College History

The Government Training College Hooghly started its journey in the name of Normal school in the district of Hooghly. Normal Schools have been in existence since the 16th Century. A group of schools in under French dominated area became aware and interested in preparing people for the teaching. The French concept of “Ecole Normale” was to establish in schools to achievemodel-based teaching practices thereby setting a standard or norm for student- teacher.
Normal School derives their name from the French phrase “Ecole Normale”. The brothers of the Christian schools first established these “Teacher-Training Institutions.” In French in 1685. The name of Normal School comes from the word ‘Norms’. Hence, Normal Schools are the “Teacher-Training Institutions” where scholars are moulded. The term "normal school" originated in the early 16th century from the French écolenormale. The French concept of an "écolenormale" was to provide a model school with model classrooms to teach model teaching practices to its student teachers.
The Denish colonists first established Normal School in India 1716 at Tarengambadi, district of Tamil Nadu. William Kerry set up normal school at Bombay in 1802, in Kolkata in 1852.Great educationist Sri BhudebMukhopathyay(1827-94) was associated with the Normal School of Hooghly (Teacher Training School).

The Wood’s Dispatch(1854) recommended the establishment of teacher training schools in each of the provinces. There should be training schools for teachers of engineering, medicine and law. The qualified teachers should be given better pay scales. The Despatch further emphasized on the provision of scholarships to the teachers during their training period. Sir Charles Grant was the Education Inspector at that time to look after the progress of Normal schools in Bengal. Sri BhudebMukhopathyay(1827-94) was advised by Charles Grant to appear in the competitive examination for the recruitment of head Master in normal school supposed to be established in Hooghly. His prime opponent and competitor were Sri Rajnarayan Bose who was later appointed Head master in Midnapore Collegiate school and Michael Madhusudandutta who returned from madras. Sri BhudebMukhopathyay(1827-94) was appointed superintendent (Head Master) of Hooghly Normal school on 21 st June, 1856 being stood first in the recruitment examination. But during that time there was no existence of Hooghly Normal school due to non selection of proper place. On his appointment, a big building at western Chinchaga town beside the Grand trunk road was selected to start the school. In 1872 the school was transferred to the building of Military Hospital, Chinshura and again in 1878 to Military Barrack , Chinshura. Finally, it was transferred in 1897 to Government Buildings on the Strand at Hooghly which became vacant in the same year by transfer to Hooghly Court ( present location of Government Training College Hooghly)from Chinchura Barrack.
In 1857 during the sepoy mutinyRev. James Long came on a visit to Hooghly Normal School and submitted his visit report to Lt. Governor narrating its good academic environment and good administration. Great scholar RamratiBandyopadhya was the 2 nd teacher of this normal school. Shree Bhudev Mukhopadhyay, the superintendent designed curriculum on his own and he taught zoology, mathematics, Trigonometry, Physics effectively creating a good teaching-learning atmosphere in the normal school of Hooghly. The then director of the public instruction, Bengal (1861-62) declared that the result of Hooghly normal school was better than the normal school of Calcutta and Dhaka. It was note worthy that various school management of Hooghly district preferred the trainee teachers passed from Hooghly normal school. Many famous trainee teachers passed from Hooghly normal school were Tarak Bramha Gupta (Salkia), Indra Kumar Chattayapadhaya (Chandan Nagar) , Ram GopalBidyantya (Shantipur), Kesab Chandra Bhattacharya (Mankor), Ram Chandra Sen, Jadav Chandra Hazra, Dino Nath Roy, NitayChaandChattyapadhya ( Chichura). From the book (Hooghly past and present) of Shambhu Chandra Dey (1906, P.507), it came to light that BhudevMukhopadhaya took care of his students with full attention for the all-round development. ‘By his fatherly fostering care this institution made very progress and its fame spread far and wide. Shree BhudevMukhopadhaya lived at MadhaviTala at Chuchura and later after retirement his shifted to his permanent address to Bura bazar, Kolkata. Shree Mukhopadhaya promoted to the post of Assistant education observer on 15 th July, 1862 when he was in the post of additional educational observer, he came back to Chinshura and advised in many ways for efficient management of normal school. Ram Gati Naya Ratna was the Superintendent (head master) from 1879 to 1891 and during that period he developed the institution in many ways. Hooghly normal school which was turned Hooghly training school was carried out its function of training to the school teachers till 1949. Director of public instruction (Bengal) described in his annals (1947-48) – “ The first grade training at Hooghly is a government managed institution. It was only one Institution in the province for trained vernacular teacher for secondary schools and primary training schools.”
The name of examination which was conducted here was Vernacular master ship examination. The last examination for vernacular master ship was last held in the month of December, 1948. The total number of examinees was 11. At the end of the function of Hooghly normal school, a basic training school was established in its place. The school was transferred to Banipur and there it was named as Post Graduate Basic Training (PGBT) College, established on 20 th December, 1948. In 1948 two Junior Basic training colleges were established on the 7th September at Baigachi village (Present name Banipur). The principal selected of these two colleges were Sri Shailajaroyand Sri Mohit Sen. In the same year of 1948 two PGBT colleges were established at Banipur on the 20th December, one for boys and the other for girls. Dr.Himanshu Bimal Majumdar was appointed for the post of Principal at PGBT college for boys and due to the unwillingness of female professors to come to such remote village having no communication, the college for girl was shifted to Hastings House, Kolkata. Smt. Layla Khan was its first Principal.
The basic training school which remained at Hooghly in the bank of the river Bhagirathi was was named as Government Training College Hooghly which was established on the day of 1 st August,1955 . The following Principal(S) and Officer(S)-in-Charge served the Government Training College Hooghly with their full devotion and dedication for the all round development( Academic, Administrative, Infrastructural development) of the Institution.