The inauguration of the diamond-jubilee celebrations of Shri Shikshayatan School was a proud moment for the students and a nostalgic one for the teachers.
The president of the school, S.K. Birla, congratulated the teachers and the principal for keeping the school flag flying. "We have seen 60 years of happy and progressive existence. It is a proud moment for all of us. Few institutes live through 60 years and come out unscathed," he said.
The chief guest of the event, scientist Bikash Sinha, also applauded the school for shaping up independent and confident individuals over the years. "It is my pleasure and privilege to be a part of this programme. I am sure the students of this school will do something worthwhile so that we shall be able to, wherever we are, feel very proud of them."
Teachers who have been with the school for 25 years or more were felicitated. Debjani Chakraborty, who has taught at the school for the past 31 years, recalled her journey. "When I walk into a classroom I feel like a gardener. I nurture my students and treat them as small plants. We are getting a chance to mould future leaders," she said.
Srabani Bagchi, maths teacher for 34 years, was overwhelmed when her former students congratulated her. "Even before I knew about the felicitation, my students started calling up. That was indeed a wonderful moment."
For Chandrima Dutta Gupta, who has been with the school since 1988, it's like a second home. Susmita Ghosh, another teacher in the primary section since 1989, enjoys the time with the children and finds it a "fulfilling experience".
The day ended with a panel discussion on "Women should not be labelled as women achievers".
The school also hosted an inter-school festival, Jubilare 2015, to mark its 60th year. The celebrations will continue till April.
"We wanted to do something different. All the events have been thought out carefully. I'm happy with the way things have turned out. This has been a great year for us," said Bratati Bhattacharyya, secretary general of Shikshayatan Foundation.
