Our school was like a family, says proud octogenarian student

Chennai: One of the oldest schools in south India fostering the education of girls, the Lady Sivaswami Ayyar Girls’ Higher Secondary School, has entered the 150th year. The school authorities have planned to make the sesquicentennial celebrations a grand one on Friday.

 “Our school was a like a family for us. Even my two sisters had studied here,” says Mrs. Bhama Ramaswamy who completed her SSLC from the school in 1944. Vividly recalling her formative period, the octogenarian says “we had good teachers and they were very sincere. There was a big prayer hall where we all assembled and offered prayer to Goddess Saraswathi before going to our classes.”

 She was among the first batch of students when Montessori system was introduced in the school. “Our school was initially named National High School and later came to be known by the present name,” Mrs. Bhama adds. “An important thing I would say about the school is that it was like a family. My mother used to help the school in various aspects,” she recalled.

 This first school in south India has remained as a premier institution for girls' education. It was founded by Sri Gajapathi Maharaja of Vizianagaram in 1869. The school witnessed many management changes before it finally settled down to the present name of Lady Sivaswami Ayyar Girls’ School in 1946 in memory of a stellar contribution, both administratively and monetarily, by Sir P. S. Sivaswamy Ayyar. The school is the Alma Mater for many illustrious women who have excelled themselves in various walks of life.

 Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will be the chief guest of the 150th year celebrations of LSAGHSS, Mylapore, on Friday 4.30 pm. School Education Minister K. A. Sengottaiyan, Industries Minister M. C. Sampath, Leela Narendra, secretary of the school, Ruby Puthotta headmistress, Srinivasan K. Swamy, vice president, NBGES and S. Sridharan, member, NBGES, will participate. Three distinguished alumnae: Dr. V. Shanta, Vani Jairam and Lakshmi would also take part and go down the memory lane.