The name of my school is “Udayan” and Subhas Chandra Bose had laid its foundation stone. It is, however, located in an obscure (= almost unknown) muhulla in the neighbourhood of Shyamacharan De Street in Kolkata. Its naming is an interesting event. The sponsors of the school, at a meeting, had approached Mr. Bose with their draft plan wherein the name “Subhas Academy” had figured as the school’s proposed name. Subhas Chandra agreed to inaugurate it, but imposed a condition that the board announcing the name should be hoisted only after his arrival. It, naturally, spelt a mystery. He arrived a little before and they brought out from his dicky a neatly bound signboard announcing “Udayan”. His first sentence in the speech was, “Individuals die, ideas do not.” This sentence has now stood as the motto and logo of our school.
The school had a modest start and year after year the classes have increased and with them its staff and range of subjects. Today it is a full-fledged school imparting education upto plus two courses. It is affiliated to the CBSE and can boast that it fulfils all the conditions that are required for such a school.
Our Principal, Dinabandhu Paramanik, is a square personality. He appears to us to be a myriad minded (= versatile) person and mainly responsible for its all-round growth in academics, sports, debates, elocution. The school has all the three streams of arts, science and commerce along with a Computer section. A galaxy of teachers, each distinct in his own sphere, work as a total team for systematic teaching and development of the students in a very cordial atmosphere. As such, private tuitions are not only discouraged but its need is not also felt for by the students.
We have a big field at a remove from our main building where all the modern popular games are played. The PT instructor is an energetic young man that has received training from Poona. We have a Dance and Drama Association and a Debating Society.
In emulation of the ideals of Subhas Chandra, our school has been maintaining a course or syllabus in ‘Nationalism’ independent of the CBSE curricula. In the Prospectus it is tipped as a Compulsory subject. In fact its syllabus is based on a concept of nationalism that has an inherent contempt of any repression of the human spirit. It is a fine amalgam (= mixture) of Vivekananda and Tagore, and of course it enlists the selfless ardour of its founder deity.
Its strength of students is now a little over a thousand. The school authorities, as well as our Principal, are in favour of quality education. They believe that cheap certificates people the nation with a multitude of educated unemployed. The screening (=rejecting) becomes more desperate at the ten plus two stage.
One thing in which our school takes pride is that, it has succeeded so far in making learning not a mere bookishness. Though not all, a majority of its alumni has been able to achieve in their lives a divorce of learning or education from avarice (= the passion to earn money). Many of our students function today as the brain of some NGOs that are acclaimed internationally.
Our Alumni Association meets biannually. The ceremony is celebrated with pomp and eclat (= brilliance) as many a luminary (= glorious personality) attend it. At times even the highest official of the education department adorns (= decorates) its pandal.
