A school that was started as part of the freedom movement to imbibe nationalist ideals among students eventually grew into one of the most reputed educational institutions in the State, running as many as 17 schools and colleges, and having an illustrious alumni.

This year, the National Education Society (NES) turned 100.

The first school — National High School — was started in 1917 near Tharagupet in Bangalore (and shifted to Basavanagudi the following year) by theosophist and Congress leader Annie Besant, along with 10 other schools across the country.

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The NES went on to start a host of other institutions, most famous among them being the National Colleges in Basavanagudi and Jayanagar.

The first school remains one of the few successful privately run Kannada-medium schools in the city today, with over 700 students. The NES also runs schools in Kolar and Chickballapur, which, put together, have over 1,600 students learning in Kannada medium.

D.V. Nagesh, headmaster of the National High School, Basavanagudi, however, said enrolment for the Kannada-medium section was slowly dwindling, though it continues to be “healthy” in rural areas.

A.H. Rama Rao, president of the NES, said what sets the institution apart from others is the fact that its governing council is elected once every two years without any sectarian bias, giving it a very democratic character.

As the NES has turned 100, old-timers fondly remember the days of H. Narasimhaiah, freedom fighter, rationalist and educationalist, whose 69-year association with the institution started as a student and went on till he held its reins. So much so the college’s name became synonymous with his.

Founding ideals

H.V. Venugopal, former principal, National College, Basavanagudi, said the framework of activities during the academic year set by “Dr. HN” — annual essay competition on scientific thinking, intersection drama competition, weekly science forum lectures, social science club lectures — was firmly in place. “While it is true that the flavour changes with different administrators, the institutions are committed to the founding ideals and also to those of Dr. HN,” he said. The science forum started by Narasimhaiah in 1972 has till date conducted over 2,800 science lectures, including many by Nobel laureates.

But there are some who disagree. A former teacher said that within two years of Narasimhaiah’s death, religious seers were called for programmes, something “unthinkable” when the educationalist led the society.

But one thing that the NES seems to be still leading in is in keeping up with the times in science and technology. Blackboards are a passé here. All boards in the National High School are digital display boards. Dr. Rao said the NES had always been at the forefront of change, especially in science education. “The next big thing is Blockchain technology. We are working to introduce a course on it,” Dr. Rao said.

The NES also has plans to retain the heritage building of the Basavanagudi National High School and rebuild the rest of the structure as a state-of-the-art education campus, following which they want to expand by starting several educational programmes.

Centenary celebration

President Ram Nath Kovind will take part in the centenary celebration of the NES on Saturday. The other dignitaries to be present include Governor Vajubhai R. Vala, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Union Minister Ananth Kumar.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by K.V. Aditya Bharadwaj / Benglauru – December 30th, 2017