The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : A school that's steeped in history

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Sep 29, 2006
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

A school that's steeped in history

R. Srikanth

Sowcarpet institution was started in 1889 to counter British influence

CHENNAI: The Hindu Theological Higher Secondary School at Sowcarpet has drawn up various expansion projects.

The institution was started mainly to educate the students on Indian culture and to counter Western education, which encouraged atheism in pre-Independence days.

The school founded by Sivasankara Pandyaji came into being on January 14, 1889, with benevolent donations received from various quarters, who wanted to propagate Hindu education.

Within a short period of time, the school not only became a centre for spreading Indian culture but was also seen as a counter to British education. Great scholars taught in the school and produced illustrious students. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, former President of India, and in whose memory Teachers' Day is celebrated, was a member of the education committee of the school. Likewise, Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda visited the school and praised its values.

To start the school, Mr. Pandyaji had to make a number of sacrifices, including selling his house. A lawyer by profession, he found solace in teaching.

While working at Pachaiyappa's College as a professor of Theology, he was pained to see sarcastic comments being passed about idol worship and children being imparted Western education devoid of any morality and resolved to start a school to impart the principles of the Hindu religion.

Having started the school he became both headmaster and teacher. Though he disliked Western education, he appointed R.S. Sheppard, an Englishman to teach English, which showed his regard for the English language. A polyglot and a scholar of great merit, Mr. Pandyaji provided affordable education to the students and succeeded in making them respectable, law-abiding citizens.

The Deena Bhandhu Sangam has been providing mid-day meals to poor students of the school for the past fifty years.

The school is located at 375, Mint Street, Sowcarpet and can be reached at 25292454.

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