The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : ‘The School in the Park’ traces its roots

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Sunday, Jan 11, 2009
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‘The School in the Park’ traces its roots

Staff Reporter

Alumni put together a book to mark Sacred Heart’s centenary

— Photo : R.Ravindran

Brief history: Ambassador of Ireland Kenneth Thompson handing over the first copy of a book, “The School in the Park,” to Sister Leela, principal, Presentation Convent, at a function in Chennai on Saturday. Writer S. Muthiah and Sister Mary Ann, principal of Sacred Heart Matriculation School, are in the picture.

CHENNAI: Sacred Heart Matriculation School, a landmark near the Thousand Lights Mosque on Anna Salai, observed its centenary celebrations here on Saturday.

The school’s alumni association released an aptly titled book, ‘The School in the Park.’

Ambassador of Ireland Kenneth Thompson, who launched the book, said: “The faces of the nuns who started this school may be fading away from the photographs, but they dedicated their lives to promoting education, and their goodwill lives on.”

Put together by the alumni and edited by the Chennai-based chronicler S. Muthiah, the book traces the history and development of the school. It documents the contribution of the Irish nuns of the Presentation Convent to laying its foundation and calls for preserving the values they instilled in thousands of students over the years.

Uma Narayanan, a member of the alumni association, who was instrumental in compiling the book, said the idea was mooted in 2007. The alumni dug up the archives of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, including the old documents of land deals and advertisements placed by the school, to reconstruct important chapters of its history.

Mr. Muthiah said there were several stories about the history of the school that could have remained undiscovered, and the efforts to compile these must continue. “I met in this crowd a lady who was the first Indian to study in this convent in 1932. These facts should be compiled in a second edition of the book.”

In a statement, AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa conveyed her best wishes to her alma mater. Lawyer and AIADMK MLA Bader Sayeed, an alumnus of the school, recalled attending chapel in the school and said the harmony that existed among students of different faiths were the hallmark of the school.

Indo-Ireland ties

Speaking on the sidelines of the function, Mr. Thompson told The Hindu that Ireland was keen on establishing institutional links with Indian educational institutions and attracting Indian students to its universities. Ireland was one of the leading countries in software, pharmaceuticals and medical devices, and it was keen that Indians invest in these sectors. He reckoned that strengthening the ties with schools with Irish roots, such as Sacred Heart, was one of the means of maintaining good relations with India.

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