BRIEF HISTORY OF GOVT. SR. SEC. SCHOOL RHENOCK,

 

It is evident that human have created history with the desire of achieving more. Territorial expansions by waging war between kingdoms are something which is not unheard of. Similar condition was with the kingdom of Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and India with British Rulers gaining their autonomy over all of these kingdoms. In 1788 Nepal with the Gorkha rulers made invasion upon Sikkim, consequently they took Limbuana and the former capital Rabdentse in their possession. The Gurkha ruler returned some parts of the occupied areas of Sikkim to the British Rulers through the Treaty of Sugauli in 1815. But the British rulers retained most of the plain areas themselves and returned some of the hill areas of Sikkim and thus Sikkim recovered some of its lost areas occupied by the Gorkhas through the Treaty of Titalia in 1817. However, Sikkim came under British protectorate through British- Sikkim Tumlong Treaty of 1861. They also annexed Darjeeling areas of Sikkim in 1835 in the pretext of Health Sanitation unconditionally. The British ruler established Political Office in Sikkim in 1887-88 and interference in the Sikkim administration and in other aspects.

Thus with the British gaining its power in Indian soil, many changes took place in socio- economic sphere of the country. Their thirst for expansion of colony and trade soon darted towards Tibet [China]. Sikkim being an en- route to Tibet, the British made explicit inroads toward Sikkim. Simultaneously, numerous missionaries from Europe like, The American Mission, The Dutach and Danes Mission ventured on the Indian soil with two- fold intention of bringing educational reform and the other being propagation of Christianity. The Scottish Mission made their first advent when Rev. John Anderson arrived in Madras in 1837. He was the first Scottish Presbyterian missionary. Of many educational institutes that were established by the missionaries in different parts of the country, few were also established in Darjeeling and Kalimpong

 The church of Scotland Mission had visited Sikkim form Kalimpong several times in 1880s, but was unable to obtain permission from a missionary to reside there. Reverend MacFarlane sought help from the local Lepcha community (Christian converts) to spread the gospel among their tribesmen settled in Sikkim. However, due to the ongoing political turmoil in the state and people tempted with their initial taste of democracy, even the chogyal found it difficult to overpower the prevailing political commotion.   Thus, describing the main activities of missionaries as evangelistic, educational vocational, and medicinal, many dispensaries and schools were opened at Rhenock, Seriyong and Dentam. It is said that there were 11 dispensaries in Sikkim (McKay, 2004:40:2 25-48)

 Consequently, along with the establishment of medical dispensary, the Scottish Mission, planted the sapling of Rhenock Sr. Sec. School, at Rhenock Bazar in the form of a Primary School, In the year 1879. But, owing to its confined land area, the local community decided to shift it to a more spacious area. As fortune would favour, the then social worker and a renowned senior officer (Mr. Chhetal Tashi KAZI also known as Rhenock Kazi) who worked under the Royal Govt. of Sikkim consented to donate a plot of his land for establishing a school. Thus, the school was shifted to the area where at present the school stands today.

The school was taken over by the Govt. of Sikkim on 1st August 1957 where Mr. S.T. Karthak was entrusted upon the duty of Headmastership of the newly shifted primary school. Sooner, the school was upgraded to Junior High School with Mr. J.S. Lall Pradhan as the new headmaster of the school. With the increasing population in the local places and lack of schools, the students taking admission in the school increased, which led to a public demand for upgradation of the school to Secondary School. In the year 1978 Mr. R.M. Saha became the Head of the newly upgraded Secondary School. Further, under the principalship of Miss Lachi Pradhan, the school became a Senior Secondary School in the year 1991. The school is affiliated to Central Board of Secondary Education.

With the squall of time, the school has now become one of the major education imparting institutes in the entire constituency, Apart from the mainstream courses (Humanites, Science and Commerce), vocation courses like Information Technology and Travel &Tourism are also offered. These courses are indeed, widely emerging as the most career oriented programmes in the present scenario. The school also boasts of its wide area and serene atmosphere which facilitates the students to learn in a conducive environment.

 

Refrence:

1.      History, Culture and Customs of Sikkim by J.R. Subba

2.      Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

3.      School Head chronological board of School