BENGALURU: National High School, set up by Annie Besant, turned 98 this Wednesday. A three-day celebration is on at the campus to mark the occasion.
“National High School is not an elite educational institution. Yet, it has survived for almost a century despite the commercial turn education has taken,” says A H Rama Rao, president of the National Education Society,
the umbrella institution managing the school and several other educational organisations. “This speaks volumes of the quality of education imparted here, and our value systems.”
The school was initially set up by Dr Annie Besant at Basavanagudi in 1917. It has played host to eminent persons like Mahatma Gandhi and C Rajagopalachari, who visited the institution during the days of Indian independence struggle for India’s independence.
“Considering the school has played host to such eminent persons, people -- especially Basavanagudi residents -- associate it with patriotism,” Rao tells Express.
Later, H Narasimhaiah, once a student of the school, played a key role in the development of the group of institutions after he became the principal of National College.
“Due to his efforts, the school has achieved a legendary status,” says a visibly proud Rao.
“We were the first in the state to install science laboratories in the entire state.
“Also, in 1970s, when computers were just coming into the market and were highly expensive, let our students try them out.”
Currently, D V Nagesh is the school’s headmaster.