Government Senior Secondary School Ranipool- A Story of its Establishment

Ranipool School at Ghatttey Hill  in the 60's

Since my school days I was always curious to know about the founder of the school from where I got into the world of knowledge and acquaintance. It was indeed a slumbered historical sense that was at its initial stage which forced me to know much about the founder of my school. I also had a big question on my infant mind why my school was entitled as Ghattey School? Few people informed me that before the establishment of a school at the earlier site there used to be a Pani Ghatta (Grinding machine that runs with water power) and the place was thence known as Ghattey Dara (Ghattey Hill). Hence after the commencement of a Primary School at the Ghattey Hill the school got its name as Ghattey School. Few others informed me that the school was founded by a person from Namli called Brihaspati Parsai. This was the only knowledge that I had been able to acquire about Government Senior Secondary School Ranipool before I accomplished my Twelfth Standard.

Teachers' and Students' in the 60's

Late Brihaspati Parsai collecting funds for the School 

To acquire more knowledge about Government Sr. Sec. School Ranipool I decided to meet the descendents of the founder of my School during my fieldwork. I met Mr. N. B Parsai one of the sons of Late Brihaspati Parsai from whom I had been able to extract many unheard and unknown facts about the establishment of the said school. According to him the founder of Ghattey School Late Brihaspati Parsai had never seen any schools in his childhood. During the construction of NH 31A he worked there as a labour and later became an A Class contractor. In 1944 as a contractor he took up the task of “Cutting off Land” where he had to suffer a heavy loss. The Officer of Public Works Department Fakir Chand Jali (who was also the First Overseer and First Chief Engineer of Sikkim) told him that he incurred loss owing to his lack of knowledge in English language. That incident was a turning point for the foundation of Ranipool School. Immediately after this event Late Parsai with the help of a supervisor started a school in 1945 at Labours’ Quarter. Later Brihaspati Parsai asked a piece of land from one Langadey (Limp) Kazi for the construction of a school. The Kazi was kind enough to donate a piece of land to start a school at Ghattey Dara. Thus, the foundation of Ranipool School was laid with the efforts of an illiterate at the Ghattey Hill.

Mr. N. B Parsai has given me additional information about the first teachers of this school. According to him, Late Jayadev Sharma of Rumtek and Damber Gurung were the first teachers to serve Ranipool School. He further updated me that the school was once visited by Maharajkumar Sahib Palden Thondup Namgyal. “It was in the summer of 1946 a Wyllian Jeep came to the school compound and a gentleman in a royal costume came out of it. We did not pay much heed to know about him as we were busy in playing. The gentleman looked us for a while and moved into the office. Within a minute Jaydev Sir came out and introduced him as Maharajkumar Sahib. Maharajkumar Sahib Palden Thondup Namgyal encouraged our teachers to impart good education to the children. It was indeed a great moment for all the students to get a glimpse of the Maharajkumar Sahib at our School Compound”.

Welcoming the dignitaries during an event in the 60's 

Late Brihaspati Parsai had a deep lament that he could not study therefore; he had a determined thought that the children of peasants would be suppressed until they do not get education. Hence, with the intention of educating everybody he raised donation to run the Ghattey Hillock School. For several years he himself paid the salary for the teachers and other staff. Later the Royal Palace turned the Ghattey Hill School into a government aided institution and began to provide a grant of Rs. 30/- per month. But, the sanctioned amount from the Royal Sikkim Government was not enough to run a full fledged school. Therefore, late Brihaspati Parsai moved from door to door asking for donation for the salary of the teachers.All the students of today’s Brihaspati Parsai Memorial Senior Secondary School are greatly indebted to its illiterate founder who had an extreme faith in educating the masses for a colossal change.

Students and Teachers with new furniture on the day of becoming a Govt. aided school

Recent picture of Brihaspati Parsai Memorial School 

Respecting the contributions of Late Brihaspati Parsai to impart modern education among the peasantry of Sikkim the Sikkim Government has changed the name of Government Sr. Secondary School Ranipool as Brihaspati Parsai Memorial Senior Secondary School. For the encouragement among the students the Parsai family of Namli is providing a scholarship of Rs. 10,000/- each every year for the best two students of the school founded by their grandpa late Brihaspati Parsai.