Stanes Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School has a very rich and hoary history, from its humble inceptions to its present day stature.

Stanes School was started by its Founder, Sir Robert Stanes, a pioneering English planter and industrialist in 1862. He was anxious to help his Anglo-Indian employee’s children in their education and initially started a Scripture Study School. Finding the need to educate them in English, he decided to start a Day School, which he did under a ‘pandal’ attached to the Teacher’s house.

Thus in 1862, “The Coimbatore Day School” was born. The beginning was small. A little house was rented near the Kumaran Market. The School had four pupils – two girls and two boys and two Teachers.

From there, the School moved to premises adjacent to and now occupied by the General Post Office and operated there for more than 50 years, first as the “Coimbatore Day School” and later as the “Stanes European High School”, a co-educational residential institution. It celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 1912 with its Founder, marveling at its wonderful growth which he had not envisaged at its inception.

As the number of students grew, the need for the School was to establish a holistic educational system with a strong emphasis on Sports and Games. To achieve this, Sir Robert Stanes bought the present campus in 1927. The School in its new campus was inaugurated in 1928 by the Governor General of Madras, The Viscount Goschen of Hawkhurst, in a grand manner. The School has ever been noted as an Anglo-Indian Protestant Evangelical School, where the Word of God is

read and taught daily. “The unseen foundation of the new building was being laid on the solid ground of God’s Word, the Bible” were Sir Robert Stanes’ words on the big day.

The School has grown phenomenally in every sphere of School education. It is renowned as being one of the oldest and best Public Schools in the country.

With the demand for new Board Examinations, the Stanes ICSE/ISC School was established in 2012, affiliated to the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations and the Stanes CBSE School was established in 2016, affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education. Both Schools in a very short time have established themselves as the premier institutions of their respective Boards in Coimbatore. The Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School continues to follow the State Board syllabus.

Over the last 160 years, our esteemed Institutions are alma mater to a galaxy of renowned achievers and highly accomplished leaders in every walk of life, from sporting success to the professions, entrepreneurship and public life. Stanes proudly continues its goal of producing dedicated, good citizens of India, ever keeping in mind its motto “Excelsa Sequar” (Aim for the Highest) and our masthead “ To God be the Glory.”

To be ‘At Home’ with the Lord along with the students of his school

Our beloved Founder desired that all the students of his school may accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour so that they might spend their eternity in heaven. In his letter, dated 13th August 1913, recorded in our school magazine ‘Then and Now’, he writes

Dear boys and girls,

“… I pray that the boys and girls of our School at Coimbatore may be amongst those who have found Christ as their own personal Saviour, so that one day we may all be ‘At Home’ with the Lord.”

Your sincere friend,

Robert Stanes

To build the character and lives of the students of his school in Lord Jesus

(In his requisition letter to lay the foundation stone for the school our beloved Founder Sir Robert Stanes writes thus to the Viscount)

“Your Excellencies will notice that the Foundation for this building is being laid on very solid ground, and we wish to add that in building up the character and lives of our boys great stress is laid on the teaching of the whole Bible – God’s Word- and we trust that all who may be connected to this Protestant Evangelical School in the future will remain true to the unchanging Word of God”.

My Dear Students and Colleagues,

I want you to take time to read my message to you, as you walk on the Highway to
Greatness.

Greatness in life is not achieved by pursuing that which is pleasurable, but that
which is good and that which is right.

While the world is supposedly pursuing greatness, we are witnessing a swift and steady degradation of the quality of
life and character in the human race. It is primarily because the basic foundations and formulas for greatness are wrong.

If education is taken for granted by right or by privilege and not as a blessing and responsibility, it ends up too casual and careless.
If we are grateful, we will live life more responsibly and honour our blessings with caution, which sets a
precedent for greatness.

The supreme end of education is expert discernment in all things – the power to tell the good from the bad, the genuine from the
counterfeit and to prefer the good and the genuine, the bad and the counterfeit.

If you are arming yourself for greatness, the ability to discern between good and evil is paramount.
This ability will help you to choose what is good over what looks or feels good. This is important because there is so much evil going on
around and most of it is clad in shining armour.

Stanes School aims to help its students to grow into fine human beings who are capable to face the challenges
of the present world. Those who have passed out from our School have all been men and women who have been ever ready to live
and serve others.

So my dear students, be cautions from being carried away by outward appearances that momentarily divert our
attention from the most important things.

• Be honest and committed to fruitfulness in thought, word and deed.
• Exhibit true character that encompasses the capacity for self-discipline, character creates self-respect, which in turn leads to high self-esteem.
• Ensure your active participation in all school activities. Always in every field, honestly do the best you can and nobody can stop you from being
  successful as you march towards Greatness.

Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the famed Scientist, and the former President of India, while addressing a gathering of students and professionals in Chennai, said that three things are important for a child’s growth:

• Faith in God
• Loving Home and Caring Parents
• Primary School Teachers

How true! This is what we too at STANES believe and want each of our students to experience to its fullest, in order
that we are laying a good foundation for the time to come!

In conclusion, I want to give all Glory to God, for another milestone – THE POST-CENTENNIAL DIAMOND JUBILEE YEAR –
in the history of this great institution.

This year’s magazine is a forum to exhibit the potential of the Management, Staff and Students as it unfolds each one’s imagination and gives life to our thoughts
and aspirations while we celebrate the JUBILEE YEAR.

May Stanes School continue to touch the lives of our students year after year.

‘EXCELSA SEQUAR – AIM FOR THE HIGHEST’.