The Gokhale Education Society’s D G T High School at Girgaum will get a second lease of life, thanks to the initiative of its alumni. The school has remained closed since 2007 due to lack of students. The alumni of the Marathi medium school have committed to revive the 102-year-old school and are working with the management to ensure that the kindergarten section has sufficient students when it reopens next academic year.
Samir Kamat, an alumni, said the work on reopening the school has started in 2007 itself. “Many students like me who had passed out from the school could not bear the thought of seeing the school shut and hence we got together and decided to restart it,” said Mr Kamat. He added that he and other like minded alumni met the administrator of the school O.S. Gosavi and disclosed their intentions with the assurance that they would get the student enrolments done and requested him to restart the school.
Though the alumni persevered in the pursuit, their efforts got a major boost only in 2012 when the school celebrated its 100th anniversary. “Around 1,500 alumni of the school turned up for the anniversary celebrations and gave a commitment to offer whatever assistance was needed to see the school restart,” said Mr Kamat.
The education department then instituted a committee to look into the feasibility of restarting the school with the help of the alumni. After being satisfied that the school could be sustained, the department announced that the school would start from the academic year 2015-16.
Work on restoration of the school is on in full swing and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2015. Mr Kamat said the school would have all the modern amenities and would offer admission for kindergarten this year and gradually increase classes every year.
“The alumni have come forward to revive the school not only as they have fond memories attached to it but also because they have considered it as their social responsibility to keep the institution running. The announcement by the committee has created a wave of jubiliation among the alumni and we are awaiting the reopening of the school with bated breath,” said Mr Kamat.
