About 160 years ago, a little sailing vessel called ‘TRAFALGAR’ belonging to the well-known Green Line sailing vessels, sailed into Madras harbor.
One of its passengers was destined to fame. Robert Stanes, an Englishman, just 17 years of age, alighted on Indian soil to live and die as Sir Robert Stanes. He had come to join his brothers James, William, and Thomas, in the Nilgiris who were great pioneers in coffee curing. The Stanes family owned many estates in The Nilgiris, Valparai and Palani in South India.
Although coffee was their chief interest, Sir Robert Stanes soon shifted to Coimbatore where he became a pioneer in textile development (Stanes Mills) and a leading automobile businessman (Stanes Motors). In 1862, Sir Robert Stanes, then only twenty years old, started a day school for the children of his employees.
The beginning was very humble – a small rented house with two teachers and four pupils. In 1914 Robert Stanes was awarded the Kaiser – I – Hind and in 1920 he was knighted. In the year 1936, he died a comparatively poor man, but left behind rich memories of charity, godliness, and kindness.
Our Inspiration
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”.