Soon after the British began laying railway tracks in Rawalpindi in 1879 they noticed the need for an English-language school to cater to the children of British Railways officers.

On Oct 30, 1882, a brigadier general, the superintendent of traffic police, civil surgeon, inspector of schools, loco superintendent, two chaplains and a deputy commissioner met to discuss the idea for a school, and the foundation stone was laid for the school a year later, near the Royal Artillery (RA) Bazaar.

The European Day School opened its doors on March 8, 1883, to 30 students. Two years later, the school was renamed Station School.

Although the school was meant for the children of British officers, locals began seeking admission because of its quality of education and popularity.

The school was attached to the Christ Church on The Mall, next to the army’s General Headquarters, but after partition the school was placed under the management of the Lahore Diocesan Board of Education, linked to the Manchester Diocesan Board of Education which was also affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

The main school building was a typical barracks-like structure, like many government school and hospital buildings constructed under British rule.

As a primary school, it had a one building with a few classrooms. But when it was upgraded to a secondary school a new building was added to meet new requirements.

For 136 years, the school has taught students from the pre-primary to the secondary level, under the concept ‘Not Self but God and Others’.

The Station School also contains a hostel for orphans and children of single parents. St Faith’s Home is exclusively for girls, and there are currently 17 children living at the hostel. The Station School is the first school in the region to provide residence to orphaned girls and daughters of single parents.

“It is our motto to impart education to children so they will become useful citizens who care for people and society,” said Station Girls Secondary School Principal Primrose Samuel.

“The school offers multiple opportunities of grooming and active learning with its congenial environment. Its 10 students got more than 1,000 out of a total 1,100 marks in the matric examinations,” she added.

Ms Samuel said the objective was to explore students’ ideas and knowledge through activity and concept-based learning. She said students learn about concepts that are relevant in practice today and in the future.

To fulfil this task, she said, teachers are trained with various techniques, such as brainstorming, vocabulary games, classroom management, implementation of activities in class, speaking and writing, creative and critical thinking and effective lesson planning, during the summer holidays.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2019