St Patrick’s High School revisited

The school, which was known as St Patrick’s European High School, where a good chunk of students were Europeans and Anglo-Indians, makes its alumni feel as proud as a peacock, says a former student

Reminiscenceing about a school to where one carried bag loads of books and spent about a decade in the tight confines of a classroom before being churned out as a refined product is quite an exhilarating experience. Because mere thought of doing so conjures up the images of nostalgia bordering on tough classroom study, pranks, spending a whale of time with chuddy buddies etc. Being a product of an illustrious school like St Patrick’s High School, Secunderabad, makes me feel me as proud as a peacock.

Jogging down the memory lane, it was no cakewalk to gain admission into a school like St Patrick's in the early 60s. Located in the hub of educational institutions at Sebastian Road, it is not an iota of exaggeration if one says that it was a tough nut to crack to get admission into one of the most-sought-after schools in the city.

So much so, my eldest brother and brother-in-law said to have rolled up their bedding and slept near the school a day before for procuring the admission form for me. In those days, the school was labelled as St Patrick’s European High School where a good chunk of students were Europeans and Anglo-Indians and the school is said to have preferred white complexion students for the perfect mix.

Once I entered the school, a new world dawned upon me. On the first day of my schooling, I was greeted by soft-spoken, caring and loving nuns, who used to man the kindergarten classes. Not knowing that it takes more than a decade to round off one’s schooling, I as a tiny tot, sat in the next higher class on the second day itself. The teacher spotted me and sent back to my class. Perhaps I might have thought that I could finish the entire schooling in 10 or 11 days.

As I began to graduate from class to class, I started moving in groups with a gaggle of friends, a few intelligent, many naughty. Two subjects - Hindi and Telugu were two bugbears. So much so, when the language pandit used to zero in on me for recitation of a poem, I, without muttering a word, straight away used to stand on the bench as a mark of self-inflicted punishment.

Another episode that keeps popping up in my mind and tickles my funny bone is that of a teacher’s ploy to punish the students who were habituated to the footboard travelling and catching a running bus. Maybe, I was in fifth class, the teacher, a Parsi lady, who used to teach Hindi, coaxed the students and asked them if anybody was used to footboard travelling or board a running bus; to raise their hands so that she could reward them with chocolates.

Wanting not to chuck way the opportunity of grabbing the chocolates, I, in a trice, raised my hand though I was put up very near the school and daily used to walk down to the school. The teacher who saw so many hands being raised, gave a rap on the knuckles for daring to undertake hazardous commuting. Rewards are not for asking but for the deserving, obedient and disciplined pupils.

The Anglo-Indian and Parsi teachers used to be tough with the students and our English teacher, Burder, used to keep us spellbound with his captivating teaching methods. There was flip side of the school life too. It is undeniable that school life is full of thrills with no frills attached. When we got a hunch about strike against some or the other issue we used to look forward to the arrival of students from Mahbub College, who used to act as big brothers and go around the town for closure of educational institutions.

All said and done, what could be said of a school, which came into being in 1911 with a miniscule strength of 35 students, now has more than 3,400 students on its rolls. The school, run by the Society of Jesuits, with the rapid stream of time produced an impressive array of distinguished personalities in wide fields. Montek Singh Ahulwalia (former Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission), Mohd Rizwan, (former Indian basketball team captain) Naushir Mehta (Ranji cricketer), KV Brahmananda Reddy (IRES), Vijayawada Police Commissioner PSR Anjeneyulu, renowned filmmaker Shekhar Kammula besides several products who carved a niche in sports and education fields.

On being asked about the school expansion, Father Francis, who is at the helm of school affairs, ruled out any further expansion. Adding more strength means more classrooms and they have no extra space left for any expansion. Unlike early days, the doors of the school are open to all sections of society.

Over the years, the school physical contours underwent a sea change only to emerge as a strong edifice of learning in the town. In fact, I owe what I am today to my alma mater.

By: Hemanth Kumar Pusthay