Kochi: The Gujarati school here has completed 100 years of glorious service. The institution, which was established as a centre to teach Gujarati language to girls of families who had migrated to Kerala from Gujarat, has come a long way in the past 100 years. The centenary celebrations of the Cochin Gujarati LP and UP School will be inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani on January 31.
The centre, which came into existence in 1904, became a regular school in 1919. It was functioning from a rented space since 1904, and the school moved to the present building, which was inaugurated by then Cochin Dewan Vijay Raghavachari, in 1919.
The school got government recognition in 1957, and eventually became a government-aided educational institution. It also got the nod to teach lessons in English medium from class I to class VII in 1962. Padmanabha Menon was the head master and Babubhai Jayaram the manager when school became an aided institution.
English medium in the high school section was started in 1962, and a new high school building was opened by then Kerala chief minister R Shankar the next year. The school was expanded into a higher secondary school in 2003, and the kindergarten division was started in 2009. The institution which began functioning in 1904 with 57 students, now has 2,500 students and 115 teaching and non-teaching staff.
People from Gujarat migrated to Kochi for business purposes and later settled down over here. As many as 812 families, comprising 4,500 members, come under the Cochin Gujarati Mahajan. Out of these 812 families, 650 families are based in Mattancherry and Kochi regions in Ernakulam district. Close to 8,000 Gujaratis are settled in Kerala.
The three-day centenary celebrations will be held at the Kuruva Ground on Gujarati Road here from January 31. The cultural festivities will be inaugurated by Kerala Education Minister C Raveendranath on February 1, and the programmes of February 2 will be opened by Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac. Film actor Mammootty will also be part of the function. An alumni meet will be held on February 2.
