occasion when all the skills that students learn are on display and there is an opportunity for interaction between Old Sanawarians, Parents, Students and the Staff.
During the period of Founders the present shakes hands with the past and bodes well for the future. On the actual Foundation Day of the School, 15th April, we have an Inter-House Cross Country Run.
The School celebrates the Independence Day, Teachers Day, Gandhi Jayanti and Diwali. On the academic side we have one days holiday for one special occasion for each religion.
6. House System
The School is vertically divided into four Houses, namely, Himalaya, Nilagiri, Siwalik and Vindhya. Each House is a small family with its contingent of Boys, Girls and Teachers. The Housestaff form the head of the these families. Every teacher is given a small group of students to monitor as his or her tutorial group. This system goes a long way to monitor the development of the students. The matrons take over the motherly role in the dormitories.
The School has a time tested Prefectorial system, which is run by the students of class XII.
The School believes that by giving the students the authority and responsibility, they can exercise initiative and enthusiasm.
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