KARACHI: The centenary celebrations of the Mama Parsi Girls’ Secondary School brought up many moments of joy for current and former Mamaians who gathered on the historical school premises here to share old memories on Sunday.

The school was decorated with marigold garlands with pretty rangoli designs made by little hands at the corners of all entrances. All the Mamaians sported fresh jasmine and rose bracelets. This school for Parsi girls, which also opened its doors to Muslim girls on the request of the Quaid-i-Azam after 1947, began the day’s celebration with a milad followed by a special Zoroastrian prayer ceremony conducted by priests.

This was followed by another gathering in the courtyard which was also attended by Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair. “Over the past 100 years, this school has earned the reputation of being one of the best girls’ schools of our country,” the governor said. “Girls from here have gone to work all over the world, making their alma mater proud,” he added.

‘Girls from here have gone to work all over the world, making their alma mater proud’

The governor also appreciated how the school had kept itself abreast of things in order to move with the times such as information technology and including the Cambridge system to their curriculum. It was also mentioned during a video presentation about the school that they also switched to the Aga Khan University Examination Board for Matric in 2007.

Tracing the history of the school in her welcome address, the chairperson of the school’s management committee Dr B.N. Mama said that they started with 50 Parsi girls but today they were educating 2,220 girls, most of whom were Muslim.

Yaghsha Mir and Zehra Shabbir Khan, both final year O-Level students, told Dawn that Sunday was their last day of school. “We joined from class one and after completing 11 years here, we are going to say goodbye to our school today,” said Yaghsha.

“Still, we will be Mamaians wherever we go, whatever we do,” said Zehra, who also said that growing up here she can now see how good an influence her teachers have been on her.

Yaghsha cut in then: “A Mamaian will always stand out in a crowd. I can always tell she is one of us due to her discipline and the grace with which she carries herself.”

Ms Ayesha Shabab, a mathematics teacher at the high-school section, said that it was a sentimental moment to see their students, whom they had watched grow up before their eyes, leave school. “But,” she said smilingly “it is something that we experience every year.”

Hamida Afzal Jamali, a primary section teacher, said that she had been with the school for 20 years now. “The students who graduate from here don’t forget their teachers. I find girls more sensitive and sentimental this way,” she said.

Yasmeen Anwar, an Urdu teacher in the high school section, who said that she had been with Mama School for over 35 years now, said that her daughter had also completed her schooling from here. “She is a doctor now,” she said proudly.

The evening came to a conclusion with the honouring of former teachers and staff who have given over 40 years of their life to the institution. Furengeez Tampal, the school principal, gave the vote of thanks.

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2018