A city school celebrated its 50 years on a day that the rest of the city virtually shut down.

A programme to mark the golden jubilee of Bidya Bharati Girls' High School was attended by around 350 students and their parents at Rabindra Sadan on Wednesday. Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi was the chief guest on the occasion.

The programme was scheduled to start at 5.30pm, but several students and their parents reached the venue by 4.30pm from as far as Budge Budge to Behala.

Some came by train, some by bus and some others in their own vehicles.

The date for the programme had been decided around four months ago. "When we heard of the strike, we were worried. A teachers' meeting was held and parents were consulted. Everyone felt we should go ahead," said Haimanti Basu Roy, English teacher at the school.

The school had arranged four buses to bring students from the New Alipore campus to the venue and cars for teachers to be picked from their homes and dropped back. Students who availed themselves of school transport were dropped home as well.

Prayrona Biswas of Class XII and her parents started from their home in Kidderpore at 2.30pm on Wednesday. Before that, she spent all morning glued to the TV set for any news of trouble on her route. "We had to wait for about 20 minutes to get a bus but we were relieved when we boarded one," said Prayrona who received an award for overall performance and best conduct.

Though Prayrona's parents were as excited as her, some like Sayani Naskar had to convince her parents.

The Class XII student left her Garden Reach home around 2.30pm to reach school.

"My parents were initially not willing and I had to convince them. It's not everyday that the school acknowledges you and it is a moment of pride I didn't want to miss," she said.

Not just the students who were felicitated, but students of Classes XI and XII who acted as volunteers also turned up on time. And so did the 25-odd students of the school choir, who sang at the beginning of the programme.