The school is celebrating its 150th anniversary with various functions. The celebration formally began here on Monday though it was on March 1, 1856, that the school was started as Basel German Mission School. It was later re-christened BEMP School as a mark of respect to Kaikose Ruderasha, a Parsi philanthropist who generously donated funds for the development of the school. The school, managed by the North Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India, was upgraded to a high school by Rev. C. Mueller who came here to assist German missionary Hermann Gundert.
The present building of the school, located in the centre of the town, was built in 1903. The spacious hall of the building, roof made of huge wooden beams, and old-style roof tiles add to its heritage value.
Those who taught at the school included Dr. Gundert, who compiled the first Malayalam dictionary, and Keeleri Kunhikannan, who served as gymnastic instructor at the school and was considered the father of the Indian circus.
Translator and author Thatha Kanaran who translated the works Walter Scott and Samuel Johnson served as the school headmaster. English scholar R. Mukunda Mallar worked as teacher at the school. P. Sankunni who served as Principal of Victoria College, Palakkad, was a product of the school. Malayalam satirist O. Chandu Menon, short story writer Murkot Kumaran, Communist leader A.K. Gopalan, freedom fighters I.K. Kumaran and Moyyarath Shankaran and socialist leader P.R. Kurup also studied at the school.
Union Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Vittal Das Leeladhar, retired administrator Murkot Ramunny, and the former Calicut University Vice-Chancellor A.N.P. Ummerkutty also studied at the school.
BEMP School at present has 1,150 students and is equipped with a library of 10,000-odd books
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