THE DOON SCHOOL

"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 (IPSS) was registered as a non-profit making body. The IPSS owns the school and manages its affairs through a Board of Governors.

Though S.R. Das passed away soon after the registration, his wife and devoted friends collected the funds to start the school of his dreams in September 1935.

Sylvan surroundings and a salubrious climate are coveted trappings for any residence. The Chandbagh Estate, spread over 69 acres in Dehra Dun, was the ideal location for the school. It had been the campus for the illustrious Indian Forest College (which has since been relocated as the world-renowned Forest Research Institute). The acquisition of Skinner's Estate, from the family of the well-known Colonel Skinner of Skinner's Horse, expanded the woody and lush surroundings to an impressive self-contained 28 hectares.

Dehra Dun is located at 675 meters above sea level in the Doon Valley. It is about 250 kms north-east of Delhi and is well connected to the capital by road and rail and now by air. The Doon School nestles in the Doon Valley with the magnificent Garhwal Himalayas to the north and the Sal-clothed Shivaliks to the south. On the east and west, the Valley is bound by two of India's most famous rivers, the Ganga and the Yamuna. The climate has three main seasons- the summer heat is confined to mid-April, May and June followed by a long wet monsoon from July to September. The rest of the year is delightful, clear and crisp with December and January temperatures coming down to an average minimum of 7°C.

Latest News:

 The Doon School joins the G20

G20 Schools is an informal association of secondary schools initiated by St Andrew's College (South Africa) and  Wellington College (UK), in 2006.

All the schools have a commitment to educational excellence and innovation. The G20 Schools have an annual conference which aims to bring together a group of school Heads who want to look beyond the parochial concerns of their own schools and national associations, and to talk through some key issues facing education, the world, and themselves as educational leaders. The Doon School is one of only two schools in India to be invited to join.

 The Doon School joins HMC, March 2011

The school is very pleased to announce that the Headmaster’s application for membership of the International Division of the UK’s Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference (HMC) has been successful. This organisation represents the top two hundred and fifty public schools in the UK, including Eton, Harrow and Winchester, the schools Doon is modelled on, as well as Manchester Grammar School, the institution that so inspired our founder, S.R. Das. HMC has an active overseas division of schools founded on the British public school model. Headmaster Dr McLaughlin said, ‘I am truly delighted that The Doon School has been given the opportunity to join its peers in a global context. It is a great tribute to the reputation of the school and the quality of the boys that we have at Doon. I have been very fortunate to have been in membership of HMC before.  I am really looking forward to being back in HMC and to representing the Doon School within this prestigious organisation.’   Membership of the organization will also extend greater opportunities for masters and boys to go on exchanges and for teachers to have access to training.

The Doon School is the first school in India to be in membership of International Boys’ Schools Coalition

The Doon School is delighted to be the first school in India to be accepted into membership of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition. Headmaster Dr Peter McLaughlin said: ‘As we are a specialist boys’ boarding school, membership of this organisation makes perfect sense for Doon. I am delighted that there is such a well established and highly respected organisation to focus on the issues surrounding the education and welfare of boys. The International Coalition of Boys’ Schools, which has a membership of over 200 boys’ schools around the world, conducts research and publicises the results, as well as promoting the cause of single-sex education around the world.  The organization bases its promotional work on the results of research and evidence, and provides schools with examples of best practice to follow. At a time when many boys’ schools are under pressure to go co-educational, the members of the Coalition are banding together to ensure that boys’ education continues to flourish around the globe.’

 
http://www.doonschool.com/the-school-and-campus/origins-a-history