Hebron School, Ootacamund

Founded in 1899 in the Nilgiri hills, this K-XIII institution has grown into one of the country’s most respected international schools, ranked among the top three in the EW-C fore survey 2009

Sprawled across two campuses overlooking the celebrated Botanical Gardens in Ootacamund (pop. 94,000) aka the Queen of hill stations, Hebron School (estb. 1899) is ranked among India’s top three international schools in the latest EducationWorld-C fore Survey of India’s Most Respected Schools. Despite being ranked third overall, on the parameters of integrity/honesty, competence of faculty and co-curricular education, Hebron was rated first among the country’s 27 new genre international schools included in the survey (see EW September). Affiliated with the Cambridge International Examinations board, UK, this 110-year-old co-educational boarding school combines tradition with modernity to offer its students internationally benchmarked primary-secondary education. Students write CIE’s IGCSE exam at the end of class XI and GCE in class XIII.

Founded in 1899 as the Hebron High School by a group of Protestant missionaries vacationing in Coonoor, and won over by the cool, clean and salubrious climate of the Nilgiri hills rising 7,500 ft above sea level, this K-XIII institution has steadily grown into one of the country’s most respected schools. In 1975, the Hebron High merged with Lushington Boys, Ootacamund to form the Hebron School, a co-educational non-denominational Christian academy, independent of any church, mission or government and administered by the Hebron Schools’ Association. Initially promoted with the objective of providing primary-secondary education to children of Christian missionaries working in India and South-east Asia, over the years Hebron has expanded its mandate to offer internationally respected educa-tion to children from wider and diverse backgrounds. Its mid-size contingent of 366 students come from 22 countries including Britain, Australia, Thailand, and South Korea.

“The mission of Hebron is to provide affordable international education based on liberal Christian principles. We are committed to offering our students, instructed by 62 highly-qualified and dedicated professional staff, an education experience which combines a rigorous international curriculum with a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Our students excel in academics as well as in extra-curricular activities including drama, music and art. I believe it’s this combination of a contemporary world-class curriculum with a gamut of extra-curricular activities that has helped Hebron produce global citizens capable of meeting challenges of the rapidly globalising economy,” says Mark Noonan, principal of Hebron.

An alumnus of Sydney University and a former mathematics teacher at Hebron, Noonan’s last assignment was as principal of Great Lakes College in Australia prior to taking charge as principal of Hebron last year. Noonan takes special pride in the school’s co-curricular traditions — music, drama, art, and community services such as fundraising and support of local charities. “The co-curricular education at Hebron bests any international school countrywide. There is also a strong theatre culture at Hebron, with our drama festival held annually in October acclaimed for its creativity and remarkable theatrical talent,” he adds.

Spread across two campuses — Lushington and Selborne — 2 km apart, Hebron offers state-of-the-art academic infrastructure including four well-equipped science laboratories, three fully-wired information technology centres with 170 computers and 24x7 internet access, a sports hall and two libraries for juniors and seniors containing 18,000 volumes. The scenic Lushington campus featuring quaint colonial era bungalows and neatly landscaped lawns houses the school’s main academic and administrative buildings, a health centre, an auditorium and residential halls for senior and junior school boys and girls. The Selborne campus provides residential accommodation for senior girls. Sports facilities include a swimming pool, two playing fields, basketball, squash and tennis courts, and a sports hall.

Yet the distinguishing characteristic of Hebron is the high quality pastoral care it provides students in 13 well-equipped dormitories. Each dormitory is limited to 20 students who are parented by married couples with the support of other staff. “The school has a magnetic effect that pulls former students back to serve as teachers. Many of Hebron’s faculty are former students who have retur-ned to teach at the school and serve as dorm parents,” says John Barclay, an education consultant with Destiny Education, Mumbai, former Hebron student, principal, teacher and board member, and a current parent.

Unlike new genre capital-intensive international schools which charge tuition fees ranging between Rs.2-6 lakh per year, in the tradition of great American universities such as Harvard and Yale, Hebron charges means-tested tuition fees based on the needs of students. Unsurpri-singly, for every vacancy the school receives four applications with priority given to students who “need the unique international course offered at Hebron and who have few alternatives elsewhere.” (see box)

With its reputation as one of the top three international schools in India firmly established, Hebron’s newly inducted principal Mark Noonan is awaiting divine inspiration to determine the school’s future initiatives and direction. “Given that Hebron School is essentially an institution driven by the broad tenets of Christianity, we are not embarrassed about seeking God’s purpose and direction. Meanwhile this is a period of consolidation and setting clear goals for the next five years. I also intend intensifying the professional and leadership development progra-mmes of teachers and students,” says Noonan.

Quite obviously the search for excellence in this highly rated international school is continuous and uninterrupted.

David Wightman (Ooty)