Belgaum Military School

King George V (1865-1936) was the king of Great Britain and the emperor of India from 1910 to 1936. Though during World War I he had no direct responsibility, his duties took him to 450 military and naval installations, 300 military hospitals and to several other places for personally distributing as many as 58,000 decorations. It was during these visits that King George V was so impressed with the courage and fighting abilities of the Indian troops that at the conclusion of the war, he decided to set up some institutions for education of children of Indian Jawans. Hence these schools were named King George Royal Indian Military Colleges. Initially, these schools were opened between 1925-1930 at Jhelum, Jullundhar and Ajmer. In 1945 when World War II came to an end, two more King George Royal Indian Military Colleges were started at Belgaum and Bangalore by King George VI.

Admissions to the school were initially restricted to the sons of JCOs and ORs of the Army and their equivalent ranks in the Navy and Air Force. The boys were prepared for the Army Special Certificate of Education Examination. The instructional staff then were drawn from the Army Educational Corps.

On Republic Day 1950, the school was renamed King George’s Military College. In July 1952, the school was re-organised along the lines of Residential Public Schools and admissions were thrown open to the sons of Service Officers as well as Civilians. The boys switched over to the Senior Cambridge Certificate Examination and the condition that all students should join the services was dropped. The school was simultaneously renamed King George’s School.

In 1963, the school was affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi and the boys switched over to the Higher Secondary Examination conducted by the Board. On 1 January 1966, the school was renamed Belgaum Military School, Belgaum. In January 1998 the prefix ‘Belgaum’ was dropped and the School was re-designated Military School, Belgaum.

The primary aim of the school is to prepare students for the All India Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination of the Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi. The school also prepares boys who wish to join the Indian Armed Forces for the entrance examination of National Defence Academy. Boys between the age of 10–12 years are eligible for admission to school from Class VI onward.

The school has an area of 64.13 acres (259,500 m²) which in addition to the buildings includes 14 playgrounds like cricket, football, hockey, athletics track, baseball, volleyball, swimming pool and squash court. The school buildings include Main Office Block, Boys Hostels, Cadets Mess, Academic block, Temple and Old Assembly Hall, New Assembly Hall, Gymnasium, QM Stores and Canteen, MI Room and Staff Accommodation.

At the thirteenth meeting of the Central Governing Council held on 23 Oct 1990, the aim of a Military School was defined as:

• The aim of Military Schools is to impart quality education and prepare cadets to join the Defence Services.

Like all other Military Schools, Rashtriya Military School, Belgaum is a Cat ’A’ Establishment under the direct control of DGMT (MT-15). All instructions pertaining to finance, training, admission and recruitment etc. are received from AHQ (MT-15). Alumni of the five Military Schools are known as Georgians after their founder father.

• Senior Officers' School, Belgaum

• https://web.archive.org/web/20091201051511/http://www.militaryschoolbelgaum.edu.in/