Honorary President’s Letter – 2026

19th March 2026

Dear Friends,

Spring was in the air when I started drafting this letter! The temperature in London was around 15 C, the sun was out and the daffodils were in full bloom. As I finish the letter, winter is back!!
The major global event is the US-Israel war with Iran and no-one knows what will happen next.
Welcome to my 2026 Easter letter. As usual, I divide my letter into 2 areas –

A) Alumni matters and B) SPS Darj matters.

(A) Alumni Matters.

www.paulite.org

A working group from OPA Europe and OPA North America are going to develop the above website portal into a platform that the entire Alumni can use globally. Think an alumni portal along the lines of LinkedIn.

It will be a resource for Alumni at all stages of their life’s journey. At the further education stage when you are at college or University; OPs can use it reach out to connect to other OPs in the city or country that the OP is going to study in. After their education has finished and they begin and throughout their work life; OPs can reach out to other OPs to help with their careers and employment.

It can become a forum for OP batches or OP chapters to hold webinars and town halls. These can be recorded and enjoyed by OPs in different time zones.

www.paulite.org can become the platform for OPA Global. That is what the working group will be striving to create. But to work, it needs lots of OPs to sign up and engage on the platform. Please sign up if you haven’t done so already and encourage all OPs you meet to sign up also. Click on the link below.

• Registration - St. Paul's School Alumni Network 

• Login - St. Paul's School Alumni Network

OPA Europe Annual Re-Union Lunch.

This is confirmed for Saturday 4th July at the May Fair Hotel off Piccadilly in Central London. Please contact Rajiv Jaiswal on rajivkj@yahoo.com to book your tickets. We are hoping that Rector Gregory will be able to join us via video link.

(B) St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling matters.

New Rector appointed.

2026 kicked off with the announcement that Mr. Trafford Gregory was joining as the new Rector. Trafford did his teacher training at Mount Hermon and has been a teacher for 23 years. 18+ of those years were at the Gems Modern Academy in Dubai where he has held leading roles. His subjects are English and History and at GEMS he was also the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme supervisor. It will be good for SPS Darj. to get the international perspective that Trafford will undoubtedly bring.
I am sure all the OPAE members join me in welcoming Trafford and wishing him a long and successful Rectorship. Trafford starts at SPS at the end of April 2026.

You can follow the School’s communications via the links - Facebook | St Paul's School Official Darjeeling - YouTube

School Opened on 23rd February 2026.

The new year has started and from the various videos posted on social media, it would appear that the student numbers are comparable to what they were in 2025 which was over 500.

Mr. Punam Lama has been appointed Senior Master and taken the helm pending the arrival of Rector Gregory.

Social Media posts of life at school.

2 teachers regularly post about life in school and they are on Facebook. If you are on Facebook, check out the following pages :-

CCIR GURUNG: Facebook | Ccir Was Here - YouTube
NABARUN MONDAL: Facebook

It has been good to see the school in action again. The boys seem energised, enthusiastic and morale all round seems high.

KPMG Report and study – Roadmap 2030.

I understand from Dr. Subir Chowdhury that Educare have engaged KPMG to do a study and report to help shape Roadmap 2030. I’m sure this will give the revival of SPS a lot of momentum and focus when it has been completed.

I close wishing you and yours a very Happy Easter and hope 2026 doesn’t go down in history for all the wrong reasons.

With all good wishes,

Neville Raschid,
Hon. Pres. OPA Europe.

Hon. President's Xmas 2025 Letter

14^th December 2025.

Dear Friends,

Welcome to my 2025 Xmas letter.

This year I am focusing on 2 areas – A) SPS matters and B) OPA Europe matters.

(A). St. Paul’s School, Darjeeling matters.

-2025 has been a turbulent year for SPS Darjeeling and the alumni has been effected by the turbulence.

-At the end of July, the Rector Peter Lepcha left followed in early December by the Senior Master / Acting Administrator Agnelo Dennis.

-However the school has continued to function smoothly through 2025 and I understand plans are in place for the school’s leadership for the start of the new school year in March 2026.

-I hope the alumni will also now accept that ‘Crisis 2025’ has passed and settle down and be positive.

SUBIR CHOWDHURY MEETING.

I met with Subir Chowdhury in early November and we had a wide-ranging discussion about Educare's plans for SPS and what he is looking for from Old Paulites going forward.

Here are the main points :-

1. Educare remains totally committed to reviving SPS Darjeeling even though Educare still has to put cash into the school after 4+ years.
2. Subir’s top priority has been to appoint a new Rector to be in post by March 2026. I understand that this appointment is very close.
3. After the appointment of the new Rector, Educare / The  Board of Governors (BoG) will issue a document titled 'Roadmap 2030' which will outline the improvements that Educare plan to undertake at SPS Darjeeling.
4. We expect this to include inter alia continuing the upgrade of infrastructure that has sadly deteriorated such as Lyon Hall, Centenary Hall, the Chapel exteriors, the roofs of all the buildings around the Quad, the Fives Court building etc. etc.
5. We hope 'Roadmap 2030' will be issued by April / May 2026. Old Paulites will be invited to give their comments and opinions on ‘Roadmap 2030’.
6. Going forward, Subir has asked that JP Roy (Hon. Treasurer – OPA, Kolkata) and myself act as 'gate-keepers' and 'filter' Old Paulites' comments and opinions. 
7. Everyone is entitled to their comments and opinions but JP and I can only support those that come combined with a positive contribution.
8. A positive contribution doesn’t just have to be financial although that is the most obvious as exemplified by the 1983, 1997, 1974 batches and others who have raised money since 2022, undertaken various infrastructure upgrades and given back unconditionally for the revival of their alma mater.
9. As Subir has multiple businesses to deal with, he has asked me to handle communications to the Old Paulite community until a more permanent solution is arranged. Please go on www.paulite.org and copy my letters from the Newsroom section to your WhatsApp, Facebook and other social media groups. Please see my 13^th August 2025 letter and this one. They should give you the history of what has transpired since 2022 and what is planned going forward.

(B) OPA Europe – New Members Recruitment.

• We have launched a drive to recruit new members to our chapter.
• Attached is our e-flier for this purpose.
• Please share the e-flier with your batch mates via WhatsApp, Facebook and any other social media platforms that you and your batch mates use to stay connected.
• Please ask your batch mates to forward to anyone in their network connected to SPS.
• We are particularly keen to attract OPs from 2000 to 2025.

I close wishing you and yours a very Merry Xmas and a Happy and prosperous 2026.

With all good wishes,

Neville Raschid,

Hon. Pres. OPA Europe.

Honorary President’s XMas Letter 2024

16th December 2024

Dear Friends,

I find Xmas a time for reflection.

In the words of the John Lennon song ‘So this is Christmas and what have we done?’

Well it’s certainly been a heck of a year has 2024!

Global events.

In April, India went to the polls and returned a BJP-led coalition government to the surprise of many. The common wisdom was that the BJP would increase its majority but this didn’t happen. Prime Minister Modi got a third term and has now been in office longer than Pandit Nehru.

In July, the UK had its general election and a Labour government was returned after 14 years of Tory leadership.

In November, Donald Trump was re-elected President of the USA.

Elsewhere the Ukraine conflict and the war in Gaza continued and almost over-night the 50 year rule of the Assads in Syria came to an end.

News from Darjeeling.

We continue to get positive reports of the school’s revival from multiple sources.

With student numbers set to go over the 500 mark in 2025 and the finances into break-even and a small profit, one can rejoice in the fact that the school has not just survived but is being revived.

Our relationship with the Darjeeling Children’s Trust (DCT) continues to progress with DCT children visiting Jalapahar to use the school’s facilities.

UK News.

Our annual July re-union was terrific and members of the OPA Europe and OPA North America attended the DCT Ball in London in November.

Unfortunately, we have been informed about the sudden departure of Roy Metzkes (OP ‘59) on 5^th Oct 2024 in Germany due to liver cancer. We pass our condolences to Roy’s wife Brigette Metzkes.

Looking ahead.

Reflection is good but we must also look forward.

For me the greatness of John Lennon’s song is that he also writes

“Another year over and a new one just begun.”

Global events.

What will unfold in the Ukraine and the Middle East with Trump at the helm again is anybody’s guess but keep them all in your prayers and thoughts this festive season.

Here in the UK, we just have to pray that the economic growth that the Labour budget in October is relying on does happen.

If so then it will be good news all round.

Darjeeling, St. Paul’s and Old Paulite events.

We are looking forward to news that Darjeeling and the school continue to prosper in the New Year.

Hopefully the July 2025 OPA Europe reunion will have one or more of the following attending -The Rector, Subir Choudhary and the Bishop.

So I’ll close returning to John Lennon to wish you all:-

A very merry Christmas...

And a happy New Year...

Let's hope it's a good one...

Without any fear.

Neville Raschid