Madras College
Encyclopedia
Madras College is a secondary school
in St. Andrews, Fife
in Scotland
.
Bell was born in St Andrews in 1753, the son of a local magistrate and wig-maker. He studied at the University of St Andrews where he distinguished himself in mathematics. He became a clergyman of the Church of England and took up an appointment as chaplain to the regiments of the East India Company in Madras (Chennai), India. One of his duties was to educate the soldiers' children. Because there was a shortage of teachers, he used the older students, who had been taught the lesson by the master, to instruct groups of younger pupils. The pupils who assisted the teacher were called 'monitors'. This method of education became widely used in schools at home and abroad.
After his return from India, Dr Bell made it his life's work to travel the country and encourage schools to adopt 'the Madras system', as it had come to be known. By the time of his death in 1832, over 10,000 schools were using his methods.
Madras College was founded in 1832 at the bequest and expense of Bell, as the amalgamation of several St. Andrews schools. The first amalgamation was in 1833 when the old Grammar School (founded at least 1620, possibly 1520s) was joined with the "English" school (founded in 1750s) to form the Madras College. The origin of these names being that the Grammar School was taught mostly in Latin while the "English" school used English only. The Grammar School stood on the grounds between Blackfriars' Church and Lade Braes; the "English" school was on the grounds behind the Church of Holy Trinity, approximately where the town library is today.
The second amalgamation happened in 1963, when Madras College was merged with the Burgh School (founded 1889, based in Abbey Walk). As part of this amalgamation and the introduction of comprehensive education, a new school building was contracted on Kilrymont Road, a mile and a half from the South Street building. The Kilrymont building was constructed in a modernist style, with adjacent playing fields and was opened in 1967.
The school is the only secondary school in Scotland on a split site. The school catchment area takes in a large part of rural north east Fife, and most of the pupils are transported in from the surrounding area by buses.
The badge and motto, It is a chevron between three bells - a reference to Dr. Bell. The Latin motto is "pro rege et grege" which is customarily translated as "For King and People". It reminds the students of the importance of the idea of service to the community.
Dr. Bell also left money for schools in Inverness (Faraline Park (now Inverness Library)), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leith (Commercial Street) and Cupar (now called Bell Baxter High School
formerly Madras Academy).
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
in St. Andrews, Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
Madras College, founded in 1832, takes its name from the system of education devised by the school's founder, the Rev Dr Andrew Bell.Bell was born in St Andrews in 1753, the son of a local magistrate and wig-maker. He studied at the University of St Andrews where he distinguished himself in mathematics. He became a clergyman of the Church of England and took up an appointment as chaplain to the regiments of the East India Company in Madras (Chennai), India. One of his duties was to educate the soldiers' children. Because there was a shortage of teachers, he used the older students, who had been taught the lesson by the master, to instruct groups of younger pupils. The pupils who assisted the teacher were called 'monitors'. This method of education became widely used in schools at home and abroad.
After his return from India, Dr Bell made it his life's work to travel the country and encourage schools to adopt 'the Madras system', as it had come to be known. By the time of his death in 1832, over 10,000 schools were using his methods.
Madras College was founded in 1832 at the bequest and expense of Bell, as the amalgamation of several St. Andrews schools. The first amalgamation was in 1833 when the old Grammar School (founded at least 1620, possibly 1520s) was joined with the "English" school (founded in 1750s) to form the Madras College. The origin of these names being that the Grammar School was taught mostly in Latin while the "English" school used English only. The Grammar School stood on the grounds between Blackfriars' Church and Lade Braes; the "English" school was on the grounds behind the Church of Holy Trinity, approximately where the town library is today.
The second amalgamation happened in 1963, when Madras College was merged with the Burgh School (founded 1889, based in Abbey Walk). As part of this amalgamation and the introduction of comprehensive education, a new school building was contracted on Kilrymont Road, a mile and a half from the South Street building. The Kilrymont building was constructed in a modernist style, with adjacent playing fields and was opened in 1967.
The school is the only secondary school in Scotland on a split site. The school catchment area takes in a large part of rural north east Fife, and most of the pupils are transported in from the surrounding area by buses.
The badge and motto, It is a chevron between three bells - a reference to Dr. Bell. The Latin motto is "pro rege et grege" which is customarily translated as "For King and People". It reminds the students of the importance of the idea of service to the community.
Dr. Bell also left money for schools in Inverness (Faraline Park (now Inverness Library)), Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leith (Commercial Street) and Cupar (now called Bell Baxter High School
Bell Baxter High School
Bell Baxter High School is a non-denominational comprehensive state school for 11-18 year olds in Cupar, Fife, Scotland.-School history:Bell Baxter High School was descended from the Cupar Grammar School and was founded in 1889 when the Madras Academy combined with the Sir David Baxter's Institute...
formerly Madras Academy).
Rectors
The current rector is Mr Ian Jones who has been at Madras since 2007. Before the appointment of Mr Jones, the Rector was Mr Lindsay Matheson, who can be quoted as saying "Madras College pupils have a very good reputation within the local area."Notable former pupils
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External links
- Barile suspension article
- The Madras College homepage
- Madras College Former Pupils website
- An article on Andrew Bell and the Madras System
- http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/pdfs/top50statescotland.pdfArticle from The TimesThe TimesThe Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
newspaper, Top 50 State Schools Scotland] - Madras College's page on Scottish Schools Online