Bishop’s High School, Tobago’s oldest and most distinguished secondary school, has played an important role in providing young Tobagonians with access to secondary education. The school was established after the persistent advocacy of James Biggart, a renowned Tobago born political and social activist, for the establishment of a secondary school on the island.  Bishop Arthur Anstey and Archdeacon Davies responded to the call, and the school was opened by the Anglican Church on 14 September 1925. 

Bishop’s was first housed in Peru Cottage, Scarborough, which was donated by Miss Cross, aunt of Archdeacon Herwald Davies, and was administered by a board that included Arbuthnot Hope, plantation owner Kenneth Reid, and businessman George Samuel, owner of Nyalls Drug Store.  The school offered a traditional classical curriculum including Latin, and subjects examined under the Cambridge exams. As a result, in 1926 the school received government assistance, ensuring eligibility of students to take the Cambridge examination. 

The school was relocated to a four-acre property at Sans Souci, which was later extended into the Fairfield Complex, and in 1956, it was relocated to a new modern structure at Mt. Marie. The school was rebuilt in 1990 and is constantly being expanded to meet the needs of the island. 

The establishment of the Sylvan Bowles Scholarship in 1938 also increased the opportunities for deserving students to attend the school. Most of the early teachers came from Barbados and England, but with the assistance of Bowles scholarships, which eventually began to provide funding for graduates to attend the University of the West Indies (UWI), there was a gradual growth of local staff, particularly former students. By the 1980’s, they constituted 75 percent of the staff, and 35 percent of them had benefited from Bowles university scholarships. 

After the school moved from its original site, enrolment steadily increased, and during the 1960’s, the school’s offerings were diversified to provide vocational training for secretarial positions.

Bishop’s High School’s alumni consists of acclaimed Tobagonian scholars, politicians, artists, and businessmen who have gone on to make significant contributions on the national, regional, and international stages.  Some of the most notable Bishopians include Chief Justice Ivor Archie; former Prime Minister and President Arthur N. R. Robinson; former Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community, Edwin Carrington; Prime Minister Keith Rowley; and former Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Orville London.  With a present enrolment of 750 students and a staff of 80 (50 teaching and 30 ancillary) and an ongoing programme of modernization and expansion, the school remains poised to continue to nurture the scholars and distinguished citizens of the world.