Jamtara — a quaint village in Santhal Pargana, with Chittaranjan (West Bengal) to the east and Bihar to the north — witnessed the arrival of two British missionaries, Mr. W. S. Body and Ellen Body, to join the Budhudih Mission (the campus now home to BBTI and EES) in 1870. Their first order of business was to start a village school at Budhudih Mission to educate the children in and around Jamtara.
The last British missionary to live at the Budhudih Mission, Miss Grace E. George, later handed over the land and resources of the mission to BBTI in 1989. Its founders — the late Mr. A. D. Shenoy and the late Mr. George Kurian — were instrumental in starting Edwards English School (EES) in 1995. Their faith in God helped meet the many needs of starting a school on a very small scale, so that every child of Jamtara, even the poorest, could pursue an education at EES. Today EES is a shining light and beacon of hope for the children of Jamtara, leading the way in education.
I arrived in Jamtara in the summer of 2000, where I was encouraged to carry the baton forward and make EES a leading educational institution in India. Since then, EES has grown exponentially — new buildings, a library with a large array of books, expansive playing fields, new teaching and non-teaching staff, a complete campus makeover, and over 1,500 students from Nursery to Class 10 following the ICSE syllabus. We are thankful to God for using us in the school's expansion in every aspect.
This is one of the best places for our children to learn and grow, both academically and in extra-curricular activities. We take a holistic approach to education and life. The Edwardians are the first generation in Jamtara fluent in English, and many of our former students now study in prestigious colleges across India. The school provides a foundation in education for time and eternity — and we are proud to have achieved a 100% success rate in our Class 10 board examinations, a testament to the dedicated work of our well-qualified and excellent teaching faculty.
I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Board of Directors, our well-wishers, all Principals — current and past — our teachers, all staff, the EES Alumni, the EES student body, and the wider EES community. Above all, I want to thank God for the sustaining grace that saw us through the pandemic and provided everything we needed.
We trust God to take the work of EES forward. May God bless you all.
Santhosh Thomas
Secretary & Chief Functionary