The Children's Garden School is just a short hop from my house. It was started in 1937 by Mr V.N Sharma and his wife Ellen, with just seven children as students. It was one of the early schools that tried to change regular mainstream education from a classroom format to a play-and-learn kindergarten format.
Over the years, just like everything else it has grown . There are over 3000 students now, its a girls' school with a separate creche, a junior school and a senior school. All available land has been built over to make space for more classrooms and facilities but this old building where the Prinicipal lives is the original building. It reads "1919-20" at the very top.
In the early fifties my mother too went to this school, to the junior section. I've heard many stories from her reminiscing about the classes under the trees and in this building.
I sat on the pavement opposite the main gate on Sunday evening and not a soul passed me by as I did this sketch. It was the last sunday before the end of summer vacation. This morning, as I left home for office the entire street was transformed with hundreds of kids, cycles, parents and general mayhem.
Lovely sketch! Your post brings back many fond memories. In the'70s I did some work for the school when they added a clinic. It was a pleasure to work with the Sharmas.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Didn't know you had done work for them! Must have been more idyllic then. The campus is cramped now.
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