A different ‘school’ of thought

Secunderabad has been home to some of the best schools that the City has to offer. But some parents complain that the dipping standards are forcing them to shift their children to corporate institutions

A popular Hindi saying Angrej chale gaye, angrezi chod gaye refers to how the Britishers brought English to the country. No matter how this saying is interpreted, we Indians should be grateful for the ‘education system’ that was introduced to us by the Britishers.

In Secunderabad too it was the Britishers who established schools which are till date counted among the best educational institutions in the City.

Through the ages, schools in Secunderabad have seen students not just from Secunderabad but also from Hyderabad. “I completed my schooling 30 years ago. At that time, the best of the best students from Hyderabad would come to this side of the town to study. It was like a rule that all the girls would go to St Ann’s School and boys to St Patrick’s. The best part was that no one would carry any baggage of being rich and influential; all of us would share the same platform. Even today we meet in Secunderabad,” says Jayanthi K, a bank employee.

With the recent developments, schools have seen a dip in the number of students attending these convent schools. Most parents who themselves have studied in these schools prefer corporate school as they promise better results.

“My sons went to St Andrews High School till class five. This is the time when their concepts are strengthened. Now, we have transferred them to Gowtham Model School as its closer and will help then in the long run to clear their competitive exams.” says Venkat N, an IT professional

Just like Venkat, there are several parents who do just the same. They believe that over the years the standards of these schools have diluted. “I never went to these schools but always wished that my daughter studied in one of those schools. However, after two years at St Ann’s we realised that the education standard had fallen down and we had to send her for tuitions after school. To avoid the wastage of time and money we shifted her to a corporate school.

Not just parents, but students themselves prefer corporate institutions. “I am from St Patrick’s High School and always wished my son went to a convent school and college but post his boards he insisted that he wanted to go to a college which was air conditioned and prepared him for the IIT entrance.” says Vinod Kumar, a marketing professional.

This is the present condition of the schools which at one time were the best in Secunderabad with huge play grounds, science lab’s and libraries which is just not a part of the new corporate schools.

Tags: Destination Secunderabad, St Andrews High School, St Ann’s School, St Patrick’s

Category: City, City News