Management calls time on St antHony’s Boys School in cantonment area.
The 109-year-old St Anthony’s Boys School passed into history on Sunday after the management decided to call time on an institution that had among its alumni cricketer Rahul Dravid, international hockey players Sandeep Somesh and Anil Aldrin, and chairman of the Unique Identification Authority, Nandan Nilekani.
The school, founded by Irish nuns, was a part of the Good Shepherd Sisters group of institutions. The school building was a prominent feature of the Cantonment area. The school was valued for the discipline and traditional values it inculcated. As the boys’ school was only up to standard four (earlier, it was up to standard three), most students would gain admission at the St Joseph’s Boys School after finishing their stint at St Anthony’s. After St Joseph’s started a primary wing of its own, the management of St Anthony’s thought it unnecessary to continue their boys’ school.
Many members of the staff, however, were unhappy with the move to close down the school. “There was no need to shut down,” said a senior teacher. “There were plenty of requests for admissions. Now there will be a vacuum. It’s terrible. We’re hoping the management goes back on its decision.”
Dravid, who attended the day’s programme, participated in the Thanksgiving Mass and unfurled the St Anthony’s flag. He made a short speech, expressing his gratitude to his alma mater. Mrs Barbara D’Brass, one of Rahul Dravid’s teachers, recalled that he was a “nice boy and also a good student”. “He’s a thorough gentleman, and we hold him up as a role model for our students,” she said.
Manoj Pasangha, president of its Past Students and Parents’ Association, said, “It’s tragic, but we’re moving with the times. It was an iconic entity. The emphasis was on ethics and values, unlike the international schools of today which are run only for profit. Although it was a Catholic school, the atmosphere was secular.”
Around 2,000 students and their parents attended the event. Authorities had a tough time controlling the crowd, as Dravid stood out as the centre of all attention. International hockey player Sandeep Somesh, who could not attend the event, said, “We have fond memories. It’s been a terrific journey.”
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